My fascination with car park continues. This is the car park for John Lewis in L1.

Wembury summer.

Scaffolding and metal cladding. I wonder what they're up to now.

clad all in black

Thanks to all who comment or favorite; it is always appreciated!

 

This photo was taken in Charleston, SC, and shows a window beautifully framed by lush ivy. Charleston is known for its well-preserved historic architecture, which reflects its rich history and cultural heritage. The buildings in Charleston often exhibit elements of Georgian, Federal, and Greek Revival styles, with a strong emphasis on symmetry, proportion, and decorative details.

 

The ivy-clad window in the photo brings to mind the city's antebellum homes, which frequently feature large windows with shutters, brick facades, and abundant greenery. The ivy adds charm and is a natural cooling system during Charleston's hot summers.

 

Charleston's architectural legacy dates back to the colonial era, with many buildings surviving the Civil War and hurricanes. The city's commitment to preservation has maintained its historic charm, making it a popular destination for history enthusiasts and architecture lovers.

 

Thank you for viewing! If you like this photo, remember to favorite it and follow for more! Have you visited Charleston and its historic sites? Share your experiences in the comments below!

Mistress Zara in Dublin 2003

Profile de compresie KLP se instaleaza usor, acopera marginile deteriorate ale imbinarilor si au bune proprietati de recuperare.

  

www.hidroplasto.ro/profile-fatada.html

Harpa is a concert hall and conference centre in Reykjavík, Iceland. The opening concert was held on May 4, 2011.

Harpa was designed by the Danish firm Henning Larsen Architects in co-operation with Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson. The structure consists of a steel framework clad with geometric shaped glass panels of different colours. The building was originally part of a redevelopment of the Austurhöfn area dubbed World Trade Centre, Reykjavík, which was partially abandoned when the financial crisis took hold. The development was intended to include a 400-room hotel, luxury apartments, retail units, restaurants, a car park and the new headquarters of Icelandic bank Landsbanki.

The completion of the structure was uncertain until the government decided in 2008 to fully fund the rest of the construction costs for the half-built concert hall. For several years it was the only construction project in existence in Iceland. The building was given its name on the Day of Icelandic Music on 11 December 2009, prior to which it was called The Reykjavík Concert Hall and Conference Centre (Icelandic: Tónlistar- og ráðstefnuhúsið í Reykjavík). The building is the first purpose-built concert hall in Reykjavík and it was developed in consultation with artistic advisor Vladimir Ashkenazy and international consultant Jasper Parrott of HarrisonParrott. It houses the Iceland Symphony Orchestra and the offices of The Icelandic Opera.

Photo taken in Willer in the Lötschental (Switzerland), during the carnival week.

The "Tschäggättu" are frightful figures, clad in furs that wear grotesque masks.

  

www.loetschental.ch/en/things-to-do/culture/tschaeggaetta...

Slinking away, still smirking over how rewardingly gullible the bejeweled wealthy girls in silky dresses had proven, Angie unexpectedly came across fresh, opulently inviting, prey.

 

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Angelique D. at play

 

Angie D

 

Circa 1915

 

Case study 113 subset b

 

Early development: “Pickpocket” of worn Jewelry

 

Sub title:

 

What is it about rich girls that make them so lucratively gullible?

Quoted by Subject: log 1959

 

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

 

What:

 

Along a path just outside where a departing congregation of a small church still gathered.

 

Where

 

The outskirts of Chestermere:

 

When:

 

An early fall day, in the year of our Lord 1915

 

Who:

 

An appealing lady wearing a secret smile, clad expensively in a silky top and flowing satiny ruffled skirt, a pair of gold earrings flashing merrily as she strolls.

 

Excerpted from Diary:

 

A lady in a cream silk blouse and long blue skirt was walking happily along a path on the outskirts of Chestermere. She was coming from the early Sabbath service of a local chapel, filled with the rousing words of the Parson’s homily. As Angie walked, she hummed a cheerful tune, her conscious, as always, free of any guilty feelings.

 

Angie was very pleased with herself, and the main source of the pleasure was now bouncing against her thigh as she briskly walked along. For deep in a small pocket hidden well below the waistline of her flowing sleek skirt, was a pretty jeweled pendent on a delicate gold chain.

 

Only just 15 minutes ago that jeweled pendent was still being worn by a member of a rather wealthy looking family whom had been in attendance at the same Sabbath service. Angie had scoped them out as the family had waltzed in just after the mass had started. The mother was dressed in a pretty white frock with ruffles of lace falling from her throat and wrists, along with a rather nice set of pearls. The rather formal and severe father was in a “monkey suit”, a gold pocket watch and fob stretched across his rather bulging waist. The pair had their hands full with two rambunctious , pre-adolescent twin boys, who had continually distracted them during and after the lengthy service. Which was good, from Angie’s point of view anyway, for it left the parents totally ignoring their seventeen year old daughter , at the end of the pew, standing with a sultry air about her.

 

The daughter was wearing a rather fancy party dress of thick red silk. Dangling down the front of the sheer red silk bodice, on a thin gold chain, was an attention grabbing deep green emerald starburst pendent that fell swaying from her dress’s high neckline. It had been the sleek dress that had whetted Angie’s interest, but it was the pendent that kept that interest focused during the entire service, delightedly eyeing the pendant’s shimmeriness in the low candle lit church. During the communion procession she had managed to slip in behind her in order to closer scrutinize the prospect, soaking in the expectations of acquiring it from the unsuspecting proper acting young lady..

 

As the service ended, the family joined in the stream of the departing congregation. Angie followed closely, looking for her chance. It came when the Parson stopped the father to ask a question, a group soon huddled around the mother and the twins. As everyone bent over to focus attention on the twins, including their sister, Angie circled her prey and slipped in close, hovering briefly over her back before darting in. In one fluid motion, Angie lifted with one practiced hand the chain and flicked open the thin clasp, nimbly catching the swaying pendent in her other hand as it fell, whisking the sparkling emeralds and chain away and palming it from sight. Absolutely no one noticed the flashy necklace as it vanished from the front of the sister’s silky dress. Angie had continued on her way, clutching the pendent, and headed straight out the door without looking back. Instead of heading back the short 3 miles to her hotel in the city, she decided to head out towards the woods, where she planned to lay low until dusk.

   

Angie now turned her head to have a look behind her at the distant chapel and the people milling about, her gold plated earrings flashing as she did so. Good, she thought, no one was following her, and she, in total security that she was out of danger, crossed off the path and went on the road.

  

Angie strolled along the country lane, trees lining it turning red and yellow in their autumn gowns, for quite some time, before she became aware of a band playing off in the distance.. Then turning a bend in the lane, through the thin wall of woods, she spied a wedding reception up on a hill by a white stone Church. From her vantage point she could see a multitude of colourful , richly shimmering gowns and the occasional sparkle of , she hoped , opulent jewelry.

  

As good luck would have it, she decides to crash the party. She was dressed for it, she was hungry, and who knows what pickings she may find inside to increase her earthly riches ,as the Parson had been saying! She walked around, skirting the woods and came across a hillside garden with rose covered arbors and bright flower lined paths. Two grubby boys of about ten and twelve were playing in the woods on the opposite side, by a small pond surrounded thickly with Rhododendron s. She entered the Garden and made her way up the winding path, coming out onto a small field with benches that lay on the opposite side of the church and the auditorium entrance to the reception.

 

Angie entered the crowded auditorium underneath the Church. She helped herself to the food buffet and sat outside enjoying her meal, as she watched the richly dressed crowd. A young man came up and asked her to dance, which she did happily, and just as happily lifted his gold watch and fob. And, too boot, after a few dances with him, she had become a part of his circle, happily mingling, and rubbing elbows with the obviously wealthy guests he presented her to. Including an introduction to his pretty faced teenage sister, who was sporting a pretty diamond ring on all too slender finger, that she kept waving in Angie’s face as she played with her long silky hair.

  

Angie soon left them and started to stalk about for a bit, noting that most of the guests were older, more mature specimens. There seemed to be a lack of young, well dressed children around, whose shiny offerings had been Angie’s main bread and butter for almost two years.. She had just come to the conclusion that she would have to settle for picking a few pockets or purses before leaving. She started to look around for the bloke with the fancy gold pocket watch who had first asked her to dance….

 

Then she saw her.

 

The lady was moving through the crowd, on the arms of a man half her age, giggling, not paying attention to anything else around her. She wore a long gown of a shimmery purple silk. But it was not the gown that had caught Angie’s eye, but the jeweled brooch that hung from the gowns cleavage, shadowed by its mistress’s ample bosom. Like the figurehead in a seagoing schooner it came, shimmering in the dazzling light of at least a hundred diamond chips, surrounded by an oval of blazing sapphires. Angie’s fingers tingled. It was time.

 

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

Now, it had been better than three years ago when Angie had run across an ancient, toothless Gypsy in a long black dress with a faded shawl around her shoulders, who had spoken Angie’s fortune. When she had read Angie’s palm, she looked Angie dead in the eyes, a most knowing kind of look. Then she had risen, motioning Angie to stay and came back with a rather battered old pamphlet she wanted Angie to look over. Entitled the Cutpurse: skilles, artes and Secretes of the Dip by “Gaston Monescu, 1826”, it covered the various tactics and moves used by master pickpockets. Including whole chapters on successful “Methodes” of relieving a wealthe lady of her” jeweles”.

 

The Gypsy Woman, who had hovering over Angie as she had read deeply into the pamphlet moved and sat back down across from her.

 

Angie ,who by this time in her quite young life, was already an accomplished cutpurse and picker of pockets, looked up at the gypsy, grinned, and asked if it was worth her while. The Gypsy just smiled, reached up and opened her dirty laced shawl, revealing the silvery necklace that Angie had been wearing when she had come in. Amazed she traded the necklace for the pamphlet on the spot and quickly began putting its teachings into play.

 

Angie soon mastered this new level of her chosen craft.

 

She had started on mannequins: clothing them in long silky dresses and jewelry. She had practiced for months, first in a rented studio apartment, then in a secret basement located in an isolated, deserted old barn and then its surrounding woods. Soon she felt confident enough to go out and try it in the crowded streets amongst shopping women. She met with great success, but her gains were only a pittance. Still she practiced, and had gotten so adept that she soon was moved onto more affluent hunting grounds.

