Lady Thief (Part Two)

“Well, Milady?  Don’t you think that was cutting it a little close?  I DID warn you that the police thought you’d steal the sapphire.  That was a little…foolhardy.”

            Lady laughed, grabbing her backpack from the seat next to her.  “Most butlers don’t berate their employers.”

            Butler rolled his eyes.  “I’m 63.  If I can’t lecture you, then who?”

            The thief grinned at the back of Butler’s head.  “Well, that’s true.  I’m almost 22, though!”

            She was sitting directly behind his chair, and slid onto the floor.  Her long fingers quickly unbuttoned the navy blouse and threw the t-shirt on top of the white tank top.  Her long pleated navy skirt was changed for basic dark blue jeans with holes in both of the knees.  After changing the soft ballet shoes for red tennis shoes and pulling shoulder-length hair out of the elegant bun, the transformation was complete. 

            “Jenna, where are we going?  Am I dropping you off at your house, or the safe house?”

            Jenna threw her gloves in the bag and shoved her costume behind her.  “I’m going back home.  I promised Austin I wouldn’t work so late, and I have to keep that promise if I’m going to sell the gem tomorrow night.”

            “Your brother still hasn’t figured out you’re Lady?” Butler laughed.  “I thought you said he’d be hard to fool!”

            Jenna folded her arms across her small chest.  “I thought he would be! Austin doesn’t suspect anything at all!  And do you know what’s worse?  Dane hasn’t figured it out either!”

            Butler’s head cocked.  “You want Dane to figure it out?  Isn’t that a little risky?  He IS a police officer,.”

            She deflated.  “I don’t know.  I just thought he’d figure it out, but he seems to think we’re still seven!”

            “Oh, is that the problem?  You want him to notice you as a young woman?”

            Jenna flushed bright red.  “Butler…” she warned.

            “If you won’t admit you like him,” he shrugged.

            “This is great. I’m taking romance advice from an old man!”

            “I was married.”

            Jenna stared out the window.  “It doesn’t matter anyway.” 

Lady Thief

           She carefully slid down the tree, the cool bark slipping through her hands as she landed crouched on the roof.  Moonlight slid around her as she slowly straightened up.  Soft blue eyes looked around the yard, but saw no one. 

            She walked silently over to the skylight the couple had stubbornly insisted designing.  A small smirk crossed her soft face as she opened the window.  It was unlocked.

            Experimentally, she sniffed the air inside the house.  Still dusty, she thought as she took out the dentist’s mask she kept in her small bag.  No sense in risking sneezing. 

            She took the grappling hook and rope out of the bag and hooked it on the side of the window, letting the rope drop down two feet short of the floor.

            Bathed in moonlight, she slipped down the rope, her dark gloves protecting her hands.   Landing softly, she walked to the bookcase next to the old couple’s bed.

            Let’s see, pull out The Moonstone and put it next to…Treasure Island!  She pulled the first book down to the bottom shelf and held her breath.  The two books pushed the bottom of the shelf into the floor, revealing a small hole with a sapphire the size of her fist.  Without hesitating she took it and placed it in her bag.

            “Police!  We have the house surrounded!  Give up, Lady!”

            The sound was coming from the hallway.  The time for subtlety was long past.  Lady raced to the rope as the man and his wife woke up, yelling at her to give up as well.

            “Sorry sir, milady.  I just can’t do that,” she replied, her voice soft and her accent decidedly British.

            She sprung up the rope, flipping herself onto the roof while pulling the rope and hook after her.  She doubted her fingerprints were on it, but it was better to be safe then sorry.

            She looked around as she pulled the mask off and shoved it into the bag with the jewel and hook.  It hadn’t been a bluff.  The house was surrounded. 

            “Bring ladders over here!”  Swarms of police came around the house, carrying ladders and beginning to climb them up to her.

            “Sorry gentlemen,” Lady said,  “But a Lady needs her beauty sleep and I doubt I’ll find it in prison.”

            She pushed a button on the front of her dark jacket and a ladder slid down to her from a helicopter above.  She climbed it as quickly as she could in her long dark skirt and the black helicopter sailed away.

Since this IS a writing blog...

That's right (write? Ouch, lame joke).  I'm back to blogging.  I kinda left it a bit over the summer, in case you didn't notice.
BUT... I'm going to try something.  I'm writing a story just for this blog.  That's right (write? ok, I'll stop).  This is (as far as I can tell) the only place I'll put the story up.  So, the plan is once a week I'll post a bit of the story!  Yay! Starting....TODAY!!!

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