Michael
It was late in the afternoon and Michael stood in his apartment ironing a white shirt. He wiped the fog from his glasses and looked down.
“That’s good enough,” he mumbled, “as long as I look half presentable, I’ll be fine.” He walked over to the wall and switched the iron off; his glasses fogged up again. He took them off, gave them a wipe on his hoodie, put them back on. He grabbed his freshly pressed shirt and carried them to the bedroom. There, he changed out his casual gear and into something more formal, suit, shirt but no tie.
He opened the wardrobe door and caught a glance of himself in the mirror. “Formal, relaxed but not too stuffy,” he thought. He reached up, pulled out the holdall that was wedged between the top shelf and the ceiling and threw it on the bed. Unzipping the bag, he glanced inside.
“Flashlight, lockpicks, stethoscope, gloves and hat; everything’s there.” He grabbed them out of the bag and stuffed them into various pockets in his suit jacket.
*
He was driving the VW Golf that he’d stolen last week. A reliable, and fast car if required, but not one that would draw attention. The plates had been changed, of course, so the police weren’t likely to bother him. Slowing the car down, he looked for an inconspicuous place to park. He pulled up next to some large beech trees, not far from the mansion driveway and got out. Walking up the driveway, the car clicked and flashed as his finger pushed the key fob. He reached a crowd of guests queuing to enter. An older gentleman dressed in formal evening attire was busy talking to a woman whom Michael assumed to be his wife. He spotted the familiar bulge in the front jacket pocket of the man and wandered over to stand behind him. His fingers slowly dipped into the pocket and gently retrieved the wallet that had been deposited there. Taking care not to be discovered he slowly shuffled away a safe distance and checked the contents. Inside, what exactly what he had hoped for, an invitation. There was a commotion at the door as the older gentleman and his wife were standing by the security guards, frantically searching.
“It was in my wallet,” he said, “I must’ve left it in the damned car.”
“We’ll have to go back and look unless these kind gentlemen will let us in.” Suddenly, a voice from within the house said, “Is there a problem Jack?”
“Who’s that? Oh, hi Michael, I’ve only gone and left my wallet in the car, it’s got my invite in it.”
“Ah, it’s lucky I’m here then. I’ll save the trouble of going back for it, come in.”
“Thanks Michael, you lifesaver. Vera was about to go ballistic,” he said, glancing nervously at the lady next to him.
*
The party itself was a lively affair, Michael tried his best to blend in but it was difficult mixing in with the gentry. He grabbed a drink from one of the servers wandering around the room and took a sip; he hated champagne. He looked at across the room and saw Princess Aliyah, then he noticed the valuable she was wearing; his jaw dropped in awe. He came to his senses and looked away. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see someone staring at him, he turned his head slightly and glanced in their direction. His eyes locked onto those of a well-built man, an uncomfortable feeling suddenly washed over him. He breathed a sigh of relief when the princess spoke to the man, distracting him. Michael took this opportunity to disappear further into the crowd.
*
It had been silent for about an hour when he finally peered around the curtain where he’d cached himself, the coast was clear. He could see across the whole landing from his vantage point. Earlier, he’d heard the princess bid goodnight to her father and had stolen a glance to see which of the rooms she occupied. He crept over to her bedroom door, placed his ear against the cold wood and listened; silence. He opened the door a crack half expecting a shriek to come from within the room, but all was calm. He could hear heavy breathing coming from the bed where the princess was asleep. He pulled at his flashlight held his breath and turned it on; a faint light highlighted features in the room. The princess remained still, soundly sleeping. Shining the dim light around, a reflection from the dressing table caught his eye; it was the necklace. Stealthily, he walked over and picked it up, placed it into his pocket and moved towards the door.