Steele Don't Have A Clue - Part I

    Laura Holt stood at the front steps of an impressive mansion, looked down at the piece of folded paper in her hand and verified the address.  Her mouth was still hanging open slightly as she climbed the eight stone steps leading to the front door.  When she pressed the button an appealing melody chimed slowly before the double doors opened.  

    When the man standing there saw her, relief suffused his features.

    "Thank goodness you've come!  I'm at my wits end!" 

    "Are you kidding?   You asking me for help was worth the speeding ticket I got on the way over."  

    "Oh dear, I apologize for that, I'll repay you of course."  the man offered as he stood aside for her to enter.

    "Good Lord Daniel, I was kidding!"  Laura replied.

    Daniel showed Laura to a comfortable sitting room and offered her a drink.

    "No thank you Daniel.  So, this is what you call "renting modest accommodations?"  Laura said quirking an eyebrow.

    "Well it was the best I could do on short notice," Daniel apologized.

    "Now I see where he gets his extravagance from,"  Laura said dryly.

    "Good heavens, you didn't tell Harry about this did you?"  Daniel said nervously.

    "You asked me not to remember?  Now how about telling me what this is all about and why you need MY help Daniel."

    Taking a deep breath, Daniel paused for effect.

    "It was forty years ago, I was just starting out, learning my trade..."

    "As a con artist or the professional jewel thief?"  Laura couldn't help but comment.

    "Both, actually."  

     Laura threw up her hands in surrender.

    "Anyway, I had a close friend, Hugh Sinclair.  We met when we were teenagers and took to each other instantly.  Hugh and I discovered we shared a common bond."

    "Burglary?"

    Daniel nodded.

    "Of course,"  Laura muttered.  "So you two decided to combine your...talents?"

    "Exactly.  When you have a partner, you must be able to trust them unquestionably and since Hugh and I were already close, it seemed a natural progression."

    "But things didn't go according to plan?" 

    "At first they did, but our interests began to differ; Hugh became intrigued with the high dollar heists while I thought it better to stick to the safer, less conspicuous items that wouldn't cause suspicion.  In the end we parted ways but still remained on amicable terms.  It was some years later that we met up again at an auction.  We were both living well and prospering from our respective trade.  That's when I saw it, the most beautiful, exquisite gem I'd ever seen.  It was called "The Maiden's Tear."

    "It was named for a woman, Miranda Giannini.  History has it that she was a young woman in the 16th century, known for her beauty and gentle nature.  Her parents arranged a marriage with a powerful, wealthy Italian aristocrat.   She met him and immediately disliked him but she was powerless to refuse him or her parents.  While she was waiting for her marriage she met and fell in love with a poor tradesman.  She implored her parents to let her marry him but they refused and forbade her to seem him again.  They sent her to live with relatives until her wedding.  On the eve of her wedding night she ran away, taking only one possession with her.  A single ruby of the deepest red that her fiancé had given her as a betrothal gift.  It was one of a kind, no other rivaled it in weight or beauty.  On the morning of her wedding day they found Miranda, she'd jumped from a cliff to her death, miraculously the gem still in her hand."

    A cold shiver ran over Laura's body.  "How terrible."

    "Yes, it was.  After the incident the gem became popular for its lore and ultimately priceless."

    "And you stole it," Laura finished.

    "Well yes, with Hugh's help.  The opportunity presented itself when it was traveling to an exclusive museum in Milan.   Hugh had studied the museum's layout and I researched their security measures.   When we were certain of success we made our move.  We had the gem and were on our way out when Hugh spotted another rare treasure he'd been after.   He wanted to make a go of it to but I insisted we didn't have the time.  We argued about it but he remained adamant.  I told him if he went after it he'd go it alone, I wanted no part of it.  That's when we heard a commotion from behind us.   One of the security guards we'd knocked out had come to and sounded an alarm.   I took the gem and ran with Hugh heading in the opposite direction.  I barely made it out when an explosion went off in the museum."

    "And Hugh?"  

    "I didn't think he made it out then, but I do now."

    "Why?"

    Daniel looked at Laura pointedly.  "Because someone has recently relieved me of the Maiden's Tear."

To be continued...

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