Touted as " America's most haunted homes", the plantation is supposedly the home of at least 12 ghosts. It is often reported that 10 murders occurred in the house. In 2002, Unsolved Mysteries filmed a segment about the alleged hauntings at the plantation. According to host Robert Stack, the production crew experienced technical difficulties during the production of the segment. The Myrtles was also featured on a 2005 episode of Ghost Hunters

The Magpie Oculus

Part 2

Acte 1

In for a Pound

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Wales, UK

10 years later

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A Midsummers Late afternoon ‘Formal wedding Reception’

Carmarthenshire, Aberglasney Manor House, and Gardens

Enter here to visit the charming place:

www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&s...

 

An attractive lady is seen swishing about as she demurely makes her way to and then inside, the deserted garden that is hidden from the olde stone manor by an ever-growing strip of woods and olde hedges.

 

She had heard tell of these gardens while conversing with a group of fellow guests that were gathered around the cheese and wine tables inside the manor’s reception hall with its glass ceilings.

 

Interest piqued, she had stolen off to sneak a peak around.

 

After all, as she had been snidely telling the same group, it was quite boring being here alone attending this function, without any escort! Her husband, Sir so and so was a very important man of course! And being so very vital to his business was currently away on one of his overseas business junkets.

 

She was wearing one of her usual thin, slinking gowns that said husband enjoyed having her wear.

This particular one was made of shimmery silk, dyed the deep blue of a sunny Bahamas ocean. As she moved, it almost resembled ocean waves as the pretty fabric whipped and swirled along her rather petite figure.

 

Her jewels, as could be expected, were sapphires. Quite the collection of overly expensive gems which royally sparkled like the same ocean that had inspired the matching colour of her evening gown! The Lady’s baubles, though shining with a royal radiance, were no match for those on display at the Tower of London, but could be considered a close cousin to them!

 

Which begs a question, should someone be flaunting jewels like that under every one's nose then be also telling tales about her husband being away? Can almost hear the thieves smiling wickedly, as well as feel the insurance agents’ shudder, can’t one?

 

But, totally believing she was out exploring alone, the pretty lady made her way along the cobblestones that made up the pathways amongst the roses, fountains, and ivy-covered statues that were displayed with an almost reverence aire in the interior of the hidden gardens.

 

As she wandered about, finding herself increasingly bewitched by the tranquillity of the magic garden terrace she had found, she remained blissfully unaware of the two pairs of eyes that had been, with piercing interest, following her every move since she had made her entrance!

 

From a hidden vantage point that extended out and above the high hedges that surrounded the garden proper, one set of those eyes was watching! They belonged to a large sassy magpie, perched with expectantly fluttering wings in the gnarled branches of an old wytch elm.

 

The bird penetratingly observes the young female human, especially eyeing the enticing glitters from her jewels. Most noticeably the pricy bracelet that from one wrist is rippling blazing pinpricks of blue and white fire as she moves about.

 

Enticingly those sparkles are, erupting from around her wrist as she lifts up a rose up to smell its sweet fragrance. Then again, the show is repeated, as she flicks, one by one rose petals into what had been the still water of a fountain.

Spying a bench, she swishes over, adjusting her gown before slipping upon the coolness of the mossy stone bench. Appearing to become immersed in the surroundings as she closed her eyes and leaned back in delight, her long hair spilling out behind her, exposing her longish, glittering earrings dripping down like identical twin blue waterfalls from her earlobes.

 

The magpie flies in for a closer look, alighting silently upon the sculpted head of a bow drawing cupid statue. The bird instinctively remains mute lest he is noticed.

He then suddenly cocks his head, as he observes a second figure, a human male, and he flies securely away to an even higher perch, letting out a soft caw at the intruder.

 

The dreaming beauty opens her eyes and catches movement as she spies the gentleman approaching.

 

Opening her eyes to their fullest she turns and smiles. He had been one of the groups inside, and had also coincidently, been the one to bring up the story of the secret gardens.

 

She turns to face him, eyes smiling impishly, for a truth to be admitted, she was not lying about being bit lonely, and a brief rendezvous with a charming mystery man may prove quite a pleasing interlude to spend an hour or so!

 

He comes up, and with a bow, gestures his permission to join. She nods smiling, granting consent, and he slips down upon the bench, keeping a discreet distance between them. He begins to speak, his deep Welsh accent again charming the London born and bred high society lass.

 

And as it turned out for them both, the rest of their afternoon encounter had indeed produced a quite pleasing interlude, within the isolated secret garden and its’ magic terraces. The whole area they ended up having all to themselves.

 

The gardens’ charm grew upon the couple, to the point of a dance being offered and accepted. They danced for a long time, with the melody of twittering jays, long tailed tits, and other gremlins like darting bird denizens of the secret garden being used to keep the dancing humans in rhythm.

 

After that magical afternoon, they made their way back and parted with a hug before going their separate ways. The warm feelings that had intertwined, intrigued and fulfilled the young female beauty, staying with her for quite some time afterward.

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After the pair of humans leave, all is quiet for a few long, waiting minutes, before the wilder denizens deem it finally safe again to prowl about.

One of them being the inquisitively sassy magpie. He flutters down from his perch and lands upon the outer rim of a fountain by a bench. Curiously he pecks at the rose petals floating about in the fountain’s cool waters. The petals still carry a whiff of fragrance from the lilac perfume of the lady who had thrown the petals there.

Then the Magpie’s darting black eyes keenly pick up something else of interest. With a soft inquisitive caw, he leaves the fountain perch and darts down to the base of moss rose bush for a closer examination of the glittering object that lay amongst the roots.

 

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The girl wearing the swishy blue gown and magnificent sapphires was now indeed very happy.

The yearning pangs for her absent husband had been sated for now by her most excellent experiences encountered during her unplanned tryst in the gardens earlier. This happy, warm feeling lasted well into the late afternoon while she remained at the reception. Lasting right up until she realized, with a chilling cold dawning, that her quite expensively jewelled bracelet, the one that had been dangling from around her gloved wrist, was now gone, rudely vanishing without even giving any proper notice!

 

She had, at the time, been chatting with a white collar wearing priest who had approached her and began to inquisitively barrage her with questions. She put it down to him being bored because he was there alone, out of his normal realms, and did not really know anyone there. He had asked her a question concerning the unintentional cross-shaped decoration on her cocktail ring, and it was as she held it up for him to see that she made the dreadful discovery that her wrist was bare.

 

The bloody thing must have snagged on a rose bush and fallen off while she was out in the gardens!

She reasoned this, as she took polite leave of the overly friendly priest without really explaining her reasons why. Happy to be away from him, she anxiously made her way back to retrace her steps in the now moonlit garden.

 

None of the same eyes watched this time as she fruitlessly searched, alone in the now disenchanted secret garden for her missing jewels!

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The scene fades away.

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Well hello again!

 

Quite glad to see you have kept up with us for the continuation of our story.

 

It had now been 10 years since our group’s successful trial run in Monaco at that year’s Bal de l'Eté.

 

Since that time our team of three had worked hard at perfecting our craft with its employ of our rather unique team and work strategies. The team, whom you’ve met in the first story, still consisted of:

 

My wife, the charming Irish beauty and undoubtedly the brains behind the scenes. She is also the natural actress of the operation. Her smiling ways having more than once saved the game from being lost.

Myself, the Welsh born frontman, whose light fingers were used more than for lifting up a frothy pint. Though I am a male of course, and so do make my share of mistakes. But with my wife’s loving tutelage, have managed to hold up my own part of the venture.

Then, of course, there is Sammy, the runner of the group. His unmatched skills allowed us to successfully carry off the sparkling fruits of our operation. Sammy adores my wife, and she is the only one who can ever truly smooth out the ruffled feathers he gets whenever I fail to carry out my end of the played game to his satisfaction.

 

And the game we played?

Well, let us just say it involved the targeting, lifting and secreting away of certain pricy jewels in such a manner that, like a magician uses misdirection, no one knows for certain how or what exactly had happened to cause the loss! The jewels, always worn, were also always found by us exclusively at the various upper-class end functions we were attending at the time.

 

And admittedly it had been paying off fairly well!

We were careful to live modestly within our means. So we were able to afford the time to carefully select our potential avenues without undue haste and no worries if not one glittering opportunity failed to come within our grasp on those planned evenings out.

 

So, for 10 rather intriguing years my wife, cohort Sammy, and I were able to satisfy the playful urges whose enticing callings had led us to select this rather unique path to make a livelihood.

 

And we always had a good time of it, wine, dance and thrill of the hunt…even if we were successful or not! Many adventures over those years led us delving down avenues that created an abundance of daringly bold tales waiting someday to be intriguingly, innocuously told!

 

For 10 years we had managed to attend some rather glamourous functions, see my pretty wife attired in some rather eye-catching fancy dresses and adorned with the beckoning glittering array of colourful jewels that ever so divinely kept one’s interest! Also at a rather surprising percentage of these events, we had managed to ( with our cohort Sammy ’s unique assistance) guile'ly steal away with a few pieces of select, insured jewels from wealthy ladies who could certainly afford to weather through their loss.

 

For 10 years we had operated in this manner, throughout the kingdom’s wide realms, staying safely away from our own nesting grounds, as we sagely built up and grew our nest eggs.

 

And so far, we had apparently not come under any suspicion from any of the local constabularies in the areas where we had operated! Since the jewels had luckily been assumed lost, fallen away like warm pearls will sweat off a lady on a cool evening ( as the olde Victorian saying goes).

 

But it was to be the autumn of the 10th year when that charmed existence would finally be really put to the test! Although deep down we knew it would all have to come to an end sooner or later. We had always figured, and hoped, that it would be up to us to say when the games we played would be up.

 

Now, almost two years past that autumn, I have finally begun to write this second chapter, a yearning to tell the tale that has been with me since day one! In that space of time, I now have had quite a bit of freedom to, with a writer’s eye, reflect on those events that led up to and ended in that tenth and final year of our unique team’s operation.

 

It’s funny how sometimes one can do everything perfectly, not deriving from the pattern they have done hundreds of times before. But by a thin chance someone else with the seeing eyes of a hawk, a bloody nosey hawk at that, happens to put two and two together, and like a house of cards, ones whole life’s plans can start to slightly sway in the wind, precariously threatening to tumble…

 

Well, quite enough then with the building up of my story’s mystery and intrigue. Let's start the tale properly then, and let the facts speak for themselves, shall we?

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Chalfont St Guiles

It had been an early thaw that year, and several spring birds had already begun to plan parties to celebrate.

Through contact with a mutual friend of the family, we had been invited to their daughter's Debutante Ball.

The fact that we had to secure an invite left this event to be fair game in our books! For it had been our practice that any affair where my wife and I received a personal invitation to attend, were always off limits in our opinion. So, to those, we went with the intent just to enjoy ourselves, not to conduct business. Although a bit of practicing play between ourselves could be expected.

But this private Ball was not covered by that particular umbrella!

This debutant affair also promised to be a late party.

It was being held on the well-lit green that stretched out for a full 2 hectares, starting from the front of the quite large, definitely ugly, olde stone manor, and ending up to the main roadway.

When we arrived, there was a band was playing soft music on a raised stand next to a refreshments table just outside and below the manor’s stone terrace that was being used as the makeshift dance floor.

It was also announced on the invites that it was to be a dry party.

But, of course, was not! For the odd flask or twenty-two, that had naturally been smuggled in must have been fairly large ‘uns judging by the already rather tipsy posh guests that became more and more abundant as the night wore on.

 

Though I should talk, for my own silver flask of Brandy held enough to keep my wife and me cheerful enough also. Though I had to watch how much I was imbibing. For this venue was going to by no means be an easy walk in the park for us this evening!

 

We began by splitting up, starting with mingling in and about in order to get a quick lay of the land.

 

The young debutante, pretty in diamonds and frilly lace, had led her gangly group of sponger friends to hold court in the back gardens. So, in a sense, there were two parties in full swing.

My wife and I did not bother with the finely baubled fillies in the back gardens, concentrating our efforts on the magnificently jewelled thoroughbreds located in the front area.

 

My wife was the first to get a drift of some of the gossip swirling around, and soon, via a dance, drew me into it also.

It appears that the Elder Daughter (the debutante was her kid sister) had a boyfriend, a rather pointy nosed ner-do-well git from the other side of the tracks (attended Harrow, not Eaton! dontcha know!)

My wife observed that this bloke obviously was eyeing up all the young skirts present, his wandering attentions totally unnoticed by his pie-eyed, doting wealth-blinded girlfriend.

 

Said girlfriend had also apparently smuggled a flask of her own, probably stuck in her garter belt, hidden by the long swishy skirt of her costly party frock. Judging this by the way she was prancing about and giggling with silly recklessness with her own posse of leeching acquaintances.

 

This elder daughter was in her mid-twenties, adorably dressed (by one or two maids?) in a sheer silken gown of deep purple. Diamonds beautifully blazed from her gloved wrist, fingers, and necklaces. Two necklaces: one a diamond pendant swinging about on a silvery braided chain, the second one was a blazing collar style necklace of impressive diamonds, that sat just off the high neckline of her gown.

Either one worth the attempt, but the sparkling collar was obviously her mother’s jewels and thus the more intuitively attractive lure of the two.

 

As the long afternoon threatened to progress into the dusk, I was to be found nursing my drink from the flask, while watching from afar, my wife swishing her way about.

This evening my lady was wearing a newly bought, sleekly enchanting, gown of meadow green satin, embellished with flickering rhinestones. This posh frock had been slickly flowing and ebbing along her fine figure in a most mesmerizing manner all evening She was also wearing her party emeralds, the “good” set, and they sparkled most attractively as she flitted about! So, I found myself, as always, stealing looks upon her whenever the opportunity arose.

 

I was mulling over this when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I had been so lost in my lubricious thoughts that I had not even noticed her disappearing, nor heard her approach.

 

“Mon Cher, forget about me will ya, and get to work !” I heard the words softly spoken in my ear..…”Sammy boy is getting twitchy, close to his bewitchin hour ya know…”

 

I turned and looked into my wife’s smiling (yet stern) eyes.

“Yes commandantee,” I said, with a saluting nod.

 

Then I admitted sheepishly, “Not to muddle the issue darling, but, ahem, where is she, I sorta lost track?”

 

“No kidding my love, I don’t think you were on the track of anything but me, and my jewels are not on this evening’s menu, save play for later, but business now please…!”

I felt a brace of ringed fingers discreetly slap me on the tush, and with a flicker of her emerald earrings, my wife nodded her head sideways to where the elder daughter, along with that rippling fire still flaming from her brace of necklaces, was idling in a dark corner of the dance area. She was surprisingly alone, and I should have been the one to notice that!

 

So, it was to be her, the elder daughter that we decided, with the time remaining would be our victim!

Sammy was more than ready, watching, waiting as he bobbed his head about, which I knew was his habit while holding his lonely vigil. He was stationed high in the shadows of a tree just above a hedge on the west side of the house. There was a narrow cobblestone path meandered its way along the interior of the hedge, and it was pretty much deserted, all the action is behind, and on the opposite side of the stone-built manor that evening.

 

With the elder sisters leeching friends now apparently watching the elephant in the room, namely the Harrow-educated boyfriend’s antics with a toffy, giggling female, I was able to walk up and easily steal away the older daughter for a dance.

 

She took me up on the offer, especially after I lyingly mentioned that I had attended Harrow and I was suddenly “in like flint!” She chatted away amiably, if not also a bit slurred, as I led her off. Thick as thieves we had now become, as we went to the large stone patio that had been converted for use as a low lighted Ballroom.

 

I took her warm, decidedly inebriated figure, sanguinely into my arms and we elegantly waltzed around the stone-floored patio ballroom to the music. I kept her on the outer fringes, making small talk.

 

As I did, I studiously worked open the clasp, and easily lifted off the collar necklace of dazzling diamonds from around her throat in the process.

 

Leaving the pendant still intact, swinging ever so vexingly free along with her gown as we finished, I thought that the pendant appeared to sparkle a bit more brightly now that its competition around the lady’s throat had been removed from contention.

 

Edging close to the low wall of the patio, I dropped the purloined necklace over from behind my back. I could swear I heard it plop onto the grass. I twirled my pretty partner around, and from over her shoulder, I watched as my wife moved in from the shadows of the trees close by.

 

The dance ended and I walked the damsel back towards the refreshment table. Before reaching the tables, I touched my dance partner on the shoulder and she turned, smiling, to face me. I again apologized that I could not offer her a drink, and she giggled.

 

During our dance, I had mentioned how boring it was without a swig of any spirits in sight. She had giggled then also and then had confided in me of her secret stash.

Follow me she now said gaily and I did.

 

Together we ducked around the refreshment table and headed off to a far corner on the east side of the house. There she lifted the hem of her flowy gown, and from a garter, pulled out her small, thin, 14k plated gold flask and offered me a drink.

 

I calmly took a careful swig of what I found to be warm vodka and handed it back.

 

For what thief in his right mind would casually hang around drinking with his victim after lifting the darling’s jewels? Not many I dare say!

But soon, right on a hoped-for queue, we were joined by her jealous boyfriend, himself two sheets to the wind. I was introduced and spotting my opening, tactfully made my excuses.

 

So sloshed was this young man, that he failed to yet notice anything amiss with his lady, and I was not going to give him any length of time to do so.

 

I left the sniggering couple to their devices. A sojourn into the woods I believe was on their agenda. The idea quite possibly suggestively guided into their lovely drunken minds by me!

 

I re-joined my wife, we then daringly did one last casual turn on the ballroom dance floor.

 

“Mission accomplished, Luv?” I pointlessly asked for I could see the answer in my pretty wife’s eyes.

“The package was dropped off onto the cobblestone path as prearranged!” she stated cheerfully, hugging me in turn.

 

“Bye the bye love, remember Benny C?” she asked me, as I raised her hand and twirled her around me in a circle.

 

I had to think for a minute, then came the dawn.

“Yeah, the snotty whelp a couple of years behind me at the seminary, always had a thing for you, didn’t he now!” I teasingly answered.

 

“Me and anyone else in a skirt!” she snorted. “Well its 'Father Benny' now, and he is, or was here at the ball. I couldn’t get away without dancing with him, sends his regards of course!” she informed me with a rather wry look in her now fully green eyes.

 

“I'm sure he does, suppose I should track him down and say hello. I said a bit wearily, not bothering to hide the snideness from my own voice!

 

“Well, he said he tried to find you, but told me that you were obviously enamoured off somewhere with another pretty young thing! I think he was trying to make me jealous laddie!”

 

“What do ya suppose he meant by ‘again’ I wonder? Told you that he always was a bothering one! Becoming a priest hasn’t changed him one bit. Wonder how his congregation finds the git?” I thoughtfully said out loud.

 

“Well let us not try tracking him down, to find out luv! I don’t think I could handle more of his sweaty palms again dontcha know!” my wife said sweetly enough, though irony was dripping off each well-chosen word.

 

So instead we sought out our hostess, giving our regards and congrats. She was magnificently attired in a taffeta ball gown that must have cost her husband a mint. Her jewels were sparse though. A pair of glittering earrings, a pair of thin diamond bracelets and her wedding rings. I found myself wondering why her throat was barren of jewels?

 

Taking leave, we casually strolled out the front gate to claim our coupe.

 

My wife leaned against me and said to me as we drove off into the night,

“Cette jeune peste d'un beu sera que les dames tombent, mark mes mots !”

She sighed then said

“Loved her pendant also, but that sparkling necklace will be a nice final trick before starting our Holiday, now will it not my love?”

I smiled meaningfully as I placed my foot on the accelerator and started the beast of a car out onto the main road.

 

We arrived back home to find an excitedly pert Sammy Boy eagerly waiting to receive his worthy praise. For the glittering collar of diamonds that he had gathered for us were now laid out in magnificent sparkling splendour at his feet.

 

So it was that two quiet weeks later, on a pelting rainful blustery Saturday, we were to be found flying out of the country on a fortnight’s holiday, for a visit to our dear friend Tatiana.

 

Totally unaware that there were dark clouds of a quite different storm gathering and brewing in from a new, but not entirely unexpected, quarter!

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Chiltern CID

(Covering the Chalfont St Guiles area under its umbrella of protection)

A fortnight after the Debutante’s coming out ball held in the Chalfont St Guiles area.

 

Inside the old brown brick building that houses the police station.

 

Scene entirely played out in the Chief Inspector's office.

^^^^

The Chief Inspector looks up as his summoned detective strides, a bit reluctantly, into his superior's office.

The Detective is wearing a slightly abashed expression on his handsomely chiselled face, for he knows that there are questions to be answered, and he wishes that what thin answers he has to give are going to be enough to shield him from probably being properly chewed out by the Chief!

 

“Drawn and quartered” was the phrase used at the station for some unfortunate Bobby who came under the Chief’s irate wrath for not properly following procedures! Or in the detective's case, tardiness in producing results in an investigation.

 

The poor sod did not even have time to shut the door when the question, like a stinging bullet, spit out of his superior's mouth!

 

“Now, what progress on that diamond collar necklace that took a bender at that Lord’s young daughter’s debutante thing last month in Chalfont, Detective Inspector !? Starting to take some heat from the City Super on a seeming lack of any progress! Has the bloody thing even been found yet!”

 

“N-N-No sir, it appears to have vanished…” the D.I. stammered, wilting under the harsh grey eyes of the Chief Inspector.

 

“Vanished eh..well tell me this lad how does a £25,000 (insured) necklace of diamonds simply vanish!?“ the Chief shouted, then continued on without waiting for an answer.

“Well Detective Inspector, it decidedly does not! There has to be a quite logical reason, and that reason must be found!! At least according to the Super, and Her Ladyship, the girl’s mother! She insists her daughter's boyfriend played a part in its disappearance… apparently, she also expects results along those lines!”

The Chief paused to catch a breath after decisively snapping all this out at his poor Detective.

 

The beleaguered detective answered, rushing his words before the Chief was able to yell some more mainly because he knew his answers would be anything but a satisfactory one!

“Yes sir, well the facts are that her Ladyship’s eldest daughter was wearing her mums necklace without permission. But then the lass, her ladyship’s daughter I mean, appears to be a bit vague about any events what went on that evening, even at what time the necklace was actually missed.”

 

He took a quick breath himself before continuing.

"Apparently 'someone' had smuggled in drinks, and the lot attending in her age bracket was pretty much plastered by the party's’ end.

No one at the party recalls seeing it missing from around her throat and several actually could not say what jewels she had been wearing atoll to begin with! The daughter herself supposedly did not discover it had disappeared until her mother asked about it the next morning!”

 

The Chief Inspector arches an eye, a habit that was not a good omen, to anyone!

“I know those facts, Detective. I need something new to report to the Super, now don’t I? Didn’t this lass notice it missing as she went to undress for bed, sounds like a bit of tosh if not!?”

 

The detective answered smartly.

“Well there is some confusion also along those lines: she says she passed out, still dressed for the evening, on the bed in her room. Says that there must have been an Hors de orve which she ate didn’t agree with her. But from what I got, she was fair lit with drink and no one of the servants can recall when she had gone up to bed. Apparently, there was some horseplay going on deep in the woods late that evening if you know my drift, sir!”

 

“Do go on Detective, this is all so very interesting!” the C.I. said smoothly, not trying to hide the dissatisfaction of his ever disapproving mood.

 

The D.I. went one, choosing his words like one would carefully choose their steps walking blindfolded amongst a yard full of rotting eggs.

“Well I investigated the boyfriend and he is certainly a gigolo from a toff family of foreigners. Any of whom would probably have no problem lifting the family silver! But there has been no record of any jewels disappearing in his vicinity before this accusation, and he is rather educated, Harrow, (the Chief Inspector snorted rudely at that information,) so not just street, so really nothing definite there in his history, er, to implicate the bloke?

The servants also, most have been with the family for ages, doubtful any of ‘em would have lifted jewels the daughter was wearing while passed out, if indeed she had still been actually wearing it at that point!”

“but…”

Questioned the Detective, rather hopefully, as he ended his statement and saw the fire again flaring up in his Chiefs hard grey eyes.

 

“But what detective!?” He snarled, sounding ever like a short-tempered feral mutt who someone had the audacity to have chained.

 

“Well sir, my cousin, the priest, was attending a reception up Carmarthenshire way, at the Aberglasney Manor House earlier this year.”

 

He paused, cagily watching his superior’s eyes before deeming it safe to continue on.

 

“Well, he mentioned a lady in attendance there, lost her jewelled bracelet, 22,000 worth! It was reported as being lost in the gardens. That is what she believed happened, that it had simply fallen off in the gardens.

But my cousin, Ben is his name, remembers seeing that she was coming out of the gardens with someone he recognized from seminarian university, a fellow student two years ahead.”

The Chief Detective cut callously in!

“Carmarthenshire is not our jurisdiction lad, ‘AND’ just pray to tell! Why are you discussing a case with your cousin!” The chief exploded, taking a step forward, daring the Detective to satisfactorily explain his reasoning.

 

The Detective bravely weathered the storm of his chiefs words.

“He is a priest, sir, so he can keep a tongue in check. But he is a bit of a snooper, and when him and his mother, my auntie, were over, he happened to see an envelope I had received from her ladyships jeweller. He asked about what it was all on about. And then, when I stayed mum, my Auntie started inquiring for Ben,and one thing led to another, you see, um, that’s how it went ?”

 

“Ok, not really interested in yer family tree detective am I! So this bloke fancies himself a Father Brown chap, knows someone? What evidence is that of anything I ask you!? The Chief Inspector snorted in ridicule.

 

“Well, er, no, not evidence, at least not in and of itself ...”

 

“Explain yourself quickly Detective, I am running out of both patience and time here!”

 

“But, so you see.” The detective stammered, visibly afraid that he was not going to be able to sell the Chief on his detecting and make him “see”.

 

“Make me see, please DI, quickly, I do not ‘ave all night here! And I also may need a new patrolman for the graveyard shift!” The chief said with an evil promise.

 

The Detective bravely sallied on.

“Well my cousin Ben, as it so happens, was also in attendance at this debutante ball affair. Apparently he is performing deacon duties at His lordship’s, the Girls fathers, parish. And that same man was there, at the ball also.

 

Saw him with the daughter then, well that...”

But the chief was cut off in correction,

“No sir, he did not see that this boke atoll this time actually, but rather ran into his wife, who told him her husband was somewhere about. But it got me thinking to check back over some of my papers.”

  

“Papers DI, what papers?”

 

DI: “well I urm, you see, I had been taking the liberty of checking past occasions in the realm where expensive jewels were reported to have become mysteriously missing to insurance companies. Went back 20 years or so I did.”

“Most of em, the missing jewels that are, were eventually written off by the insurance as simply haven fallen away and somehow being lost, so no information gathered was not bothered with to have been kept on file.. so, no information on guests was collected on that angle.”

“But there have been a few reports over the past years that stated that there was believed to have been shenanigans afoot, and robbery was mildly hinted at, and sharp concerns were filed with local police through the insistence of the insurance companies. Those cases were left open, and still on file at some stations.”

“I was able to collect around 30 files of those unsolved case files that had looked into for signs of robbery going back 20 some years. Well, 18 of those files came with complete guest lists.”

 

The detective was cut off in his report by the impatient Chief!

“Yes, detective, let us finally cut to the chase, shall we now?!”

 

“Er yes sir, well you see, on 12 of those lists the some of the same names came up multiple times.”

“So I had been checking those names against the Yards police records, but none had been convicted for thievery, though a few had some minor dalliances against the rules. So, I figured it was all a dead end down that alley. But, after talking with my cousin, I double checked that list and... this blokes name popped up on two of the more recent ones as being a guest. The same bloke that was recognized by twice my cousin at the two other posh functions, from both of which jewels had been reported lost!”

The Detective then triumphantly points to a name on the list.

  

“Let me see that list constable… right, That’s the name then?”

“Well, a nice bit of detecting here,( this was said with reluctance), But this cousin, I see he was charged with breaking the peace, but that was almost 15 years ago, he and a lady were making noise at a pub, getting the locals stirred up over a price increase on the beer! Hardly a thief's mannerism, eh detective!”

 

“He’s not my cousin sir, rather a bloke my cousin went to seminary with, and that lady is now this Gents wife”

“But he seems to be the only one connected with these jewel thefts, ours and that one up in Carmarthenshire?

The Detective stammered as the chief inspector shoots him a look!

 

“Point being detective, where does this all get us to then, are you bringing this chap in for questioning?”

 

“We will sir, the bloke my cousin saw, that may be a bit of a sticky wicket, bringing him in.”

 

“Sticky wicket! Haven’t heard that one used in a ripe old age Detective, what make this wicket so sticky concerning this chap?”

 

“Well sir, he is the fourth son of a sitting parliamentary official, a titled vice-lord no less, and his wife, well, er, her father is a high crown court judge.”

The detective said all this quite sadly, knowing what was coming.

 

“Good lord Detective inspector! You can bloody well pick em! Do you really think we should stir up a hornets nest like that without solid evidence implicating this bloke!!” The chief inspector blew up at his subordinate incredulously!

 

The Detective quickly spoke, hoping to quell his Chiefs temper before it continued to grow any worse!

“Well not really, above suspicion, this gent.”

“He is the Earl's 4th son, with no title, no support from the father's house. He appeared to have been studying for the RC seminary, but left before his last year.”

“Since then, for the past 15 years, he and his wife show no real income, he has held no steady jobs outside teaching part-time at university, the criminology department no less.”

He sees his superior arch an eye at that. “I know sir, suspicious that, but apparently one of his ancestors help found the ‘Yard’, so he is teaching a history course based on that subject.”

“He also calls himself an investor, but where is his investment capital coming from?”

 

“The wife?” asked the Chief Inspector, calming down a bit as his mind began to mull things over.

 

“No, ‘er parents are still alive and spending it! She receives a small bit as a stipend, but not nearly enough to support their lifestyle of attending parties. Nor is it enough to explain the backing for his investments. Plus, She has also never worked atoll after her university studies!”

“ Money has to come from somewhere I would say, but it is not apparent as to exactly where?”

 

The Chief Inspector looks over the report carefully.

“Are they living above their means? How much went missing on the other two affaires this bloke was at?”

 

“The jewels? Two pieces, together valued at around £2.”

 

“Two Thousand detective?”

 

“No sir, two hundred thousand.”

 

Whew, the chief whistled, there is your investment money if it was this gent. So, they are living well above their means.

 

“Not really. They live on a small cottage on 5 acres, kinda pricey, but not overly extravagant. Bought from a sister of the wife’s father, her Auntie. They don’t throw many parties themselves, but obviously, appear to be able to attend a lot.”

 

Then he looks up at his chief as if to ask to ask for an opinion.

“But, just saying if, if he is involved, how is the gent getting away with it? The chief's voice had now lowered to a thoughtful grumble.

 

“Well sir, that lot is known for being, well rather snooty and not believing one of their own would be a thief. And they do like to party, like their drink ya’ know. Not really all that concerned bout their valuables. For to them the value is nothing, not to someone who spends a bloody fortune on their toys and vices. And you know how these rich young things are, they lose a bloody toy, just gives them an excuse to buy a newer, better version.”

 

“Still detective, a crime is a crime, and if one has been committed in my jurisdiction I’ll be damned to let them get away with it, no matter if the victim doesn't show any worries over it’s loss. Not sure we have enough really to go on here?”

“Either it’s this gent or the gigolo boyfriend, have to be suspected if the necklace was stolen.”

“But then, the necklace could actually have been lost, lord knows what that randy couple could have been up to? If he was pawing her rudely enough, it’s a wonder she wouldn’t have lost all her jewels in that manner!”

 

“We checked the grounds sir”

 

“Well, I want them rechecked detective , and then recheck the bloody house, tooth and nail, all of it you see!”

“I will tell the super that we are awaiting further developments on our leads. If nothing turns up, and you are sure about that lover's late-night tryst, then it will have to be written off as being lost somewhere in the woods. And I will not, mark my words detective, be happy about reporting that as an outcome!”

“So, keep an eye out. Keep the shadow on that Harrow-educated foreigner boyfriend!”

“And as for this smarmy professional party guest?”

“All to a bit A.J. Raffles’ish for my liking, just keep out an ear. If he’s our bird, perhaps we can get some salt on his tux tails!”

“Find out also, just what other experience he has acquired that gives him a bloody right to teach criminal history... one never knows what that privileged lot can really get up into and away with!”

 

“Yes sir, smartly said the detective, relieved at finally being dismissed.

He half salutes and heads gratefully out the door hearing his Chief muttering behind his back.

 

“A Harrow lad? Really !”

 

Fini

Part 2

End Acte 1

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#1575 Hereafter Shack

Today's story and sketch by me 1575, you see what looks like a shack made from banana stalks, that was what I also thought, then I noticed someone's very large feet wearing a pair of very stylish hierarchy sandals, sticking out from under the door. As I got closer I was hypnotized by a large blue eye. I could not look away, I crashed my anti gravity mobility scooter, in front of the door, and was somehow drug inside the shack. What happened next when I woke up, I was totally rested and sitting in a comfortable recliner, across from the Dude with two huge blue eyes, and long grey beard. I couldn't speak, I was fully aware that I could possibly be deceased. The blue eyed dude started to speak, in a very heavy English Accent, told me I was transported from the Planet Budahunga, just moments before it was hit and vaporized by an asteroid. And that I was in a mysterious place a planet he called purgatory, and he had recruited me to be his Special Hereafter Agent, to investigate unsolved accidents, incidents, and heinous crimes against humanity. He pointed at hundreds of file cabinets behind him, said they were full of Cold Cases for me to solve. He would recreate, the exact scene of each incident, place me there before each explosion, crash, massacre, ect. Then have me report my conclusion, what happened, as to who or what was responsible, to him, then take a short break, and start the next case. Until next time, Hereafter Special Agent Rod.

Thief On a String

 

Cover Story

 

He slowly sipped his champagne, feeling for ever in the world like a young lad in a candy shop, left unattended by a distracted Mother.

Except in this case, the distracted ones were the supposed Security coppers who were too busy drinking free champagne to worry about the guests in attendance, or the expensive jewels the prettily made up Ladies in attendance were so obligingly displaying.

For some reason his eyes kept catching the set of diamonds worn by a vivacious lady in white, her long soft raven hair handsomely held up, fully showing off a pair of delicious dangling earrings’, held onto her now sweat glistened earlobes by the flimsiest of clasps…. .

She also appeared to be vulnerably alone, unescorted, and on the prowl for something, or someone?

He had watched her on the dance floor, her choices in partners had not been all too light on their ( her) feet. About time someone sowed her how a proper gentleman dances he decided.

In for a pence, in for a pound he thought, setting his drink down and darting a quick glance around, began circling around his chosen lady…

 

A Bow and thank you to my partner in crime, the ever enchanting Khaliesi.

 

Envisioned at Franks Place S.L.

 

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If anyone would like to be considered to be published in future editions, please by all means drop us a line and a shortcut to what you would have us publish…

 

True Mystery Trail Publication 1

Contents :

Cover Story

Thief on a String

Stories

The unprotected flic.kr/p/PtgLLD

One a star swept Night flic.kr/p/TLhBRX

Ballroom Blitzed flic.kr/p/KoEvPa

  

The study below was derived from facts uncovered while doing research for the following Doctorial dissertation:

Light to the shadows of their mind:

Criminal tactics and strategies

Criminology Department Dept.

Chatwick University

  

Storyline:

The idiot had fallen for the ruse, hook line and sinker. Believing Sara had been kidnapped by a loan shark, he had willingly come to rescue his damsel in distress, bringing the $40,000 he believed she owed her life for. Seeing Sara handcuffed and bound to a chair had been too much for him, and he tried to attack Shane in a vain attempt to rescue her. Shane had unwisely hit him with his pistol, forcing Sara to wait until he regained consciousness to implement the second phase of her plan. Shane had unbound Sara until that time arrived, and she busied herself with counting her money with a lovingly caressing hand, hoping the lovesick twit had not been dumb enough to pawn the family jewels to raise it.

As she was contemplating these facts, she stole an uncaring eye on her would be love- sick suitor, whom she thought of, indifferently, as a clueless naive Romeo. Then she looked up at the blank faced Shane, who still held the rod lamely in his grasp. She hissed at Shane to tie the young man up securely. He did so, roughly tying him up, and then hand cuffing him to the chair he moved next to Sara’s vacated one.

Shane was not very bright, but he listened. He also liked to drink, and Sara had dangled a whiskey bottle as added incentive, not allowing him to drink until after the house job had been carried out. For, once Romeo started stirring, Shane would again tie up Sara and handcuff her to her chair. Then he would slap awake the lovelorn Romeo, coercing him to give him the combination to his parent’s house safe, threatening with a knife, to torture the squirming Sara if necessary. Sara’s Romeo should give the combination up fairly easily, for the dolt actually believed that Sara was as madly in love with him as he was with her. While she waited, Sara allowed her mind to relieve the events that had brought the rich young fly into her web.

Sara had literally bumped into Romeo a couple of months ago while at the horse track. But, as it so happened, it was a young lady who had garnered Sara’s attention first. The pretty Miss had stood out in a black satin blouse, glossy lime green skirt, and wide floppy hat. As she moved she sent flickering with rich sparkles, the stunning collection of emerald jewelry that adorned her shapely figure. This obviously wealthy girl was making her way timidly through the crowd while stuffing a wallet she had pulled from a lime green purse with a thick wad of track winnings.

Sara had trailed her through the crowd, waiting for opportunity to present its self. It did when the purse was set down, leaving it temporarily unattended. But, as her long slender fingers had reached for it, a young suited man dropped his race form and backed into Sara cutting her off. Sara apologized, employing the British accent she had been using that day, and picked up his race form, handing it to him with a sweet mousey smile. Thwarted, she then turned and immediately retreated back into the throng, but not before noticing that she had caught his eye. Sara had not found this surprising, given how fetching she must have looked in one of the customary long silky dresses that she habitually would pour herself into when on the prow! Sara wore them mainly because the slick material of the dress usually allowed her to slip in and out of tight situations, both physically and persuasively.

It was later that evening, still at the track and with no luck outside of bad, that Sarah saw Romeo, alone and looking vulnerable . She went up and slipped up against him, starting to feel for his wallet, but for some indiscernible reason, aborted the attempt. Apologizing instead, she engaged him into conversation, more out of curiosity than anything else. She even allowed him to invite her out for a bite to eat. It was then that she learned enough about his background to stir her felonious senses. Especially once she learned that the richly jeweled young lady whose fat wallet she had attempted to acquire was the Romeos twin sister.

Sara had then turned on her not inconsiderable charm. Using the British accent and faking the role of a ragamuffin vulnerable foreigner, Sara (who had been born in the Bronx) started seeing the rich kid for a couple of months. Making Romeo keep their clandestine affair a secret from his parents and sister, Sara carefully wove her silken web until the innocently gullible horsefly was wrapped up beyond his ability to fly. She had successfully gotten him to fall head over heels in love with her. Like a prowling cat, she waited, plotting meticulously, a way to part a small fortune away from him. When she had learned his parents would be in Europe for a month, she put her plan into action. She let Romeo in on her terrible secret, a racetrack gambling addiction. This had led to her “troubles” with a loan shark. After accepting her suitor’s offer to help her in any way possible, she suddenly vanished from his life. Taking the time to hire Shane to case the isolated country house where Romeo, his parents, twin sister and two older servants lived. She also convinced Shane, for a piece of the pie, to act the part of the loan shark heavy. Sara also bought a one way Cunard White Star Liner ticket to England to make her permanent escape. Once all the pieces of her scam were in place, she then sent Romeo the note pleading for him to bring the money, and rescue her from the Loan Shark.

