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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: SKULDUGGERY (09/01/16)
Gerry sat by the window of the cafe slowly sipping his black coffee and pretending to read the business section of the newspaper. He liked that he could loiter there without suspicion and observe the general public while deciding who would be the next schmuck to rob.

After a long morning of waiting he singled out the person he would pursue. She was an older woman lumbering up the street with a large carpet bag. She was dressed well in a navy blue wool suit and was wearing various pieces of jewelry. All he wanted was her wallet and wished her bag was smaller, but he had spent his last dollar on coffee and he needed money now.

This unsuspecting senior citizen would be easy prey he thought, and he wouldn't have to work too hard to separate her from her bag.
As he walked out of the cafe he pretended to bump into her.
“Oh, excuse me mam,” he said.
“No problem, it was my fault,” and rather than looking at him, she looked past him and seemed nervous.
“Is everything okay?” he tried to sound concerned.
“Why yes. I’m just a little tired that’s all.”

A police car with screaming sirens sped up the street and spooked Gerry a little, but it continued to move away from them at a high rate of speed and was soon out of sight. This was a quiet neighborhood and it was unusual to see a police car in pursuit of someone. Gerry wondered if a serious crime had been committed nearby.

“My purse is so heavy I won’t be able to carry it much further. I wish now I had brought my grandson with me.”
“I can help,” he said smiling to himself and thinking at how easy this job was going to be.”
“You are very kind,” and she handed the bag to him.

He assumed she had some clothes or personal effects in her bag and he was surprised at how heavy it felt when he took it from her. Even so, he figured he could run with it. He walked with her for a few paces and then he bolted as fast as he could and kept running in the direction of his car that was parked a few blocks away.

Just as he was a few feet from his vehicle, sirens sounded behind him. He ignored them at first and then as they got closer he realized that he was being followed by the police. Suddenly a police car pulled in front of him forcing him to stop running. Two officers got out and grabbed him and put him against the car.

One of the officers opened the carpet bag and looked inside. “It’s in here, sir,” the officer yelled to his boss.

Gerry was stunned and couldn't understand the fuss over an old woman’s purse.

“That was an elaborate robbery you just pulled. Where’s the rest of the loot you stole? Where are your accomplices?” the officer asked as he patted Gerry down.
“What? I don't have accomplices. I always work alone.”
“So you want me to believe that you pulled off that museum job by yourself?”
“Museum job?”
“You are in serious trouble. You think you can get away with stealing a solid gold 19th century work of art from the art gallery.”
“What are you talking about? I didn't steal it from the art gallery. The old woman gave it to me to carry … and then I stole it.”

“Turn around please.”

Gerry turned around and faced the officer. “I didn't even know I had the clock. How did you know I had it?”

“The bag. An eye witness described the bag she believed it was used in the robbery. One of the officers noticed you and decided to follow you. The he saw the bag and we knew that we would find the stolen property in it.”

“The old woman must have stolen the clock. She gave me the bag saying it was too heavy for her to carry any further.” Then all the color seemed to drain from Gerry’s face. “She was getting rid of it and I was the schmuck not her.”

They police started laughing.
One of the officers put hand cuffs on Gerry and put him in the back of the police car.
“She really saw you coming,” he said and slammed the car door.
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Member Comments
Member
Date
Sherry Brock
09/11/16
I enjoyed the way you paced the story. I did guess the ending though about midway through, but was still drawn into the plot. Well done.
Sheila Bird
09/17/16
This is the kind of story that could be elaborated on as a drama or a comedy. My mind was going both ways while reading it. It might even lead to a short story if you added more descriptions and more characters. For instance the officer asked Gerry where his accomplices were which implies that the officers were looking for several robbers. I was left wondering why the eye witness could describe the bag and not the person carrying it. Did someone else rob the museum and hand the bag off to the old woman outside the museum? Or did the officers know that Gerry was stealing purses and simply use the old woman as bate to catch Gerry? Overall a great read. Congratulations.