Dana Shanomy once owned DesigARK, an all inclusive shop for any design and renovation needs, until her attorney did his own underhanded renovations to some paperwork to sell the company far under market value to his mother-in-law. Dana bands together with DesigArk’s recently fired employees and current intern to secure the evidence needed to get her business back before her life is completely demolished.
Submitted for The Short Story Challenge 2022, hosted by NYC Midnight.
Friday, the 7th, 7:00 PM
One week ago, I sat in front of a stain on society, John C. Rodriguez – an attorney, as he masterminded stealing my business for pennies on the dollar. All under the guise of Cathleen Marlo, a sweet, sickly cat lady who wanted to do something nice for her daughters, Britteny Marlo and Courtney Rodriguez, by renovating her mansion through her living estate account. Malarky!
Friday, One Week Earlier
“You signed the papers already, Ms. Shanomy.”
“Papers, that you As. My. Attorney. Told me to sign. Papers, that you presented to me as a sale of services. I thought I was helping Cathleen to use her estate account to pay for the renovations and design, not selling her my business for the smallest fraction of its worth.”
“Well, my dear, you were given a contract and signed it. Now take it and walk away quietly, or we litigate you into the ground and still walk away with the business.” John’s words biting as he spoke. All high and mighty as if it was within his legal right to abuse the law to cheat and steal.
“Those can’t be my only options –”
“They are, and Dana? You brought this on yourself. Remember when a tiny brunette cut like a steal box of oats came into this office in a monochrome purple outfit? She came to you looking for a remodel of a mansion. But you refused to do it for less than $500,000. That woman with the powerhouse bob haircut, that was my wife. She said you gave her the hard sell. Honey, you don’t know what a hard sell is. So, act now, take the check, take the deal, and with your profits I suggest you buy yourself one of those inflatable donuts to sit on, because we tore your ass apart.”
“You lied, cheated, and are now trying to legally blackmail me. That’s not a hard sell, it’s criminal. And it will get you disbarred.”
Friday, the 7th, 7:01 PM
Now three of you have been fired and one of you is being tormented. We’ve had one week to prepare and we have one shot to get it right. The deadline for filing with the courts is Monday at morning. It’s our last shot at getting DesigARK back. The plan goes live at 6:00 AM tomorrow. Jasper will meet with his friends from City Hall…
Saturday, the 8th, 6:15 AM
Jasper is leaving City Hall. A canvas bag swung over his shoulder. He looks at the main street of town so quiet this early on a Saturday. Across the street is a slew of stores and the bank. In a freestanding building to the right is The County Store.
“Jasper to –”
“You’re Casper.”
“Code names are not necessary for this kind of thing. Besides, we’re not on walkies or writing prison letters, we’re on Bluetooth headsets.”
“Quentin Tarantino proves you wrong.”
“Let’s hope this doesn’t turn into one of his movies.”
“It won’t, as long as everyone focuses.”
“In that case, I’m Jasper and I’m focused. Just leaving City Hall, traffic vest in hand, ready to redirect traffic at 7:25 as planned.”
Jasper looks up the hill to his former office building, the park visible out of the corner of his eye. Both the library and City Hall are behind him. He turns and walks around the front of his car.
“On my way to you, Amanda.”
Jasper will arrive to Amanda’s house by 6:35 AM. While they are preparing for that phase of the plan, Dylan will be. . .
walking up the path leading to the DesigARK building. An old mid-century home, updated with ark like features on both sides making it look like the coolest ship ever. Sitting on the top of a small hill looking down at the town’s main street, kids at the playground speculated it was the final resting place of Noah’s Ark. The path is faint, created from Dana and the rest of the team taking regular walks to the park for team picnics.
When Dylan had been ready to apply for internships, his family had suggested the big cities, but he had his heart set on DesigARK. He couldn’t believe it when Dana had personally called him to offer him the position. Now, the same building he fell in love with was one he was breaking into.
“Guys, does it really count as breaking and entering if I work here?” His voice squeezing through the Bluetooth headset in a raspy whisper.
“I think it’s breaking and entering any time you’re using lockpicks to get into a building.”
“Especially if you’re on your way to poison someone. Did they teach you that when you took the paramedic’s test?”
“Jasper, leave him alone. He’s just doing his part.”
“You know you’re not the HR rep anymore, right Janae?”
“If everything goes according to plan I will be.”
“Guys, this would be easier if you could stop bickering.” Feel the clicks, wait for the pressure, and – “okay, we’re in!”
Dylan enters the building. For years Janae had been nagging Dana to update the security to cover all entrance and exit points, but Dana had resisted. She had personally built that section of the building with her father before he passed on and unless there was a security system that wouldn’t require drilling, pasting, velcroing, gluing, wiring, attaching in any way to the hand lumbered wood she wasn’t doing it. Turned out to be a fantastic idea since the other entrances had hardwired video cameras, and Dylan wasn’t allowed to be in the building unsupervised since the hostile buyout.