Sara‘s scam had gone like a Rolex’s clockwork, and she now was forty thousand dollars richer. Now all she needed was that combination to set her up for life. She licked her lips, savoring the thoughts about what would conspire a once the combination was hers. Shane would again render Romeo unconsciousness, unbind Sara, and the pair would leave their victim incapacitated in the apartment, a living insurance policy, while they paid a nighttime visit to his parent’s isolated country manor.

********************** Postscript **********

It was early afternoon the next day when an ocean liner set sail from Boston Harbor, bound for a British Port. The majestic ships’ railed deck was lined with passengers watching the departure. Many more were lined up on the dock waving to the departing ocean bound liner. Several of those on the docks, mainly men, may have noticed a lady, with loose long raven hair, clad in a black satin blouse and a lime green skirt, with jewelry set with opulent emeralds sparkling merrily in the bright sun. No one would believe what the pretty faced girl with the satisfied look on her face had been up to the last 24 hours.

Sara was very satisfied and pleased with herself as her liner left the port towards its destination: a port in merry olde England. She put a hand down to hold onto her flapping lime green skirt as it caught in the breeze. Her eyes once again admiring the emerald bracelet and rings she was so brazenly wearing.

She allowed her mind to travel back to the early hours of that very morning, as her and Shane had entered the mansion, wearing Halloween masks and carrying small black satchels.

Romeo had accurately given Shane the combination to the mansions house safe located in the den. It had contained a bonanza of old bundled bills and several cases of amazingly bright sets of jewelry. Then came the part Sara had been waiting for, the girl’s room! Romeo’s twin sister’s boudoir where she insisted on keeping her jewels, rather than locking the expensive things in the house safe.

Sara could see that Shane became aroused as he had slapped a hand to the mouth of the sleeping Girl, jarring her awake. The look of terror in the girl’s eyes had made him drool with excitement. He made her get up, helpless and vulnerable in a long loose fitting purple satin night gown. Shane than tied her squirming figure securely to a chair, gagged her, and let her watch as Sara began to rob her blind. Shane, standing by the wide-eyed girl holding his knife to her heaving chest, did not understand why Sara was taking some of the captive’s long gowns and shiny clothes, but then he wasn’t meant too.

Sara saved the jewel case for last. Making sure their captive was watching, She pulled opened and meticulously picked clean the drawers of the massive oak jewel chest on a bedside stand next to their captive’s chair. The last drawer seemed to contain nothing but sets of satin gloves, which Sara happily added to the pile in the small black satchel. Underneath she found hidden a set of diamonds (ring, bracelet, cascading earrings and matching necklace) that put anything they had taken of her Mothers jewels to shame! Sara picked up the sets necklace and placed it around the frightened girl’s throat, admiring its fiery radiance. Sara went back to the bottom drawer and scooped up the rest of the set. After she placed it inside the now bulging satchel she turned and looked Romeos’ twin dead in the eye, commanding Shane to search her. He did, removing the necklace, and sucking off a solid gold pinky ring. He handed the loot to Sara, who had come over to take it; she looked at the struggling girl and said in a sultry voice, you will never wear these pretty toys again! They had then left her room; the girl forlornly slumped down, a sad little portrait in a limp purple satin bundle.

Sara had left Shane off at the apartment to deal with Romeo. She had previously doctored Shane’s promised bottle of whiskey with knock out drops. Whatever the pair’s fate would be, she did not possess the slightest worry or care.

After leaving Shane off, the rest of her plan had gone smooth as silk. Sara had gone to her recently rented hotel suit, placed the satchels in a steam trunk, changed into one of her newly acquired outfits and jewelry, then left the hotel in a rented (under an assumed name) chauffeured Limo for Boston, all before the sun rose. She boarded the liner as soon as it began to admit its passengers.

Sara’s mind came back to the present as the ocean line’s steam horn gave an explosively loud whoop as it sailed from the harbor. Watching the docks filled with spectators grow ever smaller, Sarah envisioned herself arriving in a similar set of London docks on the other side of the ocean. There, she would assume the life of a wealthy debutante, living the good life from the riches of her ill-gotten gains. She may even adopt the first name of Romeos twin sister for a self-amusing ruse; after all, she would be wearing the poor wretches’ gowns and jewels to all the best affairs!

 

It's crazy how slow it goes, when you're waiting for something more To warm you up when you feel cold, to calm you down and bring peace to your soul It's funny how fast it goes, love comes right when you don't wait anymore Its power takes over all, and you surrender you let go… Oh this frailty makes us so strong Oh.. this fire will melt all the ice And it's all I want, all I need A prayer of freedom, a prayer of love. A prayer of freedom, a prayer of love. A prayer of freedom, a prayer of love. Precious gifts, given in silence, look like the pieces of an unsolved puzzle All to learn, all to know, so unexplained but so beautiful And yeah, this frailty makes us so strong And yeah, this fire will melt all the ice And it's all I want, all I need A prayer of freedom, a prayer of love. A prayer of freedom, a prayer of love. A prayer of freedom, a prayer of love. So no matter how long I'll wait. Pain is nothing, but a scale for my will And there comes a time when truth survives All kinds of fear, all kinds of lies. In a prayer of freedom, a prayer of love... A prayer for freedom, a prayer for love... A prayer of freedom, a prayer of love... A prayer of freedom, a prayer of love... A prayer of freedom, a prayer of love...

 

youtu.be/sZ31OJ9avs0

 

I sit here crying for the parents in Uvalde that lost their children today. When will it stop? What number of people, of children, will it take before something is done?

 

This photo was taken in April at my beach and shows a memorial for a young man that was killed in 2018. The day after a senior gentleman in my neighbourhood was killed walking his dog on a Sunday morning. Both these are still unsolved and probably related. Both involve a gun.

 

This has got to end. Please vote for people that take this seriously and will do something about it and who aren’t in the NRA’s pocket.

  

Vivitar V3800N

Fujifilm Superia 200, expired

The Publishers of True Mystery ( Chatwick University Press) would like to truly thank the following talented artists who have contributed semi- freely to this Magazine.

 

If anyone would like to be considered to be published in future editions, please by all means drop us a line and a shortcut to what you would have us publish…

 

True Mystery Vol 1

Contents :

 

The Pursuit Of Pearls

By : Teddi Beres

www.flickr.com/photos/92186915@N04/albums/72157655344685843

 

'GEM'S DECEPTION'

By : twain orfan

flic.kr/p/Rn3PAn

 

Tales of the Tuatha

By: CybeleMoon

flic.kr/p/TkvaZb

 

Shenanigans at the Wailing Sireen

By : Chatwick Harpax

flic.kr/p/PtgLLD

 

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For those interested in perusing Back Issues

 

www.flickr.com/photos/66682533@N07/albums/72157644984999805

 

or

 

www.flickr.com/groups/pulp_fiction/

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PS

The editor would like to thank Teddi Beres for her gracious invite and willingness to put up with us, pose, and be written all over for this issue..

Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves like locked rooms and like books that are written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will find them gradually, without noticing it, and live along some distant day into the answer. ~Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters to a Young Poet

 

Staghurst Noir

For Actes 5 and 6, we go back in time a bit before the ending of ACTE 4 with its startled Constable.

 

Acte 5: Devilishness

 

About 15 minutes before Reginald’s head meets a tyre iron, The Lord Edmund and The Mistress met with a bit of mis-adventure each of their own:

 

The wealthy couple from Staghurst slowly make their way down the long, dank, dark, fog filled alley way. Garbage bins, mostly full and foul smelling, line the cobblestone path. Occasionally rats are disturbed from their scavenging, scampering out of sight down holes. They had gone in about 50 feet in when The Mistress spies a movement in the shadows ahead!

 

Come along Edmund, The Mistress directs as she carefully makes her way along the littered path, I can see the tarts shadow just up ahead. She yells out( her voice echoes down the narrow alley), Don’t think I cannot see you cowering there by those cans you filthy thief, come out and give me back my bracelet! Sure enough, a shadow stirs and detaches itself from behind a trash bin, then a second shadow materializes from behind the first. The Lord and The Mistress are by this time close enough to discern that neither of the two shadowy figures are female.

 

Well, well Josey, looks like sum’un is out for a bit of trick an treating now, are they?, the first shadow states to his companion. Both step out fully from the shadows, and in the dim pool of light from the now visible full moon, their features now can be discerned. A pair of young men, both having the same slightly slanted eyes of the Gypsy girl. The first, slightly older lad of about 22, has a thin beard, dark brown eyes, and the frame of a person who has done some rather hard labor, with the tough expression on his face seeming to back up that assertion. He is wearing a brown turtleneck, black leather vest, and black canvas military style trousers. He pushes back a brown drivers cap that covers his longish, raggled black hair, and speaks directly to The Mistress, sorry mum, aint got nothing like treats, may have to do a trick on you instead. Aintint that right Josey, he looks back at the second youth.

 

The second youth, about 18 years, is dressed in the same type of clothes as the other, except he is wearing a black beret on his head, his hair hanging down in back in a long ponetail. He is shorter than the other, by a good head, which placed him at eye level with Edmund and The Mistress. Josey says nothing, but just stares up at The Mistress, her sparkling jewelry reflected in his dark eyes.

 

The Mistress finally finds her tongue, and begins to wield it in the only fashion she knows how. Look here you young scoundrels, I have no business with the likes of you, it’s the girl I want, and I want her in front of me right now! she stamps her foot in emphasis, so go get her, and be quick about it!

 

Weel now mum, the older one says, what you be wanting with this girl, then? She has me bracelet, The Mistress screeches, and I aim to have it back now! Is it really worth you bothering this girl over a bit of costume jewelry Mum, he asks, leering at The Mistress, and moves a good foot closer? That bracelet is valuable and worth a great deal young man, I’ll have you know! And know this also, I wouldn’t be caught dead wearing anything rhinestone, she spits out the words in triumph tipping up her chin as she does so, her earrings swinging around expensively in sparkling arcs.

 

Well now mum, why dinja just say so, here, let me take you to her, she is just hiding her terrified little self-down here aways . He turns and begins to walk down deeper into the alley. Both The Mistress and Edmund start to follow. Josey, who has until now stood pat, holds up Edmund as he passes. Unhand me sir, Edmund sputters, and both The Mistress and the tall gypsy turn around to face them. Now Guvner, the older gypsy says, you had better wait her with Josey, if all off use come up on this girl you says has yer mums bracelet, she may be frightened off.

 

Stay Edmund, The mistress commands, sounding like she is ordering about one of the Manor’s dogs. We will be right back, she adds, never for a second thinking that she wasn’t going to have her way as usual. The Mistress and the older Gypsy in the brown cap turn and make their way up the alley. The Mistress, breathing heavily as she imagines what she will say and do to that young female tramp when she finds her, fails to hear the noises that come from where Edmund an Josey are standing, noises sound very much like someone’s voice being cut off and muffled.

 

Edmund watches the two disappear into the shadows, then turning to the one called Josey, he jumps, the youth had vanished. Say, where did he go , Edmund asks himself slowly, then, thinking he is free, Hesitates, it doesn’t feel right disobeying his wife’s order, then he shakes his head, balderdash he mumbles, and starts off after her.

 

But no sooner does her start off then a hand clamps an oily rag around his mouth. He struggles, trying to protest, but the youthful Josey is no match for Edmund, and he drags the Lord of Stag Hurst unceremoniously behind a dumpster.

 

Shoving the rag deeper into Edmunds mouth, Josey covers the gag with a strip of smelly cloth. Then, producing a long knife, holds it to his Lordships chin, while his other hand searches the tuxedos coat and pants pockets, removing their contents. Trying to protest through his gag, Josey whips off Edmund’s scarf, then the youth dart around him. And Edmund feels his tuxedo’s jacket being peeled off. The youth reappears, and using his knife, plucks off each of the onyx buttons off of Edmunds silken shirt, and removes his matching cufflinks, then, after removing the satin cummerbund, he takes his thin, extremely sharp knife, and cuts the suspenders Edmund is wearing, and lets the tux’s trousers fall to his Lordships’ feet.

 

Josey looks over his handwork, he grins up into the bulging eyes of the enraged Lord, and grins, then darts around back and Edmund feels his shirt pulled off, and the cool breeze against his bare chest. Suddenly he is grabbed from behind, Edmund is thrown onto a pile of old rags, smelling of rotten fish. Three rats scurry from the pile, running over his Lordships stomach. Thrashing about, Edmund feels his shoes and pants pulled off the rest of the way, as two more rats appear and run up his legs, over his stomach and landing on top of his face, finally scurry off.

 

At this, poor Edmund, who’s constitution is already fragile due to a week heart, faints dead away. His last, irrational thought, as he falls off into unconsciousness, is that he hopes his wife won’t be too hard on the Gypsy girl when she finds her…..

 

End of Acte 5, Watch for Acte 6 ( Retribution) coming soon

 

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This is a link to a You Tube Video of a thief not unlike our Angie.

youtu.be/HAZdjhNVjxk

 

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Case Study 113 : Warning, these are the raw, bare unusual occurrences as originally chronicled. Some names, times, places and some facts have been, of course, altered.

Name: Angelica D circa 192__

Subject: an unscrupulous light-fingered body thief

Event: Posh Wedding Reception

Place: Upstate New York

Time: Warm early Autumn Saturday

 

Angie Being Receptive

Story line:

 

Angie had heard about the affair, a wedding, from a list of prospective functions provided by a discreetly paid contact. It was being given for the only daughter of a wealthy politician (as if there were any non-wealthy ones!) Angie had happily invited herself to the affair, carefully dressing up in her best for the special occasion!

 

**

Wedding receptions were by far Angie’s favorite hunting grounds. During the season there could be anywhere from upwards of 20 high end affaires every weekend in the bigger cities, and always 2 or 3 in even the smallest of towns.

Wedding s were usually easy pickings: free food, drink and entertainment, and seldom worn jewelry made for a ready-made mix for Angie to ply her trade. For Angelica D. was a uniquely skilled pickpocket, specializing in the removal for profit of the expensive jewelry worn by the (usually be -gowned) women and young ladies’ who hauntingly dwelt in societies upper crust!

So Weddings, by their nature, were the desirable choice for Angie. One only had to avoid the Bride, her Bridesmaids, and their court, which were usually the major focus of any security present. However, there were plenty of opportunities to be had by employing her special bag of tricks on the outlaying fringe.

Angie had arrived early at the mammoth facility, to scout out the establishment and to scope out who was wearing what. Used to these affairs either being feast or famine, she could quickly tell that in this one there was cooking up a devouring banquet.

**

After Angie had entered the massive reception room it did not take her long to spy her first plump prospect, nicely loaded with possibilities. It was a lady, bearing a haughty look, who had been making a b-line through the crowd as way was parted for her. She was wearing a luxuriously long rusty coloured sable fur coat that hid most of her long crimson -red satin gown. What Jewels were visible, ears, fingers and wrist, were all flashing with pricy fire. In tow she held the hand of a young girl, obviously her daughter, wearing actual makeup, which, along with her fetching gown and brite jewelry, made her appear far older than she was. A handsome man , looking like the actor William Powell in a tux, followed behind the pair, husband and father, Angie presumed. She shadowed the little family as they swished their way to a corner table, conveniently located by a rear exit, for a better look over. Her fingers had started with an all too familiar tingle as she took it all in.

**

The husband helped his wife out of the sable, laying it carefully along a bench against the wall. Angie was not disappointed. A silver necklace of large matched diamonds gracefully encircled her throat. A dazzling blood ruby and diamond brooch held up the center of her gown, positioned just below the bust line. Brooches, like this one, were worth a lot once fenced, but its placement required a little more dexterity and skill than she was willing to risk. In actuality, Angie had only attempted twice before to take a brooch pinned to a gown in this fashion. She had only been successful one of those times, only to find out it was a pretty piece of paste.( Years later, as Angie’s talents became more polished, relieving ladies of their dangling brooches, like this blood ruby, became her specialty.. the Eds.) Angie’s eyes moved on. The rest of the snooty lady’s jewels matched her necklace. Long earrings, free clipped, dangling brightly from her earlobe s. A pair of wide ruby bracelets clasped tightly home around elegant red elbow length satin gloves, sparkled devastatingly, matching her brooch. Her long fingers were home to a pair of ruby and diamond rings and a third ring set with a gold band and a vulgarly large solitaire diamond.

**

Angie’s attention turned to the daughter, whom had been helped by her Father , squirming, from the chocolate coloured satin cape that she had been wearing. The youngster, all of about 10, was wearing a cream coloured long puffy sleeved dress with a brown satin sash encircling her waist that matched her Cape. The young lady possessed impossible large bright eyes. The only thing that held more shine than those doe like eyes had been the antique rhinestone diamond necklace that fell dripping ever so invitingly down the front of the precious little imp’s rich glossy gown. The rest of her matching rhinestones (obviously belonging to the child’s mother) consisted of an engaging display of a bracelet, pair of dangling, screwed on clasp earrings, and matching rings encircling a chubby finger one on each hand. It all gleamed brightly, invitingly from her svelte girlish figure. A large round pin held her sash up in place; it sparkled with what looked like a ring consisting of one caret diamonds, as unlikely as it was they could be real.

**

The two females of the family presented a pretty package indeed. Not one to pass up an invite that alluring, Angie walked by , with the pretext of heading to a back exit behind the table the little family had staked, just so she could get a closer peek.

**

Angie’s practiced eye took in a wealth of information during the few seconds it took her to walk up and pass the group, so involved with themselves they never even looked her way. Her attention focused upon the young mother first scoping head to toe.

**

Angie scrutinized the brooch; it was definitely worth the effort. In her mind’s eye, Angie envisioned the mother as a stumbling drunk “bumping into” Angie. Fingers whisking along the slippery lustrously softness of the gown, as the lady was steadied. Angie would accept the women apologies and the pair would part their ways, Angie from the young mother, and the magnificent brooch from the rich satiny red gown. But then the mother raised her head, looking up past Angie, towards a commotion being made behind her. Typical Angie thought, she doesn’t recognize me, so I don’t exist, like some sort of servant. But it was as she caught the young mother in full profile that she realized this lady looked strikingly similar to another woman who had been wearing an expensive dress of teal charmeuse that Angie had had been having a long conversation with, while relieving the woman’s finger of a costly diamond sapphire ring. It had happened only just last weekend at a formal function, and Angie figured she may have not recognized her in passing, but may if Angie were to use one of her approaches again with the intent of taking some of her jewelry, he memory may be jarred, and she may remember her missing ring. This was why Angie only allowed herself to ply her trade for no more than a month in any given place per year. This was from a lesson she had learned early on in her career. And so, for that reason alone, Angie decided to, at least temporarily, abandon any designs she had on the young mother’s brooch, allowing her devious intentions to evaporate from her mind like smoke on the wind. There were plenty more fish in the sea she told herself.

**

Angie still allowed herself a quick appraisal of the squirming 10 year old. She admired the glossy dress of slippery satin that her mother had conveniently dressed her daughter up in, as it fell spilling down to her black open toed shoes. Angie’s fingers started to tingle; this was a perfect tickling gown. Angie liked to think of any long dress or gown that swept down to a females heels as a” tickling gown”. All it took was a strategically placed foot timed with a well place nudge to send the chosen victim tumbling. During the ensuing diversion, Angie would use her long subtle fingers to swiftly probe along the gowned figure, tickling she like to call it due to the tingling sensation of the usually rich material of the victim’s attire. In this fashion, a pre-targeted piece of valuable jewelry could then be easily acquired, no matter what its placement had been on the unfortunate female. If only the chatty youngster had something on better than rhinestones. It was a crying shame to have a child that young dolled up like an adult, but not wearing adult jewels.

**

Angie continued to walk past, unseen, and went out the door. She found herself in a large serenity garden of roses and shrubs, surrounded by a 10 foot high well-trimmed hedge. The sort of garden one usually found in those days around upscale Churches. The only exit was a gate leading onto the parking lot on the side of the church. Here was positioned a solitary, lonely guard in a neat little guard hut. In the opposite, far corner was a statue of Cupid, arrow drawn, standing above a display of blooming moss roses at the end opposite to the gate. There was always potential in places like these.

**

Angie had started to walk over to the Cupid statue when she heard the exit door open. Turning, she saw the young girl, whose mother’s brooch Angie had been scoping out, looking out the door. She snuck through, running out alone, silky tickling gown swishing out behind her. Her heart leapt to her throat as she watched the girls rhinestones sparkle radiantly. She actually turned to head towards the path the unsuspecting child was running up, flexing her fingers as she contemplating a little warm up practice. Angie watched as the dolled up imps necklace flashed with pinpricks of coloure as it bounced to and fro as she ran happily up the path .Angie turned her back to the girl, waiting to hear the telltale click of her heels come up just behind her. She would then move, bumping into the girl as she passed, tripping her to the ground. After which Angie would help her up, removing the girl’s fancy necklace in the process. Come to Mama Angie whispered under her breath, waiting to make her move as the skipping heels grew ever louder.

**

But then Angie froze, hearing the clicking of the exit door again opening behind her. She checked her stride letting the daughter slither past without a glance. She headed again towards the statue, watching her prize move on ahead. Then she heard the father in the background calling out to his little princess. The youngster turned, and ran back, beaming at Angie as she passed. Angie smiled back, her eyes again traveling to the girls neckline, and the sparkling jewelry the outlined her throat. It had been a silly thought she chided herself, as the girl passed from view. If only the necklace had been real, and the father about ten minutes later in discovering his daughter absence. It would have been an unbelievably easy pluck and she could be out the gate before anyone was the wiser. And the best part was that they would probably believe the scampering girl had just lost it in the garden. And, while the parents were looking about, Angie would have been free to renter to ply her trade again. As it was, it was silly of Angie, risking her opportunity on a child’s bauble worth a mere pittance compared to some of the other offerings so readily being flaunted this evening by her adult counterparts.

**

Angie continued her casual stroll through the Garden, happily playing over in her mind some of the jewels that she would like to see adorning the female guests inside, and the scenarios she may be using to acquire them

**

Finding herself approaching the guard hut, she allowed herself a glance back. Jealously she watched the father, who had caught and was carrying his slippery attired daughter, heading back inside. How Angie wished she had been the one carrying the squirming little imp, it would have been like a smorgasbord, with jewels instead of food. Pity her mother had not put the good stuff on the daughter, she sighed to herself. Tonight she would have to work for her butter. She walked past the bored guard, nodding at him, receiving a rather lecherous look in return. A smile was forming across her cunning face, for now it was time to get down to the real business at hand.

**

The affair turned out to be quite a showcase for the very rich. Who were indiscreetly flaunting their riches, trying to outdo one another, probably for the benefit of the politicians’ attention? Certainly not for the attention of the designer satin gowned and flashy diamonded daughter, whom most of the guests hardly knew, or had ever met.

**

Angie always felt like a little kid in a candy shoppe at these lavish affairs.

She spent the first part of the reception mingling and thoroughly enjoying the show her the reception’s guests were u wittingly putting on. Angie, wearing no jewels herself, was something of an anomaly compared to her fellow guests.

**

There were over a thousand luxuriously coloured, squawking female birds and their young chicks pompously displaying valuable finery, oblivious of the cat amongst them waiting to pounce. Angie patently mingled, watching as the adult guests had their fill of food and drink.

Once their guard began to relax, Angie raised hers’, her probingly skillful fingers now more than prepared to begin and ply her trade. For the more they imbibed, the less guarded they were, both about themselves and their female offspring. Angie would start with the adults, 2 or 3 of the right pieces of jewelry, once acquired, and would mean she could call it a night and have enough to support her for a solid month. If she came up empty in that department, her back up would then center on the female off-spring, daughters and nieces.

Most of said offspring would be by then scattered about, aware that their parents were no longer paying them any heed, exploring and playing, sporting their fancy satin gowns, silken dresses, and their dainty jewelry, ripe for the picking. Giving pickpockets like Angie endless opportunity to ply their trade on them, once they had finished working through the adults. Or if the thieves were beginners, plenty of easy practice while “learning the ropes!”

**

Now, when Angie herself was just starting out as a young pickpocket, she stumbled across a treatise written by a man using the pseudonym “Gaston Monescu”. Written around 1826, entitled the Cutpurse: skilles, artes and Secretes of the Dip, it covered the various tactics and moves used by master pickpockets.

 

Angie had studied it religiously, especially a ploy called the “Necklace Flimp.” This tactic was primarily used for body thieves working alone. Angie had been surprised to learn that a pickpocket could raise his/her skill level above just acquiring wallets. Having the ability to lift a woman’s necklace amazed her, not to mention the profit that could be realized. With practice, Angie had found that not only was it a good technique for acquiring necklaces, but it worked for other pieces of worn jewelry as well.

 

It was relatively simple process, but took a long time to master.

First part was to employ psychology and watch the potential victim for the unique movements and quirks in their personality and actions that could provide an opportunity for her skills. Then observe the selected piece the victim wore, for value, type of clasp, make, and accessibility. The second part was to employ a bump, slip, or grasp, and in one motion, flick open the studied clasp and send the piece away from the body by either pulling and palming, or dropping it to the floor or ground for retrieval later. If she was noticed, it was “sorry, miss, very clumsy of me” “here let me get if for you, no harm done?” Then walk away and let the waters settle before trying yet again (sometimes even on the same person!)

 

Angie had practiced the jewelry flimp until she had the technique totally mastered. Starting out first on specially dressed up mannequins in her apartment, than trying it on small pieces of cheap baubles worn by real women in crowded streets and stores. Then on younger, less guarded, better jewelry wearing young girls attending proms and social dances. Young looking for her age at the time, Angie had fit right in amongst them. Then, finally, she graduated to lifting the better jewels of the older, wealthy women attending society’s finer parties and receptions. And it was this path that led her here today, and would also lead several unlucky females to report missing jewelry to their respective insurance companies.

**

See Album “Angie having a Ball” for additional background on our master thief with the light fingers.

**

Angie now eagerly employed those useful talents learned from monsieur Monescu’s little pamphlet at the wedding reception. She mingled freely, carrying around a drink that never touched her lips. She watched and learned, her trained eyes missing very little. Soon, like that hypothetical kid in a candy shoppe, Angie’s head was spinning from so much to choose from that she really could not make any easy choice. So, she waited and watched patiently, knowing opportunity would knock.

 

**

 

Then, like it usually happened with Angie, the first genuine opportunity unexpectedly presented herself. Angie literally was run into a rather awkward, spindly lady in thick glasses clad in a fetchingly expensive costume consisting of a thick silver satin blouse with hanging ruffles down its front, combined with a long rustling tiered skirt that swept down to the top of her open toed silver high heels. Her diamond jewelry shone with exuberant flames as they caught the light from the many chandeliers that hung from the vaulted ceiling. The lady expressed frantically her apologies, placing a hand with well ringed fingers on Angie’s shoulder, where they sparkled merrily. No worries Angie said smiling, her eyes taking it all in without appearing to move. She let the frazzled lady leave, allowing her a head start, it was only sporting to do so.

**

Angie shadowed her quarry for a while, seemingly rewarded for her efforts when the lady managed to spill a bit of her drink down on her skirt. In a show of flashing silvery satin and diamonds ,she retreated and disappeared into a nearby powder room, with Angie following eagerly, opportunity knocking.

**

As Angie grabbed onto the closing powder room door, a mid- twenty something girl in a deep green velvet gown came out. Her only jewelry was a wide diamond bracelet wrapped around a wrist of the matching long green gloves she wore. Angie caught it out of the corner of her eye, realizing that it was as expensive as it was bright. But it was her friend, a willowy short haired pretty young thing in a glamorous Chocolate Satin gown that made Angie’s jaw drop. Her jewels, like her friends, were also sparse, but enormously pricy. The long white satin gloves that graced her hands and arms also held matching bracelets, thin, but each one worth the effort. But her real eye catcher was the row of authentic, one caret white diamonds that were rippling exquisite fire along her throat. Angie held the door for them, nodding to as they passed. Noses in the air, they did not appear to notice Angie. Then, with the ladies backs to her, Angie abandoned Miss silver satin and turned to follow. Angie got in behind the two with the intention of getting a closure examination of the clasp of the fiery diamond necklace Miss Chocolate satin was wearing.

**

However, Angie never got her closer look. For at that moment the tossing of the bride’s boutique was announced and Angie was overwhelmed by a mad dash of single ladies heading for the bride. On a lark she allowed herself to be swept along, losing sight of Miss Chocolate satin, but found herself right smack behind Miss Green velvet and her cheerfully sparkling diamond bracelet, a beautifully expensive piece that would have cost someone a king’s ransom. Angie’s fingers began their all too familiar tingling, eager for a chance to acquire jewelry that valuable, but not for any king, just for herself!

**

Though the night was still relatively early, and Angie still had visions of those exquisite rippling diamonds of the pretty Miss in chocolate satin on her mind, she simply could not pass up this opportunity. Angie wedged herself close behind her chosen victim as the multitude of hopeful young women pressed forward to try their luck. As the Bride teased her guests before getting ready to toss her bouquet of white and red roses, Angie expertly scrutinized the bracelet as it dangled from the green velvet glove. When the bride finally turned her back and raised her arms every one of the richly clad single women’s eyes was focused on the bride’s bouquet, Angie’s eyes were fixated on the bracelet. With the music playing loud, the crowd giggling and laughing, and all eyes focused on the gorgeously outfitted young long haired bride, Angie again felt opportunity knocking. Her pulse beating in rhythm with the music, she made ready to seize the chance when it presented itself. The roses flew through the air and all the women raised their hands high, looking all for the world like being involved in a stick-up. Angie timed it perfectly, snapping the clasp, and snatching the bracelet easily away from the gloved wrist of its owner as she raised her arms high to grab at the boutique. In her excitement, shared by everyone, Miss Green velvet ( who did not catch the bouget of roses) never felt a thing. Angie had smirked as she left the giggling group, stowing securely the purloined diamonds, as she imagined what it would have been like to watch that group robbed in a mass stick-up. The money that some enterprising soul could have made from that haul would have been astronomical.

**

She went to the open bar, lighting her first cigarette; she ordered her first real drink of the night. She could feel the coolness of the weighty bracelet in its hiding spot, and Angie, pleased with herself, calmly sipped her drink as she relished in the moment. The toss of the Brides Boutique was, in Angie’s experienced opinion, one of the three common events occurring during a wedding reception that were fertilely prime times for pickpocketing. (Editor’s note.. Miss D. mysteriously never divulged what she considered the other two prime events to be….)

**

She looked about without a worry in the world, coolly watching the antics of some of the younger women on the dance floor. She spied the young miss in the green velvet gown over in a corner talking in an animated fashion with several other women. Green velvet gown’s now bare velvet glove, apparently not noticed by anyone but Angie. One of her group was displaying some bright emeralds peeking through the long silver fur she was wearing, obviously she was leaving, and she was talking excitedly about something to the group formed around her! Nowhere in sight was Miss chocolate satin, too bad, Angie would have loved another peek before leaving.

Angie watched around the room causally, as the cold bracelet pressed expensively against her figure from its hiding spot. She eventually lost track of green velvet and her friends while finishing her drink. Setting down the empty glass, she decided it was time to call it a night. The bracelet now in her possession was easily worth as much as the 2 or 3 separate pieces she usually acquired at functions like these, added together! And, she needed her rest, Angie had a couple of plans the next day, one revolving around the female guests who would be attending an upscale afternoon prom fashion show a, the other, an evening opera performance (invited guests only, and her contact had managed to supply a ticket, at a hefty price!) No rest for the wicked, Angie told herself.

**

On her way out of the main lobby, she found herself leaving behind the very lady in green velvet whose bracelet was now in Angie’s possession. She was with the same gaggle of her similarly dressed friends, including the one exhibiting the emeralds. However, miss chocolate satin was still not visible. They were laughing and joking as they collected their assorted pretty wraps, obviously heading for a nightclub. If she had not already relieved one of them of a bauble, Angie might have invited herself along, if only to have a go at some emeralds. Angie hesitated about leaving withy them, then shrugged, followed the group out the door past the pair of bored rent a cops.

**

She remembered thinking, as she followed the elegant young princesses ,their fluid gowns peeking from under their various furs and wraps, how shallow the very rich could be. She wondered if Miss Green velvets friends had even noticed that she had had diamonds around the wrist of her glove, let alone that they were now missing. She wondered how long it would be before the bracelets loss was discovered. She figured it would be several hours, long enough for its owner not to be sure what place they had been lost. As young Miss Green velvet fancy gown and her friends turned right outside the exit, Angie turned left, heading towards the guard hut at the entrance to the garden.

She decided not to follow them but rather circle around the outside of the garden to give her victim time to leave.

**

That simple decision to make a left turn proved to be a major turning point in Angie’s fortunes that evening.

**

As Angie passed the hut guarding the entrance to the serenity garden, she noticed it was deserted.

It was as she was looking it over, that she heard the sounds of clicking heels moving fast, followed by the sounds of a young girl giggling. On the alert she stole to the backside of the hut, soon spying a splash of something blue and silky between the gaps of a couple of large bushes. Her senses on their highest peak, she began to move cautiously in, hoping the female making the noise would be in need of aid and comfort perhaps.

**

She soon spotted a young lady of about 14 bending over, hands on her knees as she panted heavily. Her back was to Angie, and what pretty back it was. She was nicely attired in a long gown of shiny material dyed deep blue like an afternoon, cloudless summer sky. The gown cascaded down along her petite figure, spilling out on the ground around her feet. Her hair was pulled back, easily displaying a pair of small diamond and sapphire earrings, not rhinestones for this one, but the real McCoy. Around one finger was a gold ring with sapphires, and from her left wrist dangled a thin silver bracelet with a row of diamond chips, both pretty, both valuably real. But it was her last piece of visible jewelry that stole the show. It hung, swinging to and from her neck on a thick braided chain of solid silver. On its end, like a hypnotists prism, was a silver pendent in the shape of a flower, with 1 inch long, pear shaped real diamonds as petals and a fully 2 inch in circumference center stone of deep sea blue. Angie watched it, her eyes following it for a full minute, its expensive fire sealing its own fate as Angie began flexing her fingers. Angie took her eyes off of it and looked around to see why the princess had been running. But all was still as the girl continued to peek through the branches towards the back door leading into the hall. Angie silently approached, and walking up to the pretty miss she bent down and in a friendly tone, asked who she was running from.

**

I played a joke on my sister, and now I’m hiding from her, piped the girl breathlessly, as Angie placed a hand upon the girls shoulder in a conspiratorial fashion, said shoulder made silky soft by the gowns half sleeve.

**

I know a better place where you can hide from her, Angie whispered in the girl’s ear, the dangling earring ever so close to her lips. The girl looked up, smiling, and Angie pointed towards the guard hut, and as the girl looked, Angie’s fingers glided up along the silky shoulder and lifted the thick silver chain up from the back of the gowns’ scooped collar. Come Angie said, and as the girl rose Angie’s fingers nimbly flicked open the chains’ lobster clasp, holding onto the clasp as the other end of the chain slipped down, allowing the pendent to slide free and fall onto the grass at the girls feet, where it lay shimmering. Angie moved her hand to the girls shoulder, squeezing it, while slipping off the braided silver chain with her other hand, whisking it back and away from the guileless young girl. Angie led her princess away from the spot and walked with her to the guard’s hut, still empty, where she had her hide neath the counter.

**

Angie turned and went back to claim the pendent, there still was no sign of any sister. She secured the pendent, joining it with the chain and bracelet, and headed deeper into garden. Her plan was to watch the hut and see which way the girl went after getting bored waiting. But as she skirted the perimeter her plans were changed when, upon rounding a corner of the path at the far end, she saw yet another back belonging to a solitary lady in her late thirties, clad in a long slinky yellow coloured gown of expensively shiny taffeta, bending over to smell the yellow roses on a bush. Instinctively Angie knew two things about her. One was that whatever jewels this lady would be wearing, they would be expensive, and the other was that with an expensive gown like that; the lady would undoubtedly be wearing her jewels. Angie suddenly became aware that her fingers were tingling, as an all too familiar whelming feeling again delightfully washed over her.

**

Angie found herself automatically turning back onto the garden path. She headed around the women and went down to the cupid’s statue, where now out of sight, she carefully hid the purloined bracelet, and still warm fiery pendent and its ‘fancy silvery braided chain..

**

She then headed towards the unsuspecting flower admirer. The ladies’ long brunette hair had fallen, flowing down the backside of her shiny taffeta gown. Angie could see rings and a bracelet gleaming as she was holding up the rose to her face. A long double rope of pearls hung swaying deliciously from her throat. Coming up behind her Angie stood watching; calculating until the lady rose and with a start realized she was not alone.

**

Pretty Angie said, her eyes on the pearls now draping down the front of her marks yellow gown. They are lovely, are they not? The damsel responded thinking Angie was referring to the roses. Just like the ones in the park, my husband and I walked through on our way to catch a cab today. Actually, I meant your dress Angie said complimentary. Thank you the lady practically squealed, I love the way it flows, and she swirled it about to show Angie, who got an eyeful of sparkly jewelry for her efforts. As she continued engaging the women in conversation, Angie decided upon attempting for the woman’s necklace of pearl. Seeing opportunity knocking when Yellow Taffeta pulled her long hair forward so it hang down the front of her gorgeous gown, laying silkily over one shoulder, nicely exposing the pricy necklaces clasp. Angie looked around, they were alone, out of site of the opposite end of the garden where the inside door was, and the guards hut with it’s pretty occupant.

**

Angie, using the marks interest in roses to her advantage, managed to steer the capricious damsel in shiny yellow over to the cupid’s statue. There, she placed a hand upon a silky taffeta covered shoulder, and pointed down to the shrub of moss roses growing at the foot of the statue . When she stooped down to get a closer look, Angie’s fingers whisked from her marks shoulder to the clasp, in a single effort with two fingers, lifted it by the clasp, and snapped it open. At that moment the mark cried “spider” and jumped up, backing into Angie, who watched helplessly as the pearls fell down from the damsel’s throat and slipped along the front of the yellow taffeta gown. They fell with a soft plop unto the ground at their mistress’s feet. Angie tried to lead her away, hoping to come back and reclaim the necklace. But as Angie pointed to another rose bush some distance away, the lady took a step forward, instead of back, planting her feet right onto the pearl necklace. Hey she exclaiming, what’s that, looking down to her high heeled foot? Oh, my pearls the lady squealed again, a glittering hand shooting to feel around her throat. Angie reached down, and reluctantly retrieved them from the base of the rose bush for the squealing lady in yellow . My husband would not have been pleased if I had lost these, she said as Angie held them, feeling their pricey smoothness.

**

She asked if Angie could help her put them on, my maid usually does this sort of thing, you know. Angie reluctantly complied, re- hanging the pearls as the pretty damsel held up her hair, and reluctantly redid the clasp. The Damsel thanked Angie by embracing her in a full hug, her diamond and pearl earring hitting Angie’s cheek. But Angie’s arms were being held by the hugging woman, so Angie was able to only watch the tantalizingly close earring sway free. Angie left yellow-gowned damsel in the garden, getting nothing for her efforts other than the feel of an expensive gown of the likes she could probably never afford to own.

**

With the pretty damsel hovering around the cupid statue, Angie decided to go back into the reception hall until the coast was clear. She carefully looked towards the Guards hut, and seeing that the guard had returned, figured the girl, so fetchingly clad in blue, had been rousted out, so that loose end was probably tied up. She just had to keep a careful eye out. The quite valuable bracelet and pricy necklace with its pendent were well hidden; there was absolutely no danger of someone stumbling over it.

**

Truth was, Angie had found her appetite wetted and once again visions of a lady in chocolate brown satin exhibiting a row of flashy diamonds, teased her thoughts. An accomplished pickpocket like herself had a couple of well-practiced ploys she could utilize to obtain a tight fitting necklace from its mistress. In addition, Angie was now determined to find her and to risk a try. She had really nothing to lose.

