Author Anon

“How long will the trick hold Carl?” asks Nicholas.

“It depends on the significance of the gem and when Carl decides to examine it,” responds Gavin. “That’s why we’ve got to convince Belle to give it up.”

“Good luck with that,” says Nicholas. “I’ll go over to watch for Carl while you talk to Belle.”

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David reluctantly opens his eyes to see Ashley coming out of the bathroom.

“Leaving?” he asks.

“Of course,” says Ashley. “Don’t tell me you expected more. I would have thought that you, of all people, would understand what last night was all about.”

“Oh, I understand all right,” says David. “It just occurred to me suddenly that I want more in life than just a one night’s stand.”

Ashley raised her eyebrows in surprise. “I hope you’re not expecting that I be that special person.”

David chuckles. “There will never be any misunderstanding between us, Ashley. You are the last person I would ever ask for a serious relationship. You are perfect to satisfy a primal need, but the way I feel right now, I think last night will be our last night.”

“If that’s how you feel, I’ll be seeing you around. I’ve got bigger fish to catch.”

On her way out, she decides to drive over to Gavin’s apartment. Pulling in, she discovers that he is on his way out. She turns the car around and follows him.

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“Listen, Belle, we may not have a lot of time to act,” says Gavin. “We need to examine that gem and see what secrets Carl is hiding.”

“I’ll admit I haven’t been able to figure it out,” says Belle. “But I haven’t had much chance to examine it.”

“Perhaps if we pool our resources we would find something,” he suggests.

“Yes, but I’m afraid that it’s not possible right now.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s in a safe deposit box and the bank won’t be open until Tuesday.”

“Uuugh! Damn it! The only thing we can do now is to prevent Carl from examining the fake one.”

“I didn’t expect to see him so soon,” says Belle. “In fact, I was expecting that he would attack me and make me give it to him. But he played it smooth and pretended it was of no significance.”

“And you played right along.”

“Of course. I had to pretend that I was too much of an airhead to suspect anything.”

“Well, that act will be pretty difficult to continue when he finds out what you did.”

“Maybe we can stage a burglary or a raid before he gets a chance to examine it. It will distract him and give us a little time.”

“That’s a crazy idea.”

“But it might work.”

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“Good morning, Ashley,” says Chloe. “Why so glum?”

Ashley looks at her beaming face. “I take it you got lucky.”

Chloe giggles. “I expected the same of you.”

“Let’s just say I spent the night with David Golde, who suddenly takes it into his head this morning that he’s looking for a serious relationship.”

“Not with you?!” cries Chloe.

“No. Of course not. We understand each other very well.”

“So, why are you so upset?”

“Because I decided to visit Gavin. I followed him to my sister’s apartment, where he spent the better part of an hour. And when he came out, he was looking like the cat who ate the cream. That’s probably where he went last night when I was waiting for him.”

“Did you confront him?” asks Chloe.

“No. I was so livid, I didn’t know which of them I wanted to kill first.”

“Uh. Maybe you should make sure he was ‘visiting’ Belle before you actually accuse them both.”

Ashley calms down. “You’re right. I know Claire lives in the same building. But besides those two, I can’t imagine who else he knows there.”

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Carl is smiling at his treasure. Suddenly, he hears stealthy footsteps in the back alley. He turns off the lights and tries to peer through the opaque glass window. Seeing a couple of shadows, he backs up and searches for his gun. Next, he hears a noise in the front as if someone is trying to open the door. He turns towards the front entrance. Concerned, he picks up the pink gem and locks it into the office cabinet. Then he approaches the front door. Looking up and down the street he sees no one. At that moment, a banging noise reaches his ears. He realizes that whoever is in the back is trying to break down the door. He runs to the back and shoots at the door. Just as suddenly, the noise stops and he hears footsteps running away.

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Filed under: All That Glitters