“Well, I’m in. Heading upstairs to contaminate the milk.”
“I thought we were triggering an allergic reaction, not trying to kill her.”
“I meant add the regular milk to the fake milk. Everyone here has almost filled the wrong milk container with the wrong milk. It’s a cowastrophe waiting to happen. Dairy dangerous, to have the bottles be nearly identical. Utterly unbelievable that –”
“We get it. Thank you, Dylan.”
“Thank you. I’m a little nervous, don’t want to butcher the whole job. Okay, that was the last one. Moove over humor and let’s get down to business.”
“Dylan. . .”
“Right.”
By 6:50 AM Dylan should be heading home and Janae should be setting up shop in the library.
“Guys, did anyone check the library hours?”
“What?”
“Shut up!”
“They don’t open until 9:30 on Saturdays.”
“Shit. . .”
“It’s okay.”
“Is it?”
“Yeah, The County Store is across the street.”
“Oh, do they sell public computers now? Right next to the stale bagels and almost expired candy.”
“They’re actually next to the coffee bar. You’ve never picked up a laptop with your coffee?”
“I’m not trying to date a town cook. A city chef would be more my speed, but the point isn’t the accoutrements it’s that you needed a computer, Janae. ”
“I could have been connected from home, it’s just that I had to be in the center of town anyway. Now I’ll get a hot breakfast sandwich while committing felonious acts instead of daydreaming about one.”
“Don’t you mean flirting with the hot cook while being a criminal?”
“Markus is my friend, and a great cook.”
“Just don’t get distracted by his sausage special, okay?”
That means Amanda is the only left to get into place. Everything will need to be setup and over to the warehouse in position by 7:18 AM at the latest.
“I still don’t know why you ever bought this.” Jasper waves his hand at the large roll of cloth in front of him. Somehow, they had gotten the white, purple, and blue geometric patterned twill to work. Jasper catches a glimpse of himself in the side of the van in his borrowed delivery outfit. “If all else fails maybe I’ll become a delivery man. I’m definitely the best looking one I’ve ever seen.”
“Get a grip, Jasper.”
“We might not have a company, right now, but you’re still my assistant. We’ll make you a uniform when this is over. It’ll save you the trouble of quitting for a manual labor job you’ll hate, plus all the groveling to come back when you realize it. Is Amanda set up?” Dana says breaking up the distraction.
Giving one last look back to the ugly fabric rolled around, concealing Amanda inside its center, stacked amongst the others, Jasper hops into the van.
“Amanda’s in place.”
“Dylan, you’re ready to get to work?”
“Yes ma’am.”
“Great. Do we have eyes on Britteny?”
“Her car is approaching you, Jasper.”
“She can’t be approaching me; I’m still parking the van in the lot.”
“It’s 7:21, you should be on the street.”
“I am on the street, but still in a car.”
“Drive as fast as you talk then.”
“Jasper?”
“Jasper?”
“The van’s parked. He’s walking toward his mark. I bet you his earpiece is out – I see clothes changing as he’s walking.” Dana puts the rest of the team at ease with her narration of Jasper’s actions.
“You better not have caught me in any compromising positions with your eyes in the sky, Dana. I’m a very modest man.”
“Are you ready Jasper?”
“Yes. The trucks are pulling in behind me now.”
“Britteny’s car is three cars behind that red one.”
“Got it!”
Jasper uses his long, exaggerated hand movements to direct the cars before Britteny into the town’s main parking lot. The garbage trucks behind him are still not moving, he waves the next person along.
“Buddy, why are those trucks stopped?” An angry, troll looking man shouts out his window.
“Sir, please pull into the lot. The sanitation engineers are working hard to get out of the way.”
The man in the car flips Jasper off as he pulls into the lot.
“That man just flipped me off! Screw this.”
Jasper throws off his City Hall hat and vest, tucking them into his canvas bag with the delivery outfit accessories he had only recently changed out of. “Can’t believe this is what I’ve done with my acting degree.”
At 7:28 AM everyone should be in place. That means: Amanda is outside the garage entrance, Jasper and Janae are in town, Dylan is on his way back to work, and Brittney will be right on schedule for her morning routine.
“Guys. . . we have a problem.”
“What?”
“Girl Scouts. Well, just one. A tiny, innocent yet fierce Girl Scout with dozens of cookie boxes setup outside of the County Store.”
“It’s fine. That’s –”
“It’s not fine. Britteny is addicted to those!” Dylan aggressively whispers.
“I mean, who isn’t? The shortbread. . .”
“If anyone would let me get a word in, Britteny’s already pulling out her wallet.”
“Didn’t anyone tell her she’s on Team ARK-U?”
“No one told me that was our name. I wouldn’t have joined.” Jasper’s voice gets faint. Dana watches from the drone camera as he tugs at his ear. “Hey kid,” Jasper says, jogging over toward the table.