**

It took almost an hour of hunting amongst the now well liquored, gaily mingling crowd before Angie could admit to herself that there was absolutely no sign of the willowy lady in the stunning chocolate satin gown. Damn she thought to herself, those diamonds were something special. She shrugged it off, reciting in her mind a wicked little mantra of hers, “Another one who got away, a chance to lose her jewels to Angie on another day!” She strolled about pondering on what her next course of action could be. There had been no sign of the pretty girl in blue whose necklace Angie now had hidden away, and Miss Green Velvet was definitely out of the picture, so she felt that it was still safe to try to pluck one last bird or chick. In her hunt for the brown, Angie had seen several inviting prospects; one lady(purple satin, diamonds), two girls( ivory silk, pearled pin; red satin, gold necklace set with chips of precious stones), and now was weighing the risks.

 

It was at that point she once again espied the thickly bespectacled awkwardly introverted young lady invitingly wearing the thick silver satin ruffled blouse, which she had been tailing much earlier. And as Angie watched here, she again accepted the invitation. Her prey had appeared on the dance floor, being led around by a rather charming young man. That would make a dandy consolation prize Angie drooled to herself happily as she took in the sparkling show put on by the dancers jewels.

**

Angie looked her over, reacquainting herself with the jewels she so nicely was displaying. A pair of long earrings cascaded down from her earlobes where they precariously held on by antique silver claps. Angie relished the opportunity to “flimp” pairs of earrings like these. Heavily jeweled, each one was worth a tidy sum. Angie mulled this as she continued to study the jewels of her appealingly dressed new target.

**

The girl’s only ring was a solitaire diamond of at least 3 carets on a thick solid gold band worn vulnerably loose on her un-gloved, bare ring finger. A wide silver cuff bracelet with what appeared to be at least seven rows of matching, shimmering diamonds was dangling around her left wrist (she was right handed Angie observed) . The bracelet had a habit of lying over her sleeve, and Angie could see that it was a costly tiffany piece, whose clasp was exceptionally easy to flick open. A diamond pendent hung swinging from her satiny ruffles, held by an extravagantly thick silver chain with a simple , small eye in hook clasp. The Diamonds in the pendent were as shimmery as stars plucked from the night’s sky.

Angie remembered reading that in a poem from a book she had picked up years earlier in a library, while stalking a young mother in a satin dress, wearing an authentic Gruen Watch on one wrist, and a bracelet of diamonds on the other, that had gone into the library in pursuit of her young son running inside. Like that young mother, It was obvious that this lady in silver satin was not accustomed to wearing jewels, and that set probably spent most of their days lying in a safe. Angie licked her lips as she imagined what the other contents of that safe might look like

**

Angie moved in to allow herself a much closer appraisal of her potential victim’s jewels.

The young lady was totally oblivious to anything but the rather surprisingly strikingly handsome man who to all appearances was her Fiancée, who was holding her ever so close. But Angie was able to see enough of what she wanted to. The young Ladies’ thick satin blouse shone richly in the lights, moving like glistening wet liquid silver, while from her waist spilled the long black skirt with satiny tiers that swished and swayed nicely along her figure as she uneasily danced. Her jewels were bursting with colour as they played hide and seek with Angie’s watchful eyes. From all appearances, they were a mismatched couple. He seemed to know everyone and moved with a confident air, she was just the opposite. It made an enticingly intriguing package indeed for someone with Angie’s skills.

**

Silver Satin was the perfect “Gaston Monescu” type of mark, a perfect combination of classic mannerisms, clothing and Jewels worth anyone’s efforts to take. This was the only fly in the ointment that Angie observed. For by the bar she could see that two other sets of eyes were watching the same young lady in shiny satin and blazing diamonds. Angie intuitively knew they were drooling over acquiring jewels she was wearing.

**

She had noticed the pair of young men in loose fitting suits when they had entered a little earlier about the same time as Angie’s reappearance. They were obviously casing the jewels of any woman, young, or old, who walked past them. Angie knew their type, simple thieves, with no real skills outside of holding a knife in a dark alley to the throat of their victim while they unceremoniously searched and stripped them of their treasures. Angie saw that they were whispering amongst themselves and instinctively knew they were watching and waiting for the fetchingly clumsy silver clad lady clad loaded with diamonds, to leave the “establishment”.

**

She is mine Angie whispered, possessively snarling the words under her breath. She looked around as she thought about how best to handle the situation. Her eyes opened wide as she saw a familiar woman waiting by the coat checkroom. Perfect she purred, placing an unlit a cigarette in her mouth and heading over the bar.

**

She sauntered up next to them and ordered a drink, catching their eyes she asked for a light. As they obliged she took a pull and puffed out smoke, asking in a casual tone, “how about my jewels? Boys!” They could see perfectly well that she was not wearing any, and one snarled, “What’s your game, sister?” Angie snarled back in her best cop like manner, “We know what you boys are up to, and we suggest you both call it a night!” “Yer no cop sister”, they challenged, calling her bluff,” what’s your angle!” Angie calmly looked towards the entrance, perfect she mused as she saw their eyes follow hers, “Maybe not” she stated, “but see that lady being helped into the black mink?” “The shiny yellow dame?” one of em asked? “ “yes”, Angie replied taking a puff on her cigarette before going on, “ well that man’s she’s with used to be mine .” “ Now, I aint one to hold a grudge, but, those pearls she’s waltzing around with are worth plenty. And her rings, they are an easy two grand alone.”

**

Angie could tell she had captured their interest, and that they were now paying rapt attention to the lady in the thick yellow taffeta gown whose necklace Angie had almost acquired in the serenity garden. One of them looked at Angie, a suspicious look crossing his mug, “What’s innit for you sister?!” He demanded. Angie looked at him, dripping with sarcastic innocence. “Nothing brother, other than to make sure the jewels of the dame who stole my husband get home safely .” “I just worry,’ Angie went on, “there is a park in front of their residence and that dame in yellow likes to stroll through it to smell the roses after their cab drops them off.” They watched the couple leave, her expensive yellow gown sweeping provocatively at her gold high- heeled shoed feet. Angie looked them in the eyes and said smoothly, “ Gentlemen such as yourselves may want to do a good deed and follow them home to make sure some miscreant doesn’t spot her in those valuable jewels and mink. Not to mention her man’s gold watch and three hundred sawbucks in his wallet!” Angie winked at the pair, “If you catch my drift.” She added.

**

Still not totally convinced about what Angie was selling them, but equally unsure over who Angie was, both men got up and quickly headed towards the main exit as the last slip of an expensive yellow taffeta gown disappeared through the door. Smugly, Angie puffed on her cigarette as she watched them leave.

**

It was then that a hand was placed on Angie’s shoulder from behind.

**

She froze for a split second, before becoming aware of the soft mummer of satin, and of a slender finger was home to a sparkling sapphire ring. Angie smiled and turned around, facing the girl. Pardon me ma’am, she says politely, but do you remember me? Of course dear, Angie gushes while beaming at the forlorn looking miss in the fetching blue gown; I met you in the garden. Yes she confirms, but I lost my necklace somewhere and I was wondering if you remember if I had it on when we met? Angie’s heart leapt, bless this babe in the woods, thinking her necklace had merely been lost, never suspecting that someone like, say, Angie could have been the cause. She absolutely adored the trusting nature of rich girls this age. For that aspect of their purity had allowed Angie, far too easily sometimes, to lift many a jewel from well attired unsuspecting young princesses like this one. Who was now standing before her, miserable, her desirable diamond and sapphire earrings dangling ever so beckoningly, her sad puppy eyes pleading ever so sweetly, and her missing necklace closer than she could ever imagine.

**

No dear, I did not see you with a necklace, Angie lied coolly, as she reached out and stroked the girl tenderly alongside her face, her fingers touching one of the earrings. Angie was looking her fully in the eye, you didn’t lose anything else, and did you dear she asked with a concerned tone. The girl checked her earrings, bracelet and ring (Angie smiled to herself, silently thinking thanks for the info kid!) But when she spoke, it was with hopeful words laced with honey, If you want, I can help you look, my dear. The girl’s eyes lit up for a second, thank you ma’am, I wanted to, but papa said to wait until tomorrow when the light is better.

Angie smiled winningly, don’t worry dear, I’m sure its somewhere in the garden. Someone will find it, she promised, thinking to herself maliciously, and keep it for their own profit!

**

Thank you Ma’am she chirped, at the encouraging words that had been spoken, luckily she could not hear the ones Angie was thinking to herself, and turning moved off, her scrumptious gown swishing pleasantly around her silver heels. Angie watched, as the girl disappeared in the crowd Angie marked her direction.

**

Angie Imagined if the girl had accepted her offer, and she had left with the vulnerable, unguarded princess to search in the garden, and in the process help relieve her of her remaining jewels. There would be enough light with the gas lamps that lined the paths in the garden. Enough light, so that as Angie helped the princess look, her fingers could slip ever so delicately slip in and search along her shiny sky blue gown.

**

Angie licked her lips slowly as she fantasied about the search. The girl bending down to look under a bush, Angie placing her knee sharply in a certain spot below the girl’s armpit, temporarily numbing her upper body. Allowing Angie enough time to pull off both her earrings without feeling it,( this also worked well on working off broaches placed in upper parts of gowns and dresses, not to mention necklaces!) The bracelet would be no problem; it would be the easiest and probably the first, snatched off while the rich girl’s attention was easily diverted away. Since she was not wearing silky gloves, her ring would be the trickiest, but manageable, by either having her walk too close to a water fountain and hopefully having her get her fingers wet, or by simple holding onto her hand and tripping her by stepping on her gowns hem. And just like that, Angie would become that much richer, the rich girl that much poorer. And it all would be done without giving the girl any additional stress, like say she had run into the two muggers Angie had chased off. They may not have been content with just the jewels of a girl dressed as she was that they had found wandering alone in the gardens at night.

**

As Angie excitedly thought about these things, she had trained her focus back upon her original meal ticket, whom for the second time that evening had almost been allowed to slip through Angie’s light fingers. Watching with half lidded eyes, the still dancing couple not unlike a wolf watches lambs, waiting for one to make an ill-fated move away from the flock. The lamb’s fate was sealed, when a vivacious blonde in a long wispy silken dress cut in on the dancing couple. Asking miss silver satin’s fiancé for a dance. He obliged, leaving his shimmering fiancée unaccompanied, nakedly exposed to the wolf that was Angie.

**

More than one way to skin a cat Angie thought, tingling from the thrill of the hunt her prey, now in a reachable situation. She happily headed towards the spot where Miss silver satin had moved off to. A small table, located conveniently by a powder room. One the way she grabbed a half full glass of red wine off a table. Angie circled around young miss silver satin, taking a position up about two table lengths behind her. She casually scoured the area; most of the nearby tables were deserted.

Knowing the band would stop playing soon for the evening; most of the couples were out on the dance floor. All in all, the situation presented the perfect opportunity for some one of Angie’s persuasion.

**

Angie watched as the young lady picked up a glittery silver clutch and opening it, started to search inside. Angie moved swiftly, catching up behind her , tripping intentionally into her, splashing some wine onto the front of the silver satin blouse as the unfortunate lady dropped her purse in surprise. Oh my gosh, I did not see you, miss silver satin pleaded apologetically to Angie, more concerned over Angie’s feelings than her soiled satin blouse. Angie accepted her apology and, producing a lacey silk handkerchief, began to wipe themselves both down.

Angie’s practiced eyes swiftly took it all in. Miss silver satin’s pretty earrings swaying out vulnerably from her long straggly hair as it fell into her face. The clasp of her necklace was also exposed and within easy grasp. A s she reached out for the floor to steady herself, Angie’s eyes took in the sparkling ring on her now wetted finger and then watched the wide bracelet with its’ easily open able clasp slip up glitteringly over her sleeve.

The girl, now thoroughly flustered, started to rise, tripping over her slippery long skirt( with no help from Angie) Angie caught her, taking advantage of the split second opening she had been waiting for and Angie took it, making her selection as she steadied the poor thing with one hand, as the other caressed along a slick silver satin back. Angie’s long supple fingers darted in and deftly did their trick, this time with no spiders interfering. She quickly removed her chosen glittery prize from the distracted lady, who never noticed so much as a prick as Angie removed the expensive piece from her person in the confusion.

**

Angie secreted he shiny jewel as she helped miss silver satin collect herself. Than they rose, and Angie happily accepted miss silver satin profuse and obviously well used, apology. Then, as she fumbled nervously with her thick glasses, Angie laid a calming hand upon her shoulder, her fingers relishing in the richness of her victims sleek ruffled blouse. Miss silver satin was by now so distracted and embarrassed that Angie was all but assured of a clean get away.

However, as an extra measure of caution Angie intentionally jarred silver satin’s elbow of the hand steadying her eye glasses. Thus sending her glasses falling from her face to the floor with a small clatter, then Angie kicked them under a table before the startled lady could react. Angie offered to help, but the lady implored that she was okay, just needed to find her glasses. Angie left as Miss silver satin started to frantically grope around for her glasses, her silver blouse and remaining jewels shimmering brightly along their miserable mistress..

Angie took her leave, knowing that once she found her glasses, Miss silver satin would flee for sanctuary into the ladies powder room, buying her more than enough time for Angie to make her escape. Taking one last look over the dance floor, she blithely saw that miss silver satins fiancé was still in the clutches of the vivacious blonde-haired girl, still safely out of the picture. Angie made her way with purpose to the rear exit leading to the garden that she had used earlier, intending to head out into the serenity garden to collect the hidden bracelet and pendent, adding them to her purloined plunder.

**

As she walked amongst the mostly deserted tables, her mind went to the woman in yellow taffeta and imagined that right about now she would be standing with raised arms and a forlorn look. Ruefully wincing as the man who was holding her mink busily stripped those luscious pearls from the neckline of her tight gown, as the shiny yellow material gleamed in the moonlight! Serves her right for being afraid of spiders, Angie thought unforgivingly.

***

Angie’s mind also went to the poor young princess in blue with the missing necklace. She looked towards the area she had headed, opposite of the back exit to the garden. She reluctantly decided not to push her luck, there was a sister and parents to contend with, and she really had no time left. So she decided to call it a day, a rather successful day, and made her way to retrieve her loot.

**

Angie had now reached the now deserted table by the back exit where the lady in the crimson gown and blood red rubies had been earlier, along with her rhinestone encumbered 10 year old daughter and handsome husband.

**

She paused between the table and the bench, something was not quite right, She eyed the area around the dance floor for any signs of trouble that may be centered on the quite valuable jewels now in her possession. All was quiet, except for a little murmur behind her. Turning she looked at the bench and was shocked to discover the soundly asleep ten year old, using the long rusty sable fur as a blanket. What have we here, Angie thought, licking her lips wickedly?

**

Angie pursed her lips, checking the coast; spotting the young girl’s parents, still on the dance floor, a safe distance away the other side of the room. No sign of miss silver satin. No one else was nearby. Perfect. She went over, bending down so the table hid her. The child looked so vulnerably innocent, sound asleep as she lay on her side, facing Angie. She was clutching an arm of the sable like a warm fuzzy teddy bear, her ring sparkling. Angie gently tugged the mink from the girl’s clasp, and gradually pulled until the fur swished away from along the inert silken figure on the bench, where it fell into a pile on the floor. The child looked very innocent, very vulnerable, like a sleeping princess. An earring lay exposed over one shoulder, her necklace dangled down slightly askew from her slender throat, the pin holding her sash, all of which shone brightly now that it was exposed to the low lights of the ballroom, still called out. Too bad, Angie thought to herself, too bad the mother had not dressed her little doll in real diamonds.

**

 

Angie again looked to the dance floor; she could see the mother’s jewelry twinkling brightly as the child’s parents danced close, very unaware of anything else but themselves. She looked back over the girl, contemplating. But the song was winding down, Angie stooped to pick up the sable, bird in hand she thought, and placing the rich fur over her arm, stood just as the song ended. Looking at the exit door, so near and yet so far, she started to hasten to it, but checked herself as the band immediately started another, rather slow song that Angie knew quite well.

**

She hesitated, incredibly, everyone was staying on the floor for the final dance, she looked back at the bench, and the sleeping imps exposed jewels still shined, tempting her to come for them. Angie knew that she would only have about four minutes. Always open to new challenges, Angie chose to answer that sweet little invite that the necklace was extending out to her. Checking once again to make sure the parents was still obliviously dancing; she laid the mink down by the door and eased back to the bench. Kneeling down, Angie began to perform the delicate operation.

**

Lifting up the necklace she gently tugged it loose from around the sleeping child’s neck until the clasp appeared. She subtly flicked open the clasp, then shamelessly slipped the necklace from around its perch on the little whelp’s throat. It flickered like some slithering shiny snake, glittering as it came away. Like taking candy from a baby, Angie drooled happily, as she let the necklace run along her fingertips while watching the sleeping princess for a few seconds.

**

Her fitted cream coloured dress shimmered with expensive richness in the shadowy light. The poor thing was so soundly asleep after her long exhausting day that Angie figured she could have peeled the dress off her without causing a stir. This for a pickpocket would be the ultimate test, the pinnacle of her criminal class. But, Angie thought; if she ever had the opportunity to do so, it would have to be worth her while, like a shiny gown, an appealing sky blue gown with half sleeves and scooped collar. And the jewels would be sapphire drop earrings, bracelet and ring, not plain rhinestones. She licked her lips at the enticing thought of such a perfect “coup fera”, than told herself to get back to work, time was money.

**

She slipped her hand along the satin cape being used as a pillow and felt under the girls head until she felt the cold earring she was laying upon. Deftly undoing the screw she pulled it free, watching with delight as it came out from underneath.

**

Angie than, gently lifted, and nimbly stroked back the girl’s ultra-soft hair, exposing her long silvery earring. She pulled the jewel out and laid it out upon the child’s shoulder, where it lay, shimmering vibrantly. Then she reached in with her fingers and began unscrewed its clasp. Pulling it free she added it to her growing collection. She next lifted the hand that had held the warm sable, gently prying open her clenched fingers. The sleeping child never stirred. Angie gently slipped off the glittering ring. She then peeled back a silky sleeve, checking for the bracelet, finding her wrist was bare. The rest of the jewels were hiding securely on the side she was laying upon. Smiling wickedly to herself, an idea popped into Angie’s head.

**

The music was now almost to the halfway point, and Angie thought for a brief second that she should leave . Another quick scan assured her the coast was still clear, and Angie decided to press her luck, eagerly going back to work, putting her idea into motion.

Angie fingers felt along the sleeping child’s waist until she located the brooch. Quickly unfastening the brooch from the chocolate satin sash, she pulled it out. Watching as the diamonds caught fire and burst into vibrant life, unusually vivid for plain rhinestones she thought contemplatively. Angie plopping it in with the growing pile of the sleeping girls purloined baubles. Again reaching in along the warm waist, Angie gradually tugged at the now undone sash. The sleeping girl, unconsciously obliged by turning over on her other side, as the sash was pulled away.

**

Her arm with the ring and bracelet was now exposed. Lifting the arm , and peeling back the puffy sleeve, Angie found and unclasped the bracelet, slipping it away, then allowing it to dangle in triumph before letting it join its purloined mates. Then lifting the child’s hand she pulled at the ring, it was a little tight. Angie licked her fingers, and moistened the girls finger, than began slipping the ring off ever so gently from the along her finger. Almost there, Angie thought, as the ring joined its abducted companions in her pocket.

 

**

As Angie finished pocketing the last of the girls jewels, her victim whimpers something discernible in her sleep, her small hand feeling to pull up the missing warm sable she had been using as a blanket. Angie quickly looked around, spying a cheap linen coat hanging on a nearby hook, she grasped it and laid it over the stirring girl, stroking her for a precious few seconds. Then rising, calmly Angie snatched a shiny purse from the table, and moved off, unbelieving of her luck. She reclaimed the sable fur, and strolled out the door without looking back.

**

As Angie closed the door she heard the last notes of the song waning from inside. She licked her lip, that was close, but her luck had held. Now all that remained was to visit the Cupid Statue In the garden to reclaim her other prizes. As she reached the statue, Angie realized that she still had the child’s satin sash in her hand.

She smiled as she tied it, blindfolding the cupid statues eyes. Retrieving and pocketing the now stone cold diamond bracelet, and the young Princess in blue’s necklace with its shimmering pendent, she slowly looked around, the cost was clear. Angie coolly made her way to the gate, the bored guard offering to help her with the mink she was carrying. , Angie stopped, and handed it to him. Then turning, allowed him to help her on with it. He puffed out his chest as Angie gave him a sweet smile; she thanked him, then turned and disappeared into the darkness of the night.

**

Angie disappeared from view into the foggy evening, relishing the warmth of the sensuous sable. Happily contemplating the small fortune in jewels it had been in contact with earlier that evening, and also the small fortune she had walked out of the reception with in her possession.

**

The guard watched the spot for some time where the pretty lady in the expensive fur had vanished in the mists. He fantasized for a good few minutes, wondered what had been behind the enchantingly secret smile she had given to him.

Excuse me, sir?, a female voice coming from the garden startles him, he had never heard anyone coming.

He turns, catching an eyeful of a long glamourous, brown satin gown, worn fetchingly by a willowy short haired pretty young thing. Diamonds blazed from around her throat, caught by the gas lights, and from around her white satin gloved wrists as she raised her hands in a pleading fashion.

She continues, pointing to a young girl in a smashing blue satin gown, bending over looking for something in the bushes. My sister lost her necklace and pendent while playing around here earlier, did you or anyone find it? She asked in a rather seductive tone of voice9 not a common, it was her regular voice)

No lady, no one turned in a necklace. Thank you sir, and she turns away, her gown flowing out behind her.

He watches for a minute as she and her sister both move elegantly down the path, continuing their search.

He sighed, and turns away, babysitting rich dames he mutters under his breath, what a dismal way to make a living. Why won’t this affair ever end he asked himself, as he reached for his silver pocket watch to check the time. Damnations he said, not finding it nor its chain and fob, must have dropped it in the alley earlier where I had gone for a nipper from his flask. He sauntered off quickly to the alley located in the direction Angie had disappeared, abandoning his post.

Soon after, a pair of dark figures who had been walking on the opposite side of the street, and had stopped to loiter when they spied the guard talking to some posh broad in a shiny brown dress, saw the guard leaving his post. They quickly stole with sinister intent across the road and entered into the gardens, disappearing into the darkness.

*********************************************************************************

This ended up being Angie’s first big score, She got more for the rhinestone set then she had imagined, the small brooch taken off the brown satin sash had proved to have real diamonds in its center! Also the princess in silky sky blue’s pendent and chain had fetched a nice tidy sum. The jewels lifted from the ladies in Green and Silver also realized quite a handsome profit, as did the sable and purse.

if one includes the real diamond ring slipped off the finger of a silky dressed debutante from the prom show and her rather nice haul of a slim pearl necklace and diamond pin from the Opera, the whole weekend was unimaginably successful.

**

From the profit realized, she had been able to spend a pleasant month away in Monte Carlo, even indulging in the purchase of a rich red wine coloured taffeta gown to wear.

Which she pleasantly found that, when paired with her deftly acquired collection of dripping rhinestone diamond jewelry, she attracted wealthy young males with expensive gold watches and fat wallets like honey bee drones to a bright moss rose.

**

She also enticed a long raven haired, Miss, richly clad in emerald silk, to enter into her snare.

But Angie did not make an entirely clean get away. For the last jewel to be taken was the girl’s brooch , and before Angie could hide it with the rest, the girl spotted its’ glitter in Angie’s hand, and with a gasp had looked down on her dress at the now vacant spot where it had been dangling ever so provocatively for Angie all evening.. Angie smiled at the girl as she had looked up in confusion. The girl had placed a hand to her throat, startled when feeling it bare of her necklace. She looked at Angie in hurt confusion, her eyes wide with fright. Angie placed a finger to the girl’s lips, hushing any fuss she may have been thinking of making over her missing jewelry, and turning her back to the forlorn miss, Angie left, not looking back….

**

But that was a story for another day, so we were promised by Angie, giving us an all too familiar look of devious satisfaction at making us wait.

.************************************************************************************

Editor’s Notes:

Our Thanks to Mr. J. Gardner for pointing out the existence of Mr. Monescu’s 1826 guide

If you enjoyed our little story, please like and leave a comment.

And if you wish, describe what intrigued you the most about it…

Thank You

 

The Silken whisper of Flickering Desires

A Chronicle

Adapted from the Final Entry Entitled:

Their Regal Gambit

Subtitled:

While Sherlock Holmes vacationed

 

The first score had been made, now for the Coup de Grace! So far their little operation had gone as smooth as silk, or in this case, satin. Now just to make sure the husband of the silken gowned brunette displaying the jewels in question was still safely out of the picture! Then Mollie would let her husband know that with the coast clear, freeing him to stage his approach of the lady in the long swishing satin gown he had been keeping an eye on all evening. The one who was wearing the exquisite necklace of fiery flickering diamonds, just daring someone to expertly slip it away the throat of its unsuspecting owner.

 

And therein lay the rub, She happily thought….

 

As Mollie made her way down the quiet corridor to the gentlemen’s smoking lounge, she lovingly played through her mind the series of unfortunate ( or fortunate?) events that had led her and her husband to this place. It had all began with an innocent one named Tabitha…….

 

Mollies’ Flash back

 

They had first come across Tabitha at a resort casino deep in the Catskills. Mollie and her husband had been there about three days, scoping out the grounds, and its wealthy clientele. At the casino they both spotted Tabitha at the same time. She was seated at a baccarat table, really standing out in an elegant dress of gold and black striped silk and velvet Her well-toned body displayed numerous pieces of expensive jewelry. A fat little purse dangled, unheeded by her side. Tabitha had held Mollie’s attention mainly due to the strong resemblance she had to herself. Tabitha’s jewelry, a flashy diamond journey style necklace, matching earrings, wide diamond tennis bracelet, and multiple gem encrusted rings, had held Mollies pickpocket husbands’.

 

Mollie went on to the bar and watched as her husband waited for the seat next to Tabitha to become vacant. Then he sat, asking for chips, while unobtrusively eyeing Tabitha’s bracelet. He began striking up a conversation with Tabitha, finding her to be an easy mark. He soon learned from the chatty girl that she was a divorced, upper executive for a well-known digital arts company servicing the movie industry. It was during this conversation that Tabitha babbled about the upscale, invitation only(you know), black tie formal ball she would be attending in England the next month. Now, as her husband was keeping Tabitha occupied Mollie had walked by the pair, ‘tripping’ into her husband, who palmed off to her , the diamond bracelet which had been ever so subtly slipped from around the unwary Tabatha’s’ wrist. Walking away with the bracelet secured in her purse, Mollie made her way to their small bungalow. Her husband did not break in his conversation with Tabitha; a mark would seldom suspect a friendly person of stealing from her.

 

Later that evening, Mollie wore the pricy bracelet while mutually admiring it over a bottle of merlot with her husband. They discussed the high-class affair Tabitha had been bragging about. Wistfully, Mollie admitted it was a shame they had not received an invite. Her husband smiled, and pulled a thickly embossed and crested envelope from his pocket. Easily adopting a British accent, he said “The silly little twit was carrying this in her purse!” The envelope revealed a pair of invitations to the Princess’s Jubilee Royal Ball. As the pair continued to empty the bottle of fine merlot, what had started as speculation, turned towards reality, and soon plans had been laid.

 

As they lay in bed later that night, Mollie turned to her husband, just think about the jewels that will be worn at the English Ball, she shivered with the delightful thoughts. Do you remember the last time we were in England? Mollie looked at her husband slyly, you remember, the Wriggling Whelp Whispering Wisk! She stated teasingly. Mollie knew the quickest way to get her husband’s goat was coming up with silly phrases to describe his more outlandish endeavors. Such phrases like The Tingling Touch Ice Melt, The Slippery Slick Taffeta Pull, The Glossy Gowned Dangling Peel, or her personal favorite, The Ticklish Wedge Clam Dip, never failed to get a response. In this case the response was a brief pillow fight leading into a romantic interlude, ending up with them in bed as they reminisced about the last time they had “visited” England a few years back…..

It had proven a fairly profitable venture with the jewelry alone netting almost 100,000 pounds. It all had culminated quite nicely at one of the posh events they had crashed that final weekend. Their final score had come about from a rambunctious doe eyed Fourteen year old in a shiny dress who had been oblivious to the valuably delicious gold pendent studded with small rubies and emeralds that sparkled ever so invitingly as it swung from her throat. A pair of matching dangling earrings dripped from her ears as she has run around unminded by her elders. Mollie had indignantly stated to her husband that the antique trinkets were simply just too expensive for a child so squirminly young to be trusted with. Her husband then went about the task to prove his wife correct in her statement.

 

After talking a bit about the English Girls parents reaction to the unsolved disappearance of their daughters ultra-pricey pendent , Mollie came back to the present and asked if the lady in the maroon silk that her husband pointed out the previous evening would be wearing the same jewels to the dance tomorrow night? Or better her husband replied sleepily, good Mollie pronounced, I did like her emeralds.

 

In Merry Ole England

 

They had arrived in England several weeks before the Royal Ball and began the preparations.

 

In an irony of fate, the profit they had realized from poor Tabitha’s bracelet had paid for a large chunk of their little excursion. Keeping his accent, and adding a trim beard, Mollies husband looked radically different from the man Tabitha had encountered. During the weeks following their arrival, the pair had practiced like they always did before undertaking a new venture. But this time it was with a more daring edge, they quite simply could not afford being caught red handed in a foreign country. Mollie assumed her practice the role. That of the richly dressed, well jeweled quarry. Her husband would stalk and attempt to relieve her of a piece of her jewelry as she went about her business, shopping! The idea being that, If he was able to do so without being caught by an obviously aware Mollie, than he should have no problem at the Royal Ball. As it usually happened when they practiced in this manner, her husband did incredibly well. Mollie had had several pieces of jewelry vanish from her person during the week, without her noticing how or when.

 

The final night of practice Mollie decided to dress to kill. Looking quite devastating in a glossy gold halter and a long brown velvet skirt with gold stiletto heels clicking as she moved. A diamond heart pendant hung down from her neck, swaying provocatively out from between her breasts. A bracelet, similar to Tabitha’s purloined diamonds, was wrapped around her wrist.

 

She left their penthouse and made her way to the street outside. Some type of festival was going on as she waded through the crowded streets to the nightclub. Her rings sparkled as they kept rhythm with her swaying diamond waterfall earrings. Just daring her husband to make a move for any of them.

 

Mollie drank and danced the night away with no hide or hair of her husband until she returned late that evening to their apartment. She found him in the hot tub, smirking. She undressed and joined him. Okay, how did u do it she demanded? I felt nothing, no one bumped or brushed against me all evening that I was not aware of. He opened his fist, allowing her heart diamond pendant to dangle freely in front of her. A magician never reveals his tricks my little cat, he purred, as the pendant swayed in a sparkling arch.

 

Cat was short for “Cat Lady”, a moniker he had placed upon her when she had broken into a sleeping woman’s room and removed the jewels from her gold case, and even managed to slip off a ring she was wearing. The fact that she was passed out in a drunken stupor, still dressed in her long party gown, didn’t count , or so her husband teased.

 

You should have been a surgeon! , my dear, Mollie exclaimed with pride. Then she leaned towards him, her green eyes gleaming in earnest, time for a real practice run Mon Cherie, she said in dead seriousness. Then Her eyes opened wide, I got it she exclaimed, I’ll call it The Slinking Sneaky Shearing Snag she pronounced joyfully, getting a face full of water in reply to her effort. Okay Cat, let’s get down to business he retorted, I know just the affair. Mollie listened intensively as her Husband described their next plans, derived while eavesdropping on a couple of ladies shopping in a jewelers.

 

The next weekend (two weeks to the evening before the Royal Ball) Mollie found herself at a quaint upscale wedding reception held in the large gardens of a country church. She was attired in the same bewitching ensemble that she had been wearing on the final night of practice. Her only jewels were a recently acquired pair of sparkly cascading earrings set with emeralds and diamonds. The affair of the plump piqued peacock plucking she had mused while getting dressed. The only other exception was that the long fiery red hair she had inherited from her Irish namesake grandmother had been cut and dyed blond. Blue contacts had also been added to the disguise to hide her vivid green eyes.

 

They soon targeted an older jewel laden snob at the reception. An older lady , well jeweled, of the arrogant know it all, obey me totally type whom everyone tries to avoid. While Mollie engaged the mark in a mostly one sided conversation(the older ladies) the lady had become so deeply engrossed about talking about herself and her ties with royalty, that she never detected being relieved of a heirloom antique gold chain and jeweled pendent by Mollies husband who had approached her unnoticed from behind.

It was all Mollie could do no to bring attention to it by looking at the wickedly expensive piece as it was slipped up and away from the Dowager’s ruffled heavy satin blouse.

 

This time it was mollies turn to keep chatting as her husband headed to the door. He had almost made it when two youths ran into him as they scurried away from a rather sullen looking tween girl they had been teasing, and now were in possession of her purse. Mollie stole a look as she saw her husband topple onto the chasing girl. He managed to extracted himself from the girls long slinky gown that she had probably been forced into by an overly conceited mother. He apologized, and left the girl to go after her antagonizes. Later, when Mollie had caught up to him she teased him about his clumsiness. He just smiled, and pulled out from his vest pocket the most exquisitely matched pearls that the youth had been openly displaying from around her throat and wrist at the reception!

 

They were, most definitely, ready. The fated evening could not come soon enough. But it finally did.

 

They had had no problem with using the fancy invitations to gain entrance. Security was heavy, as expected, but with a very lax atmosphere. Mollie was wearing the salmon coloured gown she had had especially made for such occasions, her new blond hair style and the blue contacts. In a coup foray of sorts, Mollie wore the pearls that had been taken by her husband during his run in with the sullen girl at the wedding reception. Her husband was wearing his usual tux with a hand tied bowtie. His ruffled sleeves easily moved up and down along his wrists.

 

Mollie and her husband split up, each spending the first few hours mingling solo, and taking it all in as they thoroughly enjoyed the Ball and all its many stimulating attractions. It had gone smooth as silk. Spending the first few hours prowling while the guests liquored up Mollie scoping out exactly the right candidates. Dangling jewels with easy clasps were everywhere!, it was surprising how the best of jewel makers skimped on the clasps required to keep the expensive pieces in place. Clothing also made a difference. Silks and satins were quiet and slipped easily. Taffeta could be whispery, more of a challenge. Velvet could easily snag as a piece was being lifted. But these were the costliest of materials, and the wearers would logically be wearing the costlier of jewelry.

 

Mollie and her husband regrouped several hours later, unobtrusively under the pretense of dancing. Gently discussing their plans. They settled on three likely prospects amongst the almost three hundred present. The first was an older spinster type wearing a luxurious dress of embroidered navy silk and displaying jewelry studded with diamonds and sapphires. The second was a middle aged snotty blonde wearing a shamelessly low cut green silk taffeta gown (which Mollie secretly liked)wearing a thick gold bracelet studded with vulgarly large rubies surrounded by a sea of small sparkly diamonds. She was alone, and a heavy drinker. The third was a longshot. A lanky , flighty brunette wearing immensely valuable jewels of blindingly sparkling Diamonds. Her necklace alone was in the upper hundred thousand range, with a clasp that was one of the easiest to coax open. The only problem was that she came with an obviously newlywed husband who doted on her every move. Both were heavy drinkers, and if he would only leave his wife’s side for, say about fifteen minutes, the necklace would be theirs!

 

They had decided that any one of the three would produce results worth a king’s ransom, appropriately enough, all things considered. The plan was for her husband to take his time selecting the easiest jewel to acquire from amongst the ones the three marks were displaying , make his move, and pass it off to Mollie who would leave forthwith, while her husband stayed a little while longer to make sure everything remained calm before making his exit stage right via the hallway.

 

As Mollie went to her station, she saw the Blue silken lady, along with her sapphires and diamonds, leaving with a rather unsavory looking male, eyeing her with a look Mollie knew all too well. Mollie decided to follow them, thinking to herself that some women are just prone to being victimized. Good luck with that one Mollie thought unkindly, as she stole one last look at the ladies glistening sapphires, hope he leaves her with something she sarcastically wished wickedly to the couple’s backside as they went out the exit at the end of the hall. One down and out she thought. Then she spied the husband of the newlywed pair heading down the hall towards her with an older, grey bearded man. Getting close she heard them talking about the Gentlemen’s smoking lounge. Mollie decided to give her husband a signal, but when she found him he was already in the arms of the blond. Molly immediately noticed the absence of the jeweled bracelet from his partners’ wrist. She went back to her table. Immediately she was set upon by some drunken snob asking her to dance. She allowed herself to be taken up into his arms. Spending a few unenchanting minutes with Mr. two left feet, before her husband tapped him on the shoulder cutting in. They danced, Mollie placing a hand into his pocket and feeling something cold and metal wrapped her hand around it. Looking him in the eyes she told him about the now unguarded bride, as she palmed the willowy blonde’s bracelet. They decided to go for it, and as the music ended, Mollie made her way to the hall, where she secreted the blondes bracelet safely away

 

One down, one more to go! An exquisite necklace of flickering diamonds waiting to be nimbly slipped away from the throat of its unsuspecting wearer. Now just to make sure the husband of the silken gowned brunette displaying the jewels in question was still safely out of the picture! Then to let her husband know that with the coast clear, he was free to stage his approach of the lady in the long swishing satin gown he had been keeping a drooling eye on all evening. The one wearing the exquisite necklace of flickering diamonds waiting to be so expertly slipped away from the throat of its unsuspecting wearer.

 

She was able to see the groom in windowed room, the husband and his friend were smoking a pair of long cigars and drinking brandy in large glass snifters. Mollie passed unnoticed as she mad e her way to the ladies powder room. He was still there, only halfway through a long stogie as she passed again on her way back. Neither time was she observed. Mollie mad her way back to the Ballroom. She sat down at one side of the room, once again allowing the sights of so many bejeweled women to soak in. Her husband was dancing with a lady in a flowing red ball gown, jewels sparkling in abundance, not aware of the danger so close at hand, nor that even with her husband and his particular skill set so close to them, that at that moment nothing could be safer from his fingertips. Finally she caught her husband’s eye. Mollie innocently rubbed a finger along the side of her nose, a subtle signal that it was safe for him to precede.

 

Mollie was now uncharacteristically having butterflies in her stomach; it was a huge gamble, trying to get away with a pair of thefts in this inhospitable atmosphere. She kept second guessing herself, Bird in hand she kept thinking. But the lure was too great, and it was with a heavy sigh of relief when Mollie saw her husband finally kiss the hand of the young bride after their dance. Mollie could see that she was no longer sporting the thin silver necklace and its row of at least two caret diamonds that had been encircling her throat with their rippling flashy brilliance all evening. Molly stayed put, not daring to leave until her husband had brushed by her in passing and made his way out the hallway to the exit. She waited for a long fifteen minutes, then curling her hand around the necklace that had been dropped into her lap as he had passed; she gained the safety of the hallway. Just in time. For coming down the hallway was none other than the lady in the long luxurious gown and now bare throats groom and his distinguished looking friend. She passed by them, feeling the men eyeing her with roving wolfish gazes. Then she passed them, and proceeded unhindered to once again enter the ladies’ powder room where the necklace soon joined with the Blondes bracelet in its hiding spot.. Than calmly Mollie left, walking past two security Bobbies, virtually unnoticed. The Groom had been absolutely ignorant to the fact that his young Bride’s ridiculously valuable necklace had walked right past him out the door.

 

Mollie did not let herself really breathe until she had gained the safety of the street. She allowed herself to imagine the commotion as the news of the missing jewels were circulated around the cavernous Ballroom. There would be a flurry of activity, flashes and sparkles as the women checked themselves reassuringly that they were still in possession of their trinkets. Mollie would have loved to have stayed and watched, but obviously could not do so. She rejoined her husband at their meeting place and they drove off. They made their way to Ireland where they spent a cautious week touring before leaving for the states.

