Rudi walked up to the photo, lifted it down and threw it on the floor. He wasn’t going to be fussy and do this tidily. He was going to take the jewellery and run. If the boss wanted it done neatly he could get someone else to do it.
There it was. The safe. Rudi took a piece of paper out of his pocket. On it were six numbers. 2, 6, 4, 7, 9, 1. That was it. The code. He twisted the dial. 2 then 6 then 4 then 7 then 9 and finally 1. The safe clicked and the door swung open. Rudi grinned. It was too easy. Inside was a shining black box which seemed to be asking Rudi to open it. He reached in and took the box out. He opened the lid, the gold letters of Cartier glinting in the light. Sat on top of a deep violet cushion was a majestic looking diamond and onyx panther sitting within an onyx circle connected to a black, silk cord by platinum and diamond attachments. The diamonds catching the light in a glittering shower giving the pendant a penetrating sparkle. Next to it on the cushion lay an 18-carat white gold ring with brilliant diamonds and sapphires set with immense precision which added to the sparkle of the white gold creating an effect nothing short of dazzling.
‘Wow,’ thought Rudi, ‘I fancy that for my girl.’ As he stared at the jewellery in his hand time seemed to stand still. Rudi shook himself back to reality. A family inheritance he had been told. But it didn’t belong to them. Not really. It looked like a treasure trove with the jewels reflecting on the silver casing of the safe and glittering in the light of his torch.
Rudi opened his briefcase and lay it down on the armchair behind him. One by one he took the pieces of jewellery out the safe and laid them gently in the briefcase, taking great care not to damage any of the pieces.
As he placed the last piece of jewellery in his briefcase, Rudi stopped and stood still as a statue. He had heard something. He glanced through the curtains at the window. A car had pulled up in the drive. This wasn’t part of the deal.
Rudi slammed shut his briefcase and grabbed the handle. He was just about to run when he stopped. A woman screamed outside the front door.
‘The window’s been smashed,’ she cried loudly, ‘we’ve been burgled!’
‘Kids stay in the car,’ said a male voice immediately taking charge, his voice calm and strangely reassuring in the woman’s panic. ‘I’ll go in and take a look around.’
The front door opened and Rudi swore under his breath. He ducked behind the door just as it opened. The man walked into the room and looked around him. Rudi stood still, staring at the man’s back and praying he wouldn’t turn round or Rudi was toast. Rudi put his hand down to his left sock and pulled out a gun. ‘Just incase,’ he thought to himself. He would only use it if there was no chance of escape. He couldn’t get caught. His Boss would kill him.
Outside the woman was stood next to the car and was biting what was left of her nails. A loud gunshot rang out, echoing in the silence of the street. The woman screamed and the children ducked down in the back of the car.
The woman ran into the house, the back door was wide open. She went straight through to the living room. The room was a mess. Chairs had been over turned, pictures knocked off the walls and there were the remains of her ornaments on the floor. The remains of the struggle. Then the woman saw the open door of the safe. ‘My jewellery,’ she gasped and then she screamed as she saw her husband lying on the floor. There was blood pouring from a hole in his chest. She knew before she touched him that he was dead. She screamed again, knelt against her husband’s body, put her head against his chest and sobbed as though she would never stop.