“Listen, I’ll buy your whole stock $8.00/box, cash.”
“What is he doing? They’re only $5.00.”
“$10.”
“I’m your only customer.”
“You’re my first customer,” she responds. Her chin nodding in the direction of Britteny.
“Nine. Final offer.”
“Sold. $725.”
“That’s not divisible by nine,” Jasper says as he takes out his own wallet.
“There’s a $5 service fee.”
“I’m paying cash.”
“You’ll be lucky if I have change at this rate. It’s your call. Take it or leave it. Three. . . two. . .”
“Here!” Thrusting the wad of cash at the girl, Jasper rolls his eyes.
“Thanks! Here’s your change. And your cookies,” she adds, gesturing at the table. She throws a sign that says “SOLD OUT” on to the table. A small QR code is highlighted by arrows. Cookies can also be bought online. Jasper watches at the girl runs into The County Store. He puts his earpiece back in.
“Britteny’s wallet is away.”
“Nice save, Jasper.”
“Janae, you have a niece, right?”
“Mhmmm.”
“Our next job will be reselling these.”
A familiar voice cuts through the chatter, “Hey! Aunt Janae! Some sucker just bought all my cookies $4.00 above market value. Can we go to the mall later?”
“You’re kidding me.”
“We can – I have a few things to finish. I was expecting you to be selling for at least an hour and a half. Go sit at the counter with Markus until I’m done, okay?” Janae tells her niece.
“You got it. Breakfast is on me. I’ll tell him to put some extra love in your usual.”
“See? Even she knows.”
“She also just hustled you out of $800.”
“Technically, once we’re a company again, I’m expensing it. So she really hustled Dana.”
Dana cleared her throat.
Assuming we’ve made it to this point with no issues Britteny will be in the building by 7:35 and. . .
“I’m approaching the building; I can see her. She’s walking in the front door. I’ll go in once Janae says she’s –”
“I’m logged on. Remotely accessing system now.”
“Good job, Janae.”
“Bingo!”
“Go time!”
“Action!”
Saturday, the 8th, 7:36 AM
“Dylan? Is that you?”
“Yes, Britteny. Good morning.”
“You’re late.”
“Um. . .”
“You’re supposed to be outside waiting for me. Whatever, I already started my coffee. Make sure you load the fabrics into the storage room before I take my morning break on the deck. I want it to be peaceful, not filled with the sounds of you struggling to carry things. Mkay?”
“You got it, Britteny.”
“Seriously, no one told her she’s on our team?”
“If I was certain she could read I would say she read our playbook already.”
“The downside to constant social posting. Shows your routine. Your habits and quirks. Imagine if we had wanted to burglarize her home?”
Amanda needs to be in the building before Dylan can cut the power. Janae you transfer the funds, disable the security and send the emails from Britteny’s account. By 7:52 AM Amanda should be cleared to enter my old office and Dylan should be on standby to stab Britteny. Amanda, after you’ve grabbed the documents, you’ll need one last thing. When you enter the office, on the shelves behind the desk there is an old wooden box. You’ll need to take the contents out –
“A string of buttons? That is what you just had to add to the – ”
“Grab the necklace before Britteny calls for – ”
“HELP!”
“I’m coming!”
Hearing Dylan’s response and footsteps running down the hall, Amanda grabs the necklace from the box, sticking it into the garbage bag of papers proving the forged sale. Janae had told her the name of the company DesgiARK used for janitorial services.
She checked out their website. Saw their uniforms, and posing as a competitor looking to make a better offer, she called offering them better quality outfits to work in. Apparently employees had to buy their own uniforms through a website and then expense it. They were cheap, ugly, and uncomfortable. With the hubbub, no one would pay much mind to a janitor. It took two minutes and she had everything she needed for disguise.
“Remind me later to ask about a line of uniforms for businesses. I might have our first potential client.”
“Interesting idea.”
“I’m a paramedic,” Dylan’s voice travels throughout their ear pieces and the building. He tries to reassure Britteny as he administers the shot. “You’re going to be alright. Help is on the way.”
Relief washes over him as he sees his fellow EMTS pulling up. Being them, figure in the distance gets smaller as they walk back toward the town.
By the time Britteny is recovering at Presbyterian Hospital you’ll all be $100k richer, the business will be on its way back to us, and I will be. . .
Saturday, the 8th, 9:00 AM
sitting at the honoree table. I gasp as I push the cool, rounded edge rolls up and down my skin. I had just put it on as when the photographer approached the table asking if we were ready for the pre-celebration photoshoot. My grandmother, the honoree of the event, beams, tucked underneath the nook of my armpit, as she reaches up and touches my reclaimed necklace. “Oh Dana, I was hoping you’d wear that today. Every button from every outfit I’ve ever sewn for this playhouse. . . Always knew you’d inherited my crafty and design skills. That’s why that business of yours is such a success.” Her golden brown eye stays locked on me, as her blue eye disappears in a wink.