 

Once the profit was realized from their haul that eventful evening, including obnoxious Dowagers the jeweled antique pendent, and was added in to the modest amount they had already accumulated from previous adventures, Mollie and her husband were able to retire to Ireland and live quite an unpretentious life together in a small stone manor in the woods.

  

Courtesy of Chatwick University Archives

 

340-character Zodiac cipher observations

Ngram observations

Cipher contains 25 repeated bigrams, 2 repeated trigrams, and 0 repeated quadgrams.

In a test of 1,000,000 random shuffles, 110,147 (11%) had 25 or more repeated bigrams, and the average number of repeats was 20.

In a test of 1,000,000 random shuffles, 67,573 (7%) had 2 or more repeated trigrams, and the average number of repeats was 0.4.

In a test of 1,000,000 random shuffles, 7,857 (0.8%) had at least one repeated quadgram, and the average number of repeats was 0.008.

5-gram repeating fragments study

The IOF trigram repeats in the same columns, and are spaced 8 lines apart, reminiscent of the 8-line height of each of the original 3 parts of the 408 cipher.

TODO: Multidirectional ngram study (including multiple distances, and repeating fragments)

TODO: Periodicity of repeating fragments study

Reading the cipher text from left to right and top to bottom, the longest sequence containing no repeated bigrams starts at position 168, and has length 123

TODO: periodic ngram / fragment test of individual halves of the 340 (horizontally and vertically), as well as individual "even/odd" transformations.

Unusual biases in the number of bigram repeats

Top half / bottom half bias

The lower left of the cipher text seems to contain very few repeated bigrams

The top half of the cipher text, considered on its own, contains 9 repeated bigrams. However, the bottom half of the cipher text, considered on its own, contains only 1 repeated bigram.

In 1,000,000 shuffles, only 2.4% of them had halves with a repeated bigram discrepancy as large as the one observed in the 340 (i.e., a difference of at least 8 repeated bigrams between the halves).

By contrast, the 408's top half has 17 repeated bigrams and its bottom half has 14.

Even / odd position bias

The cipher text also shows a bias in repeated bigram counts within even positions and odd positions.

If you remove all symbols that are in even-numbered positions, there are only 2 repeated bigrams.

In this case, there are also 0 repeated trigrams.

If you remove all symbols that are in odd-numbered positions, there are 10 repeated bigrams.

In this case, there are also 2 repeated trigrams.

(Illustration)

The difference in bigram repeats between both cases is 8. During shuffle tests, the difference was 8 or higher in only 2.4% of shuffles. This is the same difference and percentage found for the top half / bottom half bias.

(Distribution of repeated bigram discrepancy among shuffles)

In the unmodified 340, there is a "box corner" pattern that repeats. After removing all symbols falling on odd-numbered positions, repeating trigrams appear where the box corner patterns were observed.

In this illustration, the box corners are highlighted in green on the left. The repeating trigrams are shown on the right, highlighted in purple. Note the repeating sequence "O, half-filled square, C" that is seen in both cases.

Similar repeating patterns can be also found (illustration)

Periodic ngram bias

Consider the normal way of counting bigrams (one symbol right next to another). Let's call this "period 1" bigrams, because the symbols are one position apart. There are 25 repeating period 1 bigrams. But at other periods, there is a higher count of repeating bigrams. In fact, at period 19, there are 37 repeating bigrams. (Illustration of a small sample of repeating period 19 bigrams) (Daikon's initial observation) (Jarlve's initial observation)

Repeating period 19 bigrams highlighted in the cipher text

The same, but easier to spot when cipher is written into 19 columns

A test of 1,000,000 random shuffles suggests a 1 in 216 chance that this is happening by chance

If you look at all periods from 2 to 170, 34 of them have 25 or more repeating bigrams. In other words: 20% of other periods have equal or better repeating bigram response than period 1.

Also, if you flip the ciphertext horizontally (horizontal mirroring), a higher peak occurs at period 15, which produces 41 repeating bigrams. This is consistent with the phenomenon that normal (period 1) bigrams have more repeats when the cipher text is flipped horizontally.

A test of 1,000,000 random shuffles suggests a 1 in 12821 chance that this is happening by chance

A second peak of of 34 repeating bigrams occurs at period 29.

A third peak of 33 repeating bigrams occurs at period 100.

Plot of periodic bigram counts in normal and mirrored cipher texts (Raw data: Period, # of repeated bigrams in normal 340, # of repeated bigrams in mirrored 340)

Plot of periodic trigram counts in normal and mirrored cipher texts (Raw data: Period, # of repeated trigrams in normal 340, # of repeated trigrams in mirrored 340)

Repeated quadgrams appear only at periods 101 and 116. They do not appear when considering the mirrored ciphertext.

A repeated 5-grams appears at period 101

Bigram peaks still seem to appear even if you filter out the effects of the symbols that occur 10 or more times.

Jarlve's repeating fragment measurements seem to correlate strongly with periods 19 (normal cipher) and 15 (mirrored cipher).

Inserting a randomized column causes a 40 bigram peak to occur at period 5

TODO: Jarlve's "symbol expansion" test, higher ordered ngrams and fragments

TODO: how often does a random shuffle show a period that has repeated quadgrams/5grams?

Visualization tool showing effects of various transposition schemes on bigram/trigram/fragment counts

Period calculator - A way to visualize the relation of periods to mirrored counterparts, and the effect of untransposition on the interesting patterns (pivots, box corners, and repeating bigrams)

Repeated symbols by columns and rows

The 340 cipher has 9 rows that each contain no repeated symbols (Illustration. Rows are marked in yellow.) In 1,000,000 shuffles, no shuffled cipher text had at least 9 rows with no repeated symbols (plot of distribution) (raw data)

If you split the cipher in half with a horizontal cut in the middle, the top and bottom halves each start with 3 lines that have no repeated symbols. This symmetry is discussed in Dan Olson's analysis.

Every column contains at least one repeated symbol.

Homophone cycles

Tests of cycle significance with shuffle experiments

Longest-repeating substring search for cycles, compared to shuffles

Kasiski Examination

A Kasiski examination performed on unigrams in Z340 reveals a spike at shift of 78 (Source: Bart Wenmeckers).

The pivot patterns turn into repeating bigrams at period 39. The number 39 is exactly half of 78. And half of 39 is tantalizingly close to 19, which is the period that produces the peak number of repeating bigrams.

Application of Z408's key to Z340 results in a "plaintext" that still retains a Kasiski examination spike at shift of 78.

Among 1,000,000 random shuffles, only 0.28% of them had a spike as good or better as the one observed in Z340.

For shift values of 2 through 6, the number of repeats is unusually low (1 or 2).

Visualization of peak at shift 78 by viewing as doubles in untransposed period 78 (with pivots highlighted)

The doubles are easier to see when Z340 is transcribed to width 26

When calculating column IoC at different column widths, spikes are observed at widths 39 and 78. (Source: Bart Wenmeckers)

The "Pivots"

The 340 contains a pair of intersecting repeating trigrams. We refer to each repeating trigram as a "pivot". Illustration and analysis

The pivot patterns become repeating bigrams if you rewrite the cipher text at period 39.

When calculating column IoC at different column widths, spikes are observed at widths 39 and 78 (see Kasiski examination section above)

When numbering the cipher text from 1 to 340, the intersections of the pivot patterns fall on positions 195 and 234, which are 39 positions apart. Interestingly, 195 and 234 are both evenly divisible by 39.

Similarly, the pivot patterns become repeating bigrams if you mirror the cipher text horizontally and rewrite it at period 29.

Period 29 is the 2nd highest periodic bigram peak for the mirrored 340 (see the Periodic ngram bias section above)

In an experiment, the 340 was randomly shuffled over 41 million times. A pair of pivots that point in the same direction was only observed in about 1 in 237,000 shuffles.

In this study the 340 was shuffled and the number of repeating bigrams was fixed at a set number. Transposition was performed and pivot pairs were counted. The results show that higher bigram counts cause pivot pairs to be created more often, but they are still rare.

Other observations

Some symbols in the 340 were not in the 408's alphabet

The paper the cipher is written on contains several Fifth Avenue watermarks (here's glurk's animation to help you spot where they appear).

The first 3 symbols of the 340 do not reappear soon. It starts with "HER", and H only appears 3 other times, E only appears 2 other times. (From Duman)

In the third column, the 3 occurrences of the "R" symbol are evenly spaced, each separated by four rows. (From Wrench)

The author of the cipher does not use the forward-facing letter Q as a cipher symbol, but uses a backwards-facing Q instead. Similarly, he does not use the forward-facing letter C as a cipher symbol in the 408-character cipher, but uses a backwards-facing C instead. Why doesn't he use up all the normal alphabetic symbols before resorting to additional symbols and variations? (one possible explanation)

The first repeated symbol occurs at the 19th position. Thus the first 18 symbols contain no repeats. Coincidentally, the last 18 symbols of the 408 cipher do not form a legible solution. (From traveller1st)

The most frequently occurring symbol, +, occurs 24 times. Only once does it fall on a prime-numbered position in the cipher text (counting from 1 to 340), against expectations. Also both occurrences of the X symbol fall on prime positions against expectations. (From Dan Johnson) (TODO: Prime phobia distribution study for all symbols)

Possible schemes that increase probability of natural appearance of this phenomenon

The second most frequently occurring symbol, B, occurs 12 times. Only once does it fall on a prime-numbered position in the cipher text (counting from 1 to 340), against expectations. (From Dan Johnson)

The upper loop of the "B" symbol on line 19 column 9 is larger than the lower loop, making the symbol look disproportional and distinct from the other "B" symbols. (From Doc. Doc also speculates the symbol was original a "P" and the author corrected it by adding the bottom loop.)

The last occurrence of the "+" symbol is wider than the others. (From Doc. Doc speculates that the author "hesitated" on this symbol.)

Cipher symbols seem to get larger as the cipher goes on. Row 20 seems larger than Row 1. (From Doc. Doc speculates the author wrote the cipher from top to bottom, and was tiring.)

The backwards D at the end of the first line appears to have a dot in it.

The symbols that represent "R" in the 408 are Br.jpg and Backslash.jpg. Both symbols are missing from the 340 cipher. (Source: Wier)

The symbol '+' is frequently adjacent (in all directions, not just left/right) to the symbol 'R'. (Source: www.zodiackillersite.com/viewtopic.php?p=39791#p39791). 'B' is the 2nd most common symbol in the cipher (12 appearances), but for some reason it is adjacent to only one of the 24 '+' symbols.

The average of the position numbers for all occurrences of the '+' symbol is 171, which is only one position from the midpoint of the cipher. This suggests the + symbols are very uniformly distributed throughout the ciphertext. (Source: Jarlve)

The '+' symbol does not seem to cycle well with other symbols.

A tiny 'R' is written at the bottom right corner of the page. Similarly, information is written at the bottom right corner of a section of the 408, and the bottom right corner of the letter containing the map code.

Cycles of length 2 are biased towards odd-numbered positions in the cipher text

The 340 has 9 rows that each have no repeated symbols. By comparison, the 408 has 6. Moreover, in the 340, there are two triplets of rows that show symmetry about the vertical midpoint of the cipher text. (Image of row repeat comparisons)

A forward-K appears to be scratched out, and corrected with a backwards K symbol.

From Scott Akin: All occurrences of the "H" symbol are involved with this observation: Consider the rectangular regions formed by the corners highlighted in this illustration. Each region is exactly 80 characters in size (4x20 and 5x16), and there is symmetry to the corner symbols.

Largo's test finds that this often occurs by chance, even with random text.

From "Hayley25": Zodiac's "bus bomb letter" contains a section he highlighted which, when punctuation and spaces are removed, contains exactly 340 letters.

 

youtu.be/BV5R3TBMWJg

 

www.zodiackillerciphers.com

 

We're Here! : Code

 

Running out of ideas for your 365 project? Join We're Here!.

Here's my first shot at a Series 1 Jaguar E-Type gone Speed Champion.

 

Major parts of the roof/windshield assembly are hinged, which gives the cab that typical rounded silhouette and a nice transition from 6 to 4 wide, but leaves a couple of tradeoffs to deal with (side windows, center part of the roof, windshield angle).

 

Another unsolved issue is color. I intend to use the new shorter 2018 fenders to be launched with some of the upcoming Speed Champions sets. From what we know so far, they will come in dgreen, white and red. The above dark green version would be my favorite, but unfortunately the 1x4x1 curved slopes are not available (yet) in that color. Red is somewhat reserved for Ferraris, so it'll be either white or I'll have to revert back to existing fenders (parts 18974 or 98282) and try out dbley, black or dark red.

 

Any ideas? Comments? Criticism? Suggestions?

hadow Seekers, the hottest new TV show on the grid, is filming on location in the town of Sinister at haunted locations across the map. Episodes 1 & 2 are now available to play. Watch for the filming of new episodes each week of October. Release dates in the Hunter's Guide: wp.me/p7RJXB-86C

 

Ghost hunters will have the opportunity to investigate an unsolved mystery at each location. Complete all the episodes for bonus achievements and a trophy!

 

Get immersed in the mystery with this add-on experience to our Spooktacular Halloween Hunt. You must have a Hunt HUD to play Shadow Seekers. Available on the Hunt Sim: maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Sinister/72/175/22

Acte 6 Retribution

Sub titled : Just Desserts

 

Still back in time before the Police Constables disconcerting discovery, we rejoin the small party in the alleyway. Sir Edmund had just fallen faint on the pile of alleyway rubbish where he ended up after his rather unfortunate misadventure with the Gypsy youth called Josey, who hiself his sneaking back up in the shadows. . Lord Edmund’s wife, The Mistress , unawares of her Husband’s fate, is still being led by Josey’s older companion deeper into the shadows of the very same Alley.

  

The now impatient Mistress found herself being led about 25 feet further down the darkened alleyway from where they had left Josey and her husband, the Lord Edmund. Suddenly the tall bearded Gypsy youth stopped, turned, and led her down into deserted court yard, surrounded by backsides of tall, empty looking brick buildings. The place reeked of old garbage , stale beer, and worse smells best left undescribed. The scurrying feet of tiny rodents could be heard , but not seen, in the dim light.

  

Well, where’s the girl!, the Mistress demands, looking around at the barren courtyard, failing to see anyone else around.

  

Well mum you see, that’s the bit of a trick I was tellin you bouts, and from his waistband they Gypsy lad draws a long knife, its blade gleaming wickedly as it is caught by the Moon lite just now peeping through the parting dark clouds.

Put that thing down young man, and get me the girl, The Mistress shrilly commands him, unfazed by the blade, not truly understanding what is taking place( the curse of a privileged, overprotected childhood).

  

Silence, the young gypsy bellows, spitting the words in her face, then leaning in whispers evilly into her ear, his lips moving her shiny dangling earring…lets have that purse now mum. Finally The Mistress realizes the Gypsy lads intent.

 

Now, never in her life has anything like that ever been dared tried on her, and an even newer, at first unrecognizable feeling is felt, as dread washes over her, making her cower before the youth, no older than her husband’s stable boy, Tim, who had felt her strap earlier that morning. A surrendering moan escapes her lips, no she states, never!. Unheeding her commands, The purse she is holding is callously wrenched from her slippery gloved fingers grasp. She just stares at him, unable to find her tongue as he opens the small purse with its rhinestone clasp, and looks through it, lifting up a ring of keys with rising interest.

  

At this time the gypsy girl appears out of the shadows behind The Mistress, wearing the sparkling diamonded bracelet, and nonchalantly swinging the gold watch by its chain as she holds its gold fob, coming around she is smiling mischievously at the Mistress, who straightens up as she catches sight of the imp.

  

The Mistress, loses any vestige of her panic, and in anger and rounds upon the girl as she stands mockingly in front of her. Why you thieving harlot, The Mistress hisses, attempting to smack the girl, who jumps just out of reach. Suddenly The Mistress words are cut off with a meek squeak as the point of the lad’s very sharp knife is pressed under her chin, forcing The Mistress to raise her head, effectively shutting her up. Apologize The Gypsy male snarls wickedly in The Mistress ear, apologies now, tell her you are quite sorry Mum…!

  

The Mistress stands frozen, a stern look upon her puckish face, her lips pursed in defiance, even with the knife pressing threateningly under her chin. Teach you some manners I will he hisses again, as he raises his hand, slapping her on the cheek, the Mistress’s dangling earrings fire bright glittering salvo as her head is whipped to the side, the point of the knife opening a thin scratch along her chin, which quickly wells up with crimson blood.

  

She turns her face forward, facing the pair of young hooligans, glaring at their insolence to someone of her high stature. She is stubbornly holding her ground, all feelings of distress replaced by arrogance and superiority. Well now, the Gypsy Lad says to the Smirking Gypsy girl, as he points the knife in between The Mistress’s breasts, its prickling point effectively quelling any more feelings of retribution. Looks like what words she won’t give to you, will have to be given in some other manner. The Mistress listens, confused by his words, then what he says next, makes his attentions all too crystal clear.

  

For lack of an apology my girl, he says to the petit gypsy lass, let’s say we accept some other compensation, shall we? The young girl beams, as her eyes dart to the Mistress, looking her up and down , eyeing the gemmed jewelry the Mistress is wearing, sparkles of which are reflected in her coy doe wide dark green eyes.

  

The mistress still mute with rage, her hands clenched, her arms rigid at her side as she looks into the Gypsy male’s stern eyes, as he moves his knife up, once again pressing up into her chin. Suddenly, her arms are grabbed by a pair of strong hands and pulled behind her back. Ello, took your sweet time about it, the Gypsy youth holding the knife says to the unseen newcomer. No names are said, and whoever is now holding her remains mute, but the Mistress assumed it was the one called Josey. The Mistress tries turning her head, put is prevented by the knife. Where’s my Edmund, she manages to squeak out the words, but receives no satisfaction.

  

The Gypsy lad holding the knife reaches out his free hand, grinning! Leave me alone, the Mistress orders him, trying admonish him into obedience, bur the gypsy boy just smirks as he methodically , briskly gropes along her body, admiring and inventorying her plentiful jewels, opening her sable, and the satin Bolero, as he checks her over for anything hidden from view. He misses nothing, even her hair is carefully raked through, undoing the braided bun in the process as a diamonded clip is pulled off and handed to the gypsy lass. Her ladyship, shirking back from his touch, now begins to whimper, no, not my jewels! He reaches up, his eyes bugging, as his hand snakes up between her ample breasts and lifts her necklace, admiring it as she tries to shake her head no, but is unable to do so because of the knife. She tries to say more, but the words of discipline stay dry in her throat, choking her as she realizes, finally, the futility of her predicament. The Gypsy boy then nods to the girl, handing her the purse, the honor is yours he says….

  

The young girl taking the open silver clutch purse, smirking, her eyes ablaze with delight, reaches up her free hand and takes hold of the necklace, pretty thing this, she says sweetly, mimicking her earlier words. She pulls the necklace from around the Mistress throat so the clasp comes forward, then nimbly she flicks it open with the fingers of one hand, and pulls it , swishing freely along the satiny fabric, until it falls from the gowns’ neckline. Thank you mum, the Gypsy girl whispers as she places it inside the purse, and reaching up touches a dangling earring, I’ll have those next she says, almost like she is talking her herself, and yanks off both, one after the other. She than gets into her work, and soon the Gypsy girl’s invading fingers friskily finish stripping the Mistress quite clean of all her shimmering, expensively large collection of jewels; rings, bracelet, brooches, the entire glittery roster. It had all been carried out like some bizarre rendition of reverse trick and treating, with the Gypsy girl peeling away and placing the jewels into The Mistress purse. When she finishes, the Gypsy girl steps back, looking with interest inside the now bulging purse, now containing a small fortune, quite unseen for the likes of them who inhabit this rea of the great city.

  

Suddenly The Mistress’s hands are let go, and before she can properly react, male hands briskly grab and slips off the sable from her back. Then the satin bolero is also peeled off and she sees both passed to the waiting hand of the gypsy girl. Still held in her place by the point of the Gypsy’s knife,The Mistress’s eyes grow big with dread, as she feels the back of her long slick gown being unzipped, and allowed to fall freely down to her feet, piling up in a shimmering pool.

This exposes the long, luxurious purple slip she is wearing, complete with small rhinestones decorating its straps and bodice. As the Mistress is standing there, frozen in awe struck disbelief , the knife is taken from her chin, and used to slice each of the rhinestone slips straps, and the mistress grabs the top of the now free hanging slip, and holds if fast to her chest in an effort to preserve whatever remained of her quickly waning dignity.

  

The Mistress tries to find words of protest, but she is too unbelieving that she , a lady who considers herself to be far superior to common folk of their ilk, is absolutely dumbfounded that they are daring to treat her like this, fails to be able to give any words their proper voice.

  

The older gypsy lad holding the knife steps back. Now he says, shouldn’t leave a lady standing, and he points his knife to a stack of crates. She stands there glaring. Move it on now mum, he suggests , his voice carries with it a with mocking tone of fake obedience. The Mistress unwillingly does so, and moving to a crate, sits down, the smell of something rotten permeates her nostrils as she faces her aggressor. The other two have seemingly, cowardly, disappeared somewhere into the shadows she notices with thoughts of righteousness.

  

The Gypsy lad mocks her, there, cannt say we didint leave you nufing, eh mum.( indicating her slip, gloves and high heels)! And by the ways, apology accepted he added sarcastically, mimicking a curt bow.

  

Then almost immediately her eyes are blindfolded from behind ( they hadn’t run after all) with something made of cloth that reeks of decaying meat, and she hears the pratfalls of several pairs of feet running off. And then, all is silent, except for the beating of The Mistress heart from a mixture of rage and incredulity.

  

As all is once again quiet around her, and believing she is now alone, The Mistress continues holding up her slip with one hand, while with the other reaches in back, groping for the blindfold. Suddenly her whole being jolts as something furry with sharp claws runs over her feet, and a noise, not quite a scream, but close, gurgles from The Mistress’s dry throat.

  

Ere now, the mistress hears the voice of an old lady, , whose there? , no rat by the sound of things, she continues on, approaching. What have we here, the old lady says to herself, a damsel in distress by the look of things, whit no dress, and she cackles at her bit of humor. Her dearie, lets get you up and The Mistress feels a pair of cold hands helping her shakenly to her feet.

  

Then her ladyship feels those hands, not giving her aid, but quite the opposite, as cold fingers began going over her. Then, with a dry cackle, and the old hags words reach the Mistress ears, left you with nothing dearie but a shiny slip, too bad, but old Chizzy will check anyways. The Mistress balks as the pair of cold hands grope her figure, the second time that evening! The Mistress recoils, knowing the old hag is looking for anything of value, when quite unexpectedly the Hags hands shoot up into the Mistress underarms, and The Mistress raises her arms automatically as nerves are pressed, and the slip falls down her figure gathering into a slithering heap at her feet. The Mistress tries to protest, her hands going to her blindfold, but she is pushed, and falls over the crate into a pile of cold ashes. Each of Her hands are lifted and she feels her long satin opera gloves pulled off, and then her high heeled shoes are yanked from her feet before she can begin to offer any type of resistance..

  

Thenk you dearie! the Hags voice close enough now that the Mistress can smell the wispy oders of whiskey and old pipe, as it reaches her nostrils. Old Chizzy thenks ye, for your contributions this evening, Honey. The Mistress hears the old hags cackling laugh as ‘Chizzy” makes her get away with the last of the Mistress’s pretty possessions.

  

For a few minutes all is again silent, The Mistress lays upon the pile of asses, dazed by what has befallen her, but then, the cesspool like orders from the garbage surrounding the ash pile start to overwhelm her making the Mistress snap back into the cold reality of her situation.

  

It was then, that , for the second time, the sound of shuffling feet is again heard approaching, and the Mistress tenses up, now expecting more ill fortune, not that she really had anything left of value to lose.. But then a familiar voice, Edmund’s, calls out. Dear, where are you? The Mistress tries to answer, but, her voice dry and choked has trouble making words. Finally she does manage to call out to her husband, but her voice is noticeably missing its’ usual sharpness.

  

Edmund comes to her aid and helps her up. After he undoes the blindfold, she finds herself looking into his questioning eyes, and she actually hugs him. Edmund, startled at the long forgotten display of affection, finds that it takes him a few seconds to regain himself. Hear, cants having you catch your death of cold, he says, almost lovingly. He helps The Mistress find coverings from the piles of old trash in the form of a couple of rough sacks of old, mildewing burlap.

  

Hair disheveled, streaks of dirt and ash covering their figures that are covered with dirty, rancid rags they make their way down the alley, to where they believe their car and chauffer are still waiting. Edmund and the Mistress are both a smelly, reeking mess, moving slowly as their bare feet hobble tortuously along the cobblestone path. But as they make their way, The Mistress tells Edmund what had conspired. As she does, The Mistress feels more of her old self returning, and begins to chastise the three gypsy youths, and how she will make them pay for their rude indiscretions’. Edmund is in total agreement.

  

As they make it back to the alleys’ entrance, a figure appears out of the mist. The Mistress squeals in startled shock at the dark figure standing at the end of the alleyway, she grabs Edmund and pulls him in front of her as one would a shield.

----

 

As the dark figure peers into the alleyways entrance, he suddenly see’s two shadowy forms emerge from the misty pool of light given off from the relit street lamp. The pair is both tottering like being quite intoxicated, smelling like something a rat would have dragged out of the garbage, faces streaked with ashes and muck, barely half dressed. Suddenly, spying him, one of the figures makes a quick move, placing the other in front.

  

At that moment the figure raises his hand and suddenly the night’s silence is completely shattered by the shrill wails of his street constable’s police whistle.

 

End of Acte 6,

 

Watch for the final two actes of this woeful saga;

Acte 7 (Harbinger) and Acte 8 (Footfalls - including the obligatory Epilogue), coming soon….

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Dolls to Tea

Time frame -- The Gilded age

Season -- Autumn

 

Back in the early 20’s there was at the time ( and still is today) a rather large hotel/Inn located just 20 minutes’ motor ride from Cambridge. For the sake of a name, we will generically call it The Riverside Inn….

  

It had been built almost 2 hundred years ago around a natural mineral spring long said to have healing benefits by drinking or bathing. The pamphlets for the place promised ‘ Here, for just a two week stay, almost miraculous cures for a litany of ailments are promised simply by imbibing of the water’.

Gullibly wealthy guests from all over the realm come to visit, lured in by those intriguing promises of great well-being.

The hotel still stands in this modern age of cells rap,and mini motels…

But allow us to take the reader back, back in the hotels sometimes murky past, to a time when Jazz was all the rage and socialization was held firmly under thumb by some rather imposing hierarchy led standards. AKA, if you weren’t in their circles, you just did not exist… which made it far too easy for certain talented scoundrels to ply their nefarious trades…..

  

This story is taken from a dusty, tattered old journal kept in the study archives of Chatwick University. It was discovered in an old 1930’s era steamer trunk found in a dark corner of the Riverside Inn’s basement.

The trunk, containing a males’ possessions, was tucked away amongst a rather old, musty collection of unclaimed luggage and steamer trunks, filled with clothes and other artefacts from bygone ages. These trunks were being examined during the early 1950’s in an effort to gather materials for several new display cases.

The rather unique journal was turned over to a university professor by the authorities’ for investigation. The Journal contained entries made in the mid-(19) twenties and concerned, well you will read bout it soon enough…

  

The gentleman who kept the journal had written a first name on the inside cover… the name was Sabastien

Here is the story… Mostly in his words

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“This journal entry was made during my second visit to the Riverside, nearly 4 years after the first, plenty of enough time given for short memories to have forgotten previous, rather encroaching, incidents.”

What follows is a description of Sabastien’s two week stay at the rather ancient resort/hotel called Riverside. He details in full observations about his fellow guests, noting especially the females, , members of their entourage, their dress on certain evenings, the jewels they wear on those times, as well as their everyday jewels. Chronicles are also made of movements, habits, rooms occupied and a multitude of lists that would be far too much for this story. So we have just condensed his story to the relevant facts and descriptions pertaining to the gyst of his story….

If interested in reading these rather lengthy entries, please contact the Criminology Department of Chatwick University.

We will start out story on the events recorded on Sabastiens’s final day… The EDS.

  

It was a rather balmy fall day, that Saturday Afternoon that I was planning to leave. It had been quite an interesting week spent, as noted previously, and I was all too ready to leave now that my plans had been finalized and strategies worked out for my next adventure, as I always preferred to call them.

 

…..

 

The hotels motor car was not due for some 30 minutes, my trunk had been packed and ready for transportation to the railyard since breakfast, so I decided to entertain me self by going down one last time for afternoon Tea in the outside garden area.

 

I always enjoyed afternoon tea’s here, meandering amongst the well attired, wealthy guests, most of whom were under the impression that I was one of their class. If they only knew the truth!

 

The men dapper in day suits, straw hats and dangling thick gold and silver watch chains, and clutching ivory handled canes.

 

Their ladies were enchanting in their afternoon frocks, hats and parasols, their shimmering day jewels flickering an appealing display of colourful lights.

 

Ah yes, the ladies… The whole lot of em were mascaraed and lipsticked up, reminding me, not for the first time, like so many well-dressed posh dolls. Dolls at tea I was constantly thinking..Genuine Dolls, with genuine jewels my mind always added… For there-in lay opportunism, but for a different game than the one I was currently playing!

 

This is basically how the scene played out every afternoon in the Inns’ proper English back garden, complete with encircling hedge!

  

Today was no bloody exception.

 

As I leaned against the post of a deserted gazebo and watched with interest as the above thoughts played about in me head…

 

I let meself travel back to a time when as kids, my twin sister and I were shooed outside to play on a brite sunny afternoon. Sis had met a friend, and I had gone alone for a tramp in the woods. As I was coming back into the garden I saw me twin sister and a friend, both dressed up in some of their mums old shiny dresses, wearing some bits of play jewellery. They were pretending to have a tea party and had collected an assortment of dolls which they circled about. One of em, a larger one in a shiny pink ruffled frock, was wearing a small rhinestone necklace that sparkled in the sun. I walked past as sis and her friend pouring the tea for a rather dishevelled clown doll across form the doll in pink. With their backs adventitiously turned away, I walked past and whisked away the necklace, with the intention of waiting till the girl’s noticed so I could tease them a bit.

 

When the pair satisfactorily discovered the doll’s, necklace had gone dodgy, they discovered my hiding place and chased me around trying to get it back. One thing led to another and we discovered a new game.

 

We called it Robing hood at tea, me sister having an infatuation with the bowman thief!

 

They would set their dolls about wearing jewels. I would try to find them and, while avoiding the sheriffs guards ( the girls) , lift the doll’s jewels and try to make it back to Sherwood forest uncaptured with the girls usually in chase if I was discovered. Basically it was a mixture of cops n robbers and hide and seek.

 

My mind drifted back to the present, I let my eyes travel as I rested in my perch, pondering.

 

It twas an intriguing thought though, I mean, what if some of these ladies, all dressed and bedecked in real jewels, had been actual life size porcelain dolls? How easy it would be to walk past some of them whilst avoiding the guards, and become a far richer man for it? Of course, for me it was more than just fantasizing, but I would not allow meself to mix any pleasure whilst I was still out on business.

  

I straightened, stretched, and with my thoughts still in mind, started to head over to a group of ladies that had just wondered out after refilling their china teacups. One of em was wearing a necklace and earrings dripping of rhinestones. Her name was Theodora ( Teddi for short) and I called her privately “The Flamingo” for she was always fetchingly dressed in some shade of pink.

Today was no exception, a frilly frock of pink island coral. I fell in place beside her, and her jewels…which I, for the reasons given above, was obviously being vexed enough by to get a closer look at!

 

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After a bit, I left the enchanting Teddi, and continued walking around , joining various groups of chattering guests, and making small talk for about another half of an hour, behaving me self like quite the proper (mock) gentleman.

Soon I observed the hotels car pull in and a chauffeur exited and disappear inside. He promptly reappeared, followed by a lad carrying me trunk. I caught the chauffeurs eye and taking my leave of a of a rather fetchingly cross-eyed red haired Irish lass by the name of Cybele Gealach, I kiss’d her well ringed fingers, while studying with wry amusement her emerald bracelets as they slipped down from her inviting wrist in a shower of sparks. She smiled prettily at me, and I bathed meself in one last look at her lovely figure, resplendent in a green satin frock, with a pretty display of jewels as green as the emerald isles themselves, before I forced meself to turn and head over to the path leading from the garden to the car park.

  

But to some trepidation, I found me path was blocked at the end by the “triplets”, standing under an old chestnut tree, amusing themselves.

  

The triplets now were a trio of young gangly 16 year old “ladies” who fancied themselves as being proper grown up adults! Thicker than thieves that lot was, and possessed no less a mischievous thievish outlook upon happily creating misery for others! And there they were, looking all pretty and innocent in the dappled sunlight that was coming through the grove of chestnut trees. A group of charming angels, to all outward appearances, these young ladies could be mistaken for……! Never mind, even in me private journal I am unable to put down the word!

But then, appearances can be a bit deceiving….

  

My personal nickname for these pet peeves was the triplets , even though they all had different mothers, and for all I know different fathers. Two were cousins, the third belonged to a wealthy lady( hell, they were all wealthy ladies there, now, weren’t they?) named Beverly whom I had become rather great chums with, when her youngest daughter Sadie and friends were not around that is!.

  

The three girls set themselves apart from most of the other children their age by being rather snooty, stuck up and all too very self-important. The lot liked to be dressed up, insisting on wearing their Mothers’ good jewellery rather than costume that most girls their age wore. This all made themselves to appear far older than the 16 years they were. They also liked to huddle about and make snide comments loud enough so that their victim was quite aware of what they were saying. . And they were always willing to play the innocent children, the all pure and sweetness role , if things got too hot, or their gullible parents got involved.

  

They were Pretty.. pretty much damn near an annoyance any time I ( and most others I noticed with satisfaction) I encountered them…

  

But now there was nothing to do but walk past the triplets as they stood there chatting away in aimless abandon.

  

I approached and tipping my hat to the three, watched as all three heads turned away, averting my saltation. I heard sassy Sadie say loudly enough to reach my ears( no accident), in her habitually whining voice, wonder where that repulsive prat is goin? Away for good, hopefully!, I heard her sulky cousin Jackelyn chime in, and homely Miranda just giggled, or cackled was it?

  

I tried to walked nonchalantly past, but as I did something struck me smartly at the back of me head. I turned, but the three had their backs to me, giggling … No tellin which one had done it, but I was pretty sure there was one less horse chestnut sitting at their feet. Who’s did they think they was playin at.., a bloody Pulcinella?

  

Now I could have behaved meself like a proper gentleman and kept on walking as if nothing had occurred and let them have their little laugh. But what would be the fun in that?

 

So I turned and faced their lovely shiny backsides.

 

“Oi’ Miranda”, I called out cheerfully like I was greeting a well liked friend.

 

The tallest of the trio, and far less pretty, Miranda, was a blonde lass, fetchingly wearing a party dress of sage satin and lace, with pearls that dangled about , now turned and looked at me with arched eyes. She was showing a most unfavourable expression upon her puckered face as she threw back her long brown hair, pearled earrings swinging gaily. I knew she had to have been taken aback that I knew her name, but it did not show.

 

The other two looked also, on ready to pounce at me next move, I saw Sadie quickly glance over at her mother Beverly, making sure she was close enough to scurry to her daughters rescue..

 

For disclosure the cousins, their names were Jackelyn and Sadie. Both lassies were brunettes, of the same height and shapely build. Jackelyn was wearing a rather adultish cocktail dress of flowing purple silk, with brite silver chains decorating her figure. Sadie was wearing a velvet long sleeved French Frock, and her jewels were obviously an adults seed pearls with diamond clasps. If I had been up to the challenge of playing that robin hood game, Sadie’s pearls would have been the most desirable objective of all.

 

But I digress…

 

As Miranda and her “clowder” looked on I smiled and said…

 

Ta’ Miranda, almost forgot, Lucius said he would meet you in the gardens at ten tonight..

(Lucius was a 17 year old playboy with Italian good looks that all three had been playing for after he had arrived with his Mother, a vivacious raven haired lady by the name of Pamela) several days ago..

  

I turned heel abruptly and walked away with a purpose. After lobbying that bombshell into their midst I figured that jealousy should rear its vindictive head and do the rest of the damage. It would be ever quite a delight to see the three of em receive some comeuppance

  

I heard nothing from them as I walked away, and made it to the waiting car without further incident ( or thrown horse chestnuts).

  

The ride in the hotel’s car was rather dull, and unexciting. I arrived at the train station with 45 minutes to spare, saw my trunk on the train, and carrying my black valise headed off across the street to a pub for a spot of rhine steak and kidney pie( a item never found on a classy Riverside Menu) , along with two pints of house bitters to wash the lot down with.

 

I took my time, not even budging when the train, ten minutes late, whistled for the final departure.

 

I got to the station just as the departing train was just disappearing around the corner.

 

Appearing breathless I explained to the station master my predicament , and he told me that there would be no other train heading out till 2:00 am! ( a fact that I was well aware of, but I kept it on the quiet) Mocking my displeasure, I paid for a second ticket and had the master cable ahead to secure my trunk.

  

Taking my valise I went into town and found a place that hired out cars. Paying for 1 day in advance, I hopped in and headed back to the Riverside. There I made my story of woe known to a chosen few that I had missed my train and had decided to come back to pass the time.

  

Fortunately there was always enough going on to help pass the time ( one could almost feel Sabastien winking as he wrote this, especially considering what mischief follows ….the eds)

  

Traditionally, every weekend on Saturday there was a 5 course meal served (formal attire required) followed by a posh ball held for the guests in the elegant Regal ballroom located at the end of the Inns west wing, with a full orchestra playing. ( The ballroom still exists, but has since been turned into a modern dinner play theatre..the eds)

  

After supper I meandered out to the gardens while most of my fellow guests headed over to the ball room’s bar to start drinking their way into the night’s festivities. The Orchestra started up promptly at 8 and soon the ballroom was filled with the vast majority of the guests who were staying at the hotel that week, happily dancing and socializing with not a care in the world. If they only knew of the cat amongst the pigeons.

  

With the majority of the hotels security helping out at the ballroom, and with the guests letting down what little guard they felt about protecting any of their valuables here, it was the perfect opportunity to do a bit of my business that evening in the Hotels’ East wings third floor.

  

This area was home to some to some of the better suites, occupied by the wealthiest of the Riversides’ guests. Since said guests were all happily partying their night away, I was soon to be most happily occupying my “accidental” layover by emptying their rooms safes of jewels, money notes and other small, but pretty things of value. I was certainly not unabashed, for my livelihood, my trade and pleasure in life, is being a professional jewel thief, burglar and rather skilled amateur pickpocket.

 

I added the pickpocketing bit due to the reference I have written earlier in my journal about the Robing hood at tea game I played with my sister and her friend … because it had a direct refence to my becoming a pickpocket as well as a cat burglar…

 

This was because at my suggestion, usually the girls would be in play dress up mode, which I found to add a quite alluring addition to our play. I found meself becoming tantalized by dangling jewels shimmering about them as we were involved in the game. So Robing Hode soon had a private desire, to not only take the jewels that adorned the hidden dolls, but to lift those that the dolls’ guards were wearing! At first I was caught in all my attempts at this new objective… but practice makes one perfect! And so it was that I was soon able to become quite adept at certain opportune times ,lifting the very jewels me twin sister and her friend were wearing! Using the various distractions and engaging conversations I employed, Rhinestone necklaces, bracelets, and brooches soon fell under my ever increasing light touch. This awakened in me a certain secret desire, that may been a major focal point leading me to my eventual path in life.