 

She reasonably started out with weddings. For the phamplett had suggested starting out at formal parties where there would be an abundance of youngsters dressed in their best by parents wanting to show their off female issues to an adoring public( in the minds of the wealthy parents, anyway). So she went, seeking out young, easily distracted young girls who were not used to wearing the array of enticing jewels placed on them by overly enthusiastic parents.

 

Angie’s first time out was met with some rather sweet success. A large day time wedding reception in Nova Scotia, held in a public park by a majestic sweeping waterfall.

 

Late at the reception, as she was still prowling without making any formal attempts, she soon noticed that the adults at the gathering were becoming quite gay with drink, and noticeably paying less attention to their children. Said children began to wonder off in groups, exploring and starting to run about playing games, their gowns and dresses whispering a Pied Piperish tune to Angie’s ears, their shiny jewels luring her ever closer.

 

Angie soon started to follow a pair of young ladies who had scampered off to explore.

One was an impish girl with long black hair flowing down, drawing ones attention to the frilly white dress she was wearing. Gold chain earrings dancing merrily from her ears, as a longish gold herringbone chain shimmering brightly in the sun as it lay hanging from her silk dresses’’ high neckline.

Her partner in crime was a most fascinating subject. A charmingly bright green eyed proper young imp, a couple of years older than white dress, with a rather pronounced Welsh accent, much like Agie’s remembered her parents having. Her silken red hair lay down her back in a neat long French braid. A long thin satin gown of emerald green swished as she ran with the awkwardness of youth to keep up with her new friend. A matching satin bow was tied just below her throat, its ends trailing down to her svelte waistline. At the bows center was fastened a glittering rhinestone pin. She also was wearing a small rhinestone necklace that encircled her throat just above the bow. Her ears were home to a pretty pair of clasped rhinestone earrings that matched the pattern of her necklace. Around one short shiny green satin gloved wrist was a brite rhinestone bracelet.

 

The duo found the waterfall, by which a photographer had set up a camera. Angie approached the lovely pair, and easily started up a conversation, helped by the fact that as an adult, she was not scolding them for walking off. They seemed pleased that Angie was actually doing the exact opposite, like a favored auntie, she was encouraging them to explore.

 

Angie led them around a bend for a different view of the cascading waterfall, out of earshot of the reception. She helped the black haired lass, Basil, up to sit on a small stone wall for a better look, also helping to slip off the shiny gold herringbone necklace from her throat with an almost effortless ease in the process. As, with itching fingers, she contemplated what to do about Basil’s gold earrings, Angie started to watch Lydia.

 

Oblivious to what was going on around her, the red head, Lydia, was standing next to Angie, looking over the fence which just reached her shoulders. Here dear, Angie said, after pocketing the purloined gold necklace, you’re messing up your pretty dress. Angie turned the girl towards her, reached over and said, here, let my fix your bow, darling. Lydia allowed Angie to retie it, as Basil, her back to them, happily was watching, enraptured, the splashing water. Angie finished undoing and retying Lydia’s satin bow, neatly removing the pretty rhinestone pin in the process, then as she straightened the girl’s color, Angie had her turn around. As Lydia obediently did so, Angie flicked open the rhinestone necklaces clasp, and peeled off the flashy necklace from around Lydia’s throat as she turned round. Just like that, Lydia’s rhinestone necklace went the same way of er pin, both ending up with the gold chain in a secret pocket hidden in the folds of Angie’s skirt.

 

Angie stood behind Lydia, placing her hands on Lydia’s slick silken covered shoulders, all three watching the waterfall. Angie’s left hand caressingly, ever so lithely inched down along Lydia’s side, reaching the girls wrist. As Angie engaged them in conversation, she slowly worked off the bracelet, leaving only the pretty earrings as her last challenge.

 

Angie lifted her right hand and slowly moved it up to one of the girl’s dangling earrings, sparkling in the waterfalls’ reflection.. With her left hand she pointed upstream. As both girls turned their heads to look, off came a rhinestone earring. Angie than playfully lifted Lydia’s long French braid and laid it over Lydia’s shoulder, below her now bare ear. She turned to look down, giggling, and as she did so, Angie plucked away the remaining earring; it easily came off and joined its companion with the rest of the collection of jewelry in Angie’s secret pocket. Amazed that the process of removing young Lydia’s jewels had gone off so easily, Angie almost wished Lydia had been wearing bells like one of her sleekly gowned practice mannequins. Her reasoning being that she would know if it was because her skill level was that good, or just the fact that Lydia was just an unworldly youth easily distracted. Whatever the reason, Angie, feeling fresh inspiration, looked over at the chirpy basil, and her shiny gold earrings.

 

Angie moved behind Basil, placing her hands upon the slippery waistline of her silk dress, then leaned forward, whispering in the girls ear, tickling it with her breath. As Basil giggled Angie reached up gently lifted the gold chain earring up from the lobe of the girl’s opposite ear lobe. Then nimbly with her thumb and index finger, flicked open the hinge clasp and neatly removed the earring, watching for any reaction from her victim. Basil never felt a thing, Lydia was still watching the waterfall, equally as oblivious. Angie kept her chin close to Basil’s ear, and the remaining earring. Cautiously she moved her fingers up, and then darting in with them, successfully repeated the maneuver. As the earring joined the rest of her collection, Angie could not help thinking that if all her future endeavors were as successful, she could end up living quite a comfortable lifestyle.

 

Angie stayed a few more minutes, keeping the pair distracted the whole time before she cautiously moved off, leaving the two of them there by stream. Basil happily perched on the stone wall, and Lydia bent down, busily plucking at the moss growing on the old stones. Both girls still quite fetching in their pretty gowns, both a bit less weighted down by any added trimmings.

 

For the next year, fueled by her early success, she started focusing entirely on wedding receptions. Honing her skills until it became almost mundane for her nimble fingers to lift a jewel, no matter where is was being worn by a squirming young lady upon her fancy dressed person. And, actually, some of her acquisitions where worth a surprising bit of dough when pawned.

  

Favored Case in Point:

 

It was in New Hampshire, on her 24th outing late during the wedding season of the following year when she came upon a rather prim young miss of about 13, clad in a long sleeved thick yellow satin blouse, a black velvet vest and matching gold and black vertical striped satin skirt. A young raven haired bumble bee with no stinger, but with pearls, black pearls in a long string dangling down along the front of her shiny back buttoned blouse. She was also wearing matched black pearled earrings, and a small, daintily jeweled pin in the shape of a humming bird on her velvet vest. She was sitting alone at a table, playing with some crayons and a book. Angie, who had been watching her for some time from a bar stool, had come up and caught the pretty little things full attention, easily capturing her interest, then, finally, suggesting they go and watch the activity on the ballroom floor from a small alcove in a corner. Liking the adventurous way Angie had suggested it, the bumble bee had eagerly followed Angie away from the table.

 

Angie continued making small talk as the pretty thing was watching the exquisitely gown guests on the dance floor, including the girls’ parents. She was met with youthful exuberance by the youth, who was so enthralled with the activity on the dance floor that she was as unaware of what was going on around her , much like one of Angie’s practice Mannequins. After quite easily removing the dainty jeweled pin, Angie’s subtle fingers were able to lift up and flick open the rhinestone clasp of the child’s pearled necklace. Angie than coolly waited for a prime moment before whisking away the wholly distracted young miss’s gleaming black strand of pearls from around the high ruffled collar of her yellow satin blouse.

 

And also, like one of her gowned and jeweled practice Mannequins, the young girl never noticed anything amiss as Angie continued on with her conversation for quite some time afterwards. It was daring, but exciting as Angie kept stealing looks at the bare front of the glossy yellow blouse where the pearls had hung down so deliciously, knowing they were in her own pocket, so close, but for the young lady, so far.. Finally she decided she was pressing her luck, and she wished the child a goodnight, before beating a hasty exit,( but not before circling back to the now deserted table and heartlessly lifted the fat, expensively made purses, of both the young girl, and her mother!)

 

The jeweled hummingbird pin, and string of matched black pearls, dainty and long, fetched a pawned price that left whetted Angie’s appetite for more!

 

So, it was after this that Angie, looking for fresher, richer challenges, decided to seek out slightly older prey in their natural habitats, proms and social teenage dances. Where real gems, usually borrowed from their mothers or Grandmothers, would be replacing rhinestones.

 

Still very youthful looking despite her twenty something age, Angie’s first attempt was an upscale dance she had come across while out about in a neighboring city. It was held in an old ballroom for a local boy’s prep school and their dates. Figuring the girls attending would be ripe for the picking in tight gowns and loose fitting jewels, Angie stole inside for a closer look. The only obstacle was getting one of the begowned girls away from her group long enough to make a play for something of value that she was wearing.

  

But, Angie came away with nothing but valuable experience on that first attempt.

 

And it was actually her third try before she met with success in the form of a gold bracelet. It was at a formal dance being held in a large room of a rather posh hotel called the Red Lion Inn. She had gone in for a peek, and spying a pretty young thing heading for the ladies room, fell in step behind her. She was a long brown haired girl, wearing a short silk dress, blue, forming the perfect backdrop for her mouthwatering selection of shimmering gold jewellery. Waiting in a small alcove, Angie made her move as the young lady came back out the door. Bumping against her, Angie’s right hand held onto the youngster by the waist, drawing her close, as she steadied herself, apologizing. At the same time, Angie placed her left hand on the unsuspecting mark’s left wrist, easily flicking open the clasp of the thick gold etched bracelet and slipping it off and away. The young lady, accepting Angie’s apology, went on her way, and Angie, swiftly darted for the nearest exit, securing the rather overly brite bracelet in her bosum.

 

Over the spring and early summer dance seasons Angie practiced, acquiring bracelets and rings down pat using her skillfully developing fingers. She soon also was having some success with necklaces, including one with a long gold chain and a flower pendent set with a diamond carpel surrounded by ruby petals that had turned a quite tidy profit.

