Portrait of a Thief

As Lily races Min, she thinks about her past and how close she is to “everything she could ever want” (219). Despite failing to make sense of her Chinese American identity, Lily at least knows how to drive.

Will meets Min on a Paris bridge to receive the rooster zodiac fountainhead, promising to send documentation for the Drottningholm Palace artifacts once he’s back in Boston. Their conversation reveals how much Min’s wealth and social status protect him from suspicion or prosecution. Will drops his replica of the rooster zodiac fountainhead into the river. Min admits he and Yuling were part of the crew who robbed the Sackler Museum.

At the Paris airport, Daniel listens to a voicemail from his father, who was just called to investigate the Paris theft. He says if he can find out who’s behind these robberies, he’ll get a promotion. He also says he’s proud of Daniel and loves him, and that he’s glad they’re talking again. Daniel, Will, and Irene return to their childhood homes for Thanksgiving break. The next day, Daniel and Irene talk about their relationships with their parents.

After putting it off, Will calls an unsurprised Yuling about their competition for the Old Summer Palace artifacts. Will says the crew plans to rob the UK’s British Museum in late December. Despite Will’s fear of the FBI investigation, Yuling convinces him that China has waited long enough for the return of the zodiac fountainheads.

Over a video call, Alex convinces the crew that their third heist will establish a clear pattern, and the remaining museums will increase security. They agree to do the next three heists back to back over winter break. Privately, Irene tells Alex that she’ll work with her to monitor the FBI investigation instead of Daniel; she wants to protect him.

Alex tells Irene that there’s footage of her and Will touring the Château de Fontainebleau the day before the heist, and footage of Irene at Drottningholm Palace the day before that heist. She says the FBI hasn’t made the connection yet, but the third heist will. She also reveals Daniel’s father is flying home earlier than expected. Irene plans for the worst.

Daniel’s father returns from his trip and tells him that the Château de Fontainebleau had backup servers. He saw footage of the robbery and recognized his son’s voice. He tells Daniel that he forgives him, but may not be able to protect him. Daniel takes his father’s folder of evidence and brings it to Will and Irene’s house, where Will sets fire to it, though they know the original evidence is still on Yaoxian’s laptop. Daniel doesn’t want to partake in the heist anymore.

Will meets with Daniel’s father and asks him not to arrest them, to understand why they did what they did. Yaoxian tells Will that they’ll eventually be found out, even if he doesn’t turn them in. Will pleads to be given more time. Yaoxian agrees to remain silent for the time being, but will catch the crew should they attempt another heist.

Irene sneaks into Yaoxian’s study in the middle of the night to access his laptop. She calls Alex, who tells her how to remove her code before the FBI finds it. Alex is hesitant, knowing this means giving up, but Irene says it’s their only option. When Alex says she can’t go back to the way things were before the heists, Irene says she doesn’t have to, that she can make something new.

Will considers how to move forward without the promise of $50 million. He knows the authorities might still find the crew even without Daniel’s father turning them in, but thinks their alibis might hold up. Yet he can’t accept giving up. Later, Alex tells Will that Irene deleted all their research files, as well as her own code. He’s furious, and Irene realizes he wanted to finish all five heists, and says he’s more selfish than she thought. She says he is jeopardizing everyone’s futures, and she’s spent her whole life fixing his mistakes.

Lily grieves over the loss of what felt like an opportunity. She also mourns the loss of belonging she felt within the crew. Irene asks if she was wrong to delete the research files. Lily says “no,” but believes the heists never mattered as much to Irene as the rest of them. She thinks about the possibility of finishing the heists and fleeing the country, taking on new identities and leaving everything else behind. She feels unmoored and is uncertain how to find her way back.