 

So, for having played those childhood games with my sister and her friend, I would say made me a somewhat skilled amateur pickpocket. Giving me quite a feel for some things, I guess would be a way of putting it! So much so, that even though I started out emulating that persona of a gentleman thief , being a pickpocket of certain shiny lures was at the same time, never far from me mind!

  

Then, as it so happened , I was able to meet up with a like-minded bloke who( for a price) instructed me on a few of the finer, less practiced, points of pickpocketing.

 

So I was more than prepared for the first time the opportunity arose! And once it did for the first time, I was able to relieve, quite unnoticed, a pricey necklace from around the throat of a lady I had been dancing with… Possibly not an outstanding accomplishment on its own, for some people I will admit.

 

But when taking in consideration that I had brought up the subject to a lady I had been seeing during the course of gathering information, and found her so quite intrigued by the notion that she bet five shillings against me taking a piece of her jewellery before the night was gone, says something! It proved to be a rather enticing little challenge: If she caught me with my fingers in the till, I was out a few shillings, and if she didn’t?

 

Well suffice to say, betting 5 shillings against a 1000 sovereigns worth of her jewellery was a suckers bet, and the end play was, as I paid off my bet and left ,was a whole new avenue opened to me on a way to make a nice bit of extra money between heists..

**********************************

 

So, now, with just burgling on me mind, I waited in the shadows till the party was well underway before making my move from the gardens. Once I made sure all the players/pigeons were in position, and away from their suites, I slipped away to my hired car. Once there I retrieved my valise, and in the obscurity of some nearby woods, donned a black silk face mask, holstered my rather wicked looking military stiletto knife with its finely whetted blade., and pocketed a set of well used skeleton keys.

  

Then I circled around the woods, and cut across a small bit of grass, to a seldom used service door that I had opened earlier from the inside. I than snuck up a back-service staircase to the third floor, and opened the upstairs service door leading directly onto the east wing. Making sure the coast was clear, I went into the corridor, and starting at the far end, I began to work my back down..

  

I Finished the first six suites in record time, easily locating the safes( It was not Sabastiens first time here..the eds ) and quickly opening them and scooping out their lovely contents. End result being ¾ of me valise filled. To be honest, it had almost become mechanical and a bit run of the mill at times, but the thrill that drove me( as well as living money) still held strong….So It went quite smoothly, with no interruptions, or hearing any intruding footsteps coming down the tiled hallway floor. The tiles were black and white in a chess board pattern, which made me feel that I was playin a game on chess against and unseen, probably unforgiving, master. It kept me on my toes, never knowing if a vengeful queen would appear to check ( or checkmate) my roguish Pallidum as he pilfered the fair maidens jewellery caskets !

  

My next move was on the seventh Suite. This one was a large double suite at the end of the hallway, across from rooms 8 and 9 across the hall. This room was occupied by a silly lady named( kid you not) Bunny! , and her two pretty younger sisters’. I went across and easily picked opened the locked double doors.

 

This room was a right cornucopia with not one but two bedroom safes!

 

I took the master suite located on the right first. Slipping in I took my torch around for a careful look. A large four poster was off to one side, a vanity was set up next to it, my light catching in its mirror. Holding the light firm, I watched as my shadowy form approached, filling up the mirror. Above the vanity was a pretty picture of a lady in pink lingerie reading a book as she sat in a chair, her evening dress spilling about . This picture was on a hinge, and I moved it, exposing the wall safe hidden behind. Spinning the tumblers I soon cracked it and upon opening its door was rewarded by my torch setting off a display of rather dazzling light from an open jewels case. The small safe was crammed full of other, unopened jewel boxes and cases. Quickly, holding me torch tween my teeth, I quickly opened them and dumped their quite glittery contents into my valise. Then following the same pattern I had been all evening, I closed up the safe, slide back the picture, and making sure nothing else in the room had been disturbed , or missed,by me, quickly walked out.

  

Then I made my way to the second bedroom and slipped through the door. Again I let my torch canvas the room. This time a rather small, but shimmering pinprick of light came from one of the twin beds that lay on either side of a rather large vanity. My torch, following the pinpricks, soon captured a figure laying on the bed. Quickly I turned off me torch and by the moons light streaming through a window watched with held breath, not a peep! , Cautiously I made my way to the bed. It was Khaliesi, one of the sisters ( the prettiest in my book), out stone cold.

I looked at the small table next to her where several bottles lay. I picked up a couple, one was for a cold, the other was a sleeping aid, one I knew to be strong enough to put an elephant down for the count. I turned on my torch and allowed my light cautiously go up and down her silken peach coloured nightgown that outlined her petite figure. It was a diamond bracelet upon her lovely wrist that was sending out the shimmery pinpricks . It was a beauty, worth quite a few quid and I was rather shocked it had not been locked away safe. She also was wearing an emerald ring on her pinkie.

  

Turning away I went up between the beds and slid open the middle ages themed picture above the vanity. Then quiet as a churchmouse I cracked the safe and began opened a second assortment of jewel cases and boxes.

  

This safe was a little smaller, but no less full! I finished up, locked the safe and slid back the picture. Not a peep from the sleeping lady in the bed. I let me torches light go over her again, she looked like a china doll there asleep , her colourful silk kimono making her appear even more doll like! Me light caught the living doll’s bracelet again, and beckoned out to me like some dazzling sireen..

  

For a second my mind travelled back to when me sister and I were children. Sis had been wearing a costume bracelet that shimmered like the sleeping Khaliesi, along with a quite soft long gown our mother had worn as a bridesmaid to out Aunts wedding. I had taken that very bracelet from one of her dolls during play the week before, so I knew its clasp. As sis was talking to her friend ( similarly dressed for “tea”), I ran up to them and told them I had seen a fox with her pups in the hedge. Naturally the both wanted to see it and led them to a hole in the hedge. As both girls were bending down and gawking through, I stood close enough to be able to press a certain arm between me and a silken waist, then undo the clasp the shiny bracelet form the pressed wrist and slip it off without notice….The I went over to our friend, and attempted the same maneuverer on her necklace, but was caught red handed and promptly pummled and tackled in a smothering of silk and satin until I was forced to give up my ill gotten gains!

  

Shaking me head clear of the rather pleasant memory, I focused on the task in hand. There would be no friendly pummelling if I was caught now.

 

I tip toed on over and looked down upon the lovely girl’s Bracelet encircling her wrist. It was a simple enough clasp, box style with a button on the side.. In for a penny ,I thought to meself, and I reached down and ever so gently flicked open the clasp. It lay there shimmering along the brown satin sheets of the bed. I crouched down, and watching the lass’s sleeping face, half covered with her mass of long silken black hair, , slipped away her bracelet off from under her wrist, where it fell into my palm with the whisper of a swish. I watched carful, not so much as a flutter. Then I carefully removed a glove and dipping two fingers in a obligingly placed glass of water, whetted her pinky finger, the lass was out cold, did not stir a bit as I prepared. I Than slowly worked the ring over her wetted knuckle, then simply slipped it off her finger as easy as if she had been a real life doll. Actually, almost like, one of the mannequins I head of being used by some pickpockets to train others…..I hadn’t needed a mannequin with bells, not with an obliging sister close at hand !

 

Rising from her bedside, I backed my way carefully from the room, she had never as much as budged.

  

I made it back into the main room and took a few seconds to catch my breath and take quick inventory. Both safes had been surprisingly full, with enough jewellery and cash that my small satchel was now filled to bursting.

  

I right then and there then decided that I should call it a night, an early placed Checkmate if you will, leaving the last 2 rooms on the opposite side of the hall untouched.

 

Though one of em belonged Beverly and her three daughters, one daughter being Sadie of the nefarious triplets who like tossing horse chestnuts. Their room had been on my not to be missed list, but alas, birds in hand I thought. Though I would have liked to have nicked something of Sadie’s, if only to cause her further grief for the twit’s actions earlier.

 

The last room belonged to the flamingo, the beguiling young lady named Theodora ( call me Teddi, simply everyone does luv) . Teddi was a whimsical long blonde haired, blue eyed lass always ( as I wrote about earlier), dressed in some shade of pink and usually wearing pearls. I had quite liked the lass, so probably would have given her room a miss anyway I consoled meself.

  

Un-donning my mask and placing it in my vest pocket, I placed my knife in its sheath strapped to my right leg, straightened myself nicely up in one of the rooms floor length mirrors, picked up my now weighty black valise, then headed back out to the corridor. Swiftly walking the few paces to the end, I entered the service door, and made way down the corner staircase, and out the side door leading to the back lot.

  

I cut across the green space at the back, keeping in the shadows of the tall bushes that lined it. I stopped on the inside of the exit and looked over the parking lot where I could see my rental was still parked in its corner..

  

As I stopped and looked about for any signs of quick movement, I suddenly heard a girl giggling form quite close by. . I froze, then immediately hiding the weighty valise in a small hedge, cunningly made my way around to the corner. Glad I had stopped!

  

I let my eyes quickly become accustomed to the dark, a trick I had learned when as a lad I had gone into the woods at night searching for the elusive foxfire mushroom! I tiptoed It past the corner looked around a small shrub. There, I saw the girl Miranda talking to Lucius. Both had a clear view of the car park and my car! I grinned to meself, so the silly twit had believed me and approached Lucius I thought, well all the luck to them I thought!

  

I knew that Lucius and Pamela had had plans that evening, so was a bit surprised to see him around that early?

 

I will admit That earlier I had envisioned Lucius being out of the picture and a well jewelled Amanda searching in vain for him around the darkened gardens , perfect for a good jewel lifting bumping into! It had been a nice daydream while going to the station.

 

One that note, Miranda was looking quite rather fetching in a long lime green gown of satin and chiffon, an outfit I had seen her wearing out in earlier that week. . Her accompanying jewels were also the same, glittered smartly as they were bathed in the full cloudless evenings’ harvest moons brite light. It was a rather nice set, emeralds and small diamonds. As well as an expensively complete one, hairs clip, earrings, necklace, brooch, bracelet and ring, the horse being worth far more than the buggy, as my great uncle Thomas was always found of saying..! But wait a minute, Miranda was not wearing the either necklace or the brooch of the set… twas odd I thought at the time, knowing how she liked to flaunt her mother’s pretty jewels about ?

  

I watched the show for a bit, waiting till the quite engrossed couple were distracted enough to permit my unnoticed escape. I decided to chance taking the long way around and approach form the ballroom’s front gardens so that it would not seem unusual for them to see me coming from that area. I had begun to slink back, when the pair did me a favour and moved off towards that very garden. I watched until they had disappeared around the English ivory covered stone entrance. I did not think for a minute that the pair were heading back inside, rather probably going to one of the secluded gazebos to have a bit of unobserved fun…

  

I slipped away, retrieving the valise, I made my way straight into the woods and circled out of sight back to the rental car. I Quietly opened the boot and hide the valise with its purloined contents inside, carefully closing it. locked it up and pulled out me silver pocket watch. Luck had been on me side that evening, no lie, and it had all gone so very smoothly that time was also now on me side. I had well over 3 hours left to make my train. Double checking the autos door locks, I turned and slipped back into the woods to ponder about things a bit.. .

  

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From my concealment, I looked back at the far wing, eyeballing the lights spilling out from the ballroom’s massive windows unto the green close cut grass.. The faint strands of the orchestra could be heard from inside wafting over the top f the coming mist..

  

I mulled it over a bit, In my chosen line of business, one learned not to shy away from taking risks. I will also admit I was keen on practicing up on my pickpocketing skills. I had been a good boy up till then in regards to any such thievery for fear of upsetting my planned bit of burgling.. but now that that had been accomplished in spades, I felt a simmering desire to make an attempt, but only if the situation was 110% in my favour…. Seeing Miranda all decked out had whetted my appetite for an additional score, and one of the Triplet Doll’s would be a perfect “after meal Hors d'oeuvre”! Miranda was out of the running, But her cohorts Sadie and Jacklyn were probably not!

  

Now to note, even though I had behaved meself for the whole week, opportunities to lift a few rather enticing baubles form unsuspecting lassies had come up on numerous occasions. But during that time, I remained true to my plans. But If I hadn’t, I could almost guarantee that the jewels of one, if not all of the triplets, would have fallen into my plucking grasp. So, that now I decided if I was going to try for a second bird the evening, It would make all the sense in the world to try to make an additional score one of my pet peeves….!

 

I only needed 20 minutes to drive to the train station, so I had plenty of time to re-join the party, for one last look around at the poshly dressed guests, and also to satisfy my rather wide array of curiosities.

 

I skirted back through the woods around the opposite side the Inn from where the happy couple were probably snogging. I stayed in the wood line till I reached the back garden, hidden behind some thick hedges. I knew that there was a break in those hedges behind a pagoda that I could squeeze through. I did so and cutting across the deserted gardens made my way to one of the 3 exits that led back into the ballroom/banquet halls…

  

I entered a door that was next to the restrooms and looked around at the mingling throng of guests, all decked out for the grand event. There were whole families in attendance, ladies and girls in proper gowns and dresses, decorated with all sorts of gems and jewels imaginable. The men and male youths were all dapper in starched evening dress, high collars, many of the men wearing gold pocket watches that dangling from vests, and sporting large family crested signet rings.

  

I made my way through the crowd before I spotted Ms Bunny and entourage. I wanted to find her for two reasons, the first was to make sure she saw me there (after all, what thief is going to chat it up with the person whose room he has just burgled). The second reason was the question I had as to why the safes had seemed too full of jewels. That was answered as I came up to Bunny and her other sister, none of them were wearing any jewellery, other than a small ring or two. Lucky thing for me, rather a pity for Bunny and her sisters…

  

I showed no previous knowledge of where her sister Khaliesi was , playing it nonchalant by asking if she was, dancing with some dark mysterious stranger perhaps… Bunny , twittering at my foolish jestering, admitted Khaliesi had retired upstairs, with a cold, poor dear! That explains it I thought to meself, for I had made sure all the occupants of the rooms I had planned to visit were accounted for, and I knew I had seen Khaliesi’s perky figure swishing about earlier….

  

So my curiosity satisfied, I stayed around for a bit continuing on with my socializing when I noticed someone ( jewels) of interest coming towards me….

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Now, while I had been chatted up Bunny, I had been discreetly watching a table that was in a shadowy corner of the dining area. The shadows were caused by the placement of the table under an upstairs walkway that led across the wall of the room. The stairway was used by the service staff to take food up to the guest rooms. Since most of the guests were down here partying, it was not seeing a lot of use this particular evening.

  

But getting back to the table. There were two young ladies, quite well dressed, sitting there. Both were decidedly pouting. They were none other than the other 2 thirds of the triplets ,I had been seeking. Sadie and Jacklyn! It took no genius to guess what they were sulking on about, Miranda being absent, and in their vapid minds, still probably snogging Pamela’s prodigy Lucius!

  

I had been keeping them under eye, admiring their quite flickering jewels, positioning meself so that they stayed in my view. I was duly rewarded when Sadie pulled away and began walking with purpose across the room. Most of the tables were deserted, supper being over, most of the guests being on the dance floor, smoking room, or drinking heavily at the rather extensive bar on the opposite side of the ballroom. There were a few groups of ladies talking amongst themselves in the dining area, but all had their backs on the sulking girls. So Sadie leaving was not observed by anyone other than me!

  

I offered my sad my goodbyes To Miss Bunny, kissing her shiny gloved hand and whimsically wandered off, falling in line a discreet few paces behind young Sadie, who was walking with her usual swishing strut, nose high in the air.

 

Now Sadie had proudly preened herself in a rather fetchin silvery dress with puffed sleeves, that flowed with an elegant slickness along her petite figure. Sadie wore only three pieces of jewellery. One being a long gold braided chain with diamonded pendent in the shape of a rose, with deep blue sapphires for petals, the second was a brite Sapphire ring with diamond chips.

 

But it twas her third item of jewellery that dazzled above its companions! A pair of long diamond and sapphire earrings that shimmered and sparkled like African wild fires as she walked with her snooty noise held high with arrogance. The jewels were probably were her mothers, or an older sisters, and I was surprised that she wasn’t better watched whilst wearing such expensive baubles about.

  

My curiosity whetted, I was being speculative about where she was heading off to, weaving in and out of the mingling crowd, unescorted by any adult, advantageously unattended by her “clowder” of fellow fiends namely Miranda and Jackelyn!

  

I saw her stop by the door wherein I had gained entrance. I backed off and went to an opposite corner. She had stopped and was looking out looking out to the deserted (still I hoped) garden. So she did probably know about Miranda, and hence the reason for the sulkiness. But no, She skipped away and headed towards the ladies powder chamber. So I now pondered, should I wait to see until she came back through, or chance it that she was going to come out into the gardens? I didn’t want to make the wrong decision by hesitation too long .. There was a reason for this…

  

As I have stated previously, I had forced meself to be on best behaviour the entire week while plotting my nocturnal visits to the selected damsels inviting safes/lockboxes on Friday evening. So much so that even though opportunities were constantly waved beneath my nose, I had tried not to allow even so much as an attempt at any well decked out Ladies pretty baubles for the better part of a week. . Which was not easy, especially if I felt the opportunity presented would have been a way at teaching some snotty young lady a rather surreptitious lesson, even for my benefit only. Then it happened, on Thursday.

  

One of those opportunities had presented itself in a rather unexpected way. It concerned Miss Sadie, who on that delightfully enchanted evening’s party, had given me a bit to fantasize on. Sadie was scampering about in a ridiculously pretty long satin number that spilled and flowed swishing in an all too naughty fashion for one so young and naive. She was also wearing the even more ridiculously expensive Necklace and Earrings, bouncing gaily to and fro, that she was wearing again this very evening.

  

But I had been good, and had taken leave and was heading to bed when I started chatting it up with the pretty female desk clerk. Out of the corner of me eye, I caught sight of young Sadie scurrying through the lobby towards the rickety old elevator that led to the upper floors suites. I hesitated mulling it over, then the devil on my right shoulder made much more sense than the rather harried angel perched on the other. I made it just as the door closed in to my face. I watched as the ancient machined groaned and jostled its way up. Ahh it would have been all so very easy, but I convinced myself it was all for the better.

  

And now, right here, I was being given a rare second opportunity to …….. well you know!

  

So I made my gamble, and moved along the wall, reaching the outside door I propped it open an inviting( I hoped) crack ,then headed outside and took a position in the shadows of an advantageous and welcomed hedge wall. I figured that she would after all try coming into the garden to snoop up on Miranda. So I wanted to be ready to seize upon that little bit of opportunity if it presented itself..If not, than I was just all the closer to my exit anyway!.

 

So now I cunningly waited, ready to take full advantage of whatever situation decided to present its lucrative self.

 

My intentions were to do a bit of falling in step, slipping up against, and execute a bump like move in order to pickpocket a bit of this ones jewels, especially a try at her fancy necklace

.

 

Now I harboured no doubts that the Sadie’s earrings possibly would be out of reach, but her pretty ring and necklace would not be so elusive and was worth a tidy enough sum to whet my appetite to the point of taking the risk.

  

Now there are several ways to relieve a lady of her ring or necklace! I have at times given employment to a majority of them. So, with me thoughts training on which method to use, I waited, still hidden in the shadows, in eager anticipation. For the hunt was now very much on!

  

Then I saw a petitely lithe shadow by the door and sure enough, Sadie had come peeking around the corner and flutters down the path towards the hedge where I awaited with eager anticipation. I could see her flickering jewels sparkling with pinpricks of fire, as they were swinging against her figure whilst she made her way down the path towards me lair, and the trap I had set!

  

I smelled her perfume before I saw her… another chess piece was on the scene… Pamela!

  

Her shadow loomed behind the girl, she had swiftly came from the same exit as both Sadie and I.

 

It was most definitely Pamela ( or Pam Pam as Lucius was apt to call her) … She must have seen the naughty girl sneak out of the party and come to collect her back inside. I moved deeper inside the hedge, cursing me luck as I watched through a crack. And what I was witness too made me freeze in place. For this evening I was not the only scoundrel out seizing an opportunities.

  

Pamela, it should be noted, was purposefully dressed up in a pretty gown of slippery green taffeta, quite simply stunning on her. Her only jewellery was a pair of long earrings, swinging provocatively down to and almost touching her semi bared shoulders.

  

As I watched she approached, unnoticed, right up behind the girl, catching Sadie just before she had reached my hidey hole. She tapped Sadie on her satin clad shoulder, catching her startled attention with a hug of apology. She excitedly asked Sadie what she was ever up too this evening, outside all alone? She was seemingly surprised that Sadie was not with Jacklyn? Sadie just told her that Jacklyn was back inside, and that, she(Sadie) was old enough to be on her own. Of course you are me dear, were the approving words given, and Valentine gave Sadie a second hug to show no worries.

  

Within the course of the conversation, just 5 short minutes, Pamela admired Sadie’s slick silvery dress, her silken blonde hair which she playfully lifted up over the child’s head and let it flow down again in a silken mass. Then she had held Sadie’s hands as she cooed to the girl over how pretty Sadie was looking that evening. It was being laid on all too rather thick for my tastes I was thinking as I watched the show. Sadie had giggled as Pamela had touched her (Sadie’s) wrist, and with a ticklish touch, had let her fingers brush along the girl’s sides, doubling Sadie over giggling. Pamela laughed right along with he. Sadie was eating it all right up, blushing red at all of Pamela’s flattering words and the pleasant touch of her long, quite nimble fingers.

  

Pamela then told the girl to better shoo on about her business. I could see the relief in Sadie’s eyes that an adult had not scolded her for being out on her own, and had instead treated her like a real grown up girl! She turned skipping merrily towards my hiding spot. I shrunk back into the shadows, watching from a crack. Sadie came past, her shiny dress fluttering as she still was skipping happily on her own secret mission.

  

I then looked back at Pamela. She was still standing there, watching Sadie with a rather interesting smirk playing along her ruby red lips. After a long few seconds Pamela briskly turned and headed purposefully back inside, again using the very door that both Sadie and I had used to come into the garden.

  

I watched her disappear inside, my mind reeling over what had just transpired between Pamela and poor unwary Sadie.

 

I had watched, captivated and captured, the whole affair with awed astonishment...

 

Now, of course I have met several male pickpockets, including the one who had mentored me. But never given much thought that there would be any female ones, until now. For as I had watched in amazement as in a much quicker fashion, and using much more honed methods, than ever I would manged to accomplish. Pamela had first lifted and slipped Sadie’s sparkly pendent and gold braided chain effortlessly away from the poor thing not!). Then, focusing on Sadie’s hand, she had greedily, ever so gently caressed ,Sadie’s fingers while slipping off the enticing sapphire and diamond ring from her pinkie finger with an almost effortless simplicity of ease. Thus only Leaving Sadie’s dangling earrings, expensively and beckoningly, last on her list!. Pamela had then, with great finesse, managed to pluck the pretty sparklers off from delicate earlobes, one by one, as the pair of ladies had giggling away, their fore heads touching in a conspiracy like manner.

  

Mulling over the entire bit of Pamela’s’ inspiring achievement, I gave some careful thought to the situation as it now existed, whilst I waited for the coast to clear.

  

Now, I had learned earlier through idle gossip, that that the function Pamela and her “son” Lucius had been attending was rather posh, fancy dress bit of a wedding. It was taking place, or had been, at the big cathedrals ballroom in Cambridge. I figured that Her “son” Lucius, if indeed the handsome youth was her son atoll, ( I had wondered what the Pam Pam bit was all on about!) must be the spotter, giving Pamela information on the jewels of the girls he had met and probably danced and cajoled with.

  

Pamela, tipped off ahead of time, must then have moved in and worked her talents, magically making the chosen victims jewels mysteriously disappear. I wondered how many times the team struck gold (diamonds?) tempting fate before wisely knowing when to vanish before the wealthy guests finally figured something was not on the up an up due to the fact that their jewels were vanishing at an alarming rate?

  

Quite a charmingly practiced team indeed. I found meself wondering how much they had gotten away with ?, And now they had come back here , playing their tricks, putting a nice bit of shimmering icing on their already jewel gem encrusted cake!

 

(While doing research on the Journal, an undergrad was able to match up some of the incidents Sabastien described , including the ones that occurred at the Riverside, to police reports of unsolved thefts during the same time frame! Since it is highly unlikely that any arrest could be made( even if the suspects are still alive) by solely using the journals’ entries, said cases will most likely remain unsolved. Though in some a footnote has been made in the official files. the eds…)

  

I looked at the door leading back into the ball room. The one Pamela had just used a minute or so ago. I wondered if she had a purpose in mind, another well adorned victim, previously preselected and carefully observed. A vision of Jacklyn suddenly popped into me head. The last of the three. If that was where Pamela was heading, I knew of a shortcut to the dining area!

  

Now I was determined to beat Pamela at her own game….. go to play out a gambit. For there was yet one of the trio still in play, the fair damsel Jackelyn! I rose and went up the path, my mind traveling inside to her, as she had sat alone at the table after Sadie had passed me.

  

My vision went to her, imagining that she was still put, sitting alone at her table, wallowing in her self-induced misery….Jackie was wearing a soft gown of long purple silk that fell fluttering in layers from her shoulders down to her high heeled lavender painted toes.. Each layer was adorned with long fringed threads that swayed every time she moved. Her jewels were far pricier than Sadie’s, all genuine sapphires ringed with small diamond chips. They had consisting of a dainty jewelled necklace ,small dangling earrings, brooch on one shoulder and matching bracelets and rings, one on each wrist and hand.

  

A thought played out that I should not take any risks, bird in hand and all of that usual bit. But I felt an overwhelming urge to take something sparkling from at least one of the triplets, and to silently beat Pamela. For now I was sure that Pamela had Jacklyn in her heinous sights!

 

Or I could just leave right then and there, but where would the fun in that be! I ask of thee?

  

So, on a lark, I headed to the third entrance off the garden. A secluded door stuck in a corner that led to an upstairs corridor that looked down over the banquet hall. The hall below containing the tables where I had seen Jacklyn and Sadie brooding sulkily earlier. It would get me there far quicker than it should reasonably take Valentina who had to travel across the crowded ballroom before reaching the area.

  

Reaching the door , I waited a few precious seconds before slipping inside. I made my way up the stairs and into the seldom used , quite deserted corridor. I made my way, hugging the wall and staying in the shadows. The banquet hall came into a birds eyed view. I looked down and saw a flicker of a rich purple Silken gown at one of the tables. Jacklyn was still there, and she was alone, none of the other tables were occupied, everyone appeared to be on the dance floor, except for a small group with their backs to the dining area as they huddled by a roaring fire in the large stone hearth.

  

All I had to do was go down the back staircase, and walk up behind Jacklyn and make my move. It was a perfect set up, or would have been. For as I studied Jacklyn, while making my way to the stairway, I could not make out any sparkling signs of her expensive sapphires. which was odd, for they had ever so sparkled, winking vexingly at me as I was talking to Bunny.

  

I Made my way down stairs to the banquet hall floor, and started to stalk ever so carefully towards the unsuspecting Jackelyn. Soon I got close enough, without being spotted, to verify the reason I couldn’t see her sapphires sparkling, she was no longer wearing any of them.. She had been plucked as clean as her partner in crime, Sadie!

 

So once again, I was too be denied! But by whom? Was there yet another? A third pickpocket working the area stripping these unwary dolls of their precious baubles? Lucius perhaps?

  

I stopped in step and looked around.

  

Soon I saw her. So she had either beaten me to it, or had already visited the poor doll after I had left to follow Sadie!! Either way, she had made rather quick of it I thought , looking back at the totally unawares Jacklyn…

  

Pamela was back in the area, and had joined in with the group of four exceptionally well dressed ladies standing by the Hearth. As I watched one was hugging everyone good night, I observed her as she walked off… She was wearing a rather provocative long ruffled dress of ivory lace and satin. Her ears, wrist and fingers were home to a matching set of blood red rubies and diamonded jewellery. She was wearing no necklace, which I found conspicuous, and as I looked back towards the remainder of the group, I wondered what else, aside from Sadie and Jacklyn’s jewels, dear Pamela had buried deep inside some unseen pockets!?

  

Pamela stood amongst them as the rather shimmering decked out group prattled on. She currently had her hand on the gloved elbow of a lady in a long teal satin frock. Diamond rhinestone chains were hanging down from the ladies bobbed haired head, and a rather nice set of dazzling diamonds sparkling along the rest of her well-endowed figure, tightly outlined by her cocoon of shiny teal.

  

I looked back at Jacklyn, she had a foxy gleam in her eyes, and was happily singing to herself, obviously making plans. She was watching out towards the dance floor, oblivious to anything different. As I watched I saw her stand and move off towards the dance floor, perhaps looking for the erstwhile Sadie and Miranda?

  

I looked back to Pamela, she was already briskly moving off, her eyes on the wandering Jacklyn. I looked back at the well-dressed group she was leaving. Immediately I saw that a diamond bracelet was gone ,that quick and easy, from the lady in green teals wrist. The same arm Valentina had been so chummily holding… and I couldn’t quite put a finger as to why, but there was another member of that group wearing a brown satin gown that appeared familiar. And I had the distinct impression that there was a rather pretty diamond brooch that should have been hanging down like a glittering waterfall, from the front of that very same shiny brown gown!

   

Bollocks, I swore silently to meself , right there and then deciding to concede my intriguingly private game to the quite skilful Pamela and leave forthwith. For with a hefty satchel brimming with these wealthy guests purloined jewels in hand, it really was quite silly to keep trying riske it all on a silly parlour game of trying to outwit a fellow jewel thief! Turning sharply, I regained the stairs and again keeping against the shadows of the wall, followed the corridor to the outside exit, pausing up at the top of the stairs to see if I was being observed. I was not!

  

But my mood was anything but dark due to my missed opportunities. For I had still made quite a nice hull that evening, far more than Pamela had made from what she had taken from the triplets, and speaking of the triplets ; it twas Quite a delight to see the three of em receive their comeuppance, even if it was not done by my hand.

  

I went outside and entered the garden looked quickly around. No one was in sight. I darted behind a fountain, and watching the exit doors from the building, and the exit from the hedge for newcomers. With the coast seemingly clear, I slowly meandered my way down the path to the exit from the garden. The exit was in the form of a rather fancy wood trellis with red climbing moss roses set in the hedge. As I walked I heard voices, and looking back I saw all three of the triplets by a corner gazebo, talking with Lucius.

  

I could see nothing sparkly from anywhere on any the poor lassies figures. And apparently none of the three twits had noticed they had been royally stripped down to their pretty frocks either. What a shame I said, sarcastically, to meself, feeling not a bit of pitying empathy…And I was sure that Lucius was not going to enlighten the wretched young ladies’ as to the situation either!

  

Gaining the exit I waltzed me way out . I I then, with my back to the hedge , skirted the woods and made it back to the car, unseen as far as I could know, and hope.

  

Checking the boot to make sure I hadn’t been burgled (that would have been a laugh, not!), I started the engine and drove a nice leisurely pace back to the station. I only passed two other cars, so the road was my own so I travelled with comfort and ease, and made it to the train station without incident.

  

I gained my seat with 35 minutes to spare..

Figuring I would be the last on, I snuggled down and prepared to sleep the hours till the next stop (Chelsea which was about 2 hours away where I would meet up with my luggage, having the clerk telegraph ahead to have it taken off for me)

  

The train blew a last call whistle at 5 minutes to leaving. Suddenly there was a bustle of activity as two passengers scurried on. Cutting it close I thought.

  

Sure enough they were, and it turned out to be none other than Pamela and Lucius. Lucius was attentively carrying a large carpetbag, and I was pretty sure I knew some of its contents. Neither had changed costume, so they must have had a car loaded and ready for a quick exit.

 

They breezed past me without a glance and disappeared into the back bowels of the train.

  

I pulled me hat down over the eyes and pretended to be asleep , dozing for a quick kip as it were , while they passed by…

No need to chance uneasy recognition.

 

My mind, far from sleeping, now started to whirl with all sorts of thoughts upon the new development in me plans! Just as the train was pulling out at midnight I was pondering over those two, and the shiny contents of a certain carpet bag.

 

Now the express only stopped at larger cities, a total of 5 more stops on the route before that last at Surrey..

  

As I had said Chelsea was the next stop, and if Pamela and luscious did not depart the train with me at that stop, the next one was 4 hours away in Hampshire, which had a rather respectable police presence, no less than 2 chief detective inspectors

 

So I thought to meself, If the pair were to stay on the train, and the Hampshire constabulary were to receive an anonymous wire about what the contents of a certain carpet bag has to do with some nefarious activities occurring at Riverside Inn, Cambridge earlier that evening. And if the triplets jewels were returned, than it would mean that they were back in play for me to follow them home and try to steal the pretties for meself at a later date! It was a rather warming thought indeed!

 

Or, I additionally reasoned, I could give honour to the supposed thieves code and keep me tongue?

But than, I ask of ye, where would the fun be in that?

  

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Editors Note:

The journal has been ended at this point deliberately to maintain an element of mystery to the tellin.

However, without giving too much away.

We can reveal that there was at least a third visit that Sabastien made to the Riverside some years later, possibly this is when the trunk was left behind unclaimed.

During this visit he once again met up with one of the triplets, a bit older, a bit more posh, and a bit more of a bratty glib . She was also adorned with far more enticing baubles….. So it was no great deliberation on Sabastian’s part to come away from that rather unexpected reunion with a nice bit of added acquisitions. He accomplished this feat in ( his words) a rare trifecta; Burgling, lifting(pickpocketing), and stealing jewels from the same female victim in a 24 hour period!

 

And that is where the fun in that would be!

 

Monday 30th November 2020.

Camera: Voigtländer Prominent 35mm rangefinder.

Lens: Voigtländer 35mm Skoparon f/3.5.

Film: Ilford FP4 Plus ISO 125 black & white negative.

Development: ID-11 1 + 1 20C/12m.

More information about this historically significant Hobart church is available here: www.scotschurch.com.au/

 

The late Brenda Hean was the regular organist of Scots Church, prior to her unsolved disappearance in 1972.

 

Copyright 2020 Brett Rogers

All Rights Reserved

by Pere Saguer

Published by Bad Weather Press

www.badweatherpress.com

More pics:

vimeo.com/14830007

Staghurst Noir

Just Desserts

A Prologue… of sorts:

Dickenson, Poe, Doyle and a bevy of other Victorian era Authors like to play on the stigma that the wealthy are often times arrogant, rude and for the most part, out of touch with the realities faced by most of us. Thus the wealthy were often portrayed in their tales with a quite stunningly bad light as their capers were recorded.

 

It has been mostly said they did this because their readers,( mostly poorer , common laborers) liked to hear of the wealthy’s misfortunes because it made them feel better about their own standing in life.

 

But, truth be told, most of the Victorian era tragedies of the wealthy were not entirely fiction. Because the antics of the very wealthy of those long ago periods could be both at times, incredibly rude, and often quite unbelievable, with more than enough fodder for untold series of tales.

 

The following tale, set sometime in the early to mid 1900’s, is not quite Victorian. Nor does it reflect on all wealthy personages, most of whom we are quite sure treat their poorer fellow beings in anything but a civilized and caring manner, both with respect and dignity of the upmost caliber!

 

But there are always exceptions; and this tale, being one of them, is certainly a peek in the window, a brief study if you will, of the how some of those well-born’s are capable of their own calibre of villainy…..

 

The tale told below is pretty much based on fact, skeletons dragged from a long shut closet.

The names, places and era have been clouded, so please do not associate these events with any known personages, living or recently deceased.

 

We could not have made a story like this up, and have actually toned down the more brutal of its aspects.

We do ask that anyone who has a quite sensitive nature, please not read on any further. For those of you who do choose to read on, please prepare yourself for some rather rude pleasantries ……

 

So here goes it…….

 

Staghurst Noir

Acte 1: Impetuous

 

It sits broodingly upon the hill it commands.

The large manor house named Staghurst, a giant gothic structure with an imposing view of the moors that are spread out below the valley over which it regally presides. Its many stone turrets are as much foreboding and sinister looking as the great Manors’ current mistress, a lady known for her abominable temper and incredibly violent short fuse.

To match the mood of this tale of woe, it should start out on a gloomy, fog-filled day, as the weather quite commonly is on the moors.

But as it happens, our tale starts on one of those rare, pleasant, cheery sun filled afternoons.

Our first Acte opens inside Staghurst, up in the North tower.

 

A pretty mid-teens woman wearing a prim starched black uniform with a frilly white apron, her long hair held up under a regulation white cap, is making her way up the long curved double wide mahogany stairway to the Master and Mistress’s Master Bedrooms, with its adjoining sitting room. She is carefully carrying a freshly laundered, rather gorgeous, purple satin gown, still warm from the iron. On the servant’s face is an expression of deep dread.

 

As the downstairs servant ( Fanny) finally reached the second landing, she stops to catch her breath, and her wits, before entering the open double doors of the Lord and Mistress’s sitting room. Now, in other great houses, some servants would refer to their employers as His Lord, and Her Ladyship, but not the servants of Staghurst, where there is little sign of respect or reverence. Those feelings are unknown, erased away by fear and intimidation.

 

Fanny cautiously opens the door and feels relief wash over her. She was supposed to have had the gown in the sitting room 20 minutes ago. So she is relieved to see that neither of em, Lord or Mistress, are present. Which means to her that she has escaped a flogging this time, and also it means she can begin spewing immediately the gossip news from downstairs that’s “ bin welling up inside her”.

 

A young teen servant, Maggie, wearing the same uniform as Fanny, is seated at the large vanity across the room, her back to the door. As the door opens, she had flinched, then looking up, is thankful to see reflected in the mirror that it is Fanny entering. Maggie turns away from the oak side board where she had been diligently cleaning an extensive, glittering array, of fine jewelry, and admonishes Fanny. Look here girl, if the Mistress, , had been her to see you bringing the laundry up late again… She doesn’t finish her sentence, watching as Fanny places a hand to her back( and the freshly scarred tissue that lies there underneath her uniform), both know what the outcome would have been for not doing a proper job of their duties.

 

Careful Maggie, Fanny warns, that’s what I wanted to tell you, she whispers quickly as she lays out the gown most carefully out over a fainting sofa, lest she causes a wrinkle in the delicately expensive fabric. Fanny addressed the upstairs maid Maggie by her name, something she would not have been permitted to do if the mistress had been there hovering. Fanny continues on, catching her breath before spilling it all out to Maggie:

 

The Mistress is in in a fouler mood than usual, Fanny states, watching with question as Maggie flinches. This morning her horse stepped on her heel and both the poor beast and Lord Edmunds’ stable boy, Tim, who had been holding the horse, received a most thorough thrashing from her crop.

 

Maggie flinched, she was sweet on Tim, but the Ladyship frowned upon such nonsense between servants, so it was a secret to most.

 

“Then at lunch, at lunch Fanny continues, Mistress threw a banger at cook because it wasn’t to her liken, an don’t even ask me to repeat what she said to the Masters butler when he tried standing up for cook”, she catches her breath, “why I’ll be going to confession for just hearing them!. Fanny watched as Molly’s eyes started to brim over with tears, not understanding fully why.

 

Better get yer self-going Fanny, Maggie Warned, don’t let Mistress catch ye up here! Fanny quieted her tongue, but not before one last warning; Make sure the ladyships jewels are cleaned perfectly to er liken, you know how she likes to flaunt, especially at this evenings ball for the Dowager.

 

Maggie watched as her fellow servant left to the room, then sighed deeply, wiping her eyes dry, before she resumes her work.

 

Maggie felt bad for poor Tim, like as not, the Mistress had pulled too hard on the horse’s bridal, causing it pain, making it stamp its hoof. But then all things said, she knew how poor Tim felt. Maggie placed a hand to the welt on her check. She had received it this morning when the Mistress back handedly slapped her servant when the tortoise shell comb Maggie was using on The Mistress’s hair, caught a knot, Pullin it. She looks up at the closing door, shuddering as she awaits for her employer to return.

