Diamond Are Forever Stolen

“The trouble with being rich or owning something valuable is that people are always looking to steal from you.”

I wrote this story in answer to the following prompts:
FOWC with Fandango  — Pristine
Word of the Day Challenge — Smite
Pensitivity’s Three Things Challenge — Horn – Cheer – Solid
Your Daily Word Prompt — Fluster

Diamond Are Forever Stolen

The stage was set with an orchestra of one hundred players. A grand affair of pristine tuxedos and regal dresses. Their latest symphony ended with a fanfare on the French horn.

Eldora held her breath as the audience began to cheer and applaud. She would have loved to sit in the auditorium and relax to the beautiful music on stage. The thought left her scowling, she knew she could never afford a ticket. Instead, she’d used her skills as a cat burglar to gain entry. Eldora had a job to do.

The orchestra struck up with another of Beethoven’s magnificent symphonies.

Eldora crept along the air duct until she could peer through the vents beneath her feet. The Plush red seats with the golden oak arms below were those of one of the grand executive boxes. Three men in tuxedos and one woman dripping in jewellery and the finest French gown occupied the seats.

“Tell me, Karlsson. Did you retrieve what I asked for?” Asked the silver-haired man in front with his lady of the hour. Gaultier was known to wine and dine half the females in the country. The two were sipping the finest Dom Perignon champagne this evening.  

Eldora noticed he gave the question without looking back. A sure sign of dirty dealings.

“Why of course I did. You employed a real man to do your business. Not some dirty vagabond,” replied the blonde man.

“Very good. Jesper, if you’d be so kind, my good man.” Gaultier sipped his wine and appeared to rub his stomach with discomfort.

“Of course, Mr Gaultier.”

Eldora watched the third man hold out a white-gloved hand.

Karlsson moved a simple glasses case from his breast pocket and handed it to him.

Jesper opened the case creating a sparkling sheen in the light.

Eldora’s breath caught in her lungs as she held in a fluster at seeing the case full of diamonds.

Jesper was a jeweller of some kind. As the orchestra played through two more symphonies, he employed a loupe magnifier to examine each of the diamonds. His examination complete, he produced a small black gadget.

Eldora smiled, “A Diamond Selector. Thank you for doing the hard work for me.”

“This device will use heat conductivity to test the authenticity of these diamonds,” Jesper said in hushed tones as the audience applauded again.

Karlsson shook his head. “Why is it that nobody can trust an honest thief?”

Gaultier’s scoffed. “Ha! Maybe because there is no such thing.”

“I assure you I am an exception to the rule,” Karlsson focused on the jeweller again. “They are genuine. Are they not?”

“I can confirm these are all genuine solid diamonds. My estimate of value; twelve million euros,” Jesper snapped the case shut and returned it to Karlsson.

Eldora grinned from her lofty position within the air vent. Nobody spoke beneath her for a long moment. Each enjoying the crescendo of the latest symphony.  

The audience began to cheer and applaud once more, Gaultier slid a black case between the seats. Straightening, he again seemed to be in discomfort around his stomach area.

Karlsson snatched it from the floor with great eagerness. He tried the latches are found them locked. “The combination. If you don’t mind?” His voice was tinged with irritation.

“You do know the hallmark for sterling silver, don’t you?” Gaultier answered cryptically.

“925,” Eldora said to herself.

Karlsson said nothing. He just entered the combination and opened the case revealing his payment. Happy, he put the diamonds on the arm of the chair and left with his money.

Eldora left the ventilation shafts as quickly as she could. Pulling a Venetian dress over her catsuit she tidied herself before entering the theatre’s regal halls. Looking every bit a wealthy lady, she began to walk the halls of plush red carpets and golden chandeliers.  

“Is everything okay, Madam?”

Eldora looked, she’d come across a waiter standing proud in his coattails. He held a silver tray of freshly-filled wine flutes. “Oh yes, thank you. I’m merely walking off the case of cramp,” she replied while taking a glass of wine.

“Very good, madam. I hear chamomile tea is a good remedy.”

“Why, thank you. I shall remember that.” Eldora gave a sultry wink and walked around the corner. She poured the wine into the base of a fine rubber plant and discarded the flute. Time to go to work.

Gaultier staggered from his executive box. His shaking arms wrapped around his stomach. He was a sweating, struggling mess as he made his way along the hall.

“What is it, darling?” said the woman following behind him looking most concerned.

“Fiery pain in my abdomen. It must be the wine, Priscilla.” Gaultier thumped the fine oak panelling on the wall. The solid wood served only to heap pain on his discomfort, “If this is poison, I’ll smite the one who did this to me!”

“Take it easy, darling. I’ll fetch you some help,” Priscilla hastened away passing a waiter and a couple of other theatregoers.

Gaultier continued along the corridor. His stomach gurgling and his body trembling with every step. Seeing the sign for the gentleman’s restroom, he crossed the corridor to reach it.

His sudden direction change caused him to collide with a woman wearing a regal Venetian dress. She would have fallen had he not caught her around the waist.

“I beg your pardon, Sir,” she said while wrenching free of his grip.

“Not at all, dear lady. The fault was all mine.” Despite his discomfort, Gaultier managed a somewhat sweaty yet evocative grin as he ran his eyes over her beautiful figure. “I’d love to wine and dine you to make up for it, sometime soon.”

The lady gave a polite giggle. “Thank you, sir.”

Gaultier’s stomach lurched and he staggered into the restroom door.

“Oh, my! Are you okay?”

“Stomach — I’m going to —” Gaultier’s face too on a strange shade of green and he vanished into the restroom.

Eldora winced as she heard him vomiting violently inside, “Ugh! That’ll teach you not to indulge so much.”

“Gaultier, darling. Where are you? I’ve brought the theatre manager and his doctor friend to help you!” Priscilla called as she returned.

“I believe he’s dying in the gentleman’s,” Eldora told her as she hustled away.

Leaving the theatre, she slipped into an alleyway and disposed of her Venetian dress. Pulling on a T-shirt and trousers, which she’d left in a binbag earlier, allowed her to blend in with those walking the streets this late evening.

Before leaving the alleyway, she flicked open the glasses case and grinned at the diamonds. “The old bump and pickpocket works again! Oh dear, Karlsson. When are you going to learn not to steal from those who thieve better than you ever could.”

An ambulance pulled up the theatre as Eldora made her exit from the area. She paused long enough to watch Gaultier being loaded inside. “I’ll get whoever did this to me and ruined my evening!” he yelled before vomiting again.

Eldora chuckled, “You’re welcome!”

The End

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