 

Then there had been the night of her first big haul, at a private girl’s school homecoming in Connecticut

 

She had started out by finally selecting and shadowing a young lady clad a slinky black dress, draped in her mother’s diamonds. Angie was drooling over a flashy wide glittering gemmed silver bracelet that hung loosely from the young vixen’s limp wrist. She was sure it was made up of real diamond chips. As the girl squirmed past Angie heading to the dance floor, her bracelet was easily plucked off the wrist of her black elbow length satin glove and secured deep in the bosom of Angie’s dress.

 

It was now becoming all too easy, smirked Angie as she unflappably headed out of the exit with her trophy. But, as she crossed the street, she was stopped by a hard looking Italian thug who emerged from the shadows. Angie at first thought wanted to mug her for her earrings, but it turned out he just wanted to see a girl who was inside attending the dance . He described her, and Angie, her interest growing, agreed to locate her and give her his message to meet him outside.

 

Angie went inside and soon found the girl. All her wishes had been answered. The unsuspecting lass was both richly gowned and even more richly jeweled, combined with zero common sense. This fidgeting girl had been seeing the young Italian on the sly, away from her disapproving family and friends. Angie led her out the back way, the opposite side of the Dance Parlor where the Italian was waiting in an alley.

 

Angie pointed across the street towards an entirely different Alleyway, offering to wait with her when the girl balked about going down it. As they waited, Angie fawned over the poor, beautifully adorned young innocent. Helping her straighten her luxurious gown, and helping her primp her long hair, so she would look just right for her east end Romeo. After waiting ten minutes, Angie instructed the girl to wait, while she went out and peeked down the street to see what was keeping her lover.

 

As she left, Angie stole a look back at the still primping young lass, eyeing her slinky gown, and remaining jewels, before heading off down the street, looking into her palm at the pair of long Garnet and diamond earrings that lay nestled, glittering fire there. She then placed them into a secret pocket, joining them with the girl’s small, expensive matching pendent, liberated as Angie had helped her negotiate a curb with her stiletto heels. Both pieces of the lass’s jewelry shared the same pocket with the wide silver bracelet encrusted with diamond chips that Angie had taken earlier..

 

More than once since then, Angie wondered if the ditzy, well jeweled girl ever had made it back out of that alleyway unscathed.

 

The experience had even more so whetted Angie’s appetite. So, even though she was still practicing on younger females, she was now dying to ply her trade upon mature women displaying the real McCoy.

 

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

 

So it was with that in mind that Angie now watched, with itching fingers, the beckoning brooch. Though Angie was still unsure enough of trying her abilities on wealthy ladies who would not be as easily distracted as young girls, the timing felt right. As the lady recklessly displaying the brooch passed, her attention lost in the arms of her lover, Angie turned and followed, getting a close look first at the brooch and its pin, noting that it was not tightly clasped onto the gowns thin material.

 

As the couple headed to a table they passed two wealthy dames arguing vigorously with each other. Pricey rings flashing as they pointed fingers emphatically in each other’s face. On the side of table away from the pair, but near to Angie as she was passing by, lay a small, fat silvery clutch purse . Figuring that any dames loaded down with that many gems should be carrying a healthy wad of dosh in it, Angie, on the fly, took action.

 

As she passed she snatched it, and slipping it under her arm turned and headed towards the ladies powder room. Just before entering Angie looked back watching as the two still argued, gemmed rings flashing she had gotten away with it! Going into a stall she scrutinized the clutch for its valuables; disappointed to find only a fiver, some loose change, and a silky laced handkerchief. How cheap can you get she thought ruefully over the wasted effort? Hiding the clutch in the folds of her satin skirt, she left the stall, passing a lady applying makeup in a mirror. She was very pretty in a fluid teal gown, wearing dazzling white pearls upon her ears, neck and wrists. Something about this lady seemed familiar, and Angie’s senses started to sound an alarm. Catching each other’s eye, Angie nodded, but the lady appeared not to recognize Angie, nor Angie her, but the feeling still lingered. Angie left ,guardedly perplexed.

 

Angie went to the bar to have a drink while she thought about who the lady may have been. She was in a position to see the dance floor and she soon spotted the purple clad lady with the brooch Angie had her eye on, again in a deep embrace with her lover. The Brooch would be profitable, but risky as along as she stuck close with the Boyfriend. Angie needed a way to get him out of the picture for a while. It was as she considered several options to carry out the challenge that Angie again spotted the lady in teal , dancing with a tall red headed man. . Cold prickles like ice ran down her spine, It was the pearls! She suddenly remembered who the lady, and her dance partner were!

 

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

 

Only 5 days ago she had been starting her third week operating in Calgary. She had been following a rather attractive, obviously wealthy woman, wearing an eye catching purple silk dress, carrying a dress bag and some smaller parcels. Close at her side was an unheeded calfskin purse. Alongside the lady was a smaller version, obviously her daughter, a girl of about 14. She was wearing a white shiny turtleneck with an equally shiny long tiered skirt. Both of her hands were occupied with department store bags also. When the ladies darted into a swanky hotel ,Angie had followed, she always had had luck in these types of establishments. They had entered a crowded lift and Angie had worked her way in behind the pair, riding up with them in the rickety contraption. Mother and Daughter got off on 12 and Angie stayed on until 15, exiting with not only the fat wallet from the calfskin purse, but also the shiny gold herringbone necklace that had been flashing from the daughter’s throat, securely in her pocket.

 

Angie decided to call it a day. She had already made about 30 dollars from wallets lifted at the department store she had been working over when she had spotted the mother and daughter at the checkout. The mother was paying from a thick wad of cash, and judging from the jewelry of both were an indication of how wealthy the family was. She had followed them out onto the street and it had paid off in spades. Now, all she had to do was find an exit. She saw a stairwell next to a slightly open door with a maids cart outside. She stopped and hovered over the cart to peer inside the room. It was at that moment a door opened on the opposite side of the hallway.

 

A red headed man in an open tux shirt came out of a room, looking at the cart, and Angie standing next to it. Seizing the opportunity, Angie quickly asked if he needed something. I was looking for a maid; I spilled some wine on the cashmere carpet. Seeing the name Bannister above the bell, she said sweetly, certainly Mr. Bannister, I can have someone take care of that for you.. I was just coming up to let you know there is an urgent message down at the desk for you. (Quick improvisation was a special talent of Angie’s.) Why didn’t you bring it, he started to snap, than , never mind, just get a maid, and he headed towards the elevator.

 

Angie picked up the towels and headed cautiously into the massive suite. From the bedroom off one side she heard running water. She looked around quickly, seeing many valuable articles, but nothing small enough to quickly conceal. She took the towels into the bedroom.

 

Angie went into the bedroom, expertly taking everything in. A long silver lamee gown lay out on the bed. On the vanity lay a silvery purse, a pair of long silver satin gloves , a silver watch, silver necklace, a pair of long dangling silver earrings, and a small blue velvet pouch. On a side dresser laid a man’s thick gold watch and a money clip with a wad of bills, a tenner showing on top. In less than a minute after entering the room she had scooped up the money clip, watches, silver jewelry and gloves stuffing them into the purse and lifting up her long skirt hid it in one of its secret pockets. She lifted up the pouch and found it was empty. A picture on the vanity showed an attractive lady in a black dress and pearls. She briefly wondered where the pearls were, did not see any likely spot, and so had turned to make a hasty exit, when a feminine voice called out from the bathroom where a shower could be heard running. Steam was coming out from the slightly ajar door.

 

Dear, a refined voice stated, I have soap in my eyes and cannot find the washcloth. Angie, smelling an opportunity, peaked her head around the corner into the steamy bathroom. There was a shower stall with glass doors at the end of the long room with a double sink running along the side. From the hook by the shower hung a peach negligee and matching long robe. The door was open slightly and a very soapy femine hand was reaching out trying to feel along a towel bar, just missing a hanging washcloth.

 

A soapy hand from which glittered a pretty gold pinky ring set with small diamonds. Angie went over and pulling off the washcloth, rapped on the glass door , receiving a thank you dear in return as the hand reached out for it. Angie wiped off the protruding hand, and a dry voice said, no, not my hand dear, as the washcloth was plucked playfully from Angie’s grasp , and the door closed. Angie bent down and picked up the diamond pinky ring that had been slipped from the showering woman’s finger by the wash cloth, from the carpeted floor underneath the shower door. she than turned ran a hand along the satin rode, looking around. Bingo, on the counter lay a pair of sparkly long diamond earrings. Dumbstruck at her luck she grabbed them off the sink. , she was jolted back to realty when the voice again called out, are you still there dear? She scurried out of the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

 

She was at the apartment door in a flash, opening it a crack to make sure the coast was clear, it was. In the hallway Angie headed for the stairs because she knew that Bannister was far too important a man to take a stairway. She had been in the apartment less than 4 minutes, and had probably looted it of enough valuables to more than double her take so far of the last three weeks since arriving in Calgary. Leaving by a back exit she came out of a small alley. Looking over she spotted the young lady whose necklace she had lifted in the elevator kneeling down and looking in some bushes. Her shiny skirt pleasantly splayed out upon the ground around her. Angie briskly walked past her and off down the street. She made it without incident to the dingy apartment she was renting by the day. Collecting her meager belongings Angie checked out immediately. Leaving by bus for Chestermere, where at a small bank she rented a safety deposit box to stash all her ill-gotten gains for safe keeping until the heat wore down a bit.

 

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Now Back to the Present

 

Angie now knew how lucky she had been. The red headed man, Bannister, may have recognized her. Calgary was too close to Chestermere , she should have been more cautious when scoping out the receptions guests. Angie turned and headed to the bar to think the situation over.

 

She saw the young man whose watch she had lifted, talking to an older, pretty lady laden with pearls. Behind them stood his sister, her diamond ring sparkling as she twirled her hair. Angie circled wide, coming up behind the lad, she grabbed his shoulder, why hello there. He smiled, introducing her to his Aunt, whose jeweled fingers she took into her hand in a gracious shake. He continued talking to his Aunt, it seems that they were discussing a family matter of some importance .Angie, finding the rings were tight on the Aunt’s chubby fingers, let go of her hand and moved over to the sister, and engaged her in conversation, moving a little off so that the sister turned her back to her brother and aunt.