 

Closing the door behind her, Fanny starts to bustled her way back to work in the kitchen, taking the backstairs, it would not do well for her be seen upstairs by the Mistress as she was coming up to prepare for her evening out at the Ball.

 

But Fanny was not quite quick enough, as she made her way from the sitting room doorway. She fails to hear her employers muffled footsteps reaching the carpeted landing of the main stairs. The Mistress and The Lordship turned the corner, and like a mouse caught stealing cheese, Fanny froze in her tracks, as they spot her.

 

Here now, whatcha you doing you little tramp, The Mistress screeches, and pounces like a hissing cat upon the mousy Fanny ( for the record, house cats avoid living in the manor, yet there is little evidence of mice being around either, an enigma that has not gone unnoticed by the household servants.) Wasting yer time gossiping are you! and The Mistress raises a hand and strikes Fanny across the face. The sound of flesh upon flesh echo’s down the back stairwell. As she is struck, Fanny turns away, and the Mistress kicks the poor servant with the pointed toe of a riding boot, causing the servant to lose her footing. Get out of my sight, The Mistress yells, as Fanny tumbles helplessly down the uncarpeted wood stairs like some lifeless rag doll

 

Without even looking to see how hurt the servant is, the Mistress resumes her conversation with her husband Edmund, The Lordship, as they enter the sitting room. You there! The Mistress yells at Maggie, what have I told you about talking to the downstairs servants instead of doing your work. Keep it up missy, and you will have more of the same punishment that I gave you a taste of this morning. Now draw my bath, The Mistress gave a smart swat on the back of the servants head, as Maggie rose and tried to scurry past.

******

Watch for Act 2 Vile

************************************************************************************

 

I decided to go with a different murder, since the Black Dahlia's was too much to me.

 

This crime was very interesting, but there's just a few information about it:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlas_Vampire

 

I tried to represent it as close as possible.

And I used both modes we could choose from in just one picture (read the notes) :)

 

Note that in the real case, the victim was found days later. My picture represents her dead when it just occurred.

Staghurst Noir

Acte 4: Reprisal

The Mistress flicks on the speaker, how much further man!

 

Almost out of this area ma’am, the Chauffer tells The Mistress, relief in his voice, as he thinks to himself that this was certainly not a good idea, to be motoring around in this area of the city! He continues on after a brief pause, then we will have some open road and I can make up for any time lost by red lights. Capital, the master says from the back, while The Mistress just lets out a snort. She then grab Edmund’s arm, soon we will realize all our dreams and be wealthy beyond all reason she hisses opportunely.

 

But, No sooner do the words leave her mouth, than with a loud bang, a back tyre of the Rolls Royce bursts, and the large car is brought to a hobbled stop. No one notices the shadowy figure darting from behind a bobby’s patrol box and slipping back into an alleyway across the street.

 

The chauffer gets out examining the damage. It’s a flat, Lordship, he states to his passengers, I will have to get the spare. It will go quicker with less weight on the back tyres he tells the couple in the back seat.

 

The Lordship and the Mistress begrudgingly come out of the back.

What caused it, Reginald? A bit of a shard of green glass, lodged in the tyre Sir! From that street tramps bottle no doubt, The Mistress snaps. Reginald said nothing, knowing that the bottle had been of clear glass, not green.

 

Hurry up then The Mistress shrilly shrieks, then she starts in on Edmund and how this is all his fault. Reginald looks at the bicker couple. Hurry, she says, he mumbles under his breath. The Mistress doesn’t have to be worrying about me hurrying the job, not with us being stranded in the worst part of the city, and with er dolled up the way she is. He glances at The Mistress standing on the sidewalk as he unfastens the flat, discern fully taking in account ,all of her shimmering opulence,

 

Opulence was an understatement, Reginal thought to himself, his eyes playing over the Pair ( and his were not the only ones!)The tailored long purple satin gown The Mistress is wearing, tightly cut to show off her still quite pleasant figure, shimmers as it is bathed in the dim light of a nearby flickering gas lamp. The ¼ sleeved gown covers her ample breasts, and falls spilling down to where it swishes about the spiked heels, dyed to match the gowns coloure perfectly. Over the gown she is wearing a matching bolero style satin jacket, with rhinestones running up each side and around the jackets collar. This shimmering ensemble is all peeking out from the long white sable cape she is wearing, though it is not all that cold this time of year, The Mistress is wearing it only to flaunt it about, much like her jewels.

 

From underneath the capes diamonded clasp hangs a part of those jewels ; the magnificent necklace, shimmering with 3 descending tiers of sapphires and diamonds. The Mistress’s long hair is up, held by a thin Tierra of brite diamonds. From her ears swing long glittering earrings, the gems and design matching her necklace. Wrapped around each of her svelte wrist are wide bracelets of diamonds, 5 rows wide, the middle row of each holding a string of diamonds a full 5 Carets . Slipped on 4 slender claw like fingers are rings, two of diamonds, two of Sapphires and Diamonds, all are rather large, probably a total of 10 carets in gems each. There was more value in pound notes in her jewelry than an average family living in these slums would see in a lifetime, he reckoned.

 

Reginald shakes his head, still mumbling, words to the effect that her he was, with a wealthy lady standing on the curb in this neighborhood, carrying around a small of fortune of jewels a she was, it would not be long before… but he never finishes the statement, for at that moment a petite figure detaches herself from the shadows of the alleyway directly behind the wealthy couple….

 

It was a young girl no older than the servant Maggie, dressed like a gypsy, a colourefully long silken l tiered skirt, white full sleeved blouse, and several silk scarves. Her slightly slanted, intelligent eyes were a brite green, flicking back and forth, taking in everything as she moved with an almost feline grace.

 

‘Ello Guvner, she said, slinking up behind The Lordship Edmund. Both the Lordship and The Mistress jump, stopping their bickering to take on this new threat. Reginald just ignores the action, working quickly to fix the roll’s tyre, figuring that at least he should be able to make a quick get-away if need be.

 

The girl wraps an arm around Edmunds waist, giggling, she swirls around in front of him, lifting up his bow tie. Wotcher yor doing in this parts, my pretty man, she teases, her voice seductively appealing. Edmunds face changes several shades of red. The Mistress moves in, and grabbing the young girl’s hand like she would a servant, pulls her briskly away from the rather awe struck Edmund. Look ere Missy, The Mistress screeches as the girl looks into her eyes. The Mistress notices that, unlike her servants, the young gypsy is not showing any fear, only a type of wry amusement. Look ere now, The Mistress says again, you getca your tarty ass out of here, and back into the hellish place you came from!

 

The Gypsy girl just smiles, looking at The Mistress like she had just said something profoundly canny, as she takes her free hand and pats the wrist of the hand holding hers tightly, Sorry Mum, didn’t mean no harm innit. The gypsy’s words and her cool demeanor, combined to let out a bit of steam from The Mistress’s rage. She lets go of the Gypsy girl’s hand, just leave us be, The mistress hisses. The Gypsy girl smiles wide, pats The Mistress on her backside, purring the words, will do so mum, but she dosen’t start to move, instead she darts her now free hand inside the mistress sable, and reaching up to the Mistress’s throat, lifts up the necklace. Pretty thing this me Lady, she smarms her words as her eyes meet and capture the Mistress‘s budging eyes . The young gypsy drops the necklace, and saunters off and goes back down the dark alleyway, with the Lord Edmund and The Mistress watching her, open mouthed, both rather in rage and shock at impertinence they had just witnessed.

 

Edmund looks at his wife, pulling a handkerchief from his waist coat, and wiping his reddened face with it. Of all the impudence Edmund, The Mistress says to him, er parents should have taught that one some manners, and if we were’nt in such a hurry, I would have done so Meself! Edmund just shakes his head in agreement, stuffing his silken handkerchief back into his waist coat pocket, he reached for his gold pocket watch to see how much time they have lost, but feels nothing but air. Wait, he stammers, my watch, the tramp, she lifted my watch his lordship utters in disbelief. The Mistress clucks at him, probably dropped off in the car after the last time you checked it, Edmund, you are always losing things!

 

She waves her hand under his nose, while she chastises him. The she suddenly looks at her bare wrist, shrieking, my bracelet, its gone. Me diamonds, The filthy tart has em! Edmund, go get it back. Edmund turns and begins to slowly, reluctantly, move towards the dark entrance to the alleyway where the thief had vanished. Move on you poor excuse for a man, The Mistress takes his arm, and pulls him along, I’ll go with you to make sure you do the job proper, she snarls, enraged that someone would have the audacity to steal her jewels from right under her nose, especially some filthy vagrant that looked no different than one of er idiot servants!

 

They both turn the corner, disappearing down the alleyway where the gypsy girl had vanished.

 

Reginald had looked up, watching them leave, shaking his head, but giving no voice to warning. He fails to notice the shadowy figure creeping along from the alley way on the opposite side of the road that slips behind the call box directly across from the Rolls. .

 

10 minutes later, as Reginald finishes with the tyre. He looks towards the alley for his still absent lord and mistress. He decides that he probably should drive off to get help, and makes for the driver’s seat. Suddenly he is coshed over the head with a tyre iron,and falls lifeless to the ground. A shadowy figure pushes him in the back, and getting behind the wheel, carefully drives off down the quickly smog filling avenue.

 

As the great car turned down a far corner, all was silent along the now deserted street and it’s walkways. A wind blew down through, swirling the fog, rustling leaves and bits of rubbish about, the only signs of movement.

 

But then, in the distance, a figure shuffles from around the opposite corner from where the stolen Rolls Royce had turned. The figure is wearing a uniform of the local constable, who is coming to one end of his nightly beat. Checking doors, relighting lamps, he slowly moves down the block, eventually passing the alleyway where the Gypsy girl had lured the wealthy Lord and Mistress of Staghurst manor.

 

He walks about five paces past the alley, when he suddenly stops, turns tail and walks back to its black entrance. As he peers curiously down its murky depths, something startles him, and he places a whistle to his lips…..

 

End of Acte 4, Watch for Acte 5 coming soon

 

Dolls to Tea

Time frame -- The Gilded age

Season -- Autumn

 

Back in the early 20’s there was at the time ( and still is today) a rather large hotel/Inn located just 20 minutes’ motor ride from Cambridge. For the sake of a name, we will generically call it The Riverside Inn….

  

It had been built almost 2 hundred years ago around a natural mineral spring long said to have healing benefits by drinking or bathing. The pamphlets for the place promised ‘ Here, for just a two week stay, almost miraculous cures for a litany of ailments are promised simply by imbibing of the water’.

Gullibly wealthy guests from all over the realm come to visit, lured in by those intriguing promises of great well-being.

The hotel still stands in this modern age of cells rap,and mini motels…

But allow us to take the reader back, back in the hotels sometimes murky past, to a time when Jazz was all the rage and socialization was held firmly under thumb by some rather imposing hierarchy led standards. AKA, if you weren’t in their circles, you just did not exist… which made it far too easy for certain talented scoundrels to ply their nefarious trades…..

  

This story is taken from a dusty, tattered old journal kept in the study archives of Chatwick University. It was discovered in an old 1930’s era steamer trunk found in a dark corner of the Riverside Inn’s basement.

The trunk, containing a males’ possessions, was tucked away amongst a rather old, musty collection of unclaimed luggage and steamer trunks, filled with clothes and other artefacts from bygone ages. These trunks were being examined during the early 1950’s in an effort to gather materials for several new display cases.

The rather unique journal was turned over to a university professor by the authorities’ for investigation. The Journal contained entries made in the mid-(19) twenties and concerned, well you will read bout it soon enough…

  

The gentleman who kept the journal had written a first name on the inside cover… the name was Sabastien

Here is the story… Mostly in his words

^^^^^^^^^^^^

  

“This journal entry was made during my second visit to the Riverside, nearly 4 years after the first, plenty of enough time given for short memories to have forgotten previous, rather encroaching, incidents.”

What follows is a description of Sabastien’s two week stay at the rather ancient resort/hotel called Riverside. He details in full observations about his fellow guests, noting especially the females, , members of their entourage, their dress on certain evenings, the jewels they wear on those times, as well as their everyday jewels. Chronicles are also made of movements, habits, rooms occupied and a multitude of lists that would be far too much for this story. So we have just condensed his story to the relevant facts and descriptions pertaining to the gyst of his story….

If interested in reading these rather lengthy entries, please contact the Criminology Department of Chatwick University.

We will start out story on the events recorded on Sabastiens’s final day… The EDS.

  

It was a rather balmy fall day, that Saturday Afternoon that I was planning to leave. It had been quite an interesting week spent, as noted previously, and I was all too ready to leave now that my plans had been finalized and strategies worked out for my next adventure, as I always preferred to call them.

 

…..

 

The hotels motor car was not due for some 30 minutes, my trunk had been packed and ready for transportation to the railyard since breakfast, so I decided to entertain me self by going down one last time for afternoon Tea in the outside garden area.

 

I always enjoyed afternoon tea’s here, meandering amongst the well attired, wealthy guests, most of whom were under the impression that I was one of their class. If they only knew the truth!

 

The men dapper in day suits, straw hats and dangling thick gold and silver watch chains, and clutching ivory handled canes.

 

Their ladies were enchanting in their afternoon frocks, hats and parasols, their shimmering day jewels flickering an appealing display of colourful lights.

 

Ah yes, the ladies… The whole lot of em were mascaraed and lipsticked up, reminding me, not for the first time, like so many well-dressed posh dolls. Dolls at tea I was constantly thinking..Genuine Dolls, with genuine jewels my mind always added… For there-in lay opportunism, but for a different game than the one I was currently playing!

 

This is basically how the scene played out every afternoon in the Inns’ proper English back garden, complete with encircling hedge!

  

Today was no bloody exception.

 

As I leaned against the post of a deserted gazebo and watched with interest as the above thoughts played about in me head…

 

I let meself travel back to a time when as kids, my twin sister and I were shooed outside to play on a brite sunny afternoon. Sis had met a friend, and I had gone alone for a tramp in the woods. As I was coming back into the garden I saw me twin sister and a friend, both dressed up in some of their mums old shiny dresses, wearing some bits of play jewellery. They were pretending to have a tea party and had collected an assortment of dolls which they circled about. One of em, a larger one in a shiny pink ruffled frock, was wearing a small rhinestone necklace that sparkled in the sun. I walked past as sis and her friend pouring the tea for a rather dishevelled clown doll across form the doll in pink. With their backs adventitiously turned away, I walked past and whisked away the necklace, with the intention of waiting till the girl’s noticed so I could tease them a bit.

 

When the pair satisfactorily discovered the doll’s, necklace had gone dodgy, they discovered my hiding place and chased me around trying to get it back. One thing led to another and we discovered a new game.

 

We called it Robing hood at tea, me sister having an infatuation with the bowman thief!

 

They would set their dolls about wearing jewels. I would try to find them and, while avoiding the sheriffs guards ( the girls) , lift the doll’s jewels and try to make it back to Sherwood forest uncaptured with the girls usually in chase if I was discovered. Basically it was a mixture of cops n robbers and hide and seek.

 

My mind drifted back to the present, I let my eyes travel as I rested in my perch, pondering.

 

It twas an intriguing thought though, I mean, what if some of these ladies, all dressed and bedecked in real jewels, had been actual life size porcelain dolls? How easy it would be to walk past some of them whilst avoiding the guards, and become a far richer man for it? Of course, for me it was more than just fantasizing, but I would not allow meself to mix any pleasure whilst I was still out on business.

  

I straightened, stretched, and with my thoughts still in mind, started to head over to a group of ladies that had just wondered out after refilling their china teacups. One of em was wearing a necklace and earrings dripping of rhinestones. Her name was Theodora ( Teddi for short) and I called her privately “The Flamingo” for she was always fetchingly dressed in some shade of pink.

Today was no exception, a frilly frock of pink island coral. I fell in place beside her, and her jewels…which I, for the reasons given above, was obviously being vexed enough by to get a closer look at!

 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

After a bit, I left the enchanting Teddi, and continued walking around , joining various groups of chattering guests, and making small talk for about another half of an hour, behaving me self like quite the proper (mock) gentleman.

Soon I observed the hotels car pull in and a chauffeur exited and disappear inside. He promptly reappeared, followed by a lad carrying me trunk. I caught the chauffeurs eye and taking my leave of a of a rather fetchingly cross-eyed red haired Irish lass by the name of Cybele Gealach, I kiss’d her well ringed fingers, while studying with wry amusement her emerald bracelets as they slipped down from her inviting wrist in a shower of sparks. She smiled prettily at me, and I bathed meself in one last look at her lovely figure, resplendent in a green satin frock, with a pretty display of jewels as green as the emerald isles themselves, before I forced meself to turn and head over to the path leading from the garden to the car park.

  

But to some trepidation, I found me path was blocked at the end by the “triplets”, standing under an old chestnut tree, amusing themselves.

  

The triplets now were a trio of young gangly 16 year old “ladies” who fancied themselves as being proper grown up adults! Thicker than thieves that lot was, and possessed no less a mischievous thievish outlook upon happily creating misery for others! And there they were, looking all pretty and innocent in the dappled sunlight that was coming through the grove of chestnut trees. A group of charming angels, to all outward appearances, these young ladies could be mistaken for……! Never mind, even in me private journal I am unable to put down the word!

But then, appearances can be a bit deceiving….

  

My personal nickname for these pet peeves was the triplets , even though they all had different mothers, and for all I know different fathers. Two were cousins, the third belonged to a wealthy lady( hell, they were all wealthy ladies there, now, weren’t they?) named Beverly whom I had become rather great chums with, when her youngest daughter Sadie and friends were not around that is!.

  

The three girls set themselves apart from most of the other children their age by being rather snooty, stuck up and all too very self-important. The lot liked to be dressed up, insisting on wearing their Mothers’ good jewellery rather than costume that most girls their age wore. This all made themselves to appear far older than the 16 years they were. They also liked to huddle about and make snide comments loud enough so that their victim was quite aware of what they were saying. . And they were always willing to play the innocent children, the all pure and sweetness role , if things got too hot, or their gullible parents got involved.

  

They were Pretty.. pretty much damn near an annoyance any time I ( and most others I noticed with satisfaction) I encountered them…

  

But now there was nothing to do but walk past the triplets as they stood there chatting away in aimless abandon.

  

I approached and tipping my hat to the three, watched as all three heads turned away, averting my saltation. I heard sassy Sadie say loudly enough to reach my ears( no accident), in her habitually whining voice, wonder where that repulsive prat is goin? Away for good, hopefully!, I heard her sulky cousin Jackelyn chime in, and homely Miranda just giggled, or cackled was it?

  

I tried to walked nonchalantly past, but as I did something struck me smartly at the back of me head. I turned, but the three had their backs to me, giggling … No tellin which one had done it, but I was pretty sure there was one less horse chestnut sitting at their feet. Who’s did they think they was playin at.., a bloody Pulcinella?

  

Now I could have behaved meself like a proper gentleman and kept on walking as if nothing had occurred and let them have their little laugh. But what would be the fun in that?

 

So I turned and faced their lovely shiny backsides.

 

“Oi’ Miranda”, I called out cheerfully like I was greeting a well liked friend.

 

The tallest of the trio, and far less pretty, Miranda, was a blonde lass, fetchingly wearing a party dress of sage satin and lace, with pearls that dangled about , now turned and looked at me with arched eyes. She was showing a most unfavourable expression upon her puckered face as she threw back her long brown hair, pearled earrings swinging gaily. I knew she had to have been taken aback that I knew her name, but it did not show.

 

The other two looked also, on ready to pounce at me next move, I saw Sadie quickly glance over at her mother Beverly, making sure she was close enough to scurry to her daughters rescue..

 

For disclosure the cousins, their names were Jackelyn and Sadie. Both lassies were brunettes, of the same height and shapely build. Jackelyn was wearing a rather adultish cocktail dress of flowing purple silk, with brite silver chains decorating her figure. Sadie was wearing a velvet long sleeved French Frock, and her jewels were obviously an adults seed pearls with diamond clasps. If I had been up to the challenge of playing that robin hood game, Sadie’s pearls would have been the most desirable objective of all.

 

But I digress…

 

As Miranda and her “clowder” looked on I smiled and said…

 

Ta’ Miranda, almost forgot, Lucius said he would meet you in the gardens at ten tonight..

(Lucius was a 17 year old playboy with Italian good looks that all three had been playing for after he had arrived with his Mother, a vivacious raven haired lady by the name of Pamela) several days ago..

  

I turned heel abruptly and walked away with a purpose. After lobbying that bombshell into their midst I figured that jealousy should rear its vindictive head and do the rest of the damage. It would be ever quite a delight to see the three of em receive some comeuppance

  

I heard nothing from them as I walked away, and made it to the waiting car without further incident ( or thrown horse chestnuts).

  

The ride in the hotel’s car was rather dull, and unexciting. I arrived at the train station with 45 minutes to spare, saw my trunk on the train, and carrying my black valise headed off across the street to a pub for a spot of rhine steak and kidney pie( a item never found on a classy Riverside Menu) , along with two pints of house bitters to wash the lot down with.

 

I took my time, not even budging when the train, ten minutes late, whistled for the final departure.

 

I got to the station just as the departing train was just disappearing around the corner.

 

Appearing breathless I explained to the station master my predicament , and he told me that there would be no other train heading out till 2:00 am! ( a fact that I was well aware of, but I kept it on the quiet) Mocking my displeasure, I paid for a second ticket and had the master cable ahead to secure my trunk.

  

Taking my valise I went into town and found a place that hired out cars. Paying for 1 day in advance, I hopped in and headed back to the Riverside. There I made my story of woe known to a chosen few that I had missed my train and had decided to come back to pass the time.

  

Fortunately there was always enough going on to help pass the time ( one could almost feel Sabastien winking as he wrote this, especially considering what mischief follows ….the eds)

  

Traditionally, every weekend on Saturday there was a 5 course meal served (formal attire required) followed by a posh ball held for the guests in the elegant Regal ballroom located at the end of the Inns west wing, with a full orchestra playing. ( The ballroom still exists, but has since been turned into a modern dinner play theatre..the eds)

  

After supper I meandered out to the gardens while most of my fellow guests headed over to the ball room’s bar to start drinking their way into the night’s festivities. The Orchestra started up promptly at 8 and soon the ballroom was filled with the vast majority of the guests who were staying at the hotel that week, happily dancing and socializing with not a care in the world. If they only knew of the cat amongst the pigeons.

  

With the majority of the hotels security helping out at the ballroom, and with the guests letting down what little guard they felt about protecting any of their valuables here, it was the perfect opportunity to do a bit of my business that evening in the Hotels’ East wings third floor.

  

This area was home to some to some of the better suites, occupied by the wealthiest of the Riversides’ guests. Since said guests were all happily partying their night away, I was soon to be most happily occupying my “accidental” layover by emptying their rooms safes of jewels, money notes and other small, but pretty things of value. I was certainly not unabashed, for my livelihood, my trade and pleasure in life, is being a professional jewel thief, burglar and rather skilled amateur pickpocket.

 

I added the pickpocketing bit due to the reference I have written earlier in my journal about the Robing hood at tea game I played with my sister and her friend … because it had a direct refence to my becoming a pickpocket as well as a cat burglar…

 

This was because at my suggestion, usually the girls would be in play dress up mode, which I found to add a quite alluring addition to our play. I found meself becoming tantalized by dangling jewels shimmering about them as we were involved in the game. So Robing Hode soon had a private desire, to not only take the jewels that adorned the hidden dolls, but to lift those that the dolls’ guards were wearing! At first I was caught in all my attempts at this new objective… but practice makes one perfect! And so it was that I was soon able to become quite adept at certain opportune times ,lifting the very jewels me twin sister and her friend were wearing! Using the various distractions and engaging conversations I employed, Rhinestone necklaces, bracelets, and brooches soon fell under my ever increasing light touch. This awakened in me a certain secret desire, that may been a major focal point leading me to my eventual path in life.

 

So, for having played those childhood games with my sister and her friend, I would say made me a somewhat skilled amateur pickpocket. Giving me quite a feel for some things, I guess would be a way of putting it! So much so, that even though I started out emulating that persona of a gentleman thief , being a pickpocket of certain shiny lures was at the same time, never far from me mind!

  

Then, as it so happened , I was able to meet up with a like-minded bloke who( for a price) instructed me on a few of the finer, less practiced, points of pickpocketing.

 

So I was more than prepared for the first time the opportunity arose! And once it did for the first time, I was able to relieve, quite unnoticed, a pricey necklace from around the throat of a lady I had been dancing with… Possibly not an outstanding accomplishment on its own, for some people I will admit.

 

But when taking in consideration that I had brought up the subject to a lady I had been seeing during the course of gathering information, and found her so quite intrigued by the notion that she bet five shillings against me taking a piece of her jewellery before the night was gone, says something! It proved to be a rather enticing little challenge: If she caught me with my fingers in the till, I was out a few shillings, and if she didn’t?

 

Well suffice to say, betting 5 shillings against a 1000 sovereigns worth of her jewellery was a suckers bet, and the end play was, as I paid off my bet and left ,was a whole new avenue opened to me on a way to make a nice bit of extra money between heists..

**********************************

 

So, now, with just burgling on me mind, I waited in the shadows till the party was well underway before making my move from the gardens. Once I made sure all the players/pigeons were in position, and away from their suites, I slipped away to my hired car. Once there I retrieved my valise, and in the obscurity of some nearby woods, donned a black silk face mask, holstered my rather wicked looking military stiletto knife with its finely whetted blade., and pocketed a set of well used skeleton keys.

  

Then I circled around the woods, and cut across a small bit of grass, to a seldom used service door that I had opened earlier from the inside. I than snuck up a back-service staircase to the third floor, and opened the upstairs service door leading directly onto the east wing. Making sure the coast was clear, I went into the corridor, and starting at the far end, I began to work my back down..

  

I Finished the first six suites in record time, easily locating the safes( It was not Sabastiens first time here..the eds ) and quickly opening them and scooping out their lovely contents. End result being ¾ of me valise filled. To be honest, it had almost become mechanical and a bit run of the mill at times, but the thrill that drove me( as well as living money) still held strong….So It went quite smoothly, with no interruptions, or hearing any intruding footsteps coming down the tiled hallway floor. The tiles were black and white in a chess board pattern, which made me feel that I was playin a game on chess against and unseen, probably unforgiving, master. It kept me on my toes, never knowing if a vengeful queen would appear to check ( or checkmate) my roguish Pallidum as he pilfered the fair maidens jewellery caskets !

  

My next move was on the seventh Suite. This one was a large double suite at the end of the hallway, across from rooms 8 and 9 across the hall. This room was occupied by a silly lady named( kid you not) Bunny! , and her two pretty younger sisters’. I went across and easily picked opened the locked double doors.

 

This room was a right cornucopia with not one but two bedroom safes!

 

I took the master suite located on the right first. Slipping in I took my torch around for a careful look. A large four poster was off to one side, a vanity was set up next to it, my light catching in its mirror. Holding the light firm, I watched as my shadowy form approached, filling up the mirror. Above the vanity was a pretty picture of a lady in pink lingerie reading a book as she sat in a chair, her evening dress spilling about . This picture was on a hinge, and I moved it, exposing the wall safe hidden behind. Spinning the tumblers I soon cracked it and upon opening its door was rewarded by my torch setting off a display of rather dazzling light from an open jewels case. The small safe was crammed full of other, unopened jewel boxes and cases. Quickly, holding me torch tween my teeth, I quickly opened them and dumped their quite glittery contents into my valise. Then following the same pattern I had been all evening, I closed up the safe, slide back the picture, and making sure nothing else in the room had been disturbed , or missed,by me, quickly walked out.

  

Then I made my way to the second bedroom and slipped through the door. Again I let my torch canvas the room. This time a rather small, but shimmering pinprick of light came from one of the twin beds that lay on either side of a rather large vanity. My torch, following the pinpricks, soon captured a figure laying on the bed. Quickly I turned off me torch and by the moons light streaming through a window watched with held breath, not a peep! , Cautiously I made my way to the bed. It was Khaliesi, one of the sisters ( the prettiest in my book), out stone cold.

I looked at the small table next to her where several bottles lay. I picked up a couple, one was for a cold, the other was a sleeping aid, one I knew to be strong enough to put an elephant down for the count. I turned on my torch and allowed my light cautiously go up and down her silken peach coloured nightgown that outlined her petite figure. It was a diamond bracelet upon her lovely wrist that was sending out the shimmery pinpricks . It was a beauty, worth quite a few quid and I was rather shocked it had not been locked away safe. She also was wearing an emerald ring on her pinkie.

  

Turning away I went up between the beds and slid open the middle ages themed picture above the vanity. Then quiet as a churchmouse I cracked the safe and began opened a second assortment of jewel cases and boxes.

  

This safe was a little smaller, but no less full! I finished up, locked the safe and slid back the picture. Not a peep from the sleeping lady in the bed. I let me torches light go over her again, she looked like a china doll there asleep , her colourful silk kimono making her appear even more doll like! Me light caught the living doll’s bracelet again, and beckoned out to me like some dazzling sireen..

  

For a second my mind travelled back to when me sister and I were children. Sis had been wearing a costume bracelet that shimmered like the sleeping Khaliesi, along with a quite soft long gown our mother had worn as a bridesmaid to out Aunts wedding. I had taken that very bracelet from one of her dolls during play the week before, so I knew its clasp. As sis was talking to her friend ( similarly dressed for “tea”), I ran up to them and told them I had seen a fox with her pups in the hedge. Naturally the both wanted to see it and led them to a hole in the hedge. As both girls were bending down and gawking through, I stood close enough to be able to press a certain arm between me and a silken waist, then undo the clasp the shiny bracelet form the pressed wrist and slip it off without notice….The I went over to our friend, and attempted the same maneuverer on her necklace, but was caught red handed and promptly pummled and tackled in a smothering of silk and satin until I was forced to give up my ill gotten gains!

  

Shaking me head clear of the rather pleasant memory, I focused on the task in hand. There would be no friendly pummelling if I was caught now.

 

I tip toed on over and looked down upon the lovely girl’s Bracelet encircling her wrist. It was a simple enough clasp, box style with a button on the side.. In for a penny ,I thought to meself, and I reached down and ever so gently flicked open the clasp. It lay there shimmering along the brown satin sheets of the bed. I crouched down, and watching the lass’s sleeping face, half covered with her mass of long silken black hair, , slipped away her bracelet off from under her wrist, where it fell into my palm with the whisper of a swish. I watched carful, not so much as a flutter. Then I carefully removed a glove and dipping two fingers in a obligingly placed glass of water, whetted her pinky finger, the lass was out cold, did not stir a bit as I prepared. I Than slowly worked the ring over her wetted knuckle, then simply slipped it off her finger as easy as if she had been a real life doll. Actually, almost like, one of the mannequins I head of being used by some pickpockets to train others…..I hadn’t needed a mannequin with bells, not with an obliging sister close at hand !

 

Rising from her bedside, I backed my way carefully from the room, she had never as much as budged.

  

I made it back into the main room and took a few seconds to catch my breath and take quick inventory. Both safes had been surprisingly full, with enough jewellery and cash that my small satchel was now filled to bursting.

  

I right then and there then decided that I should call it a night, an early placed Checkmate if you will, leaving the last 2 rooms on the opposite side of the hall untouched.

 

Though one of em belonged Beverly and her three daughters, one daughter being Sadie of the nefarious triplets who like tossing horse chestnuts. Their room had been on my not to be missed list, but alas, birds in hand I thought. Though I would have liked to have nicked something of Sadie’s, if only to cause her further grief for the twit’s actions earlier.

 

The last room belonged to the flamingo, the beguiling young lady named Theodora ( call me Teddi, simply everyone does luv) . Teddi was a whimsical long blonde haired, blue eyed lass always ( as I wrote about earlier), dressed in some shade of pink and usually wearing pearls. I had quite liked the lass, so probably would have given her room a miss anyway I consoled meself.

  

Un-donning my mask and placing it in my vest pocket, I placed my knife in its sheath strapped to my right leg, straightened myself nicely up in one of the rooms floor length mirrors, picked up my now weighty black valise, then headed back out to the corridor. Swiftly walking the few paces to the end, I entered the service door, and made way down the corner staircase, and out the side door leading to the back lot.

  

I cut across the green space at the back, keeping in the shadows of the tall bushes that lined it. I stopped on the inside of the exit and looked over the parking lot where I could see my rental was still parked in its corner..

  

As I stopped and looked about for any signs of quick movement, I suddenly heard a girl giggling form quite close by. . I froze, then immediately hiding the weighty valise in a small hedge, cunningly made my way around to the corner. Glad I had stopped!

  

I let my eyes quickly become accustomed to the dark, a trick I had learned when as a lad I had gone into the woods at night searching for the elusive foxfire mushroom! I tiptoed It past the corner looked around a small shrub. There, I saw the girl Miranda talking to Lucius. Both had a clear view of the car park and my car! I grinned to meself, so the silly twit had believed me and approached Lucius I thought, well all the luck to them I thought!

  

I knew that Lucius and Pamela had had plans that evening, so was a bit surprised to see him around that early?

 

I will admit That earlier I had envisioned Lucius being out of the picture and a well jewelled Amanda searching in vain for him around the darkened gardens , perfect for a good jewel lifting bumping into! It had been a nice daydream while going to the station.

 

One that note, Miranda was looking quite rather fetching in a long lime green gown of satin and chiffon, an outfit I had seen her wearing out in earlier that week. . Her accompanying jewels were also the same, glittered smartly as they were bathed in the full cloudless evenings’ harvest moons brite light. It was a rather nice set, emeralds and small diamonds. As well as an expensively complete one, hairs clip, earrings, necklace, brooch, bracelet and ring, the horse being worth far more than the buggy, as my great uncle Thomas was always found of saying..! But wait a minute, Miranda was not wearing the either necklace or the brooch of the set… twas odd I thought at the time, knowing how she liked to flaunt her mother’s pretty jewels about ?

  

I watched the show for a bit, waiting till the quite engrossed couple were distracted enough to permit my unnoticed escape. I decided to chance taking the long way around and approach form the ballroom’s front gardens so that it would not seem unusual for them to see me coming from that area. I had begun to slink back, when the pair did me a favour and moved off towards that very garden. I watched until they had disappeared around the English ivory covered stone entrance. I did not think for a minute that the pair were heading back inside, rather probably going to one of the secluded gazebos to have a bit of unobserved fun…

  

I slipped away, retrieving the valise, I made my way straight into the woods and circled out of sight back to the rental car. I Quietly opened the boot and hide the valise with its purloined contents inside, carefully closing it. locked it up and pulled out me silver pocket watch. Luck had been on me side that evening, no lie, and it had all gone so very smoothly that time was also now on me side. I had well over 3 hours left to make my train. Double checking the autos door locks, I turned and slipped back into the woods to ponder about things a bit.. .

  

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From my concealment, I looked back at the far wing, eyeballing the lights spilling out from the ballroom’s massive windows unto the green close cut grass.. The faint strands of the orchestra could be heard from inside wafting over the top f the coming mist..

  

I mulled it over a bit, In my chosen line of business, one learned not to shy away from taking risks. I will also admit I was keen on practicing up on my pickpocketing skills. I had been a good boy up till then in regards to any such thievery for fear of upsetting my planned bit of burgling.. but now that that had been accomplished in spades, I felt a simmering desire to make an attempt, but only if the situation was 110% in my favour…. Seeing Miranda all decked out had whetted my appetite for an additional score, and one of the Triplet Doll’s would be a perfect “after meal Hors d'oeuvre”! Miranda was out of the running, But her cohorts Sadie and Jacklyn were probably not!

  

Now to note, even though I had behaved meself for the whole week, opportunities to lift a few rather enticing baubles form unsuspecting lassies had come up on numerous occasions. But during that time, I remained true to my plans. But If I hadn’t, I could almost guarantee that the jewels of one, if not all of the triplets, would have fallen into my plucking grasp. So, that now I decided if I was going to try for a second bird the evening, It would make all the sense in the world to try to make an additional score one of my pet peeves….!

 

I only needed 20 minutes to drive to the train station, so I had plenty of time to re-join the party, for one last look around at the poshly dressed guests, and also to satisfy my rather wide array of curiosities.

 

I skirted back through the woods around the opposite side the Inn from where the happy couple were probably snogging. I stayed in the wood line till I reached the back garden, hidden behind some thick hedges. I knew that there was a break in those hedges behind a pagoda that I could squeeze through. I did so and cutting across the deserted gardens made my way to one of the 3 exits that led back into the ballroom/banquet halls…

  

I entered a door that was next to the restrooms and looked around at the mingling throng of guests, all decked out for the grand event. There were whole families in attendance, ladies and girls in proper gowns and dresses, decorated with all sorts of gems and jewels imaginable. The men and male youths were all dapper in starched evening dress, high collars, many of the men wearing gold pocket watches that dangling from vests, and sporting large family crested signet rings.

  

I made my way through the crowd before I spotted Ms Bunny and entourage. I wanted to find her for two reasons, the first was to make sure she saw me there (after all, what thief is going to chat it up with the person whose room he has just burgled). The second reason was the question I had as to why the safes had seemed too full of jewels. That was answered as I came up to Bunny and her other sister, none of them were wearing any jewellery, other than a small ring or two. Lucky thing for me, rather a pity for Bunny and her sisters…

  

I showed no previous knowledge of where her sister Khaliesi was , playing it nonchalant by asking if she was, dancing with some dark mysterious stranger perhaps… Bunny , twittering at my foolish jestering, admitted Khaliesi had retired upstairs, with a cold, poor dear! That explains it I thought to meself, for I had made sure all the occupants of the rooms I had planned to visit were accounted for, and I knew I had seen Khaliesi’s perky figure swishing about earlier….

  

So my curiosity satisfied, I stayed around for a bit continuing on with my socializing when I noticed someone ( jewels) of interest coming towards me….

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Now, while I had been chatted up Bunny, I had been discreetly watching a table that was in a shadowy corner of the dining area. The shadows were caused by the placement of the table under an upstairs walkway that led across the wall of the room. The stairway was used by the service staff to take food up to the guest rooms. Since most of the guests were down here partying, it was not seeing a lot of use this particular evening.

  

But getting back to the table. There were two young ladies, quite well dressed, sitting there. Both were decidedly pouting. They were none other than the other 2 thirds of the triplets ,I had been seeking. Sadie and Jacklyn! It took no genius to guess what they were sulking on about, Miranda being absent, and in their vapid minds, still probably snogging Pamela’s prodigy Lucius!

  

I had been keeping them under eye, admiring their quite flickering jewels, positioning meself so that they stayed in my view. I was duly rewarded when Sadie pulled away and began walking with purpose across the room. Most of the tables were deserted, supper being over, most of the guests being on the dance floor, smoking room, or drinking heavily at the rather extensive bar on the opposite side of the ballroom. There were a few groups of ladies talking amongst themselves in the dining area, but all had their backs on the sulking girls. So Sadie leaving was not observed by anyone other than me!

  

I offered my sad my goodbyes To Miss Bunny, kissing her shiny gloved hand and whimsically wandered off, falling in line a discreet few paces behind young Sadie, who was walking with her usual swishing strut, nose high in the air.

 

Now Sadie had proudly preened herself in a rather fetchin silvery dress with puffed sleeves, that flowed with an elegant slickness along her petite figure. Sadie wore only three pieces of jewellery. One being a long gold braided chain with diamonded pendent in the shape of a rose, with deep blue sapphires for petals, the second was a brite Sapphire ring with diamond chips.

 

But it twas her third item of jewellery that dazzled above its companions! A pair of long diamond and sapphire earrings that shimmered and sparkled like African wild fires as she walked with her snooty noise held high with arrogance. The jewels were probably were her mothers, or an older sisters, and I was surprised that she wasn’t better watched whilst wearing such expensive baubles about.

