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Aug-30-2009 20:21

A Heist Caper in 12 Acts

Aug-30-2009 20:52

Intro -- The List

Dave arrived back at the office to find that most of the agency was still out. He’d met Cocci at the front door and she’d briefed him about what the cops at the district station had found out, which wasn’t much. Most of it anyway, they’d already found out. But at least now they knew they were on an even playing field, sort of. She’d also heard that there had been a tiger attack at the local park; Breit must be up to her old tricks. Maureen was also back at her desk and reported that the guards that had been taken to the hospital had said that they’d seen nothing, heard nothing, and knew nothing. Strike two. But in their absence the Met had finally sent over a list of the stolen paintings and of their current and former personnel. The names on the paintings list were a renowned bunch indeed.


Kaleidoscope of Western Art

a Daguerreotype of Lincoln by Matthew Brady
The statue “Venus de Milo” from the Louvre
Botticelli’s Venus Rising from the Sea
Rembrandt’s The Night Watch
one of Van Gogh’s Sunflowers
Da Vinci’s sketch of The Vitruvian Man
Monet’s Impression Sunrise
Degas’ Dancer With a Bouquet of Flowers
Rodin’s the Kiss
An Imperial Easter egg ‘Lilies of the Valley’ by Faberge
Renoir’s Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette
Calder’s mobile entitled “Lobster Trap and Fish Tail” (borrowed from the MOMA across town)

Dave looked up from reading the list to see Breit and troupe lugging their latest prize through the revolving doors. The man was soaking wet and squawking his innocence loudly; Dave presumed that this must be the Mr. Harry Faulkner they’d gone looking for.

Aug-30-2009 20:53

Breit stopped to talk for a minute, issuing instructions to the rest of the group as they trudged by. “Let Cocci have the first crack at him. Take him down to one of the vaults in the basement. We don’t need to have the neighbors hear the screams.” Cocci’s eyes lit up and she joined the troupe, showering them with questions about things she could and could not do to the hapless prisoner. As in, “Can I let Remi put a few holes in him? Please??? (at the negative response) Does this mean I get to try the ham from the ceiling technique?” The voices trailed away.

Half an hour later, it turned out Harry wasn’t as tough as he thought he was. Remi didn’t even have to come out of the closet before Harry was spilling all he knew. Yes, the paintings were destined to be spirited out of town before the local authorities could put things together and get the right equation. The first was supposed to be auctioned off at noon the next day to the highest bidder at a location that was to be decided two hours beforehand. Harry had only been in charge of the original heist and transporting the first work to the auction site. Now that he was permanently out of action, a new gofer would undoubtedly be found by the head boss, whom Harry had only met once in London. All other communications and orders had been conducted through his favorite contact, the Priest. Enrico would probably be stopping by there sometime this evening to go over the plans for tomorrow.

The team from Wish turned Harry (and Dennis Smith) over to the cops. Cocci and Security were assigned to stake out the cathedral to watch for Enrico and whoever would try to get the next set of orders to him. Breit and Dave would take over at 10 o’clock the next morning. The others would beat the bushes some more. Hopefully something would break before then.

Aug-30-2009 20:54

Intro -- The Leak

At eight the next morning Dave stepped out the door of the apartment to go to work only to find a newspaper sitting at his threshold. Normally this wouldn’t mean anything, but they had the paper delivered to the office, not the apartment. Never one to overlook the entertainment value of a newspaper, Dave picked it up, cracked it open, scanned the headlines, and whistled a long one.

“Oh darling” he called to Breit. She rushed out of the bedroom trying to put an earring on without benefit of a mirror.

“Yes dear?”
“Remember how the mayor was almost shi, er, having kittens, yesterday that the news of the theft NOT get out?”
“Yesssss.” She read the headline for herself, trying to whistle a long one too at the end.

THEFT OF 12 FROM THE MET. MAYOR WANTS HEADS., screamed the headline.

“Oh boy, he will shi, er, have kittens at that one. Wonder who at the World Herald spilled the beans. I know I didn’t call them.” Breit replied.

“I know, sweetheart. Looks like we are no longer the only game in town…”