 

The sister twittered, curling her hair impishly as Angie asked her why she wasn’t dancing. No ones asked, she giggled nervously. What about the boy who has been watching you all eyeing, Angie nodded her head outwards, the girl turned , her hair flying, as she lowered her hand, which Angie took up, petting it in a conspiratorial fashion, go over and ask him, Angie suggested. Go an ask him? I don’t see him she said, but I couldn’t, and she turned back to Angie, flashing her baby blues innocently. That’s okay deary, Angie patted the girl’s hand, keeping her eyes in contact, not allowing her to break the gaze, and perhaps looking down and noticing her loose ring was now gone from her slender finger. Angie took her leave of the sister, and of girl’s annoying nervously twittering giggle. Angie, slipping the diamond ring securely away, continued on until she reached a small alcove from where she could see most of the reception hall.

 

She lit a cigarette, purple silk and her desirably take able brooch was still safely out of reach on the dance floor, and Bannister’s attention was all on his wife. She thought it over, weighing her options, and the risks that were now in play. The song ended, and the dancers started to head off the floor. Angie’s eyes darted, Red headed Bannister and his wife were heading off to the far side of the room, Purple silk and her partner were heading to the bar. Angie’s heart stopped, no, Purple silk was heading to the bar, her lover was off to the men’s rest room. Angie snubbed out her cigarette, rising to the bait, it was now or never. Like a feral feline, Angie began to slowly stalk her prey.

 

But then Angie saw her chance slip through her fingers and evaporate into nothingness, like the smoke from her crushed cigarette. For at that moment an older man bumped into the lady Angie was tailing, spilling his drink down the front of her purple silk gown. Angie retreated and watched from a distance. As the man profusely apologized he produced a silk handkerchief and help wipe down the pretty lady. As he did so, the beautiful diamond broach vanished from her bosom. He had been slicker, slicker than Angie was ( for the time being) able to be. Angie felt her heart sink. Not only had she been deprived of the broach, but the existence of another member of her trade meant that she had better scram, not wishing to cross him. She could tell by the look in the man’s eyes that this was one not to be tangled with

 

Giving up on any plans she had been harboring, she got up, turned her back to the dance floor, headed as quickly as she could to the far exit, keeping her gains, and cutting her (presumed) losses.

 

Angie reached the door without challenge, opening it, she found stairs leading into the Church above. But first she stole a look back. She observed the man suavely talking to the now brooch less lady wearing purple silk. In that second a long haired (ginger) young lady passed by him, wearing a slinking green satin dress. Angie saw the man watching her walk on bye, and then immediately took his leave of purple silk, and began following the perky girl in green satin, with her savory collection of loosely dangling silver jewelry, heavily encrusted with flickering emeralds.

 

Angie turned away, and while wondering how she had failed to have spotted that prime prey in green earlier, went to the stairs.

 

She went up the stairs, coming out into a small chapel in back of the church. A door led to the outside, which Angie took, pouting inwardly, feeling all the world like a child who had been deprived of a desirable toy. She found herself on the side leading down to the Garden from which she had entered. The Church was now in between Angie and the reception, so she felt free to move unobserved. She crossed over to the gardens entrance and headed down the hill.

 

In front of her was a hedgerow, on the other side, Angie knew, was the small field with benches that lay at the entrance to the gardens proper. It was coming from there that she head the voices of children playing, on the other side, but she paid no heed, her mind was on leaving the area.

 

As she hurried along the hedgerow she saw something sparkle expensively in the sunlight through one of the gaps in the hedges. She stopped and curiously looked through a small opening. That’s were all the young darlings have been hiding she remarked to herself, her interest peaking. Forgetting all about leaving and lost opportunity of the brooch, she now focused on the new “toy” now dangling its enticement to her. It belonged to a girl in a slithering silvery gown, with her long hair done up in a long plait. Angie eyed the girl’s sparklers, which Angie first took as all rhinestones.. But, as Angie took inventory, her eye focused on a ring that she was wearing on one of her petite fingers. It held a fiery display, diamonds and rubies. There was no way the ring was rhinestone. Looking around to access the situation, Angie decided that by hook or crook, she needed to get a better look.

 

Watching the colourfully gowned young ladies innocently at play, Angie mused over the golden opportunity just waiting for someone unscrupulous to acquire the jewelry they were wearing. Someone should make them aware Angie decided, surprised that no one older than 16 was watching over them. Knowing that the scene before her was too fertile an opportunity to pass up without at least a long glance, Angie looked around, making sure no adults were about unseen in the woods, or any other nook and cranny of the play area.

 

Angie had found she had a knack for capturing young, well dressed lady’s interest, much to her amusement, and profit! It was with this in mind that Angie decided to allow herself a few precious minutes to watch from her hidden opening to see what may transpire. There were six children, four young ladies who were obviously dressed for a wedding, and the two urchin boys of about 12 and 10 she had spotted earlier. They were dressed as the local poor farm boys they obviously were. Angie quickly overheard the names of the girls as they called out to one another. .

 

The group were playing, appropriately enough for Angie’s point of view, a children’s standard game of cops and robbers. All Angie could think about, as she watched the boys with exuberance chasing and holding the giggling, squirming girls, was that there would hopefully be no actual robbing of jewelry as the game was played out. As each girl, Angie quickly memorizing their names, was ”captured” and taken to “prison”, Angie was able to scope them out at leisure.

 

The youngest Cecilia, about six, was wearing a long smooth gown of deep cream, with a midnight black bolero style jacket of velvet. From her neck was happily swaying a long silver chain with a jeweled winged beetle pendent, her jacket was home to a matching pin.

 

Cecilia’s older sister, 10 year old Claire, was wearing a puffy blue satin blouse with a long bow dancing down the front. Her long skirt of glistening black flowed in ripples as she ran. Also moving in ripples were the long gold herringbone chains she wore dangling from her neck, as were also her matching earrings and bracelet. A thick, expensively shiny gold ring encircled her middle finger.

 

Claire’s friend, Abbey, of about the same age, was wearing a longish gown of sunset pink satin, with a white satin sash encircling her waist. At the center of the sash glistened a gold pin set with pearls. Around her throat, dangling from her ears, were glimmering white pearls.

 

The oldest girl, the one in charge, was a fourteen year old named Amanda. Young and flighty, she kept looking up into the voluminous white clouds in the sky as if trying to see what they were forming. She was dressed in a longish slithering silver princess style gown, the style one may see flowing along the shapely figure of an actress at the moving picture awards ceremony. A fancy necklace with large garnet stones and small diamonds was flapping against her chest as she ran. The necklace matched her long earrings, bracelet, along with her pretty ring. She was wearing a flashy red jeweled head band , with strings of gold and rhinestones interwoven into her long plait of naturally wavy chestnut hair. The head band was all rhinestone, as were the garnets in the rest of her jewels. But what from a distance appeared to be small diamonds in her matching set that separated the garnets, were actually ¼ caret diamonds. Angie, upon realizing this, felt her heart burning with desire at acquiring a piece of the set being so vulnerably dangling from Amanda’s slickly attired person. But a couple of ripping gold herringbone chains, or even a jeweled beetle pendent flicked from a velvet jacket would be nice to acquire also, if only for the practice benefits.

 

To Angie’s secret joy, Amanda was the last girl to be captured, only because a stone lodged itself in her shoe brining her up lame. She was held by one of the boys, and lead, limping, to the other two girls. As a new game was started, she sat out. She hobbled to a nearby stone bench, brushed herself off , watching the group play before removing her shoe to find the annoying stone.

 

Angie started to make her move even before Amanda had made it to the stone bench. She reached her as she was shaking her shoe, slipping up alongside her on the cool bench. The girl jumped, but Angie’s special (practiced!) smile soon won her over. Angie soon enticed the young thing into casual conversation, extracting useful information as Angie, feigning a cheerful interest on the outside, while studying the girls expensive gown and drooling over the glistening garnet and diamonds that adorned it on the inside.

 

Angie tried to direct Amanda’s attention to her young charges, commenting about their pretty baubles, then asking who the boys were, and how well they knew them, about who suggested the game they were playing, how robbers were attracted to pretty things you know, and, were the boys playing the robbers next? Surreptitiously trying to plant seeds of distrust in the immature girls mind, and Angie could see that those seeds had found rich soil. Her intention was to keep the girl distracted long enough for a go at acquiring her necklace.

 

Angie, not unlike a feral cat, waited patiently for her opportunity to take the necklace from the unassuming Amanda to arise. But the girl was not cooperating; her attention on the playing girls lasting for mere seconds before focusing it back on Angie. Angie decided to use a different tactic. Angie placed an arm around girl’s silken shoulder and pointed up into the fluffy white clouds, asking her if she could see what Angie saw.

 

In the clouds, Amanda asked? As she leaned back into Angie who drew her close, relishing in the silky , quite scintillating feel of the child’s slick gown. No, Angie thought unkindly, you silly rich twit, the clasp of your necklace is what I see ( her fingers snaked up the backside of the sleek silver gown towards the tantalizingly easy open able clasp). The one you are about to lose to me, she continued thinking before answering the girl.

 

But seconds later, when Angie did answer, it was with a sweet motherly tone that dripped honey. Yes dear, in the clouds, doesn’t that one look like a soldier, or perhaps a highway man on a horse she inquired to Amanda? No, I think it’s a prince answered Amanda, and Angie thought , not for the first time, about the power of suggestion, for the mass of clouds looking like absolutely nothing but a mass of clouds to her!

 

But, it was an opportunity opened, and as the guileless girl was happily lost in her thoughts, Angie began to lift the clasp into position. As the necklace move up the girls chest, Angie could see its jewels, all sparkly, as the sun came back, peeking through the clouds. But Angie was not the only one who noticed, for the oldest lad who had been stalking up on the youngest sister’s hiding spot, was attracted by the sparklers now flashing around the distracted girl’s throat.