  

My curiosity whetted, I was being speculative about where she was heading off to, weaving in and out of the mingling crowd, unescorted by any adult, advantageously unattended by her “clowder” of fellow fiends namely Miranda and Jackelyn!

  

I saw her stop by the door wherein I had gained entrance. I backed off and went to an opposite corner. She had stopped and was looking out looking out to the deserted (still I hoped) garden. So she did probably know about Miranda, and hence the reason for the sulkiness. But no, She skipped away and headed towards the ladies powder chamber. So I now pondered, should I wait to see until she came back through, or chance it that she was going to come out into the gardens? I didn’t want to make the wrong decision by hesitation too long .. There was a reason for this…

  

As I have stated previously, I had forced meself to be on best behaviour the entire week while plotting my nocturnal visits to the selected damsels inviting safes/lockboxes on Friday evening. So much so that even though opportunities were constantly waved beneath my nose, I had tried not to allow even so much as an attempt at any well decked out Ladies pretty baubles for the better part of a week. . Which was not easy, especially if I felt the opportunity presented would have been a way at teaching some snotty young lady a rather surreptitious lesson, even for my benefit only. Then it happened, on Thursday.

  

One of those opportunities had presented itself in a rather unexpected way. It concerned Miss Sadie, who on that delightfully enchanted evening’s party, had given me a bit to fantasize on. Sadie was scampering about in a ridiculously pretty long satin number that spilled and flowed swishing in an all too naughty fashion for one so young and naive. She was also wearing the even more ridiculously expensive Necklace and Earrings, bouncing gaily to and fro, that she was wearing again this very evening.

  

But I had been good, and had taken leave and was heading to bed when I started chatting it up with the pretty female desk clerk. Out of the corner of me eye, I caught sight of young Sadie scurrying through the lobby towards the rickety old elevator that led to the upper floors suites. I hesitated mulling it over, then the devil on my right shoulder made much more sense than the rather harried angel perched on the other. I made it just as the door closed in to my face. I watched as the ancient machined groaned and jostled its way up. Ahh it would have been all so very easy, but I convinced myself it was all for the better.

  

And now, right here, I was being given a rare second opportunity to …….. well you know!

  

So I made my gamble, and moved along the wall, reaching the outside door I propped it open an inviting( I hoped) crack ,then headed outside and took a position in the shadows of an advantageous and welcomed hedge wall. I figured that she would after all try coming into the garden to snoop up on Miranda. So I wanted to be ready to seize upon that little bit of opportunity if it presented itself..If not, than I was just all the closer to my exit anyway!.

 

So now I cunningly waited, ready to take full advantage of whatever situation decided to present its lucrative self.

 

My intentions were to do a bit of falling in step, slipping up against, and execute a bump like move in order to pickpocket a bit of this ones jewels, especially a try at her fancy necklace

.

 

Now I harboured no doubts that the Sadie’s earrings possibly would be out of reach, but her pretty ring and necklace would not be so elusive and was worth a tidy enough sum to whet my appetite to the point of taking the risk.

  

Now there are several ways to relieve a lady of her ring or necklace! I have at times given employment to a majority of them. So, with me thoughts training on which method to use, I waited, still hidden in the shadows, in eager anticipation. For the hunt was now very much on!

  

Then I saw a petitely lithe shadow by the door and sure enough, Sadie had come peeking around the corner and flutters down the path towards the hedge where I awaited with eager anticipation. I could see her flickering jewels sparkling with pinpricks of fire, as they were swinging against her figure whilst she made her way down the path towards me lair, and the trap I had set!

  

I smelled her perfume before I saw her… another chess piece was on the scene… Pamela!

  

Her shadow loomed behind the girl, she had swiftly came from the same exit as both Sadie and I.

 

It was most definitely Pamela ( or Pam Pam as Lucius was apt to call her) … She must have seen the naughty girl sneak out of the party and come to collect her back inside. I moved deeper inside the hedge, cursing me luck as I watched through a crack. And what I was witness too made me freeze in place. For this evening I was not the only scoundrel out seizing an opportunities.

  

Pamela, it should be noted, was purposefully dressed up in a pretty gown of slippery green taffeta, quite simply stunning on her. Her only jewellery was a pair of long earrings, swinging provocatively down to and almost touching her semi bared shoulders.

  

As I watched she approached, unnoticed, right up behind the girl, catching Sadie just before she had reached my hidey hole. She tapped Sadie on her satin clad shoulder, catching her startled attention with a hug of apology. She excitedly asked Sadie what she was ever up too this evening, outside all alone? She was seemingly surprised that Sadie was not with Jacklyn? Sadie just told her that Jacklyn was back inside, and that, she(Sadie) was old enough to be on her own. Of course you are me dear, were the approving words given, and Valentine gave Sadie a second hug to show no worries.

  

Within the course of the conversation, just 5 short minutes, Pamela admired Sadie’s slick silvery dress, her silken blonde hair which she playfully lifted up over the child’s head and let it flow down again in a silken mass. Then she had held Sadie’s hands as she cooed to the girl over how pretty Sadie was looking that evening. It was being laid on all too rather thick for my tastes I was thinking as I watched the show. Sadie had giggled as Pamela had touched her (Sadie’s) wrist, and with a ticklish touch, had let her fingers brush along the girl’s sides, doubling Sadie over giggling. Pamela laughed right along with he. Sadie was eating it all right up, blushing red at all of Pamela’s flattering words and the pleasant touch of her long, quite nimble fingers.

  

Pamela then told the girl to better shoo on about her business. I could see the relief in Sadie’s eyes that an adult had not scolded her for being out on her own, and had instead treated her like a real grown up girl! She turned skipping merrily towards my hiding spot. I shrunk back into the shadows, watching from a crack. Sadie came past, her shiny dress fluttering as she still was skipping happily on her own secret mission.

  

I then looked back at Pamela. She was still standing there, watching Sadie with a rather interesting smirk playing along her ruby red lips. After a long few seconds Pamela briskly turned and headed purposefully back inside, again using the very door that both Sadie and I had used to come into the garden.

  

I watched her disappear inside, my mind reeling over what had just transpired between Pamela and poor unwary Sadie.

 

I had watched, captivated and captured, the whole affair with awed astonishment...

 

Now, of course I have met several male pickpockets, including the one who had mentored me. But never given much thought that there would be any female ones, until now. For as I had watched in amazement as in a much quicker fashion, and using much more honed methods, than ever I would manged to accomplish. Pamela had first lifted and slipped Sadie’s sparkly pendent and gold braided chain effortlessly away from the poor thing not!). Then, focusing on Sadie’s hand, she had greedily, ever so gently caressed ,Sadie’s fingers while slipping off the enticing sapphire and diamond ring from her pinkie finger with an almost effortless simplicity of ease. Thus only Leaving Sadie’s dangling earrings, expensively and beckoningly, last on her list!. Pamela had then, with great finesse, managed to pluck the pretty sparklers off from delicate earlobes, one by one, as the pair of ladies had giggling away, their fore heads touching in a conspiracy like manner.

  

Mulling over the entire bit of Pamela’s’ inspiring achievement, I gave some careful thought to the situation as it now existed, whilst I waited for the coast to clear.

  

Now, I had learned earlier through idle gossip, that that the function Pamela and her “son” Lucius had been attending was rather posh, fancy dress bit of a wedding. It was taking place, or had been, at the big cathedrals ballroom in Cambridge. I figured that Her “son” Lucius, if indeed the handsome youth was her son atoll, ( I had wondered what the Pam Pam bit was all on about!) must be the spotter, giving Pamela information on the jewels of the girls he had met and probably danced and cajoled with.

  

Pamela, tipped off ahead of time, must then have moved in and worked her talents, magically making the chosen victims jewels mysteriously disappear. I wondered how many times the team struck gold (diamonds?) tempting fate before wisely knowing when to vanish before the wealthy guests finally figured something was not on the up an up due to the fact that their jewels were vanishing at an alarming rate?

  

Quite a charmingly practiced team indeed. I found meself wondering how much they had gotten away with ?, And now they had come back here , playing their tricks, putting a nice bit of shimmering icing on their already jewel gem encrusted cake!

 

(While doing research on the Journal, an undergrad was able to match up some of the incidents Sabastien described , including the ones that occurred at the Riverside, to police reports of unsolved thefts during the same time frame! Since it is highly unlikely that any arrest could be made( even if the suspects are still alive) by solely using the journals’ entries, said cases will most likely remain unsolved. Though in some a footnote has been made in the official files. the eds…)

  

I looked at the door leading back into the ball room. The one Pamela had just used a minute or so ago. I wondered if she had a purpose in mind, another well adorned victim, previously preselected and carefully observed. A vision of Jacklyn suddenly popped into me head. The last of the three. If that was where Pamela was heading, I knew of a shortcut to the dining area!

  

Now I was determined to beat Pamela at her own game….. go to play out a gambit. For there was yet one of the trio still in play, the fair damsel Jackelyn! I rose and went up the path, my mind traveling inside to her, as she had sat alone at the table after Sadie had passed me.

  

My vision went to her, imagining that she was still put, sitting alone at her table, wallowing in her self-induced misery….Jackie was wearing a soft gown of long purple silk that fell fluttering in layers from her shoulders down to her high heeled lavender painted toes.. Each layer was adorned with long fringed threads that swayed every time she moved. Her jewels were far pricier than Sadie’s, all genuine sapphires ringed with small diamond chips. They had consisting of a dainty jewelled necklace ,small dangling earrings, brooch on one shoulder and matching bracelets and rings, one on each wrist and hand.

  

A thought played out that I should not take any risks, bird in hand and all of that usual bit. But I felt an overwhelming urge to take something sparkling from at least one of the triplets, and to silently beat Pamela. For now I was sure that Pamela had Jacklyn in her heinous sights!

 

Or I could just leave right then and there, but where would the fun in that be! I ask of thee?

  

So, on a lark, I headed to the third entrance off the garden. A secluded door stuck in a corner that led to an upstairs corridor that looked down over the banquet hall. The hall below containing the tables where I had seen Jacklyn and Sadie brooding sulkily earlier. It would get me there far quicker than it should reasonably take Valentina who had to travel across the crowded ballroom before reaching the area.

  

Reaching the door , I waited a few precious seconds before slipping inside. I made my way up the stairs and into the seldom used , quite deserted corridor. I made my way, hugging the wall and staying in the shadows. The banquet hall came into a birds eyed view. I looked down and saw a flicker of a rich purple Silken gown at one of the tables. Jacklyn was still there, and she was alone, none of the other tables were occupied, everyone appeared to be on the dance floor, except for a small group with their backs to the dining area as they huddled by a roaring fire in the large stone hearth.

  

All I had to do was go down the back staircase, and walk up behind Jacklyn and make my move. It was a perfect set up, or would have been. For as I studied Jacklyn, while making my way to the stairway, I could not make out any sparkling signs of her expensive sapphires. which was odd, for they had ever so sparkled, winking vexingly at me as I was talking to Bunny.

  

I Made my way down stairs to the banquet hall floor, and started to stalk ever so carefully towards the unsuspecting Jackelyn. Soon I got close enough, without being spotted, to verify the reason I couldn’t see her sapphires sparkling, she was no longer wearing any of them.. She had been plucked as clean as her partner in crime, Sadie!

 

So once again, I was too be denied! But by whom? Was there yet another? A third pickpocket working the area stripping these unwary dolls of their precious baubles? Lucius perhaps?

  

I stopped in step and looked around.

  

Soon I saw her. So she had either beaten me to it, or had already visited the poor doll after I had left to follow Sadie!! Either way, she had made rather quick of it I thought , looking back at the totally unawares Jacklyn…

  

Pamela was back in the area, and had joined in with the group of four exceptionally well dressed ladies standing by the Hearth. As I watched one was hugging everyone good night, I observed her as she walked off… She was wearing a rather provocative long ruffled dress of ivory lace and satin. Her ears, wrist and fingers were home to a matching set of blood red rubies and diamonded jewellery. She was wearing no necklace, which I found conspicuous, and as I looked back towards the remainder of the group, I wondered what else, aside from Sadie and Jacklyn’s jewels, dear Pamela had buried deep inside some unseen pockets!?

  

Pamela stood amongst them as the rather shimmering decked out group prattled on. She currently had her hand on the gloved elbow of a lady in a long teal satin frock. Diamond rhinestone chains were hanging down from the ladies bobbed haired head, and a rather nice set of dazzling diamonds sparkling along the rest of her well-endowed figure, tightly outlined by her cocoon of shiny teal.

  

I looked back at Jacklyn, she had a foxy gleam in her eyes, and was happily singing to herself, obviously making plans. She was watching out towards the dance floor, oblivious to anything different. As I watched I saw her stand and move off towards the dance floor, perhaps looking for the erstwhile Sadie and Miranda?

  

I looked back to Pamela, she was already briskly moving off, her eyes on the wandering Jacklyn. I looked back at the well-dressed group she was leaving. Immediately I saw that a diamond bracelet was gone ,that quick and easy, from the lady in green teals wrist. The same arm Valentina had been so chummily holding… and I couldn’t quite put a finger as to why, but there was another member of that group wearing a brown satin gown that appeared familiar. And I had the distinct impression that there was a rather pretty diamond brooch that should have been hanging down like a glittering waterfall, from the front of that very same shiny brown gown!

   

Bollocks, I swore silently to meself , right there and then deciding to concede my intriguingly private game to the quite skilful Pamela and leave forthwith. For with a hefty satchel brimming with these wealthy guests purloined jewels in hand, it really was quite silly to keep trying riske it all on a silly parlour game of trying to outwit a fellow jewel thief! Turning sharply, I regained the stairs and again keeping against the shadows of the wall, followed the corridor to the outside exit, pausing up at the top of the stairs to see if I was being observed. I was not!

  

But my mood was anything but dark due to my missed opportunities. For I had still made quite a nice hull that evening, far more than Pamela had made from what she had taken from the triplets, and speaking of the triplets ; it twas Quite a delight to see the three of em receive their comeuppance, even if it was not done by my hand.

  

I went outside and entered the garden looked quickly around. No one was in sight. I darted behind a fountain, and watching the exit doors from the building, and the exit from the hedge for newcomers. With the coast seemingly clear, I slowly meandered my way down the path to the exit from the garden. The exit was in the form of a rather fancy wood trellis with red climbing moss roses set in the hedge. As I walked I heard voices, and looking back I saw all three of the triplets by a corner gazebo, talking with Lucius.

  

I could see nothing sparkly from anywhere on any the poor lassies figures. And apparently none of the three twits had noticed they had been royally stripped down to their pretty frocks either. What a shame I said, sarcastically, to meself, feeling not a bit of pitying empathy…And I was sure that Lucius was not going to enlighten the wretched young ladies’ as to the situation either!

  

Gaining the exit I waltzed me way out . I I then, with my back to the hedge , skirted the woods and made it back to the car, unseen as far as I could know, and hope.

  

Checking the boot to make sure I hadn’t been burgled (that would have been a laugh, not!), I started the engine and drove a nice leisurely pace back to the station. I only passed two other cars, so the road was my own so I travelled with comfort and ease, and made it to the train station without incident.

  

I gained my seat with 35 minutes to spare..

Figuring I would be the last on, I snuggled down and prepared to sleep the hours till the next stop (Chelsea which was about 2 hours away where I would meet up with my luggage, having the clerk telegraph ahead to have it taken off for me)

  

The train blew a last call whistle at 5 minutes to leaving. Suddenly there was a bustle of activity as two passengers scurried on. Cutting it close I thought.

  

Sure enough they were, and it turned out to be none other than Pamela and Lucius. Lucius was attentively carrying a large carpetbag, and I was pretty sure I knew some of its contents. Neither had changed costume, so they must have had a car loaded and ready for a quick exit.

 

They breezed past me without a glance and disappeared into the back bowels of the train.

  

I pulled me hat down over the eyes and pretended to be asleep , dozing for a quick kip as it were , while they passed by…

No need to chance uneasy recognition.

 

My mind, far from sleeping, now started to whirl with all sorts of thoughts upon the new development in me plans! Just as the train was pulling out at midnight I was pondering over those two, and the shiny contents of a certain carpet bag.

 

Now the express only stopped at larger cities, a total of 5 more stops on the route before that last at Surrey..

  

As I had said Chelsea was the next stop, and if Pamela and luscious did not depart the train with me at that stop, the next one was 4 hours away in Hampshire, which had a rather respectable police presence, no less than 2 chief detective inspectors

 

So I thought to meself, If the pair were to stay on the train, and the Hampshire constabulary were to receive an anonymous wire about what the contents of a certain carpet bag has to do with some nefarious activities occurring at Riverside Inn, Cambridge earlier that evening. And if the triplets jewels were returned, than it would mean that they were back in play for me to follow them home and try to steal the pretties for meself at a later date! It was a rather warming thought indeed!

 

Or, I additionally reasoned, I could give honour to the supposed thieves code and keep me tongue?

But than, I ask of ye, where would the fun be in that?

  

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Editors Note:

The journal has been ended at this point deliberately to maintain an element of mystery to the tellin.

However, without giving too much away.

We can reveal that there was at least a third visit that Sabastien made to the Riverside some years later, possibly this is when the trunk was left behind unclaimed.

During this visit he once again met up with one of the triplets, a bit older, a bit more posh, and a bit more of a bratty glib . She was also adorned with far more enticing baubles….. So it was no great deliberation on Sabastian’s part to come away from that rather unexpected reunion with a nice bit of added acquisitions. He accomplished this feat in ( his words) a rare trifecta; Burgling, lifting(pickpocketing), and stealing jewels from the same female victim in a 24 hour period!

 

And that is where the fun in that would be!

 

Coalcliff.

Jessie sez:

"Gotta do m' bit to protect Society from thefts especially these luvly and attracitve Canins. It's not a good thing when these camiras get stoled.

 

Evenin' all! Allo Allo Allo - wot's all this then? A possible case for me to investgate? So I'll just do m' duty and start an investigation into an alleged camira theft. Watch this space!"

📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 📷

"Big Rock pulls ahead in the backstretch leaving Small Rock behind in his dust... Even Smaller Rock pays for a rookie mistake, and is left to catch up and draft in the wake of Big Rock."

 

The Racetrack Playa (a dried lakebed) in Death Valley is not exactly that kind of racetrack, though the famous Sailing Rocks there give that impression. The playa is plenty strange on its own... the entire area is uncommonly flat, the silt, which is the remnant of an ancient lake, is thousands of feet deep, and when dry, it cracks to form similarly sized hexagonal shapes. How does mud know to do that? Then add to that the mystery of rocks that seem to move on their own, and leave tracks as they do it... weird!

 

The world is rife with great unsolved phenomenon, and rocks that move without outside intervention certainly qualifies. About the third time I said "Hey... I think this one is moving!" no longer elicited a reaction from Joyce. Apart from an earthquake, there's no way any of them would move on a day like this. I wasn't really surprised at the answer of this puzzle, yet I was about how long it took to reach the conclusion. People have been studying the rocks since the early 1900's, but it's only been a year since the cause was determined... which should tell you a little something about the direction that "science" sometimes takes us. Had I known it was as yet undetermined, I could have figured it out.

 

The playa is 26 miles off the main road, accessible only by a rough desert road, preferably by 4WD vehicles. Visitors there are admonished to leave the rocks alone. Nevertheless, the bigger rock in the foreground, which likely fell from one of those distant slopes, is igneous, and likely weighs 30-35 lbs given its size... that's a lot of weight to just meander along a flat surface on it own. Last year, rocks with GPS tags were placed in specific spots with time-lapse cameras pointed at them. It was thought that it would take quite some time for a response... they were wrong.

 

Though there is little rainfall in this region of the world, there is some accumulation, enough to saturate the playa. Water is weird stuff, though hardly anyone knows. It does something that no other molecule does, and is quite important to life as we know it. Most matter expands only when it's heated... water expands both when it is heated and frozen. Anyone ever had to repair frozen water pipes? That's because the water expanded enough after freezing to breach what contained it. In the same way, given specific conditions, a thin layer of ice thrusts each rock up above the slippery surface of the saturated playa and winds as little as 10 mph can scoot them along as though they are on skates. Rocks with rough bottoms tend to go in relatively straight lines; those with smooth bottoms tend to wander whatever direction the wind blows.

 

For some reason, many folks believe that if a "scientist" has made a determination, it must be so. Yet, they are just people, not only capable of making mistakes, but also of looking so narrowly at a problem that they tend to miss the big picture. Some years ago, back in the '80s as I recall, I remember listening to a radio news broadcast about a new understanding concerning blood pressure... blood moves differently (rolls) along the walls of arteries and veins than it does at their centers. I was quite surprised to hear that... anyone who understood the science of fluid dynamics would have known that as static pressure. The laws that govern the movement of fluid are the same as those that involve the movement of air, and I was all about that at that time.

 

While that understanding had no influence on how blood pressure is determined, it became extremely important to understand in focusing Magnetic Resonance Imagery, which shows doctors what's going on inside the body without cutting into it to find out. Static pressure of the arteriole system would blur the images... it took an understanding as to the cause to overcome it digitally. Until that time, scientists were too narrowly focused on only what they knew... it took someone outside their knowledge base to take the next logical step. You can apply that to so much so called "settled science" nowadays... if you ever hear such words from the media, you can just about bet that the issue has stepped from the realm of science straight into that of politics, which hardly ever does anything worthwhile with it.

Some mysteries are meant to be unsolved

... Dana Scully

 

www.andreaalbertino.com

 

Not One More... (see photo). Tonight Mole Antonelliana is lit up in pink to support Nuestras Hijas de Regreso a Casa A.C. ("May our Daughters Return Home, Civil Association") a non profit organization composed of mothers, family members, and friends of victims of the female homicides in Ciudad Juárez. The organization was co-founded by Norma Andrade, mother of Lilia Alejandra Garcia Andrade, who was kidnapped on February 14, 2001 and found dead 10 days later. The other founder is Marisela Ortiz Rivera, Lilia's teacher. The mothers claim that their cases have gone unsolved in some cases for over 12 years. Their hope is to get the murderers of their daughters arrested and hopefully convicted. --- In 2008 Marisela Ortiz Rivera received the Torino honorary citizenship

 

Non Una di Più... (cfr. foto). Questa notte la Mole Antonelliana è accesa di rosa in sostegno a Nuestras Hijas de Regreso a Casa A.C (Ni Una Más) un'organizzazione no-profit composta da madri e parenti delle tante bambine, ragazze, donne uccise a Ciudad Juárez.

  

Located on the border of the United States and Mexico, Juarez is a lawless wasteland, notorious for its drug cartels and violent gangs. With a population of just 1.5 million, it has one of the highest murder rates in the world. According to a recent Inter-American Commission Report, the homicide rate for women in Juarez far exceeds the Mexican national average and is three times that of Tijuana, a border city of comparable size. Women are the victims of the sadistic sexual violence known as femicide. They are tortured, raped, mutilated and then thrown into the desert and left to die.

 

When a person goes missing in Juarez there is a mandatory 72 hour waiting period before it is reported to the authorities. Take for example the story of Iris Hernandez. When her mother, Rubi Hernandez, realized she had disappeared, she took it upon herself to take action. Ms. Hernandez publicized her daughter's disappearance through various media outlets. Iris disappeared on May 2, 2005. Two days later police handed her mother the young girl's earrings. The police had not bothered to remove the charred pieces of ear still attached to them. It was almost all that was left of the 14-year-old, whose body had literally melted away after being thrown in a rubbish bin and covered in lime. Iris Hernandez became a statistic in Juarez's bloody profile.

 

Industrial cities on the Mexican side of the border have been increasing since 1970 because the cost of labor is cheaper. Many border cities, including Juarez, are filled with factories known as maquiladoras, making it easier for women to find employment. A large fraction of the employees are women because they are thought to be more obedient workers than men. Thousands of women spend long hours working strenuously in factories for a mere $1.50 - $2.00 an hour. Although they are being exploited for their labor, women continue to work in order to support their families. This creates a unique societal structure in Juarez.

Jungfrau Park is an amusement park located near Interlaken, Switzerland. It opened as the Mystery Park in 2003, and closed in November 2006 due to financial difficulties and low turnout. The park was designed by Erich von Däniken, and consisted of seven pavilions, each of which explored one of several great "mysteries" of the world. Von Däniken opened the theme park to present his interpretations of unsolved mysteries involving extraterrestrial life that he believes took place around the world.

Jungfrau Park is an amusement park located near Interlaken, Switzerland. It opened as the Mystery Park in 2003, and closed in November 2006 due to financial difficulties and low turnout. The park was designed by Erich von Däniken, and consisted of seven pavilions, each of which explored one of several great "mysteries" of the world. Von Däniken opened the theme park to present his interpretations of unsolved mysteries involving extraterrestrial life that he believes took place around the world.

1. bosch-detail-25

do u know if we will take care of all doctors

+plus endues sugar where bacteria growing like

in the garden = our Planet will cease to exist?

3 billion must be dead before 2100?

Uber Aless Jul 8, 2015+1

Paul Jaisini told me 4 years ago. He explained

that balance between nature is over ,so he first

went to american horror. thanks god like priests

were against his dead....."

NY Times 2002?

 

2. bosch-detail-30

Highest Priests were chosen 7000 years ago,

while all working humans were hunting - their were

thinking how to collect all (why? woman & wondered males .

nighght/day absorbing life as it was from the point of

view of g-d ;)

Uber AlessJul 8, 2015

who could imagine to see details that only pig-nun koud'ov bein' see?

Uber AlessJul 8, 2015

click at 500 years we couldn't even imagine in our dreams

to see details magic unsolved like Paul Jaisini's after 500 y.o.?

 

3

this is the last pic of her nu work she sent to me this day.

the most wonderful day not only to see her buns ,but imagine

today's Bosch through transducers of the Paul Jaisini's charge .

Stelly always offended 2 b called surrealist

I have been on Flickr pro since 2007 I had issues but they used to get resolved amicably but with this #newflickr it's not possible many of my issues are still in the oven uncooked lol.

This problem of not being able to upload from Android to Flickr is not new I was given a lucky solution by Flickr #customercare uninstall Flickr app and than I re installed it it worked but since last two days I am in a Catch 22 problem so I uninstalled it this morning reinstalled it same problem..

I don't understand this #newflickr and I am not smug mug about it I am a 70 year old senior citizen by pass surgery survivor diabetic it gets very frustrating my pressure goes up.

I normally don't bad mouth Flickr but this is the only way to let out my inner pain .

 

Good Morning ..

this is an old image where I am giving vent to my problem.

 

flic.kr/p/RjFJ1b

 

A warm and exuberant thank you to me partner in crime Khaliesi for her patience and willingness in offering to help cheerfully compose this rendering and inspiring the accompanying narrative story…

 

C'était un plaisir de s'amuser avec un ami

 

Chatwick

 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Puppet on a String

 

Now, if we both agree, our newly minted Mrs.D…., Parden me! Lady D. Calabash,

Agree that pistols are just rude and unnecessary …… I will just put this away this objectionable bit of melodrama, and we can continue on with My requests like reasonable adults..

 

Now, just nod yes with your pretty tiaraed head……

 

Capital ! Now might I suggest that you keep that frog in your throat from escaping, and stay mute for a bit…There, that’s the girl….

  

Obviously, you Milady, received our missive, and was just curious enough to come alone see what it was all on about.

  

But first, please allow me to force upon you apologies for intruding like this upon you day of Matrimony… but now that you are securely wed, these matters needed to be discussed with the upmost urgency…

  

Ahhh…I saw you glancing away towards the door, but don’t worry about holding up your wedding party Milady… interesting use of a rather rude appellation that, hold-up I mean….., for you see, your entourage is currently being, let us say, “ entertained” by my fellow friends in a manner that your absence from them will not be dwelt upon for the time being….

  

Ah, did I just see a shiver along your pretty physique? But as a thief yourself, you should not be aghast by my words…

  

Now… don’t look at me like that, We really do know your little secret….! And No!, allow me to make our position quite clear Lady C… we are not blackmailers, just simple jewel thieves.. not unlike yourself…

  

Ah I can see by the look in your eyes that you know we are of the same mold, so it is of no use shaking your shimmering head like that, your crafty game is up, now is it not?,

  

But I must say that your diamond earrings and tiara really put on a jolly nice show whilst you were nodding no!

  

But let us put those pretty distractions aside for now, and I will make it quick and to the point…. As I know you would prefer it to be…

  

You’d admit.. That you are a dirt poor lass by heritage… having only been posing as a one of wealthy elite to snag your disgustingly wealthy Intendeds affections, and that all of the jewels you have been flaunting in his and the Lord’s family’s face actually were “shall we say…borrowed” from the rather obscenely rich, family less spinsterish old lady, whose bed-ridden condition you became nurse too , after of course, you were able to convince her to discharge the au pair she was at the current time employing!

  

Hush, I see you want to argue the point, but that photograph you are holding,, one of several I might add, tells you that the proof is in the pudding against any defense you might try to stage!

  

My dear just accept the fact you have been found out, and listen quietly without further attempts at interruption and I promise it will be less painful to you all around….

  

Actually I am doing you a favor my pretty miss… We have already made it appear that your charges safe has been burgled while she slept , and have taken the liberty to remove the rest of her jewels you had secreted away in your chambre , really, under a mattress? Which means that all blame will fall squarely upon my lot for their sad loss.

  

Don’t gasp like that My pretty Lady, you knew the charade would have to end, and we are presenting to you a way to gracefully exit without being found out…Consider it our wedding gift to you….!

  

Now attend please, as I have stated, we are not blackmailers, we want nothing more from you after this day than information. Oh come now miss, don’t look coy, you know full well the type of information we can use… Dates of balls, dances and the house guests who will be staying with you at the Manor will suffice…. and no tipping us off to anyone, we will have eyes upon you, the same unseen eyes that have been following you for quite some time now….

 

Quite fetching, the way you placed your hand to your open mouth just now, That ring really does sparkle a bit, showy little gem!

So…You really had no Idea someone was on to you?

  

Allow me to reiterate our position then…for one year of your cooperation, the picts and negatives are yours, and we will vanish totally out of your life and let you live happily ever after with your prince, er Lord!

  

Ahh, I can see it now in your pretty eyes, Game set and match in my court. But do not stress all too much over it, the unpleasantness of being our snitch should last only for a year from today, providing of course we are satisfactorily compensated by your disclosures….

  

For trust us, for even the dimmest of police inspectors will notice a pattern eventually, and we would prefer to leave you with no ideas of spilling your story to anyone by milking information from you to the point of desperation….

  

Now me fine lass, Since you are rather talented at telling stories, I harbor no doubts that you will be able to put on a good show for the next year…… also when when you soon rejoin your party today. Though actually I may suggest you remain here and have them find you huddled in a corner at the shock of your loss..

 

What Loss your eyes appear to be asking?

 

Well Lady C… It will be best if it appears that you have met the same unfortunate fate as your bridal party… Now don’t balk at this point now Me fine Lady… We have come much too far along this path too to dicker over minor facets of your indiscretions !…

  

As the preacher said a short while ago , do you take this lady for richer or poorer, and through your husband ‘s exuberance in agreeing to it, than you should not have any qualms about handing over to me the jewels you are wearing….

  

Now be a dear and do it quickly, it will be painless… then just begin a new , honest , life with your Lord…for I can tell you, after crashing his bachelors party, that the clueless whelp is actually quite a bit in love with you….

 

Balking a bit Luv. ? … Here allow me to direct….

 

Start with the necklace Lady D., good, now the rest..

 

There that’s the ticket…. you’ve got the idea now, quick and easy, that’s a good lass.

 

No Now, keep the wedding ring, but slip off the other My dear Lady C.!

 

Is that all of it, not holding out our we? Capital!

 

Thank you now, quite a lot actually, And see that did not hurt so much did it?

 

Look! Quite a lovely handful they do make, just admire their shimmer and shine. Well, I will put these twice stolen baubles away for now, not further taunting, quite rude of me I will admit!

And now, allow me take my leave of you.

 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

As he turned away, Lady D. Calabash felt as if she could no longer let the cat hold her tongue…

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

“Tallie” she blurted out , her anxiety forcing her to say something, anything….

 

He stopped in his tracks, turned around quizzically, cocking his head in a questioning manner, but said nothing.

 

“Tallie” she said again without reason , lips now trembling, her whole demeanor shaking.

“The name of the au pair girl was Tallie”

 

But Lady C.’s words drifted off and died away as he smartly turned heel and walked off , but not before hunching his grey eyes up at her in a rather dismissive fashion at the wretched newly titled lass…..

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

He left her standing there, dazed and confused…

Slipping down a set of stairs leading to a cellar he made his way through a maze of various objects before he reached a small wooden door. Opening it, he found himself in a seldom used back alleyway.

He stole away down the cobblestone path of the darkened alley, making his way by foot back to his gang’s hideout. Said gang, he figured, should be just now finishing up with trimming a bit of the fat from the wealthy guests.

Cause and effect he marveled wryly as he allowed various thoughts to roll about in his head while he strolled calmly away, making his escape…

Amazing the chain of events that had been set off by the simple discharging of a, seemingly insignificant, au pair girl!

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To see what the significance of the name Tallie may add to this narrative….

Visit the pict and story below…

“An Odyssey Less Taken “@

flic.kr/p/AXgbXA

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The arrow of time, also called time's arrow, is the concept positing the "one-way direction" or "asymmetry" of time. It was developed in 1927 by the British astrophysicist Arthur Eddington, and is an unsolved general physics question. This direction, according to Eddington, could be determined by studying the organization of atoms, molecules, and bodies, and might be drawn upon a four-dimensional relativistic map of the world ~

if the direction of time were to reverse, the theoretical statements that describe them would remain true. Yet at the macroscopic level it often appears that this is not the case: there is an obvious direction (or flow) of time.

~

Sir Arthur Eddington

Sir Arthur Stanley Eddington OM FRS[2] (28 December 1882 – 22 November 1944) was an English astronomer, physicist, and mathematician. He was also a philosopher of science and a populariser of science. The Eddington limit, the natural limit to the luminosity of stars, or the radiation generated by accretion onto a compact object, is named in his honour.

source - wikipedia

~

ai/pixlr/gimp

It's crazy how slow it goes, when you're waiting for something more

To warm you up when you feel cold, to calm you down and bring peace to your soul

It's funny how fast it goes, love comes right when you don't wait anymore

Its power takes over all, and you surrender you let go…

 

Oh this frailty makes us so strong

Oh.. this fire will melt all the ice

And it's all I want, all I need

A prayer of freedom, a prayer of love.

 

A prayer of freedom, a prayer of love.

A prayer of freedom, a prayer of love.

 

Precious gifts, given in silence, look like the pieces of an unsolved puzzle

All to learn, all to know, so unexplained but so beautiful

 

And yeah, this frailty makes us so strong

And yeah, this fire will melt all the ice

And it's all I want, all I need

A prayer of freedom, a prayer of love.

 

A prayer of freedom, a prayer of love.

 

A prayer of freedom, a prayer of love.

 

So no matter how long I'll wait.

Pain is nothing, but a scale for my will

And there comes a time when truth survives

All kinds of fear, all kinds of lies.

In a prayer of freedom, a prayer of love...

 

it.youtube.com/watch?v=qiKwwVwhIVk

Completed in 1896, and still the seat of the judiciary in Montgomery County, 4th Judicial District of Iowa. This is the location of hearings related to Iowa's most infamous unsolved mass murder, The Villisca Axe Murders.

Looking for Second life Ladies who would like to be a part of my Highwayman Ghost series.

You supple the Model ( gowned, jewels or no jewels) and the pose( any pose, not necessarily the one pictured).

And I will supply the background( unless you have one better) and the ghost.

Full Credit will be given, and all entries will be posted in the Best of Peril group, along with free membership( if that is worth anything)

 

Letea forest in the Danube Delta

 

Letea forest is a natural reservation, covering an area of approximately 2,825 ha (6,980 acres). It is the oldest protected area in Romania. It was established in 1930, and not by accident: it is the northernmost subtropical forest in the world, and only of its kind in Europe, home of about 3,500 species of plants and animals.

 

It has a rich flora and fauna, described incompletly, but it is sure that rare and endangered species including endemic species (found only here) find their home here, such as Centaurea pontica. Visiting the forest is a unique experience as in a continental climate you will find a subtropical deciduous forest, interwoven with lianas. We can admire 4-700 years old oaks, poplars, elms, alders or lindens, but going in forest we can see sand dunes too. The sand dunes are home to many rare and endangered flora species as well.

The fauna of Letea forest is also rich, about 70% of the Danube Delta fauna can be found here: is the nesting site of over 150 species of birds such as the white-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla), short-toed snake eagle (Circaetus gallicus), tawny eagle (Aquila rapax), black kite (Milvus migrans), herpetological rarities such as the steppe racer (Eremias arguta), or meadow viper (Vipera renardi).

 

The forest is famous for its “wild horses” that are actually released by locals and become broncos (semi-feral horses). Approximately 2,000 broncos are found in the forest, unfortunately causing serious damage to the local biosphere. The capture and transportation of these horses is an unsolved problem.You can find a detailed descriptions of the species from Danube Delta here.

 

Access: we arrive to Letea from Tulcea by navigating on the Sulina branch, then the Magearu canal. Transport through the forest can be done with dray. Locals make available tractors for transportation, but keep in mind that tractors disturb the flora and fauna of the forest. Even outside the forest, we are passing by many canals and we can see nesting birds!

Venus was nothing compared to the girl. Her clothes trailed alluringly across the floor; her satin evening gown with the magnificent broach, her long shiny gloves, gorgeous Sable Fur all were laid out in seductive, overlying curls as she had slinked through the room, leaving behind her the telling path of unmistakably rich prey. The beginning of which held a feast for the tracking predator who knew how to read the signs.

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The study below was derived from facts uncovered while doing research for the following Doctoral dissertation:

Light to the shadows of their mind:

Criminal tactics and strategies

Criminology Department .

Chatwick University

 

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If there was ever one thing I savored the most about my chosen profession I would have to say it was the lavish receptions, balls and other posh settings where the frills of the filthy rich could be both admired and enjoyed. There was just something about the voluptuous ladies who haunted these venues, dressed up to the silky nines and sporting flashy ornaments, which I found so very mesmerizing.

 

Take the young lady in whose spell I was currently basking. She was wearing a slinky long satin number that appeared to have been poured along her enticing figure. A diamond brooch sparkled from just below her perky breasts. Her opulent gemstone jewels, surrounded by sparkling diamonds, shone like cat eyes when caught by the lights. I studied her the way one would appraise a painting by an old master, closely examining everything I could that pertained to her. If this work of art went by a name, I would title it: Eileen, a study in opulence.

 

I could also see that I wasn’t the only one who was paying Eileen attention. The man she was seeing appeared, as usual to be caught up in the ladies enchantment this evening. I had seen the couple together several times, but tonight he seemed to be especially attentive to her. There was definitely electricity in the air between them. Which was good, for tonight would be the night to pounce, paying the witchy young lady and her jewels a long anticipated nocturnal visit in the wee hours of the morning.

  

I had heard about Eileen through a paid source close by in Sutton. She had been an orphan at a young age and brought up properly by a war-widowed grandmother. The Grandmother had been wealthy, and when she passed on she had left 22 year old Eileen with a small fortune. Along with the Grandmothers wealth, Eileen inherited from the old lady three major facets, a spoiled naivety, a gullible ego, and a massive jewelry collection. Which all together presented a very enticing combination for someone like me.

