No. 112 - The Rose Lady Part 1

The guards watched the dim, flickering screen in disbelief.

“What does he think he’s doing? He’ll never get anything that way,” said the older one, who had already pressed the button for the silent alarms.

“Is there even anything in that room, Captain?” asked the other, who, though having been on the job for the past decade was still referred to as “rookie” by his elder.

The first guard sat back in his chair. “Not in the last twenty-five years. Before that, it held the Rose Lady.”

The younger guard nodded. He knew all the stories about the Rose Lady. How the priceless statue had disappeared, and the nationwide search that followed. It was the dream of every guard to one day capture the dastardly criminals and return the exquisite three-inch ruby statue to its rightful place.

They turned their attention back to their monitors.  The black-clad intruder was almost to the empty plinth in the center of the room.

The old guard checked his watch. “He’s got three minutes before the police get here.”

Then they noticed something strange. The dark figure had reached into a bag and was placing something onto the pedestal.

The second man leaned forward. “I think we need to get down there,” he said. “Right now.”

Both men made it to the empty room from their station in record time. The burglar was still in the process of sneaking out.

“Halt!” they shouted in unison.

The intruder did not seem surprised at all. He turned slowly towards the guards with his hands in the air.

“Take off your mask,” ordered the old guard.

“As you wish,” said the trespasser. He took off his balaclava and revealed long, curly red hair.

“You’re not a man,” said the younger guard.

“No. I’m not,” said the woman.

“Stay where you are until the authorities arrive,” the Captain commanded.

“And what reason do you have to detain me?” she asked confidently.

“Theft,” said the rookie.

“Why don’t you examine the room and tell me if you see any evidence of theft,” she told them.

The rookie moved slowly through the door to the empty gallery. He kept the beam of his flashlight moving. As it passed through the middle of the room there was a flash of red. He almost dropped the light. Scrambling to get closer, he realized what he’d seen.

There, fully illuminated by his light, was the Rose Lady returned home.

“How can it be?” he asked the mysterious woman.

“That is an easy question. My father stole it, and I have brought it back,” she said.