  

The boy headed towards them, and Angie’s fingers retreated. As the girl noticed the boy approaching, she gave a nervous giggle, and placed a hand to her throat. Angie began to rise from the bench, feeling the opportunity was slipping away, for the second time that day. But she hesitated a minute, and she was glad she did.

  

The boy came up and asked Amanda if she was going to play again. He was openly gawking at the necklace Amanda was nervously fiddling as he spoke, and Angie drooled to herself, you dear sweet child. For She could feel Amanda pressing hard into Angie as if seeking protection from his eyes. Angie took action, pointing out the sister the boy had been stalking. Successful diverting the boy’s attention, she sent him after the girl.

  

Maybe it was the things Angie had been feeding the girl about strangers and playing robbers, or pointing out the highway man in the clouds, but the attention to her necklace by the lad had had an obvious effect on Amanda. Angie, seizing the opportunity, exploited it to the fullest. With an Epiphany like thought, she knew what to say, and do next. And if it worked, then Amanda’s necklace would not be the only bauble acquired by old Angie girl.

  

Angie shooed the lad away, and he left, reluctantly to rejoin the game in progress. Then, in an inspired bit of deceitful storytelling, Angie related to Amanda a sad tale about an incident in her childhood, one she made up on the spot. The girl listened, still cuddling for whatever reason, as Angie stroked her enticingly attired figure down, relishing in the softness of her gown, along with admiring jewels she was so intent on acquiring. It was not often in Angie’s line of work that she was able to really check out one of her victims in this manner, and she relished every minute of it.

  

As Angie went full bore into her tale of woe ,she lifted up the attractive necklace from pretty girl’s chest, as she chokingly told the youngster that when she was her age she had been playing dress up in one of her mother’s gowns and had put on some of her mother’s jewelry without her permission.

  

Angie than took up the girl’s slender hand into hers, fingering gently the pleasingly expensive ring , seeing tin the young ladies eyes that she had struck a chord, and Amanda was totally held captivated with her story. Angie continued on… She had gone outside and over to the playground where a group of older children had convinced her to play a game of cops and robbers. When they had been done playing and Angie had gone home, she discovered some of her mother’s pretty jewelry was missing.

  

Angie noticed with satisfaction that as she was reaching the end of her story Amanda had stiffened, her heart started beating faster, and she started to check over her own jewelry. Your mother’s than, Angie drooled to herself, she had nailed it on the head. Carpe Diem Angie said to herself, throwing all caution to the wind.

  

Cops and robbers? That’s the game the boys are having us play, Amanda questioned with visible concern. As she was making this statement, Angie saw with satisfaction Amanda’s open mouth gasping as her eyes went to the boys who were now high in a tree, innocently unaware of what they were underhandedly being accused of eventually attempting to do ( steal the young girls jewelry)!

  

The two Boys had spotted a bird’s nest and where trying to see if it had eggs as the sisters watched them, backs to the bench where Amanda and Angie sat. Seeing the coast was clear, Angie quickly acted, before her story lost its effect over Amanda. Angie produced the purloined silver purse and pulled out the silky handkerchief. She spread the handkerchief out on Amanda’s silken covered lap, setting the purloined purse down upon her own.

  

I really think you should put your jewelry somewhere for safekeeping. Why don’t you wrap it up in this handkerchief, you can keep it in my purse. I’ll lend it too you if you promise to bring it back to me when you get back to the reception. Amanda nodded wisely (those earrings were very pretty Angie told herself) , Angie’s heart went to her throat, the young innocent, abroad from the reception, had swallowed Angie’s deviously luring tactic. Here, Angie promised, I’ll start, and she took of her gilded earrings and laid them gently out upon the shiny white surface of the silk handkerchief. This way I won’t lose mine either, she confided in Amanda, who looked back at Angie with her innocently wide blue eyes.

  

Amanda now showed no inhibitions while reaching up and removing her glittery necklace, laying it gently out upon the handkerchief. It was soon followed by rings and bracelet. Removing the headband and rhinestones chains, undoing her plait in the process, her long hair flowed down her back in curls. It curled up as she laid it upon the ever growing, sweetly glimmering, pile. Then she flung back her long hair and undid the screw backs of her flashy earrings, placing them on top of the heap. Angie’s heart began beating faster as she realized she was going to get away with this! Aw, she thought, as the last of Amanda’s expensively glittering jewels was added to the already glistening pile, wealthy children are so adorably cute when they are being gullible.

  

When Amanda finished, Angie looked down upon the glittering mound, unbelieving her luck. But then the unimaginable happened. Amanda, laying the handkerchief with its precious cargo on the bench next to her, stood and called back the two sisters and their young friend to the bench.

  

Angie held her breath as the girls, turned and dutifully ran up to her, the boys still high in the tree, paid no attention to them. Angie watched, almost salivating as the pretty darlings in their fluttering frocks came bouncing back, necklaces flinging in and out, obediently to Amanda’s call.

  

As they reached Amanda, she told them that they had better remove their jewelry for safe keeping. Why, Challenged Cecilia, with childish accusation? Amanda looked back at the boys in the tree, because I think you may lose them while you play, she scolded. We’re careful Cecilia retorted obstinately, as she looked from Amanda to her sister Claire. Amada looked at Claire, and lifting the girls gold necklace pointed her chin at the tree containing the two boys, and said, they will be the robber’s next game. Claire went wide eyed, and told Cecilia and Abby that they had better do as they were told.

  

Claire was closest, and with a nod from Amanda, unfastened her necklace and laid it out on the silky handkerchief. They were soon followed by her gold drop earrings, bracelet and ring. She started to back away still wearing her rhinestone hairclips. Don’t forget them… Angie started to say, but was cut off as Amanda told Claire to remove them, which she did promptly. Angie was glad she had been able to hold her tongue.

  

Cecilia was next. She approached Angie and Amanda, her long dress swishing richly as she came. She politely asked Amanda for help. Turning her back to Amanda she lifted up her long hair, Amanda remover her necklace and pin, laying them upon the growing shimmery pile. Cecilia removed her earrings and ring, happily placing them with the rest. Very pretty Angie said, admiring the dress, she lifted up the sleeve, admiring it, no bracelets, she whispered to herself, as she pulled the silky sleeve back ever so slightly.

  

Abby than approached, and quietly, obediently, unfastened her pearled necklace, and then removed her glistening matching earrings, and placed them all delicately upon the pile. Momma said to be careful with them, their Grand mama’s, she bleated sweetly, and Angie felt her heart skip several beats, suppressing an evil grin upon hearing those delicious words. Claire then helped Abby remove the pearled brooch from her satin sash.

  

Angie stood back, her heart had been pounding with cutting swords of mixed delicious pleasure and anticipation as, there on that sunlit church playground, the girls in swishy gowns, removed their valuables for “safe” keeping. She knew she now had to work fast, for there was an ever growing chance that an adult would show up from the reception and ruin Angie’s fun.

  

Angie than folded up the silk handkerchief, and in a classic bit of misdirection that would have made Gaston Monescu proud, appeared to place it inside the purse she was going to leave in the children’s safe keeping. But she actually palmed it, and slipped the bundle deep into her skirts pocket as she handed the purse over with her free hand. All three sets of eyes watching the purse, not what Angie’s other hand was doing.

  

Now go and have fun, Angie encouraged the girls as she handed the purse to Amanda. The youngsters seemed thrilled that they had an adult’s permission to keep on playing, and knowing that they would not be in danger of now being yelled at for possibly losing some of their pretty jewelry, they scurried off happily, in waves of whispery satin. Amanda stopped and gave Angie a hug before following the two sisters and their friend. The kind of hug that would have sealed the fate of any jewelry she may have still been wearing, and for which Angie did a double check for. Angie then watched Amanda run off, long gown fluttering out from behind her.

  

As the four girls rejoined the two boys, Angie slowly slinked away, melting into the woods. She allowed herself to smirk over how rewardingly gullible rich young girl’s in silky dresses ,wearing ripe for the plucking jewelry ,always proved to be.

  

Folle est l’agneau de la prune qui dans le loup avoue! She whispered to herself as she disappeared from the frolicking children’s sight.

  

She stopped suddenly as she reached a small clearing with the path leading to the rose covered arbor crossed. Not believing her eyes, as she unexpectedly saw below her fresh, opulently attired, prey.

  

A young couple was busily snogging in the garden the garden just ahead of Angie. As she looked over the pair of richly dressed pretty young things, she could not help but wonder if this couple had been in charge of watching over the children and had snuck away to be by themselves. She quickly ducked behind some bushes as the girl broke away, and with a come hither look, led her boyfriend through a rose covered arbor. Not a moment too soon, for the couple looked behind them, before crossing over the path and disappearing into the woods.

  

Angie cautiously snuck forward, and reaching the spot where they had disappeared into the woods, hears the girl giggling along with the unmistakable sounds of kissing. As the couple is otherwise occupied, Angie carefully moves into the woods. She spies the lad’s suit lying over some branches, and sees the shrubs moving underneath as the couple obviously have progressed now beyond kissing.

  

Angie spies something bright and shiny laying on the ground just in front of the shrub. She inches forward. It is the girls gown, laying spread out like a slick wet fluid purple pond , and there, in a nice neat pile, is the diamond jewelry she was wearing. Angie wonders what would have happened if some miscreant, or unscrupulous hobo were to stumble upon this scene. In her mind she reasoned that they would probably steal the jewels. So, why shouldn’t ole Angie be the one to acquire this one’s jewels also? Since she would probably be losing them anyway!

  

Angie reaches down and quietly pulls away the fluidly glossy gown, the silky material whispering along the grass as it moves. Angie keeps one ear on the couple just out of sight, the other listens for any noise on the path behind her that may betray her as she melts away back into the woods. Then, when she is a safe distance away, happily scoops up the girls small fiery diamonds. Picking up the gown she carried it back, hanging it from a limb just before leaving the path, she ran a hand along its enticing length, before leaving, snickering to herself the whole way.

  

Coup-Fourré, Angie thinks too herself as she regains the path, after carefully making sure no one else was about. Off in the distance she can just barely hear the children still at play. The purse where they innocently believed held their jewelry safe, she imagines still sitting on the bench. She thinks for a second about going back and lifting that purse, but decides not to push her luck, now that she had finally found some.

