Jack of Diamonds
Echoes
Acte 4
They came back up the stairs, Ginny smirked…
“Help honey, we were just robbed!”
I puffed on my cigar…
“Not now darling, I’m still working on my cigar.”
I then handed them back their purses.
“No worries, they caught the rogue.”
They remained standing, Ginny nodding towards the house.
“Not that we’ve been de-jeweled, We’re going in to change out of costume.”
They began to walk down the stairs toward the house
“Ginny turned to look back
Don’t worry luv, we’re coming right back, pour us some more wine please.”
They disappeared inside and I soon saw the upstairs light in my sister's room turn on. Then the one in the guest room next door. I saw their shadows moving about through the shades. Then some lingering minutes later, one flickered off, soon followed by another.
I poured the remainder of the wine into each of their glasses.
Soon the girls came back outside to join in with me on the pagoda
Cadie was in her chocolate satin pjs with her black satin robe. Ginny was in a white heavy silk night dress that could have passed for an elegant evening gown. She had borrowed Cadies’ purple silk robe to wear over it. They were wearing no jewelry, but sis still had her purse which she plopped down on the table within my reach.
Ginny looked at me, a smirk emerging from her pretty face as she placed her hand on my arm.
“So luv, we are curious. As the thief who robbed us now, what was in your mind that compelled you to nick our jewels?”
I closed my eyes as I thought about it for a minute while puffing on my cigar.
I heard the pair giggling as they drank some wine, the effects of which were no doubt the reason for their curiosity
I opened my eyes and answered.
“Well, I was thinking over it as you two were changing actually. So when I approached you two with the intention of dancing it was a game. I was pretending to be like a pickpocketing Arsene lupine who observed you two wearing jewellery that I felt needed to be taken, and so was challenging myself to lift off some of your jewels.”
Cadie shivered.
“Glade it didn’t happen to us in real life if a professional thief had latched onto us, considering the easy time you had of doing it, dear brother.”
I nodded in humble acquiesce… then continued
.
“I will admit stealing your broach Cadie after I had drawn your attention to it, was particularly satisfying, and stimulating as a thief.
Cadie nodded…
“I imagine it bloody would!”
I went on…
And so I would myself image my pretty ones, if that gent was a real jewel thief, and he hadn’t been arrested…. Then Cadie my dear sister, you would have been relieved of your broach And Ginny darling you would have had your bracelet slipped off this evening.
Cadie shivered, saying with a teasing, not really believing tongue…
“I hadn’t thought it out like that, so thank you for planting that image.”
I chuckled, then continued on
“Well, I think, if he was for real, he had both your numbers when he picked you two out as wealthy jewelled-up victims when he approached you both about the sports car you were driving.”
I took a drink and a puff of my cigar, as the girls were listening to me with rapt attention.
“In the gardens, I guess I was just an opportunist who saw a target within you two rich birds fluttering about. A quick way to make some easy money by stealing your diamonds in a holdup, and then pawning them. Of course, that diamond bracelet alone would have been target enough. But I will admit I did not find it quite as satisfying as the first bits of lifting robbery I did upon you two.”
Finished, I sat back.
Cadie shivered.
“That’s chilling. And there we were back at the party walking about alone through the gardens.”
I looked at her.
“In all seriousness luv, the way you two were dripping with the good stuff tonight, going out unchaperoned was not the wisest of choices. One never knows. And after I did my role-play mugging of you two, it really brought it too close to home for me that it could have happened. If the bloke was a thief and had not been caught and was eyeing you two up? You both would have had no clue…”
I caught Ginny’s eye….
“The two of you would have traipsed through the gardens and, unlike tonight, would have been taken by complete surprise by whoever was waiting, lurking in the shadows, waiting for opportunities to knock, right?”
Cadie suggested her thoughts on that…
“That rhinestone bracelet of mine Ginny borrowed to wear, looks insanely like real diamonds and so would be worth a small fortune if so. Others have thought about it. The thieves may have just been happily making her hand that over thinking the rest of what we wore was paste, and just taking off and leaving us still wearing our real jewellery?”
I nodded…
“Good point there. And that possibility fits in a few puzzle pieces. The bloke spies the spitfire pulling in. Spies Cadie exits first. And darling, that broach of yours does sparkle some. Attracted by it sparking from your gown’s waist, moved in closer, and spied Ginny wearing a rather fine diamond bracelet. Inside he approached and asked about father’s sports car, while he unobtrusively eyed the bracelet, doing a double take, thinking he may be hitting it rich. He then asks Cadence to dance so as not to spook Ginny. While dancing, no longer interested in your broach, he feels you out, dear sister. Put it into your head to take a stroll through the gardens. But then he is arrested before he is able to follow the pair of you leaving for the gardens with the intention of waiting till you're both in some dark corner before waylaying and robbing Ginny of the bracelet.”
Ginny echoed my musings in a far-off, thought-filled voice…”
“Indeed, you’re right, one never knows.”
I said whimsically….
“For whom the bells tolled”
I then added, reassuringly.
“The odds were probably astronomical that being robbed there tonight would have happened. The unlucky bloke they arrested could have been simply a person with sticky fingers in the company till. But those cousins of Lily’s would have had to answer to me why they weren’t chaperoning either of you two when you were out alone and vulnerable. What if that bloke they arrested had been scoping the place out for jewel thief-minded friends who were out waiting? !”
I ended my spiel by rising, then going behind each of them and as they sat, gave both hugs. Saying with total sincerity.
“But your home safe, and though I’m sorry I couldn’t go with you tonight, the pair of you have played my victims has been a lovely way of erasing that pain. Thank you. both. ”
They looked at each other with a secretive smile before sweetly thanking me for enlightening them.
I sat and we went on off how the male cousins of Lily both had been selfish prigs, taking between yawns that grew more and more frequent.
I asked about Lily, for I was friends with her also, to the extent that she has role-played with us.
Ginny told me that she was rather upset with her parent's stubbornness in not allowing her boyfriend Merrick, to come. And that they also blackballed me.
That made me feel a wee bit better overall.
Then Cadie suddenly grabbed both Ginny and me by the arms.
“I know, let’s have Lily over tomorrow night. We can play ‘The Game’”
I liked the idea, as did Ginny though I had to point out that this was now tomorrow.
So we did end up arranging for Lily to meet us and spend the night. And yes we did play Cadie’s game.
But that my friends is a topic for another story.
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Finally, the girls rose to head to bed.
I was still halfway through my cigar and I believe what would have been my fifth glass of Irish. So I just rose with them, giving my sister a kiss and a really enveloping hug.
Ginny came to me and as I wrapped my arms around her lusciously warm satin-encased figure I just couldn’t let go. We were both aroused by the combination of drink and role-playing, my silk shirt, her silk gown, and our good night hug was a stark reminder of that put together.
We finally broke away, kissed and I reluctantly let her go.
As I sat back down, watching their sleekly shining backsides go to the house, I looked down and noticed the purse had been left behind.
Curiosity got the better of me and I lifted the purse.
It felt empty.
But I opened it anyway out of curiosity...
To be concluded in Acte 5
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