 

Eileen wore her grandmother’s jewels with reckless abandonment, so I was told, and that is what made her stand out to those who sell information to people like me. Like a hungry predator, I shadowed Eileen for an entire month as she bounced from night club to private club, from extravagant balls, to ultra-fancy ritzy dances. I got to see her and her collection of jewels in close proximity, and it was love at every sighting. I even stole a dance away from her escort, when he was away making one of his frequent business calls. She was wearing a puffy gown of rich taffeta, with silvery diamonds that flashed as they cascaded down from her ears throat. It was a slow dance and I was able to tune out her constant babbling and concentrate on appraising her jewels. After the dance I kissed her gloved hand with its heavily ringed fingers, and bid au revoir, before quickly getting lost in the crowd before her lover returned.

 

The whole time I closely watched over Eileen and her latest Beau, a charming man named Claude who spoke with a heavy French accent. I quickly learned everything I could about the pair’s background, their relationship, their friends, their habits. Several times I had left them alone while when they were safely partying out on the town, and did a trail run by the ladies residence. This was a secluded small stone mini-mansion, located deep in the woods on the far outskirts of town that had been her Grandmothers weekend retreat. I had plenty of time to study, so that by the time the evening arrived when I would make my move, I had it all plotted out, taking into consideration every angle. I was ready, and actually had been so for over a week prior to this evening.

 

I followed the happy couple home that evening, and waited while they got down to business. I was calm, my nerves knew no anxiety. I spirited away back to my car and changed into my proper “ business” attire ( black clothes, gloves and mask). I had witnessed Eileen and Claude putting on the same show for several late evenings, and I knew just when to strike. And, then, strike I did.

 

Like a shadow I moved, becoming part of the background. Reaching the house I stole in through a basement window which I had loosened the week before. I cautiously moved inside, using my torch only sparingly. I made my way up through the basement to the first level, pausing only for a few precious seconds to observe the pricy landscapes that hung from the walls, but I did not touch, for that was not my game.

 

I crept up the stairs to the sitting room of the master bedroom, Eileen’s grandmother’s old room. It stood as a shrine to the old lady, right down to her old white cat lying on the primly made bed. The cat watched me untrustingly before hissing and running off into some dark corner. I went over and pulled back a self-portrait of the old lady, behind which was a small wall safe. It’s amazing how easy these things are to spot. The tumblers satisfactorily whirled and clicked home, allowing me to open silently and peek into its small chamber. A number of jewel cases of various shapes and makes were exposed to my torch. Quickly I emptied them, watching as jewel after jewel slithered brightly into my satchel. I replaced each case, and after the last was disposed of its contents, I closed it back up and made my way to the fair Eileen’s boudoir.

 

Venus was nothing compared to the viixen Eileen. Her clothes laid an alluring path across the sitting room floor; her satin evening gown with the magnificent broach, her long shiny gloves, gorgeous Sable Fur, all were laying in seductive, overlapping curves like a carefully marked out trail leading one to a treasure of promised ecstasy. For Eileen and her paramour, that ecstasy was to be found where the trail ended, in her boudoir. For me, the ecstasy lay where the trail had begun, the spot where she had removed her jewels before giving into the passion of the moment. The expensive pile gleamed invitingly, flickering like so many colorful cat eyes by my torches light. They were perched on her dresser, carelessly discarded for things so valuable, they snaked around the marble bird of prey that, alas, would soon prove a futile guardian.

 

I looked at the door to her bedroom, it was open a sliver and I could hear the raw animal sounds of their lovemaking. Obviously they were occupied for a while. Unhurriedly I carefully lifted each piece up, savoring their shimmering fire before stowing them safely away to join their mates. I then went to the gown on the floor and lifting it ran it through my fingers, it whispered and felt silky, even through my thin gloves. Reaching the brooch I carefully undid the clasp, pulling the jewel away. Dropping the gown, I then turned and silently retraced my steps. Gaining the cellar I watched out the window for any signs of activity. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t half expecting company.

 

As I waited I wondered who would be more upset over the loss of the grandmother’s jewelry, Eileen, or her “lover” Claude. For you see, “Claude” was a kindred spirit to my profession. He was known to me as Carl , a slick operator born in Brooklyn. He had also had correctly read the signs that Eileen possessed that made her a temptingly easy mark. For you see, Carl was the inside man for a gang of jet setting thieves. Cultured and handsome, it was his part to lure the chosen rich lady into his web and wine and dine her into complete compliancy in preparation of his actions. Once he had obtained her trust, he would select the perfect evening and “Claude” and his heavily jeweled paramour would be set upon by the thieves shortly after returning home on the designated evening. The Lady would be bound and gagged then be forced to watch as her home was stripped of its valuable treasures. The gang would leave with their haul, melting into obscurity with their treasure. Carl would disappear to his home overseas in New York until the next operation was formed. How Carl had found out about Eileen, I had no doubts. The type of blokes who peddled information on vulnerably wealthy prey have no problems with selling the same tidbits to multiple clients. It does have a tendency to make life a bit more interesting on occasion.

 

I had kept tabs on Eileen’s crooked paramour and soon learned that Carl’s actual girlfriend, who had been posing as his sister Maxine, had booked passage for two to the United States on a steamer leaving the very next weekend. I realized that my window of opportunity had been forced open. If he was preparing to flee the country on Saturday, as was his way immediately after a job, than I surmised that Eileen would be met with misadventure on Friday night before. This also happened to be the evening of a major charity Ball she had bought tickets for her and “Claude” to attend. So tonight, Saturday one week before the steamer was to leave, I made my own move hoping to beat Carl and his gang of scoundrels to the punch, at least where the grandmothers jewelry collection was concerned. I didn’t know if they would still attempt their plan once they realized the jewels had been lifted from under their noses, although, for Eileen’s sake, I hoped they would abandon them. Both ways, my tracks were covered, and before the sunrise I would be miles away.

 

I gave myself 15 precious minutes, before leaving via the window and making my escape. Nothing had stirred, in or around the house. So I had interpreted the signs correctly, the raid was not on for tonight. I quickly moved out and made for the tree line, melting into the night, soon losing myself (and Eileen’s Jewels) to the darkness.

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Courtesy of Chatwick University Archives

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DISCLAIMER

All rights and copyrights observed by Chatwick University, Its contributors, associates and Agents

 

The purpose of these chronological photos and accompanying stories, articles is to educate, teach, instruct, and generally increase the awareness level of the general public as to the nature and intent of the underlying criminal elements that have historically plagued humankind.

 

No Part of this can reprinted, duplicated, or copied be without the express written permission and approval of Chatwick University.

 

These photos and stories are works of fiction. Any resemblance to people, living or deceased, is purely coincidental.

As with any work of fiction or fantasy the purpose is for entertainment and/or educational purposes only, and should never be attempted in real life.

We accept no responsibility for any events occurring outside this website.

 

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Acte 8 Footfalls (and the obligatory Epilogue)

Subtitle (striking the irons)

 

It had indeed been a trying day for The Mistress, as had the whole affair actually, and she was just too tired to continue putting up with it.

 

Exhausted after being run through an entire gauntlet of emotions, some of which had been entirely new to her and which she had found to be quite distasteful to someone of her carefully orchestrated upbringing, The mistress took some heavy sleep sedatives and had one of the downstairs servants( Maggie being shunned to the barn) put her to bed.

 

Later that evening as Edmund and her ladyship lay fast asleep in the separate rooms that extend out on either side of the large, shared sitting room, a most rude intrusion is made upon their chambres.

 

A pair of dark figures, moving silently as cats, walk up the stairs from the first floor, where they have spent some time lifting various pieces of silver, but now it was time for their main objectives:

 

They enter Edmunds room first, spending about twenty minutes as they expertly locate and removed his lordships valuables from their various hiding spots, some of which had been unlocked from a ring of keys in the possession of one of the thieves.

  

The pair then enters her Ladyships bedchamber, spending twice as much time inside as they had in Edmund’s chamber. They take great pains to make sure all of her hiding spots are located and relived of the valuables contained within; trying all the remaining keys out from the chain they have in their possession. Their torches touch upon many cases which when opened, contain a dazzling collection of colourful jewels, brite gold and pearls,( white black and coral.) Having been given a sleeping draught, The Mistress is blissfully unaware that all of her expensive jewelry and knickknacks are being collected and placed in a large black carpet bag. And since the Mistress liked to keep are of her most expensive possessions close at hand in her Boudoir, it was quite a large and extremely valuable collection that was being stolen from right under her pointed, upturned nose.

 

They lastly work around the large canopy bed where her ladyship is sleeping peacefully.

 

One of the dark shadowy men peel back the blue satin coverlet, exposing the mistress in her long black nightgown. Thin, dark fingers feel carefully along her satin clad figure checking for anything of value er the Mistress may have worn to bed. A jeweled ruby ring is located, one she always wears to bed feeling that it is the safest place for it, and is ever so gently pulled off her finger.

 

Her silver rhinestone sleeping masque is then lifted off, as are the pair of tortis shell clips holding up her long hair. As they are pulled away, she turns in her bed, saying a name( her lawyers as it so happens) exposing a black string protruding from the bottom of her pillow. The string is pulled, and out comes a black silk pouch. ( later that pouch is found to contain a letter for a certain solicitor along with a healthy wad of fivers!)

A long thin knife is pulled out, and for the second time that evening, the thin straps of her negligee are slit, and the negligee is slowly pulled coff of her figure.

 

The two shadowy figures leave with their loot, and make their way back outside. They almost get away undetected, but for one female servant, who had watched the pair from the servants quarters. And said servant, instead of sounding an alarm, may have chuckled a bit as she hobbled back to her bed and soon had fallen peacefully, innocently, back to sleep….

 

The Obligatory Epilogue :

All’s well that ends well, one can suppose:

Edmund and The Mistress, the robbery effectively relieving them of the last of their savings, and facing the loss of their estates, attempted to get back the money they had paid the crooked magistrate. He immediately had the pair charged and arrested for intimidation of a judge. Unable to pay the fines, they both were sent to debtors prison, where Edmund expired of a heart attack 8 months later, giving Errol the opportunity to inherit the family title.

 

The Dowager Aunt paid the debts of the Estate ( but not those of Edmund and The Mistress), acquiring Staghurst in the process. She set up Errol and his wife in the great estate as overseers; eventually Errol was bequeathed the estate upon the Dowagers passing some 6 years later. The Dowager was buried at Staghurst, and her mausoleum, even though overgrown and buried by vines, can still, not easily, be found..

 

Now it is known that The Mistress was quite inconsolable at Edmund’s funeral, so one would like to think there were some embers of love giving minute bits of heat to an otherwise seemingly soulless heart.

 

Lady Elisa apparently took pity on the poor creature, and convinced His Lordship Errol to forgive the Mistress’s debts. He apparently took money from his own household and finally got her release from debtor’s prison a year after Edmund’s passing. The Dowager Aunt allowed her to rent out one of the estates small cottages. Elisa sent Fanny to teach the Mistress how to be a seamstress so she could earn her keep. It was recorded in the family chronicles that her first order of business was taking some of her own stunning gowns that the Mistress had left behind at Staghurst and altering them to fit Elisa and Maggie to be worn by the ladies at various functions.

 

Sadly, Maggie’s scratches on her cheeks became infected and left her with some rather nasty scarring. Elisa brought the poor creature into Staghurst to be her companion. It is not chronicled whom Maggie eventually wed, but it was recorded in the Staghurst manor’s archives that one of Maggie’s daughters married a younger son of Lord Errol’s. A bloodline that carried the title of the house of Staghurst into modern times.

 

As for Staghurst itself, the great house still looms, standing in commanding atonement! But times have changed, and like so many great estates of the day, the majority of the manor has been re-envisioned into a rather upscale overnight, run by the current Lord and his family, direct descendants of Errol and Elisa.

 

As for the Assault and Robbery, no one was ever caught and punished. But one can imagine, without naming names, that those who had a hand in obtaining the small fortune acquired, soon found their positions in life elevated, and one can always hope that some good came of it…

  

The pub mentiond, The Poet and the Peasant, is the name of an actual welsh pub, and the 400 year old building it is located in has been the site of many drinking establishments over the years. Although its part in this story is fictional, one who has been there can well imagine that if its darkened and smoky walls and chambers could talk, therein would lay many tales, both rude and glorious.

 

“Have patience with everything that remains unsolved in your heart.

 

Try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books written in a foreign language.

 

Do not now look for the answers. They cannot be given to you because you could not live them.

 

At present you need to live the questions.

 

Perhaps you will gradually, without even noticing it, find yourself experiencing the answers, some distant day."

Rainer Maria Rilke

 

PS

Inspired by a very talented artist here

Alex Alexander

 

thanks,Alex.

:)

We happened to see this young Stoat feeding on a road kill in front of our eyes and it did not move as we parked up and move closer to it to take some photographs. It was the second time I had seen a Stoat in the wild. The first one just ran across the road but this one allowed itself to be photographed and videoed as it ate. Stoats can be quite bold and fearless and will hunt mammals to the size of Hares.

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoat

 

The stoat or ermine (Mustela erminea) is a small mammal of the family Mustelidae. It is also known as a Shorttail (or Short-tailed) Weasel and less frequently as an ermelin. Sometimes "ermine" refers to the animal only when it has white fur, while "stoat" only refers to when it has brown fur.

 

The stoat or ermine can be found almost everywhere throughout the northern temperate, subarctic and Arctic regions, of Europe, Asia, and North America. In an unsuccessful attempt to control the rabbit population, it was introduced into New Zealand. The animals are largely nocturnal or crepuscular but will sometimes come out during the day.

 

The ermine is a member of the family Mustelidae, one of the most species-rich families in order Carnivora. Mustelidæ also includes other weasels, mink, otters, ferret, badgers, polecats, the wolverine, martens, the tayra, the fisher and in some taxonomical classifications skunks.

The ermine moves in a sinuous manner when pursuing its prey. It is extremely quick over the ground considering its small size, and is also a strong swimmer that is able to colonize offshore islands. Although it inhabits northern latitudes, the ermine is built long and thin, leading to an increased surface area-to-volume ratio and increased dissipation of heat from its body. The advantage of this shape is that it is one of the few species able to follow burrowing animals into their own homes. It partly compensates for this shape by having short legs, small ears, a fast metabolism and, in winter, thick fur. Ermines may grow up to 30 cm long, with males much larger than the females. In most areas it coexists with the weasel (Mustela nivalis, also known as the Least Weasel), the smallest member of order Carnivora. Where the weasel is absent the ermine is smaller (~70 g).

The ermine's coat is a rich medium brown with an off-white belly. In winter, the coat is thicker and in regions that experience an inch or more of snow for at least forty days of the year (such as in Armenia[2]), the color changes to clean white. This white fur is known as "ermine", a term originating either from the Latin phrase "Armenius mūs" ("Armenian rat")[3] or from a word common to the Germanic and Baltic languages,[4] hence the scientific name. At this stage, where the animal is known as a "stoat", it may be referred to as ermine, or as being "in ermine". The winter ermine has been used in art as a symbol of purity or virginity. The white fur was highly prized, and used in the robes of the Lord Chief Justice of England. The furs would be sewn together making a pattern of black dots. A version of this pattern is used in heraldry as ermine tincture. Both the animal and the heraldic tincture are symbols of Brittany.

In all seasons the ermine has a black tip to its tail. The black tip probably serves as a decoy to predators, which would include almost any carnivore large enough to eat an ermine (e.g. wolves, foxes, wolverines, and some birds of prey). This kind of coat is very similar to the coat of the long-tailed weasel (Mustela frenata), a related animal of about the same size which also moults into white in the northern part of its range, and it is easy to confuse these kinds of weasels. The alternative North American name for the ermine, the "Short-tailed weasel" arose because its tail length distinguishes it from the long-tailed weasel. In general it is found farther north. Both species can be distinguished from the weasel because the weasel lacks a black tip on its tail.

The ermine is native to the area between the 40th parallel (north) and the beginning of the Arctic Circle, which encompasses most of northern Eurasia and North America.

Stoats have been introduced to New Zealand and Australia to control a rabbit overpopulation but found an alternative source of food easier to catch thus leaving the rabbit problem unsolved. They were also brought to Terschelling Island to control water voles (Arvicola terrestris). Ermines can swim up to 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) across seawater and have already reached several New Zealand offshore islands unaided. Programmes are currently underway to eradicate stoats from many islands in the Fiordland region of New Zealand by the Department of Conservation.

The ermine is a carnivore. It eats insects, small mammals, birds and their eggs and young. It also eats small reptiles and fish. It is a very skillful tree climber and can descend a trunk headfirst, like a squirrel. The ermine is capable of killing animals much larger than itself. When it is able to obtain more meat than it can eat it will engage in "surplus killing" and often stores the extra food for later. When this is the case, it will often kill by breaking the prey's neck without marking the body, presumably so its cache does not spoil easily.

There are several recorded instances of ermines 'transfixing' rabbits by exhibiting a tumbling routine akin to a dance. Rabbits appear hypnotised by this activity and fail to notice the ermine approach within striking distance. Once close enough, the rabbit falls easy prey to the ermine.

Like other mustelids it typically dispatches its prey by biting into the base of the skull to get at the centers of the brain responsible for such important biological functions as breathing. Sometimes it will also make preliminary bites to other areas of the body. In most areas in which ermines and least weasels co-exist, the weasel generally takes smaller prey and the ermine slightly larger prey. The larger male ermines generally take larger prey than females. Commonly, the ermine falls prey to animals such as the wolf, fox, coyote, domestic cat or badger.

The ermine is territorial and intolerant of others in its range, especially others of the same sex. Within its range, it typically uses several dens, often taken from prey species. It usually travels alone, except when it is mating or is a mother with older offspring. It breeds once a year, producing several young kits (or kittens) per litter, and its mating system is promiscuous. Copulation occurs during the mating season with multiple partners and is often forced by the male, who does not help raise the offspring. Sometimes it occurs when the female is so young she has not even left the den. In spite of being such a small animal, the ermine's gestation is among the longest reported for mammals (11 months) because of the adaptation of delayed implantation, or embryonic diapause, in which a fertilized egg is not implanted in the uterus until months later. The animal's "real" gestation is much shorter. This is presumably an adaptation to the highly seasonal environment in which the ermine lives.

 

Communication (and also location of prey) occurs largely by scent, since the ermine as typical of mammals has a sensitive olfactory system. As a result much of this communication is missed by human observers. However, ermines are believed to identify females in estrus by scent, and also the sex, health and age of prey. Some kinds of rodents such as voles have counter-adapted by being able to shut down reproduction (which makes females slower and easier to catch) if they smell the odor of mustelids. The ermine's visual resolution is lower than that of humans and color vision is poor, although night vision is superior. Like most other non-primate mammals they have dichromatic colour vision (they can distinguish long from short wavelengths of light, but cannot make distinctions of hue within those bands). Tactile information is conferred by the vibrissae, or whiskers. When alarmed, an ermine can release a powerful musky smell from glands near its anus.

 

Subspecies

Stuffed stoat in Bristol City Museum, Bristol, England. The stoat is distinguished from the Least weasel by its larger size and black tip to the tail.

•Mustela erminea

oYellow-necked ermine Mustela erminea ? Range: Northern Shaanxi, China

oMustela erminea alascensis

oMustela erminea algiricus

oMustela erminea anguinae

oMustela erminea angustidens

oMustela erminea arctica

oMustela erminea audax

oMustela erminea bangsi

oMustela erminea celenda

oMustela erminea fallenda

oMustela erminea ferghanae

oMustela erminea gulosa

oErmine haidarum Mustela erminea haidarum Range: Queen Charlotte Islands, Canada

oMustela erminea herminea

oMustela erminea hibernica (Thomas and Barrett-Hamilton) Range: Ireland, Isle of Man

oMustela erminea imperii

oMustela erminea initis

oMustela erminea invicta

oMustela erminea kadiacensis

oMustela erminea kanei

oMustela erminea labiata

oMustela erminea leptus

oMustela erminea lymani

oMustela erminea microtis

oMustela erminea mortigena

oErmine weasel Mustela erminea muricus

oHondo stoat Mustela erminea nippon Range: Central and northern Honshū, Japan[5][6]

oOlympic ermine Mustela erminea olympica Range: Olympic Peninsula, Washington

oEzo Stoat Mustela erminea orientalis Range: Hokkaidō, Japan; Japanese: ezo-itachi "Ezo weasel", okojo "stoat/weasel", shiro-ten "white marten"

oMustela erminea polaris

oMustela erminea pusilla

oMustela erminea richardsonii

oMustela erminea rixosa

oMustela erminea salva

oMustela erminea seclusa

oMustela erminea semplei

oMustela erminea streatori

oMustela erminea vulgaris

oMustela erminea whiteheadi

The skins of ermines are prized by the fur trade, especially in winter coat, and used to trim coats and stoles. The fur from the winter coat is referred to as ermine. There is also a design, also called ermine, which is inspired by the winter coat of the stoat but which is painted onto other furs, such as rabbit.[7] In Europe these furs are a symbol of royalty; the ceremonial robes of members of the UK House of Lords are trimmed with ermine.[7] The ermine is also considered a symbol of purity in Europe. In the Renaissance era, legend had it that an ermine would die before allowing its pure white coat to be besmirched. When it was being chased by hunters, it would supposedly turn around and give itself up to the hunters rather than risk soiling itself. Henry Peacham's Emblem 75, which depicts an ermine being pursued by a hunter and two hounds, is entitled "Cui candor morte redemptus" or "Purity bought with his own death." Peacham goes on to preach that men and women should follow the example of the ermine and keep their minds and consciences as pure as the legendary ermine keeps its fur.[8] In some Nordic countries the ermine is invoked as a symbol of curiosity and timely action. In some areas of Japan, because of its adorable appearance and somewhat elusive nature it is still considered a symbol of good luck.

 

For my Unsolved Murders, I chose Deanna Cremin, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Deanna_Cremin This was the first time EVER that i've edited closed eyes. I think i'm good. ;)

 

She was a teenage girl, born on March 26, 1978 and was killed 4 four days after her birthday, March 30, 1995. She was strangled to death, till this day no one knows who killed her. Two kids that she had been babysitting for had found her dead.

 

Hope you guys like and my other photos will soon to come. ;)

 

P.S. Ef, I don't know what type of mode this is, but I think you should pick for me, since I don't know.. ;P

 

R.I.P. Deana Creamin. Hope we get the justice that she deserves and the other murder crimes too.

 

*WOOT-WOOT* OSAMA IS DEEEAADDD! >:)

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Symmetry

A plot in Motion

As excerpted from

 

“An Odyssey Less Taken “@

  

Tallie looked into the mirror as the bound Olivia stirred, a self-satisfied smirk lighting up her pretty face. It was time to administer the syringe containing the liquid that would render Olivia unconscious until late the next morning, giving them plenty of time. Olivia would wake thinking she had been the victim of a robbery. She should have no clue that the real reason was a simple piece of paper she had had tucked away inside her gold purse.

 

A couple of hours earlier:

 

Tallie had jogged into the upscale inn’s main lobby wearing a black running suite with her long,hair tucked up under a neoprene running cap. Playing the part of a guest who had gone out for exercise, she was also wearing thin gloves, wide wraparound sunglasses, small backpack and listening to music on her I Phone. She took up station in a corner of the inns’ huge lobby, like she was resting, while listening to her music. Ten minutes later, Olivia, whom Tallie had been shadowing, came in. Olivia had been easy to follow. An eye catching figure clad in a gold silk dress and pearls. She was carrying a shiny gold purse, and holding a bag containing a deep purple satin gown. Olivia had headed straight to the elevator, tapped her floor button and disappeared inside.

 

Tallie spent an uncomfortably anxious 10 minutes deciding what to do. Olivia had not gone to the front desk to take her jewels from the safe. Although her jewelry was not a main part of the plan, Tallie had loftier goals in mind, they did present a rather profitable bonus. Tallie decided to proceed, not wanting to blow the whole operation for a few pretty baubles. She had just risen when the elevator tinged. The doors opened, and Olivia exited into the lobby, still clad in the gold silk, and headed to the desk. There, she had the manager retrieve a black case. Showtime Tallie thought, relieved now that she had waited, watching as Olivia once again left in the elevator. Ten minutes after that, it was time to put the plan in motion. Using her I Phone, Tallie rang Olivia’s room pretending to be a hotel employee. “Someone had found something of yours in the lobby; a manager is on her way up with it.” She hung up not giving Olivia any chance for response.

  

From then, it had gone like clockwork. Tallie, with delight, watched the shocked look on Olivia’s face when she opened the door expecting a female hotel manager, but instead came face to face with a Taser wielding double of herself, Tallie! Firing the Taser, the shocked girl slumped into Tallies’ welcome arms. Kicking the door shut, Tallie pulled Olivia into the bathroom, where she was then bound and gagged. To make it look like a robbery, Tallie stripped Olivia of her pearl necklace, earrings, bracelets and rings. Then she quickly looted the apartment of any other small, but valuable items. Placing these items, along with the small backpack, into a leather clutch. Tallie then went to the dresser top and opened the black case sitting there. She whistled to herself as she savored the shiny contents. Looking them over, she made a selection, then poured the remaining jewelry into the clutch, glittering explosive fire as they went. She placed the selected diamond jewelry on the bathroom sink. Tallie found Olivia’s gold purse and opened it and pulled the ticket out. Studying, with eager eyes, the prize they had worked so hard to obtain. The small ticket was the key to the whole plot, worth potentially millions.

  

Carrying the purse to the bathroom, Tallie started to get ready. De bagging Olivia’s purple gown, she slipped it on. It poured over her curvy figure perfectly, as they had known it would. Tallie had switched her calfskin gloves for a pair of Olivia’s satin ones. It was as she had been putting on Olivia’s glittering diamonds that the tied up girl started to stir. Walking over to the groggy eyed girl, Tallie pretended to fumble with the ropes knots, and administered the hypo containing the knockout drops. After checking the heavily sedated Olivia’s Pulse, Tallie finished putting on the unlucky girls jewels.

 

Tallie admired herself in the mirror, almost not recognizing herself. She had dyed her midnight black hair blonde to match Olivia‘s and had put in blue tinted contacts. The clingy gown fitted snugly in all the right places, tightly outlining her perky breasts and nicely rounded butt. Very nice, thought Tallie beaming. After putting on Olivia’s stiletto heels, Tallie pronounced herself ready. Picking up the purse, she patted it for luck, and went into the bedroom. Tallie called the front desk, asking to have a limo called to pick her up out front, then she also ordered a wakeup call with breakfast for eleven o’clock the next morning. Hanging up the phone, Tallie still had 12 minutes left to kill. She spent it retracing her steps around the entire apartment making sure nothing had been overlooked, and then double checked that Olivia was going to stay out of the picture. When her time was up, Tallie snatched the clutch up from the satin covers of the bed, heavy now with Olivia’s valuables and her running suit and backpack. Tallie left the apartment, closing the door after hanging a do not disturb sign on the lever. Tallie entered the empty elevator , pushed the down button, and focused on the task at hand.

  

Finally, after seemingly endless months of careful plotting, preparation, rehearsals and dry runs. It was time. The whole scheme had been planned to the minutest detail, it had to be. The main prize was the tens of millions of dollars’ worth of jewels worn by the female guests attending the annual formal Casino Night by the Bay Ball. The annual black tie ball was a Republican Political Fundraiser by special invitation only and Olivia, who had been carefully selected and shadowed for weeks now, had been one of the lucky ticket holders. As a final coup de grâce , Tallie would attend the ball wearing Olivia’s luxurious gown and her brilliantly expensive diamonds, fitting right in with the other attendees. Security would be checking ID’s at the door. But Tallie now resembled Olivia almost to a T. She would fool those rent a cops easily as they checked her against Olivia‘s driver’s license for identification, bending over and showing a little bosom for added distraction. Tallie couldn’t wait to mingle and rub elbows with the galas ultra-rich patrons. She would mark her time by mingling and endearing herself to as many of the male guests as possible in the short time allotted to her. She would use her rich welsh brogue to the fullest to win over the posh male Yanks. All the while admiring the shiny gowns and scoping out the shimmering jewels that would be adorning her fellow female guests. Those jewels would include the Dahlkemper pearls, the Caboyt diamonds with the brilliant sapphires that placed the “Hope Diamond” to shame, and, of course, the famous matching waterfall diamond sets the Dempsey Twins would be wearing (Not to mention their Mother’s emeralds and rubies) . The sets, which had been presented as gifts at the twins ultra- fancy coning out ball, were insured for over 1 million dollars by the girls parents.

  

Then at the appointed hour, Tallie would slip away to a seldom used back stage door, conveniently hidden neath a stairwell. Security would not have this door covered. It was there that Tallies’ husband and his troupe of fellow masked thieves would be waiting to make their entrance. If all went to plan and it would, she was sure of that, they would proceed to hold up and rob all the guests. Relieving the lot of their fat designer purses, thick leather wallets, gold Rolexes, and of course, their jewels, Lots and lots of shimmering, pricy jewelry. Not to mention the piles of loose cash lying on the gambling tables begging to be collected. Tallie’s heart beat faster at the enticing visions.

 

After the last guest had been relieved of their valuables, Tallie’s next part of the plot would come. This was where Tallie’s experience as an actress would pay off. The thieves would grab an innocent hostage (Tallie) by knifepoint Then, while threatening the life of the frightened squirming hostage, order the rest of the guests to strip off their clothing. If Tallie had played her part well, mingling and playing the doe eyed innocent who reminded those she met as someone who they would love to protect, her fellow guests would not want to see her harmed and be obedient to the robbers threats, not wishing any harm to come to her. The guests would be threatened to not to try anything for the next hour, or they would eliminate their hostage. The gang would then leave with their loot, as well as their hapless hostage. Then they would make, what in Tallie’s opinion, was a rather brilliantly orchestrated get away.

  

This was not the first time out for Tallie and her husband’s team, but it promised to be their last. The gang had been operating in Europe and Latin America, seeking out small, but lucrative, gatherings of the privileged and ultra-wealthy. They had gotten quite adept, fine tuning a formula that successfully paid attention to even the minutest detail.

  

Tallie loved playing the part of the inside victim. Getting as close as possible to the female guests (usually by flirting with husbands and boyfriends) to get a close appraisal of their jewels. Then, after letting her husband and crew loose, observing the well-dressed guests being herded to line up along the wall with raised hands. Usually creating a colorful array of swishing lace, satin, silk , velvety gowns and dresses, all flowing along forlorn figures. It was a thrill to watch their facial and body expressions and reactions. Especially of the women and girls present, as they were forced to hand over their flashy gemstones, their Shiny gold and silver, opulent pearls and other assorted fine jewelry were handed over reluctantly from about their persons.

 

Then would come the part that really aroused Tallie. The thieves would reach her and tell her to “fork over the jewels miss,” and depending on her mood, would do so, either acting defiant and forcing them to take them off her, or frightened(especially if the thief was her husband) , and timidly handing them over. She would be squirming inside with a deep, delicious delight as she took off , or had the thief wrench off, each precious piece. It was a reaction she did not fully understand, but just knew and accepted it as a scintillating feeling. Tallie, shivered, licking her lips at past memories of being a robbery “victim”.

  

The band had no qualms about was fair game, boldly invading Weddings, Receptions, Fancy dress dances and even the upscale prom or mansion party. All had been meticulously planned, all had been very lucrative. Their last raid had been carried out on a coming out party for an English Earl/ Minister and his titled wife’s only daughter. It had occurred at the minister’s isolated country manor located deep in the moors. Where, in addition to the jewels worn by the guests that ill-fated Saturday evening, the manor’s many bedroom safes yielded a dazzling array of cases of unworn jewelry brought by the guests for the four day weekend.

  

Tallie fondly remembered that raid. She had gained access to the family by going as the guest of a rather vain bachelor she had “happened to make an acquaintance with,” in London. The dinner gatherings and nightly parties that had led up to the night of the debutante’s ball had been all over the top, as only very old money can pull off. Tallie had almost suffered a system overload by observing the bounty of rich offerings at her fingertips. Beckoning jewels so very close, and as of yet, so very far. The Saturday evening ball could not have come soon enough. But come it did, and the minister’s daughter did not disappoint, nor did her mother or any other of their female guests. The young debutante had made her grand entrance in a long slinky blood red gown and matching gloves. Among the child’s perfect jewels was included an authentic family heirloom tiara, dripping with pristine diamonds, holding up the wavy curls of her silky fawn hair.

  

Tallies mouth had watered as she kept stealing looks, keeping her eyes glued to the precocious miss all evening. She inwardly was squirming with anticipation, up until the delightful moment when the begowned debutante limply removed and handed over the tiara, along with the rest of her gleaming diamonds and pearls to one of the gang of masked robbers who had had the “audacity “ to crash the party..

  

Now, Tallie was traditionally allowed to keep one piece of jewelry from the loot taken from each job as part of her take if she so desired. She always enjoyed picking out pieces she would like to have as she mingled with her fellow guests before her husband’s gang charged in. In the coming out party it had been the sad puppy faced debutante‘s cascading diamond earrings that Tallie had claimed for her own from the minute she first saw them dangling from the pretty girl’s delicate ears. Tallie had subsequently worn and been “robbed” of those earrings several times on jobs since then.

  

After the Manor house’s guests had been relieved of their valuables, the gang had made its getaway, seemingly vanishing into the moors misty air. The mechanics of that escape would form the basis of their getaway attempt after this evening’s robbery of the wealthy guests attending the “By the Bay Ball” Actually the symmetry of the two events did not stop there. The profit realized by the take from the Earl’s family and guests had given the gang the seed money for the enormous expense in planning tonight’s complex raid. And tonight’s successful raid on the ball, appropriately enough, its diamond jubilee, would be splashed over all of the countries newspapers, like the Manor raid had been. And like after the Manor raid, Tallie and her husband would be reading those papers in the safty of their isolated island retreat.

 

******************

 

As Tallie dwelt on that remembrance, the elevator completed its long, uninterrupted journey by tinging its 1st floor arrival. Showtime! Tallie thought with wry amusement as she stepped into the now crowded lobby. Tonight would be more of the same tingling robbery experiences, only ten times better and since it may very well be her last time , Tallie was going to savor every delicious minute.

 

Tallie left the elevator and moved quickly towards the sitting area she had occupied when watching for Olivia to come in. In one of the chairs sat a young man wearing wraparound sunglasses reading a blue covered novel. She swished by him, allowing her satin clad leg to brush along his. She watched with enticement as he straightened, uncomfortably, in his chair, his reaction to her teasing pleasing her immensely . Going around him, she placed her clutch on the chair behind him before turning and primping herself in front of one of the long mirrored walls that lined the sitting area. Seeing that no one as of yet was looking her way, she smiled to herself and swished her way back into the main lobby, leaving behind her clutch. She again passed the young man, who, even with the sunglasses, bore a striking resemblance to a young Sidney Poitier! No signal passed between them. The blue novel meant everything was going as planned, a red novel would have meant danger. The clutch on the chair behind him signaled the young man she had teased, Jessie by name , that everything was a go on Tallies end. After she left, Jessie would retrieve the clutch and rejoin Tallies husband and the rest of his gang.

  

With the prearranged signals exchanged, Tallie happily made her way to the fancy Glass doors where a uniformed Doorman was opening for arriving and departing guests. She could feel more than one pair of jealous eyes following her as she weaved her way through the crowd, her long gown swishing deliciously along her pretty figure. The pretty blond in the purple satin and shimmering diamonds was soon lost to sight, as she exited the doors to the misty street below. Those watching her were totally oblivious that the pretty blonde passing them was setting into motion the complex wheels of a rather ingenious scheme. Meanwhile in a ballroom some miles away a large group of extremely well dressed and decked out guests attending a certain excessively extravagant Ball , were innocently mingling, jewels sparkled with a frenzied riot of colours! These heavily gem encrusted guests were also totally oblivious as to what fate had in store for them in a few hours.

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@ Chatwick University extends its compliments to the unknown artist whose worthy photo and captivating title proved to be the spark that ignited the genesis of our Tallies Odyssey….

 

DISCLAIMER

All rights and copyrights observed by Chatwick University, Its contributors, associates and Agents

 

The purpose of these chronological photos and accompanying stories, articles is to educate, teach, instruct, and generally increase the awareness level of the general public as to the nature and intent of the underlying criminal elements that have historically plagued humankind.

 

No Part of this can reprinted, duplicated, or copied be without the express written permission and approval of Chatwick University.

 

These photos and stories are works of fiction. Any resemblance to people, living or deceased, is purely coincidental.

As with any work of fiction or fantasy the purpose is for entertainment and/or educational purposes only, and should never be attempted in real life.

We accept no responsibility for any events occurring outside this website.

 

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The penultimate snowflake in this year’s series! With only one more to go after this one, but I always like to end my yearly snowflake project with some special ones – there’s a lot going on a seemingly simple snowflake here!

 

The center of this snowflake is reminiscent to an early, one in this series, Number 48 (www.flickr.com/photos/donkom/46118291175/ ). This one, however, is even more difficult to tell exactly what’s going on. It’s clear that we have multiple layers, and the central crystal structure appears offset from the larger snowflake’s center. It could be another lucky collision that stuck! I’ve seen more of these colliding and sticking snowflakes than in any other winter.

 

Of course, that’s just luck. The right conditions can always make this happen, we’ve just had more of those conditions this year. As a winter season goes, we didn’t have much in the way of giant symmetrical crystals, and far fewer “beautiful” snowfalls than other seasons… but when the good stuff is falling I’ll shoot for the whole day! This one was shot on the Lumix GH5S after I had to give my pre-production Lumix S1 back to Panasonic. I’ve got an S1R in studio now though, just waiting to be pushed to the limits. :)

 

Back to this snowflake: the colours from thin film interference in the center are interesting, in part due to their smooth transition from colours and partly because they are not formed by the bubbles in the top crystal. You can clearly see the bubbles resting decidedly on top of the colour. This is where it gets really curious: the shadows from the bubbles are reflecting off of the area that is generating the colour, but this area is NOT the point where these two crystals are connected together. There’s an easy way o tell this, just look at the shadows.

 

The distance between the top bubbles and their shadows is much smaller than the distance between the central crystals small branches and the larger plate below them. This rules out my initial theory that a pocket of air was present between the two crystals just like Snowflake 46 of this series (www.flickr.com/photos/donkom/46263921474/ ) but the answer must be elsewhere. The longer I stare at it, the fewer ideas seem plausible. The little “nubs” in the corners just beyond the central colour are usually associated with bubbles, but with no increase in brightness these would more likely be skeletal-form features of an underlying column structure – so we have a capped column scenario just like Number 48… except that the colour seems to be originating inside the column structure. I haven’t ever seen that happen before. Clearly I’m missing a piece of the puzzle, but without seeing this gem from all angles it’ll have to remain slightly unsolved. I’m okay with that – it’ll always be something to ponder.

 

Like these little physics puzzles? Want a comprehensive tutorial on snowflake photography? Get a copy of Sky Crystals for all your answers: skycrystals.ca/product/sky-crystals-unraveling-the-myster...

 

Or sign up for one of my workshops! Macro, water droplet refraction, and a photographer’s dream tour of Iceland: www.donkom.ca/workshops/

Eda is a not-so-minor character in my novel. She will soon become a best friend of Eneile and David, and I'm not completely sure how her story will go (I'm not that far into my book.)

Eda can she spirits (only ones in whihc their death an unsolved mystery) and she spends a lot of time away from Steven -her fiancee- to solve their deaths.

Nothing much in the way of excitement ever happens at Coopers Chase Retirement home so four friends meet up once a week to go over unsolved murder cases. Then one day a murder happens right on their doorstep and the four are thrown into the thick of things. Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron and Ibrahim might be pushing 80 but they still a have trick or two to show the police.

 

I have mixed feeling about this book. I certainly didn't dislike it, in fact I found it quite amusing at times however I also found it a bit rambling now and again and far too many characters introduced to the point where I had to go back and re read parts to keep straight who was who. Hopefully it was just a first book thing and by the next one in the series things will be better.