  

She once again pictured the beaming faces of the three young girls as they were being complimented on their shiny dresses by the pretty lady with the nice smile and gentle fingers as she carefully looked them over for anything missed that those nasty boys may try to take. Naively unaware that they had, in reality, been robbed of the precious gems that they had been convinced to remove for “safe keeping.”

  

Angie, for the first time, but not the last, imagined in her mind, what the children’s wide eyed astonishment would be like, they opened that sleek little purse , only to find the handkerchief had vanished! . And what the couple snogging about in the woods would make of the missing gown and jewels.

  

Editors notes:

 

Even though Angie related this story as having occurred on the same afternoon ,the chronicler felt she was keeping something back. It was never discover what, if anything had been. The answer may lie in the events unfolded above. It may be worth re-reading the story to see if anyone can pick up on it.

 

Folle est l’agneau de la prune qui dans le loup avoue!

 

Silly is the plump lamb to whom in the wolf confesses

 

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

 

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Courtesy of Chatwick University Archives

 

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Part 2

 

Ace up a Satin Sleeve

Dealt New Cards

  

At the end of our last episode the thief had put knockout drops in her wealthy victim's wine and as they were asleep had stripped them of their glittering valuables reluctantly leaving the girls still clad in their ultra-expensive gowns.

 

She should have by all means left at that point, for the two girls who had unwarily invited a stranger to their secret rendezvous, had been tauntingly wearing a tad bit over £70,000 in jewels between them. All now in the thief’s possession.

 

But back at her sports car, she began having second doubts.

 

But taking a couple of steps back, let us join the thief at the point she was leaving with just the unfortunate young ladies’ jewellery. And she what may have happened if she had followed a different path.

 

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From the female thief’s point of view.

 

Stripped of their jewels I now pondered over lifting off their fancy gowns. instead, I elected to just take the sleeping girl's fancy designer purses and head off, bird in hand.

 

So swinging the purses happily I made my way to the sports coupe and hid all

My ill-gotten gains in my sports coupe’s boot.

 

Closing it I looked back over towards the gazebo and let out a long sigh.

 

I could see Lilly’s pricey rhinestone belt shining and shimmering around her waist, filling me with a shivering desire as it beckons to me like a moth to the flame.

 

I had tried not to be obviously drooling over it, but it had looked so irresistibly pretty on young Lilly that it had been hard not to. As had the rest of her simply sumptuous attire, not to mention Cadies also.

 

A thought, like a dog worrying an old shoe, would not let me go.

“I would probably never have another opportunity like this again.”

 

Was it with it to make a few quid more?

 

I muttered under my breath

“Buggard Bloody well scrump it all anyway and just do it.”

 

I quickly ran back to the pair of passed-out pretty ones whose only remaining valuables were the expensively fancy designer clothes on their backs.

 

I knew a back alley shop in London that would gladly take any designer clothes off my hands for a nice profit, never any questions asked.

 

Quick now I scolded myself, if you must. But only what the girls were wearing would be valuable enough to be worth the risk I was taking.

 

I passed up Lilly and went straight to my young “Chocolate Delight”.

 

I first pulled off her silver gemstone pumps.

 

Cadie did not stir as I leaned over her svelte figure, reaching behind her and untied the small bow of her tingly-feeling glossy gown’s attached satin sash, then unzipped her dress.

 

I then lifted her from the stairs and laid her down on the polished floor of the gazebo.

 

I gently pull the thicke gown with its shiny rhinestone trimmings down over her shoulders and then off her arms.

 

Then pulled it easily from her waist over her legs and off.

 

Lifting the expensively soft gown with its rhinestone trimmings, I folded it over my arm while looking down at Cadie, now clad only in a thin pricey full silk slip of chocolate brown that nicely outlined the subtle bumps and curves of her passed-out figure. The young imp was daringly not wearing a bra!

 

With wicked intentions I reached over and fondled her hot breasts, watching with bated breath as her hard nipples raised in twin points under her slip.

 

She never stirred.

 

I decided to stop there and not remove the fancy slip from her naked body.

 

It had been all too easy, and quick.

 

Reinforced, I turned and faced the bench that doll faced Lilly was passed out on.

 

I went over and carefully folded the gown before gently laying it upon the bench.

 

I bent down and pulled off Lilly’s fancy red leather high heels.

 

Reaching up I undid the rhinestone clasp of Lilly’s belt and attempted to pull it off like I was doing one of those easy-looking belt lifts professional pickpockets do that I’ve seen performed on the Telly.

 

After a couple of telltale tugs, I managed to pull and tug off the shimmering rhinestone belt from around her thin waist.

 

An easy lift? Balderdash….

 

I then went reaching behind Lilly, slumped her forward, and as her head laid on my shoulder, unbuttoned the black of her ultra soft satin blouse and unzipped her far too shiny silk skirt. I leaned her back against the bench and pulled off her blouse, I saw a glint of gold around her throat. A thin gold chain was there hanging, its end caught in her Lacey red brassier.

 

How had I missed that?

 

I undid the chain and lifted it. A small round diamond of a full carat came out flashing.

 

After I stuffed away the prize, I peeled off her long silk skirt and gathered it up with the blouse and gown.

 

Leaving her only clad in The red bra that held her plumply youthful breasts, and the long black half-slip hanging limply down from her naked waist.

 

Taking the clothes and shoes, I turned and headed back out.

 

All the while chastising myself for letting my greed-ridden desires get the best of me.

 

I threw the richly designer-created pile of clothes in the back of my coup’s jump-seat

 

I was totally bursting out at the seams over the successful playing out of my long-held trump card,

 

Then my hot euphoria was quickly, coldly doused out.

 

I spotted the twin headlamps of a car slowly approaching from down the road. Opposite of the way I came in.

 

There was nothing for it, I had no time to escape.

 

Locking the coupe, I ducked back into the tall shrubs lining the fence.

 

“Ruddy hell, am I nicked? Is my played ace now going to be trumped?”

 

I watch as an expensive, black Mercedes motorcar slowly pulls in, crunching on the gravel.

 

I chastised myself for being greedy. If I had just been happy with just taking their jewels, I would have been long gone, idiot!

 

The door opens and a lone figure elegantly alights. Her shimmering dress poured fetchingly down along her figure. A satin kimono-clad figure I knew.

 

It was non-other than the errant Ginny. And she had come alone…

 

My mood brightened considerably.

“Hold on, what have we here?”

 

Her mouth-watering emerald jewelry was flickering, as was the handsome rhinestone-outlined dragon on the front of her expensive black satin kimono-style gown.

 

If I thought the diamonds poor Cadie had so unluckily flaunted were valuable. The emeralds that Ginny was wearing came a close second( if one added in the emerald-laden necklace I had found in Craig’s pocket), with little Lilly’s rubies a farther back third.

 

To say that this turn of events had taken my breath away was an understatement. My heart was now beating so hard it was surreal. The thought came to me that if it had been my Chocolate Delight’s mum coming here checking on her offspring, I probably would be having a heart attack!

 

Ginny swishes her way towards the gate, looking at my sports coupe in passing.

 

She says to herself, loud enough to catch my ear.

“That necklace-lifting prig Craig is still here, but who does this belong to? “

 

She disappeared through the gate and I sprang into action, having decided I had two major options, and I was choosing the more risky, but far more profitable, one.

 

Going to my coupe I opened the boot and from my burgling kit pulled out my knit head mask, torch, gloves, a pair of steel handcuffs in a plastic baggie(no fingerprints), and my ultra-sharp reliable Fairbairn–Sykes military dagger, along with a small leather satchel.

 

I sagely did not fully close the coupes boot.

 

Putting up my long hair, I slipped the mask over my head, put on the gloves, placed the handcuffs and torch in the satchel, and carried the knife with me.

 

Then I went to the back of the other two cars and punctured their back tyres with the strong blade of my Fairbairn. The hissing was then thankfully not loud enough to reach my intended victim’s jewel-laden ears.

 

Now In full prowler mode, I slinked back in through the cemetery gates.

 

^^^^^^^^^^^

I saw the puzzled Ginny at the pavilion, trying unsuccessfully to wake up the knicker-clad girls. She then picked up the bottle of wine and sniffed the remnants.

 

Acquiring Ginny’s jewels while she was in a knockout drop-induced sleep was out of the question. I was just going to have to be rude and have her deal with being robbed of her tantalizing jewels the old fashion way, via a commoner’s stick-up.

 

I circled back around to just behind the pavilion, nearby where I had left Craig.

 

I could see Ginny still looking around, confused and wondering. She had had not time yet to realize she may be in peril.

 

Using a low raspy voice I called out….

 

“Help …”

 

I saw her freeze, then look around into the shadows.

 

“Ginny…help me…!”

 

She heard me clearly say that. And lifting the front of her gown, hurried off around the pavilion.

 

She dropped the hemline of her gown as she reached the shadows of a small patch of trees.

 

I perked up.

 

There is something immensely scintillating and special in watching a pretty lady wearing a sexy slithering gown and uncannily sparkling jewels, walking out all alone late at night, whether it be sinister woods, dark alley, or foggy waterfront. When I see that in a movie I always feel a twinge of peril, whether it’s true or not.

 

Maybe that’s why so many old movies film sequences like that, even if it adds little to the plot.

 

Tonight though, it added very much to my wicked intentioned plot.

 

I watched her come out from the shadows, the sheen of her sexy long satin kimono with the lime green inner lining Ginny was wearing took my breath away as it was picked up in the moonlit gravestone-filled clearing. Her emeralds started sparkling in a mad frenzy as the moon’s light ratted them out.

 

She spied Craig, all trussed up, and gasped, placing a richly ring-bearing hand

to her mouth, and what I was sure was a briskly beating heart as the other covered a plump tight dress-covered breast.

 

That was when I began to sneak up behind her. My own heart beating as the silky sheen of her long gown called out to the thief in me.

 

Even if I hadn’t seen that she was wearing jewels, I would have known she had to have been wearing them, just by the way that pretty gown was so expensively pouring along her youthful figure. No lady would do such a disservice by wearing a gown that luxurious without the added effect of wearing with it her best sparklers.

