A CRIME NOVEL INCORPORATING MYSTERY AND DETECTIVE WORK

The Diamond Thieves

A work-on Story assignment Co-work with Douglas Wrucke

DouglasWrucke invented this plot:

Previously (My summary):

The vibrant town of Elmwood was abuzz with excitement as the local circus set up its spectacle, bringing joy and wonder to the community. Amidst the festivities, the town rallied together, with businesses flourishing and residents reveling in the festive atmosphere. Children delighted in watching a baby elephant playfully frolicking in the water at the shopping center, while the local church seized the opportunity to raise funds with a spirited car wash event.

However, the jubilation was shattered when the esteemed “Elegance” jewelry store fell victim to a daring theft on the circus’s final night. The town was left in shock as a precious gemstone and valuable jewelry vanished into the night. In response, Inspector Jameson was tasked with unraveling the mystery and apprehending the perpetrator. With tantalizing clues emerging, the investigation promised to delve deeper into the heart of the town’s darkest secrets.

My contribution is this ending:

Klark Jameson rose from his chair at the police station. He scratched his well-groomed salt-and-pepper beard. He had just watched the surveillance footage from the jewelry store “Elegance” once again. The person moving hastily at the back door — could it be a woman? It was hard to tell. He needed to go to the technical department and inquire if they had managed to make a footprint impression, which might be connected to the robbery.

“Stellareon” — the outstanding and much-talked-about 400-carat diamond of invaluable worth — had been stolen. It pointed to individuals with knowledge of the jewelry world and at the same time very agile and professional thieves being involved. He immediately thought there must have been several involved in the plot. But one never knew. The suspicion had, of course, immediately flared up that it could be individuals from the circus behind it. At the same time, there were so many other people present in the city. No, he had to stop guessing and stick to the facts.

In the technical department, his suspicion that it was a woman who executed the crime was confirmed. It was a size 38. Slim moccasin-like shoe. The technicians apologized for not being able to determine anything about the perpetrator’s weight due to the dry and hot weather. The ground had only taken the imprint in the top layer of dust; deeper down, the ground was as hard as concrete.

Jameson left the police station. He first wanted to have a talk with the mayor, who had made such a great effort to boost the audience numbers by advertising in the surrounding municipalities.

When he arrived at the Town Hall, there had just been another spraying of the elephant on the opposite side of the street by the shopping center. There were many children and great excitement over the little trumpeting guy enjoying the cooling water.

The mayor welcomed him. Her name was Luise Baker. She always wore elegant black slacks and a decently buttoned blouse. They had worked together for a long time, as the mayor and local police commissioner often do.

He asked her if she had been to the circus to see the performance. Oh yes, she had been to the show at 4 p.m. It had been a great experience, and they amused themselves with their different experiences of the performances, as Jameson had only been to the show at 8 p.m.

They talked a bit about the big robbery that had hit “Elegance”. The mayor was shocked that such a thing could happen in the small town. She inquired if there were any leads to follow. However, Jameson withheld information as the seasoned policeman he was. Yes, there were leads.

Luise Baker asked how the owner of “Elegance” was doing now that his expensive diamond had been stolen.

Well, I’m about to find out, Jameson replied. He thanked her for her time and took his leave.

He crossed the street and entered “Elegance”, which was next to the shopping center. It was one of the few stores that had not yet moved into the shopping center. He found the owner sitting behind the counter in a state of trance-like stillness.

He cleared his throat and introduced himself. Max Clement, the jeweler, turned as if struck by a whip. He looked tormented.

Jameson inquired about whether there was an overview of what had disappeared. There was. The jeweler kept careful track of the extent of his inventory and could quickly ascertain that it involved a few gold bracelets and “Stellareon”.

There was no doubt that it had been a meticulously planned robbery with the purpose of acquiring this sparkling jewel. The jeweler recounted that he had told this to the young officer who had been there earlier in the morning.

Jameson looked around the store and noted that the thief had entered through the back door, had been able to disable the alarm smoothly, and calmly moved around the store — presumably in the creeping darkness of evening and the deserted streets, as most of the town’s population and guests were either at the circus show or at home eating after attending the afternoon performance.

“There’s something strange about this,” said the jeweler. “I’ve invested large sums in the alarm system. I’m the only one who knows the code. I always open and close the store myself.

I frequently change the code so that no employee might accidentally learn it. It’s the insurance’s requirement that the alarm system is in top condition. And it is.”

Jameson saw the despair in the jeweler’s face. He had no doubt that he was telling the truth. He had known him all his life.

Jameson thanked him for his explanation and went out onto the street. It had been easy as pie to get behind the building and pick the lock. But the alarm — it irritated him.

He had to go to the circus and inquire if there were any suspicious individuals on tour.

The circus was being packed up, and there was a lot of hustle and bustle at the site. After a few minutes, he found the director.

The director explained that there was the same core staff of employees whom he had known for several years. No newcomers.

Jameson inquired about the circus’s finances. They were good and stable. The director was willing to present the accounts if Jameson would just wait a moment. However, Jameson had no doubt that he was telling the truth.

