The Killer Queen (Noella Briony)

Palmer chuckled softly. "Need me to tag along with you guys?"

It was pretty obvious that the vintage paintings missing from Garrick's place the other day were Horatio's doing.

Horatio waved a dismissive hand. "Nah, you wouldn't get our vibe. You’d just be in the way for me and Noella. Just chat with Helen, alright? Make sure everything's ready for the memorial!"

Palmer raised an eyebrow. This was the first time someone had told him he'd be a bother!

But then again, this was Horatio speaking, whose insights as a spiritual practitioner always seemed particularly pure. Meeting those clear, earnest eyes, Palmer knew Horatio spoke his mind.

It was hard for Palmer to feel offended.

"Grandma's out of town, so I'll handle the preparation. Just get back soon. If you need help, give me a buzz," Palmer said, directing the latter part to Noella.

"Got it, will do."

Horatio clapped Palmer on the shoulder, satisfied, and left with Noella.

...

At Larson Pollack’s estate, Larson was almost amused by Old Mrs. Pollack, who sat across from him, sipping her coffee with an air of indifference.

"Mrs. Pollack, how many times do I have to tell you? Those antiques were meant for the auction!"

"Larson, we both know the true origins of those items. Don't make me report you."

"They were all legitimately bought with my own money. How can they be tainted? If it weren't for Palmer ruining my business, I wouldn't even be selling these things!"

Helen didn’t even bother to lift her drooping eyelids. "I've made myself clear, Larson. I'm taking those items. You know very well whether they're yours to keep."

Larson was at his wit's end!

The moment Helen stepped in, she insisted on claiming all the antiques Larson treasured from his storeroom. When Larson resisted, Helen threatened to report him on the spot, her phone already poised to dial the Cultural Heritage Agency!

"Ma’am, those vases came through clean deals, you can't just slander me like this!"

Helen offered a faint smile. "Vases from 18th century, adorned with elaborate designs and patterns. You’re saying they came through clean channels? As far as I know, such items belong in museums. Exactly how 'clean' are your sources? Raiding museums?"

Larson’s expression soured. "Those are my lifelines. If you take them, I can't go through with the auction tomorrow!"

"I care not. I've come for them, and I will take them. Otherwise, enjoy your time behind bars."

Helen left Larson with no other choice.

Suddenly, thumps echoed from the ceiling.

Larson looked up towards the noise, only to hear Helen's sarcastic remark, "Oh dear, seems you've really hit rock bottom, hosting rats in your home."

"Ma’am, I really can't just hand these over for nothing!"

As Helen listened intently to the noises, she elegantly sipped her coffee.

"Let's see the goods then. If they're not up to par, I don't want them. If they are, I'll pay you half the market price."

Hearing Helen haggle from above, Noella's lips curled into a smile.

"Never would've guessed Grandma Helen had it in her."

Horatio shrugged, his large frame carefully tucked in the narrow passage.

"That’s nothing. Ever since Helen went straight, she's been a top consultant for the Cultural Heritage Agency, even got amnesty. Let's get moving, time to grab the goods."

Helen knew all too well the unpredictability of their line of work. So, she gracefully accepted the government's offer, leveraging her expertise in antiques at the Cultural Heritage Agency. Whatever Larson had, Helen knew its true origins better than anyone.

As the sound faded, Helen's lips slightly curled.

Noella and Horatio made their way to where Larson stored his antiques.

"Monk, over there."

"Right on."

Noella removed a hairpin and expertly inserted its end into the security port, her muscles flexing slightly as she dismantled the camera, causing a brief system blackout.

Without looking back, Horatio skillfully swapped Larson’s genuine antiques with replicas, placing a newly procured vase back on the shelf.

As footsteps approached, Noella signaled to Horatio. They quickly returned to the roof’s passage, pressing against the wall to conceal themselves.

The security system rebooted as if nothing had happened, the brief glitch seeming like a mere illusion.

Larson opened the storage room, glanced at the blinking surveillance camera, and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Ma’am, please, pick whatever you like. But those items you mentioned earlier, I really can’t let go! Palmer should at least leave me a way out! We're family, aren't we?"

Helen scoffed, "Family? Don’t make me regret last year’s Thanksgiving dinner."

She approached the shelf, tracing her fingers along the vase's surface, then suddenly smiled. She could tell at a touch whether the items were genuine or fake. Clearly, Horatio had emptied the place of all genuine articles in the past few days! The antiques Larson had pinned his hopes on were nothing but forgeries!

Helen snorted coldly. "Larson, you better watch yourself." Material © of NôvelDrama.Org.

With that, she turned and left, not sparing Larson another glance.

Larson was baffled but figured Helen was just being her unpredictable self again. As long as she wasn't demanding items from him now, it was a relief. He then called for Luther. "For tomorrow's auction, ensure Palmer and Sexton are invited. I plan to turn the tables in front of them, show them once and for all who really calls the shots in the Pollack family!"

"Understood."

...

At the Pollack Mansion, Horatio rubbed his hands together, his gaze lingering on the antiques scattered around his room, a big grin spreading across his face.

Unable to hide her bemusement, Noella quipped, "Monk, your approach to spirituality is certainly unique. Why not just dig up an ancient burial site and set up camp there? It'd be vintage and authentic, even the graves would be centuries old."

Horatio pressed his palms together in a gesture of respect. "Noella, you just don't get it. This is my path of enlightenment. Sending these items to auction means countless children could afford to go to school, dress in warm new clothes!"

Horatio's path to enlightenment was centered on one crucial principle: robbing the corrupt rich to aid the destitute poor!

"Before that, let me truly appreciate these items, the essence of our ancestors' legacy!"

Horatio’s serene expression as he held a vase in one hand and an ancient painting in the other prompted a slight twitch at the corners of Noella’s mouth.

Luckily, she had grown accustomed to Horatio's antics.

Thinking about how the antiques in storage had been swapped for replicas, Noella cracked a smile herself.

"I'm really looking forward to the auction tomorrow. Can't wait to see the look on Larson's face!"