THE RUBY ROBBER
By
Michelle Giles


Frankie Malone straightened the collar of his security guard uniform as he paced the back corner of the Diamond Deluxe. In the center of the dimly lit store, the antique ruby pendant sparkled through the glass case.

The ruby and it's folklore, Frankie knew, had attracted a lot of attention in town. The jewel, which dated back many early centuries, had belonged to a beautiful princess. The night before her wedding, it was stolen from her, and she was so distraught, she canceled the wedding and died a recluse.

Frankie heard that the store's owner had borrowed the gem for display to get some extra publicity. But it wasn't until three nights ago that the ruby made front-page news. That's when the Ruby Robber struck.

Frankie had read all the stories in the local paper. According to the police, the robber entered the store through the back exit. He was dressed in black and wore heavy boots and dark glasses. He shattered the display case with a large stone and the alarm sounded immediately, scaring him off.

At the Coffee Café this morning, the locals were full of stories about the Ruby Robber. Over the past two days, several had spotted him walking by their bedroom windows late at night. One woman swore she saw him jump out in front of her car, then disappear into the woods. Another claimed she saw him peeking into the hairdressing shop. 

Tonight was Frankie's first night on duty at the store, and the small town excitement was rubbing off on him as well. He walked along the store's floor plan, retracing the Ruby Robber's steps. Frankie inspected the alarm, the security camera, the sensors, and the new glass case.

Peering into the case, Frankie admired the ruby's exquisite beauty. He had done enough jobs to know that this gem was valuable. It was definitely not the kind anyone would hawk at a pawn shop, it would be traced too easily. If stolen, it would have to be sold underground.

The other guard in the front of the store nodded at Frankie and he waved back. Frankie knew two police officers were also securing the store, but he wasn't sure where they were stationed. According to the security plan, he and the other guard were to appear in full view, while the police, who carried weapons, would remain out of sight. If Frankie saw or heard anything suspicious, he was to hide, then use a surprise attack.

The paper had predicted the Ruby Robber would strike again tonight. Police believed he was a drifter and would be looking to get out of town as soon as possible. 

Suddenly, Frankie thought he saw a shadow near the ring counter. He ducked quickly, then realized the shadow had been his own. He'd have to be more careful.

Frankie stood and returned to his security stance, his back straight, arms placed in front of him, his eyes carefully watching the pendant.

Struggling to keep still, he resisted the urge to itch the scar on his ear. It had been bothering him lately, probably due to stress. The scar was the result of another job in the past. A dangerous job, and one he preferred not to think about.

Frankie glanced at his watch, and then heard a sound from the right side of the store. He crouched under the counter to the left of the display. In the dim light, he could see a tall man, dressed in black, wearing boots but no glasses, walking in a hunched position.

Frankie waited. The robber made his way to the glass case. He bent down and pulled a key from his pocket. He inserted it into the lock and carefully opened the case. Slowly, he lifted the glass cover and reached for the pendant.

"Hold it!" Frankie shouted. He rushed toward the man and jumped him from behind. 

They struggled. Frankie punched the robber in the stomach. The robber fell to the ground and passed out. Frankie looked around for the others. 

The store was silent. 

Seizing the opportunity, Frankie grabbed the ruby pendant.

This hadn't been part of his plan, but the copycat had made his job easier. Much easier! All he'd have to do now was tell the others the robber had a partner who'd run off with the pendant.

After hiding it inside his shirt, Frankie tiptoed to the back exit which he'd been guarding. Quietly, opened the door. 

A bright light shot into his eyes. Within seconds, he was surrounded by half a dozen officers, as well as the local paper's photographer.

"Stop right there." The chief officer snatched the ruby from under Frankie's shirt. "Well everybody, looks like we've caught the Ruby Robber red-handed."

"No, you're wrong," Frankie lied. "I just caught the Ruby Robber."

"You mean me?" The man dressed in black stepped up from behind Frankie. "Ever since you applied for the security job, we've known the Ruby Robber was you." He pointed to his own dark clothes. "This was my undercover work."

Frankie again tried to disguise his guilt. "You're lying. You're the Ruby Robber."

"Don't even try it," the undercover officer said as he began handcuffing Frankie. "All the hype in the local paper was for your benefit. However, we left out one clue. Whoever attempted to steal the ruby the other night hid his face from the camera. But when he turned to get away, we got a shot of what looked like a scar on his ear. The camera is old, so we couldn't tell for sure if it was a scar or a mark on the film."

Frankie shook his head. He'd set up the perfect undercover job -- only to be busted by another undercover agent.

"The store's owner immediately noticed your scar when you applied for the security job. Then we did some checking. Seems you're wanted for several other jewel heists. We've been watching you very closely, in fact, the whole town has been watching you." The officer signaled the photographer, who then snapped his camera. "Looks like you'll be making one last headline."

Frankie walked to the police car with his head down. His scar really itched now. He wanted more than anything to scratch it, but his hands were behind his back -- handcuffed.

###

Michelle Giles has sold more than 40 short stories, with mysteries published in Woman's World, Murderous Intent Mystery Magazine, Mystery Time, The Villager, The Storyteller and several other magazines. Her previous story, WAITING TO DIE..., appeared in the premiere edition of NEFARIOUS - Tales Of Mystery. She is a member of the Short Mystery Fiction Society and Sisters in Crime and can be reached at ( mg12@gateway.net ).