Everyone in the circus had been involved in the evening’s performance. There was no time for anyone from the circus to slip out for a 10-minute trip to the jeweler’s to commit burglary and then return. It would have taken at least half an hour. No, impossible.

Jameson had expected this. He now asked if it also applied to the female circus employees. Yes, there weren’t many, and they were all deeply engaged in the show’s program.

Jameson left the circus. No wiser than when he arrived, except he had been assured that no one from the circus had pulled off the heist.

But then who was it? He thought about it. Perhaps the church employees who raised funds for youth work?

They could send the kids to a luxury camp if they were the ones who stole “Stellareon”. But that didn’t really align with the church’s stance on breaking the seventh commandment.

Nevertheless, he decided to go to the church and find the priest. He was told that it was Nanna Dilmer and Onasis Erystos who had been in charge of the fundraising and car wash on the square.

He knew both of them. Honest, lovely people around 65 years old. And Nanna wasn’t exactly slender, so no — she couldn’t have squeezed through the door crack and reached the alarm panel.

Onasis, with his shoe size like a violin case and nearly 2 meters tall, also couldn’t have been the slender figure in the footage.

He left the church. Stepping out into the scorching midday sun, he needed a break and something to drink.

He found a spot in Café Paradis, which was close to the bank. That was his next destination.

He enjoyed a delicious avocado sandwich — it was vegan, as stated on the advertising sign, which Jameson thought aligned well with his desire to eat healthily and be mindful of the Earth’s resources.

He ordered a sugar-free soda and sat enjoying his meal under the café’s canopy, while simultaneously going through his notes.

There was something flickering in his consciousness. He didn’t quite know what it was yet.

It was the feeling he got when he was close to solving a mystery. But he pushed it aside and finished his meal.

He entered the bank and was received by the director, Pete Flanigan. What did he really want to ask about? He wasn’t quite sure.

The director was friendly and accommodating, and the conversation turned to the theft at “Elegance”. The director was shocked.

Who would need to steal such a valuable diamond? He chuckled a little. Jameson felt his mental lightbulb flickering again.

There was something about that diamond. It was now the second time he had been asked about the theft of the diamond, it struck him. He began to sense a connection.

“How has the cooperation with the town’s mayor been lately?” he asked Director Flanigan.

Oh, it’s been quite good. He had just granted the city a larger loan for when the circus came to town to advertise and bring in many people for the event. Anything that was good for the city’s turnover, restaurants, and hotels. Tourism.

And he had been happy to help Luise Baker. Especially since she had promised him a special favor regarding a plot of land in the city; he was also the chairman of the shopping center, and they wanted to expand.

“Yes,” thought Jameson — now intuition was shining through clearly — “you would, wouldn’t you? How was your relationship with Luise Baker before she took out the loan on behalf of the city?”

“Oh, I only knew her through the election campaign, nothing more,” replied the director.

He left the bank. He knew the director was lying. He had to go back to the Town Hall and talk to Luise Baker again. He needed to know something about the city’s finances and her own.

Luise Baker welcomed him again. “Yes, the city’s finances were a bit weak, and that’s why we took out this loan.”

He inquired about the terms — Luise Baker answered. “So and so many percent interest and over 4 months. By then, the proceeds from tax gains and other income from the circus visit should hopefully be in the bank, and the loan repaid.”

“Are those all the terms regarding the loan?” Jameson asked.

“Yes, that’s everything,” Luise Baker replied.

Jameson then revealed that he knew something about a plot of land that the shopping center could expand on.

Luise Baker paled. “What are you saying?” she asked.

“Yes, you better tell me,” Jameson replied. “And at the same time, you can answer me, how did you know the diamond was stolen?”

Luise Baker slumped in the mayor’s chair behind the massive desk.

“I hinted that the bank could get the jeweler’s plot if he went bankrupt. And he would if the diamond was stolen and the insurance wouldn’t pay, as there had apparently been lax handling of the code to the system.

My husband Robert is an alarm system installer, and he set up the system. I confess — it was easy for me to look up the code on his computer, as he had just serviced the system a few days ago.

I thought if the diamond was stolen during the circus visit with so many people in town, suspicion wouldn’t fall on me.”

Jameson asked her to accompany him to the police station, where he immediately began questioning the Mayor.

After documenting her statement and escorting her to a cell at the back of the building, he then went to the bank. Director Flanigan sat motionless behind the desk. “I must call this efficient police work,” he said after hearing Jameson’s account of the theft and the Mayor’s confession of guilt.

Jameson said, “I think you should open the safe there and give me the brilliant diamond and the gold bracelets because I didn’t tell you that Luise wouldn’t go down alone with this heist.

She has told me that you are keeping the loot from the robbery here in the bank, and I guess it’s in the safe. And when I have the items, we’ll quietly go over to the jeweler and return the diamond to its rightful owner before continuing together to the police station.”

Pete Flanigan sat heavily in his chair, sighed, and awkwardly rose. He opened the safe, and the brilliant diamond caught the rays of the afternoon sun in its facets.