 

A further case in point:

How the ill-fated Cadie had been wearing such a wickedly pretty chocolate brown satin gown tonight, her mum had insisted she must wear wickedly valuable diamonds to go with it.

 

Reaching my unwary victim, I stuck the round end of my torch into her sleek back I felt her stiffen, and I snarled…

 

“Right my pretty lady, ‘ere now, just clam up, and drop your purse. Good girl. Now put up your hands where I can see ‘em”

  

She obeyed , her whole figure quivering as she raised her hands. The magnificent emeralds hanging down from her wrists and worn on her fingers, glittered with stark brilliance in the light of the full moon.

 

Then she actually asked…

“Wha…what is it you want from me?”

 

I whistled. Then said in a raspy commanding tone as I spelled it out to her….

“Luv, Where did you come from? Right, YOU know what I want. Those sparklers that you’re wearing. Shouldn’t be out walking alone wearing ‘em, that’s your mistake. Word to the wise, one’s bound to attract the wrong kind of notice wearing out expensive jewellery while walking out all alone... So now, There will be no trouble, right my pretty lady?!”

 

She nodded complacently, I knew I had her in hand.

 

I prodded her shiny back, saying…

 

“Okay. First step. I’m taking a fancy to that simply lovely gown you have on. So peel it off. Lady…!”

 

She miserably obeyed, reaching up and unzipping her satin gown, letting it slide off her figure, falling in an inky black and lime green pool down around her feet. Her showy bracelets and rings glittered quite like wildfire as she did do.

 

She was quivering though it was a warm night, but in her defense, she was clad only in a thin satiny long lime green full slip.

 

Then trembling, she raised her hands back up over her head without being told. How overly obedient we British are.

 

“Ok, drop those hands and hold them behind you.”

 

Ginny did. I looked at her flashy jewels.

 

With my free hand I ripped off her fine emerald bracelets and yanked off her three emerald cocktail rings from her left hand, and a diamond ring from the index finger of her right.

 

Once I finished with that task I pulled out my handcuffs

 

“Hold steady pretty lady, and keep your hands locked behind you.”

 

I put one end around her right wrist.

 

Ginny bulked at the feel of cold steel.

 

“Easy now.”

 

I attached the other end to encircle her left wrist

“Lose the Sandals lady”

 

She kicked off her gleaming silver rhinestone sandals with emerald buckles.

 

“Is that everything lady? “

 

She slightly shook her head yes, I knew she was trying to keep me from seeing her long earrings hidden under her waxy silken locks of hair.

 

“Well let’s hope you’re not lying, that’s no way to conduct a business transaction like ours.”

 

With my teeth, I pulled off the glove of my free hand

 

I then thoroughly patted down her warm figure encased in her ultra-soft slip lime green slip. Finding nothing but confirmation of my earlier guess that indeed, she, like her girlfriend Cadie, wore no brassiere holding down her shapely breasts.

 

“Disappointed honey, that you didn’t wear a necklace with such a pretty outfit?”

 

She stood stone still.

 

I pulled back her hair. She began to quiver as I saw clearly, her bright hanging emerald gemmed earrings.

 

Again I whistled.

“Not good lady, holding out is never smart. But I don’t blame you for trying, they are pretty. Still, I’ll be having them of course “

 

From behind I pulled back her long hair and pulled off each of the Long emerald earrings. As well as popping out a two-carat diamond stud from her left ear.

 

Ok, turn let’s around.

 

I stayed behind her as she did, holding my torch to her back. I had her move to the front of an ancient funeral coach horse-hitching post.

 

I undid one cuff and re-locked it through the rusty hitching ring.

 

“Sit her, and keep quiet.

 

Quickly I backed up, then reached down and Picked up the gown and shoes I said …

 

“Thanks, lady!”

 

And backed away.

 

Once past the pavilion, I took the long way around so she wouldn’t catch any sight of me

 

Reaching the green sports coupe, I threw everything in the boot, including my mask, and shut it securely.

 

Then I pulled off and tossed away the branch covering my plate, hoped in, gave a lift to the engine, and, probably too quickly, pulled out.

 

I went back the way I came.

 

Daringly going down the road for a full kilometre before activating my headlamps.

 

I then, finally let myself have a proper breath knowing I indeed, had gotten away with a delicious little haul.

 

As I drove on I mulled over the night's serendipity of events, and the risks I had taken. But it has all been well worth it.

 

The only nagging bit was the thought of what it has been Cadie’s mum instead of Ginny coming alone there tonight that I still had implanted in my head.

 

I found myself literally drooling at the thought of that expensively wrapped in sky blue taffeta lady invitingly wearing expensive jewellery approaching me.

 

Then a eureka moment exploded into my thought, pushing it out of my head.

 

I immediately pulled the coupe over and tried to clear my head to really get a grasp on envisioning this new revelation.

 

I had Cadie’s purse and her twin’s wallet. So I had their parent's address, and possibly even a passkey.

 

Their parents should be home by now and undressed in bed asleep. There should be no worries over their offspring who it appeared went out late to the cemetery all the time.

 

My collection of victims at said cemetery would be out for quite a bit, the only wild card was Ginny. But even if she worked free somehow, she would have to travel by bare feet, and even if she got a ride, one would imagine instinct would be for her to head to her own house first.

 

And the real temptation that gave some credence to my wild idea of really stretching the limits of my luck further tonight….?

 

The scent of £100,000 in dazzling diamonds and sapphires I knew were somewhere very close by…..

 

I pulled back into the road. My mind is racing. I spotted the area by the bridge I had pulled into to doctor the wine bottle. I screeched In. Then I do a quick search to locate Cadie’s purse. I pulled Craig’s billfold from the front of my dress.

 

Quickly I went through them. First finding what looked like a pass key. Then in both note-thick wallets, I found their licenses with the same address. My heart leaped. I had seen the road on my way outside the village. It wasn’t hard to miss since it identified an area of large estates. I already knew the manor itself to be located on the cemetery side of the woods.

 

My heart was beating fast, my fingers began the familiar tingling they have in the presence of a score. My adventures this very early morning were far from over. Though the risks were far greater, especially considering all the mischief I had already been up to.

 

But I needed to grab hold of my horses, my emotions, this was not a sure thing. They not only had to be home but asleep for this to even get off the ground. But It wouldn’t hurt to have a quick drive by and take a look now, would it?

 

Excitedly I got my sports car back

On the Abbots Chase and drove to the village turn off. The village was six Kilometers away. The road to the estates was 3 kilometers, which meant that there was probably that much area of forest between my objective and the cemetery directly behind it.

 

I turned off on the road where the estates were located, the one I was looking for was on my driver's side. All of the estates on that side were larger, about two hectares in size, with wide swatches of woods on either boundary, isolating them from their neighbors on either side of the large houses with their gardens and well-manicured lawns that made up each of the estates.

 

I drove past the stone manor house that matched the address I was seeking. There was a black sedan in the driveway. A light was one in a front room that had a curved bowed window.

 

“Not perfect,” I told myself, yet knowing I was going to try and have a closer look if I could.

 

One more house then I reached the end of the road. In the woods, there was a turnaround with a few lonely cars parked off on a convenient residential overflow side lot.

 

That was as good an omen as I’d ever seen. The Lady’s blazing Sapphires were that much closer to becoming mine.

 

I backed in at the end of the row.

 

Grabbing my satchel I emptied it into the boot. Packing mask, gloves, torch, and dagger. I walked out making sure my long hair hung a bit so it concealed one side of my face.

 

I slipped into the shadows of the woods that lined the backyards of the estates. Knowing that the cemetery lay on the opposite side made it all more dangerously chilling. I walked through thanking the moon for being out in full that evening. I turned and skirted the woods behind the first estate then reaching the patch that separated the two estates I cut up a few feet in and stopped. I was watching the garden-filled backyard of my targeted manor house.

 

Then, putting on a mask and gloves, I edged along the woods studying the house. It was a two-story old stone building constructed on the grounds of a former estate a few years after the war. There were no lights on upstairs

 

On the backside was a long atrium-style sun room. Outside that was a back patio that overlooked the huge backyard. It was on the patio that I first heard voices

before they came into view.

 

I kept going through the woods until I saw them sprawled out on lounge chairs

 

The svelte lady was unmistakable Cadie’s Mum. She was sitting next to an actually rather common-looking bearded bloke. He resembled a specimen one would find as an Oxford don. So it was hard to picture what he does for a living to account for the family's wealth.

 

Maybe inherited, on both sides?

 

She was drinking wine, he had a bourbon. They were cuddling into one another as they watch the moon and stars, facing the yard and gardens. The gardens are open house side but surrounded by hedges on the other 3, with the end facing the woods.

 

The Husband Is dressed in a bronze-coloured smoking jacket, black satin night pants, and a long cigar smoldering in an ebony ashtray. An expensive bourbon bottle is next to it, along with a long thin, solid gold box of matches.

 

Pretty Mum is wearing an absolutely adorable long heavy purple satin nightgown, with a cowlick top, that could almost pass for an evening gown. The gown’s rich sheen added to her desirable sexuality. A matching robe is spread out on the lounge chair. Hair is luxuriously still up, the thin sapphire tiara sparkling. Her only other Jewellery is her remaining brightly flickering gemmed rings. She is drinking wine, white.

 

Then as I watched in awe, she removed the tiara and shook down her hair. Then rather sexily sucked off her rings. Laying them out on the small table with the gold matchbox. All laid out right next to the heavy ebony ashtray.

 

So close and yet so far.

 

But I was close enough to them in the woods on that side to clearly hear them talking.

 

I was not surprised to overhear that they had been discussing the missing pinkie ring.

 

I listened close with my heart palpating, for several reasons.

 

Her husband was saying….

 

“Honey don’t fret, it will probably turn up after cleaning.

 

She answered with an upbeat voice.

 

“Of course you are right. Though I’ll have to ask Cadence and Craig, they seem to have that knack for finding my lost jewelry. I just wish I wasn’t such a klutz about such things. It’s always something that happens to me .”

