Tammi stepped into the ballroom wearing a clown outfit of purple, yellow, and green swirls. The matching mask covered her face. She looked around and saw her mark in a far corner dressed as a minstrel and carrying a mandolin. She wove her way through the crowded ballroom, this year’s Halloween fundraiser a huge success. When the minstrel turned her way, she raised her candle into a Statue of Liberty position and, with a few more steps, joined him.
“You know the drill,” the minstrel said.
“Yes. We swap candle for mandolin. You work your way around the room and exit. Then I follow and give the mandolin to a man outside eating a hot dog.”
“Excellent. And remember, your sister will be just fine as long as you do what you’re told.”
“What about the diamonds?” she asked.
“They’re wrapped in a cloth inside the instrument.” He pointed to an opening on the top. “Any other questions?”
After they made the swap, Tammi looked the minstrel in the eye and said, “You’re not very good at this.”
“What do you mean?
“I don’t have a sister.”
The minstrel turned and found himself facing a man dressed in a police uniform from the 1800s.
”Minstrel, I’m Sergeant Phillips of the Metropolitan Police, and you’re under arrest.” He lifted his hand. Two similarly dressed men joined him. “Thanks for the tip, and for helping with the arrest,” the sergeant said to Tammi.”
Tammi smiled as she exited the room, excited that the $150,000 reward would finally allow her to take the round-the-world cruise she’d always dreamed of.