 

“Where are the twins? They’re not home yet…”

 

"Probably out with their friends. My the three girls, Cadence, Lilly, and Ginny looked breathtaking tonight."

 

"As did you my love. And Cadie really wore those diamonds of yours well this evening."

 

He leaned over and began doing that kissing thing couples preparing for a romp in the hay. With such an enthusiastic manner in play, I knew my time burgling their manor was now severely going to be limited.

 

I had heard and seen enough. I started sneaking through the woods retracing my steps back for the front door.

 

I left the woods and running across the ribbon of cut lawn, plastered myself against the side wall, then inched my way to the front door. All was quiet out front. I made it to the door and as my excitement mounted, inserted the pass key and turned it. The lock clicked and I turned the knob, opening the door, ready to bolt if needed.

 

Nothing happened.

 

The house was obedient, staying quiet inside. I slipped in, closing the door behind me. I looked around. I was in a large living room with two rooms off either side. I could see a crack of light coming from what I thought had from the outside looked like a den. On the back of a comfy couch hung a mink wrap. Her designer evening purse was on the seat.

 

In front of me was a wide staircase leading upstairs. I could see the doors of the bedrooms along an open corridor.

 

I bolted to the staircase and nimbly sprinted upstairs.

 

There was a double door at the top, which I correctly guessed was the master suite as I entered.

 

I let the pencil-thin beam of my torch sweep the elegant furnishings of the room.

 

On a side table, I found the Father's gold money clip fat with bills, a gold lighter, and an opened gold cigar case all conveniently laid out for the picking.

 

I scooped them up as I completed my sweep. Soon finding my objective laid out upon an old oak dresser.

 

The sapphires and diamonds were doing their amazing sparkle of a dance upon the dresser. But then £185,000 Worth of jewellery does that. For I had now realized with adrenaline-pumping excitement that my original estimate of the mum’s collection as seen from across the room had been grossly underestimated.

 

Her stunning gown was laid out on the satin cover of the bed situated In between me and the dresser.

 

I went over and stuffed her gown on top of my satchel, this one was mine.

 

I left the master suite with one other quick stop in mind.

 

I checked the other rooms on the floor. Three were both guest rooms. The fourth door led up to a third level. I sprinted up the stairs. There In The converted Attic were two doors. The first I opened was the twin brother’s room. Nothing I wanted there. The good stuff would be in his twin sister’s boudoir, which is what I was wasting precious time searching for.

 

I went inside the other room.

 

This was my target, the bedroom having the titillating feeling of obviously being a wealthy girl’s lair.

 

A fancy dresser was off to one side with a 3 drawer jewel case. I went over but the drawers contained only gold, silver, and rhinestones. I empty them anyway.

 

Next to the box, in a sterling silver frame, was a black and white photo of a younger Cadie, standing next to an ancient stone fence, looking coyly over her shoulder at the camera. She was breathtaking in a formal black satin gown and white pearls.

 

It was so adorable that I snatched it up for a trophy.

 

Now, in the centre of the room was a four-poster queen bed with chocolate brown satin sheets. On one pillow was laid out a stark white satin night dress. I went over and pulling off to one side the elegant night dress, I slipped my fingers under the satin-covered pillow.

 

My fingers felt the rewarding touch of two objects. One is a soft silken jewel satchel. I pulled out both and discovered the other was a small locked leather diary.

 

I unzipped the satchel and found it had two sections.

 

In one was nestled a darling set of expensively gleaming white pearls.

 

The other side held a collection of petite diamond jewelry!

 

I whistled.

 

So this is what Cadie had been originally going to wear out this evening. The diamonds were pretty, and worth a nice bit, £30,000. but rather too dainty. Though no burglar worth their salt would have passed this pricey “Ice” up, but If my young Cadence (my chocolate delight) had been wearing these sparklers out, with no broach, I may have just passed them by as I was leaving after the bridal toss. I shook my head at the wonder of it all.

 

The pearls were worth about £8000, I was very glad she had not worn them.

 

My night would have been considerably less profoundly profitable if she had.

 

“Pretty.”

 

Is all I said while with wicked intent I added the silken satchel to my haul. Then the diary and white satin nightdress were placed on top, the leather satchel was now overflowing.

  

I quickly scurried out and down the steps.

 

I listened at the door, all was quiet.

 

I Skedaddled

 

No time for a proper burgle.

 

I snatch up the purse and pulled off the mink wrap.

 

I went back out the front figuring the owners would be coming in soon through the back.

 

I made it to the woods. Hearing grunts and moans I peeked out to the patio as I passed. I was right about one thing, just wrong about the location.

 

The mum was leaning over her husband wearing only the open robe, her long hair hanging down, covering both their faces.

 

I could hear naked sweaty flesh smacking against naked sweaty flesh, along with a backdrop of animalistic grunts.

 

The luscious purple satin nightgown had been taken off and lay on the floor partially hanging down over the outside of the deck.

 

Laying down my stolen goods I daringly sprinted across in a crouching posture, and reaching the deck easily slipped off the lovely thing. Then reaching up I liberated the small table of the gold matchbox, the thin sapphire tiara, and the flashy rings the mum had taken off. I did not bother to take a puff of the cigar.

 

The sounds of their lovemaking covered up my actions. My nose caught the mixed smells of alcohol, stale cigar smoke, expensive perfume, and sweaty sex.

 

I backed myself into the woods, collected my stash, and headed off. The couple on the deck never missed a beat with their lovemaking.

 

I made it to the back woods reclaimed my stash, and circled my way back out retracing my steps. Smiling behind my mask as I finally reached the still-deserted parking area where my coupe was waiting.

 

I stood watch in the woods as I removed my mask.

 

All was happily quiet.

 

I slipped out of the shadows and went to my sports coupe. Opening the boot I tossed in my full satchel. Along with my mask and gloves. I wrapped the Mink around my shoulders and got in the driver's side.

 

Again giving life to the engine I left by driving slowly past the estates, Cadie’s house was still dark except for that window in the front room. The manor was holding close onto its’ undiscovered secrets.

 

I reached the turn, and proceeded through the silent village, forcing myself to do so at a crawl.

 

Once out on an open road, I went at a more reasonable pace along the remainder of the old road.

 

It wasn’t till I reached the highway leading out that I gunned the engine into life and made good my giddy escape.

 

££££££££££

 

It wasn’t until Monday, as I finished the business I had in London, that I stopped at a little village on my way home for afternoon tea. It was there that I pulled out Cadie’s leather diary, easily picking the lock the day before. I re-read through the crisp handwritten notes, gaining insights into the wealthy girl’s thoughts and desires. Learning some rather interesting tidbits of her life, and the rather intriguing games that her and her brother shared with their friends.

 

I had been smiling to myself, expectantly licking my red lips.

 

For I knew stolen jewellery would be replaced once the insurance was paid out. New, luxuriously breathtaking gowns were to be purchased.

 

I had hoped to glean information from the diary for a future burglary. Which I did. But as I read on, I thought about playing some games of me own devices with the insights I was gaining into Miss Cadie’s personal life.

 

Apparently the group liked to role-play at being pickpockets.

 

Rather telling considering all that I had pulled over them.

 

And after a cooling off for a period of a year or two, I could easily make use of the information in the little leather diary to lure out yet again Jewel-laden Miss Cadie, possibly along with her wealthy girlfriends as well, into a second profitable trap.

 

But no way as profitable as the trap I had sprung on them over the weekend.

 

I closed the diary and felt a deliciously delightful chill of excitement sweep over me.

 

Fini

2ft 6in gauge Alan Keef 4-wheel diesel-hydraulic '05 581' (Works No.18 of 1985) heads a loaded train from the moss to the tippler, passing a peat harvesting machine, on 29th March 2011, the second train in operation that day. The peat operation is believed to have commenced in the 1980s, but the railway was not installed until as recently as 1997.

 

© Gordon Edgar - All rights reserved. Please do not use my images without my explicit permission

Cladding ???

Barbara in a mansion's palor

An unusual modern building, designed by Munkenbeck and Marshall, lies on Provost Street to the north of Old Street and Shoreditch.

 

www.shinystreets.com/vinyl-clad-batgirl-20-pics/

Cladding by Willi Neubert. Coloured enamelled metal panels. Source of photo unknown. Some information at:

www.flickr.com/photos/eastgermanpics/51820499454/in/datep...

This photo was displayed at the following exhibition in Halle Neustadt:

dubisthalle.de/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/PaulickHalle-Di...

Tapper tagged me last week to join into the Dreamy Jason Fedora Shot Revolution. Since I love tapper so much, I had to play along. And how can I resist encouraing scantily clad fedora shots? :) Check out some of these awesome shots: Dreamy, tapper, mycuteladybug, Sarah, Daynna, Ashley, Feeling Croppy.

 

So I loved Avatar last night! Loved it! I would 100% go see it again. I did get slightly headachey from the 3D glasses, but the movie was just incredible. I want to go to Pandora! :) Today, Andy and I are meeting Ryan, Ben and maybe a couple of the other boys out at Buffalo Wild Wings to watch the US v Canada gold medal hockey game. USA! USA! USA! (Sorry Joel!) Hope you all have something fun planned for your Sunday Funday!

 

Oh, and as a side note, don't get confused by the numbering in the title. My original 365 will be ending in another couple days, but I started my self portrait 365 a month later, so you'll still be seeing my daily selfies throughout all of March. I know you're excited! ;)

 

**Edit to add: I forgot to tag people!! I'm officially tagging catklein and Anna Gay! Let's see those sexy fedora shots, ladies!

 

365 Days (self portraits): Day 334

Tributes to My Homies: tapper and Dreamy Jason

Lisa in a Red, White, & Blue Bikini

Lunch out at a new local venue

a7rii + Voigtlander Nokton Classic SC 35mm F1.4 VM

Museumsdorf Niedersulz - Weinviertel - Austria

IMG_4325

A wandering sadhu (holy man) in Ahmedabad. You can read more about sadhus here.

Mistress 1 (2003)

This pub near High Rocks was completely clad in all shades of green. It's a good thing they keep the windows open though .......