Percy spent that Friday fully aware that it would be a lot easier to burgle a private residence than a public institution such as a museum. He had seen the gem personally at a party. Nobody would have attempted to steal it on that occasion. Now it was merely a nocturnal procedure of routine exercises for the Sneaky Spy, avoiding and deactivating alarms, pouring his chemical solution from an insulated hollow pen into the lock of a door, moving around silently on the balls of his feet and keeping a watchful eye out for anybody who might have awoken.
Percy's ears were on the alert as well, but he heard nothing. Even if the owner had kept an index of his party guest lists, it could not have narrowed the suspects down to Percy. The thief could as easily have been someone who was not a guest at the numerous social functions held in the wealthy owner's estate.
"So tonight, high society has this priceless little ruby to offer. It will do a great service to the local community, before they get it back," thought the Sneaky Spy, as he silently stole out the way he had come. In so doing, he left a small device attached to the door.
"The chemical in the lock," he had thought, "might well be known as one of my trademarks in the future. It shan't be used as a means to solve this case though."
Percy stroked his hair with a gloved hand.
* * * *
An hour later, a resident of Warrawee was woken up by the sound of a small explosion. Seizing a pistol from under his bedside table, he rose from his bed, left the room and descended the stairs to find that his door lock had been blown to pieces. There was no sign of anyone in the garden, he discovered, after rushing out to conduct a search. When he returned to the house, he switched some lights on, thinking that the detonation must have been a prank, because no robbery could have been committed, after the prowler had advertised his presence with a loud bang. Then he noticed the absence of the ruby. He would never discover how it had really been done, but he called the police station in a state of panicked concern.
"You'd best get over here quickly, although I doubt you'll catch the thief now!"
* * * *
Percy accomplished the other half of the problem in the middle of the same night. Using the method of entry which had brought him within earshot of Colin's love song, the Sneaky Spy made his way to the same window. It was closed, and the room was dark. He made his way around the back, and treated the back door to the same chemical cocktail which he had used before. Once inside he used his pen torch and a screwdriver pen to remove the remains of the lock and handles from the door. Pocketing these, the Sneaky Spy then brought out the ruby, and proceeded to place it gently into a location where it would be easily found.
Having accomplished these tasks, he left Water Street using the same route as he had previously taken, and took a long route around to Ingrid's child self's Burns Road address. This would see him safely into his own garden. He had left his home the same way earlier that night.
"Now the only evidence which the Geofflings could ever offer is that they saw me walk to and from the shopping centre today, not that I will really be needing an alibi from any enemies who have been posted in Burnseid Street for the purpose of peeping," thought the Sneaky Spy.
It was a fortunate thing, that he had avoided the use of his front door, lest anyone hiding in the driveway should see him, because the Sneaky Spy's silent turning of the key in the door that opened from the billiard room out onto the terrace was interrupted by the faintly audible sound of footsteps just around the corner of the L-shaped terrace.
"I'm glad he didn't hear me, whoever he is. If I had been sleeping, I might never have heard him, but I'll go in and make catching him look like the efforts of a Sneaky Spy who got up for a midnight snack."
Percy knew that this would give support to his plans. There would be no need for any anonymous tips now. He waited in the hallway, hidden just around a corner, and heard the lock being forced. A sleeping Sneaky Spy might never have heard it, but that's what burglar alarms were for. He had deactivated his devices upon entering the house.
"No sense in alarming anyone," thought Percy.
The man entered, walked to the hallway, and was jumped at by Percy.
The Sneaky Spy fought the man, and eventually knocked him unconscious.
"And he never even saw me in the dark," thought the Sneaky Spy, "but I'll wear a fine pair of pyjamas instead of this lot, before I call for Higgins. As well as that, it always does well to mess one's hair up, in order to give the impression of having slept for a while. To play it safe, Percy tranquilised the man, before switching the light on. It was the same sniper who had tried to shoot him that first night in Colin's garden.
"So there are other skills in his repertoire," thought the Sneaky Spy.
* * * *
"What, you too?" croaked the inspector, "There are other policemen visiting a place in Warrawee which has just been knocked off. Some fuss about an exploding door, I have been told."
"Well I've caught my guest. Would you like him? Chances are, he's the one who's been making a habit of it tonight."
* * * *
Higgins locked the man in a cell for the night, and decided to enjoy some sleep, as Percy would do, before they visited the sniper and housebreaker's employer in the following morning.
* * * *
Inspector Higgins and the Sneaky Spy discovered that their arrival had interrupted an instrumental violin session of Colin's. He showed them in, and looked startled.
"I wonder whether it's my lively state, or the presence of Higgins which surprises him more," thought Percy.
"I was hoping," said Higgins, "that you could give me some answers about the theft of a ruby from a house in Warrawee last night."
"Why should I know anything about it?" asked Colin.
"Why indeed?" asked Higgins, "and why should I have this man's unwanted houseguest in one of my holding cells this morning, when he's an escaped convict who claims to work for you?"
"He didn't claim it immediately, but when I told the inspector about his efforts in your garden a few nights ago, he decided to confess," said the Sneaky Spy.
"Well I don't have to answer your questions. My music is important to me, and I would like to return to it, Mister Dale," said Geoffries, reaching to pick his violin up from where he had left it on a cupboard top.
"You'll put that thing down, and answer my questions now!" snapped Higgins, seizing the violin with a jolt that caused something to fall out onto the floor. It wasn't a large something. It was small and red.
"Well what do we have here?" said the inspector.
Geoffries fumed into a scarlet mixture of facial rage and fear.
"It... it must have been him, inspector. He did it to set me up."
"This man has been awoken from his sleep by your other burglar," said Higgins, "It's absurd for you to suggest that Percy Dale was the thief. I've known him to pull off some exciting stunts, but most of them were for the direct assistance of those who enforce the law. You are under arrest...."
Geoffries resisted arrest for as long as he could, but the Sneaky Spy was willing to assist the inspector with the necessary task.
"Look at my back door! I had to get a new lock and handles for it. I was raided myself by some prowler last night."
"A likely cover, prearranged to divert suspicion away from yourself," said the inspector, but it's going to take a lot more than that to get you out of this one."
* * * *
The following conversation occurred after Percy was excused from the police station. Inspector Higgins had planned it that way. The Sneaky Spy had made his statement about snipers and burglars. Now the inspector had news of his own to impart. Percy was not to be there.
* * * *
"So you really think that all we've got on you is two minor cases concerning Percy Dale, do you?" said Higgins.
"Yes," grated Geoffries.
"Well they are relatively minor compared to all the other things you've done under your real name. I've been after you for a long time. You've been dyeing your hair and shaving off the beard and moustache you used to have. I am not worried about proving your guilt over that ruby. That will happen anyway, but there is so much more to account for in your case," said Higgins.
"So where do your false accusations start?" said Geoffries.
"With your music. That violin is not an ordinairy one. You remember where you stole it from, don't you?"
"I don't know what you mean."
"That's alright. The owner will recognise it."
"Maybe I bought it from a fence, unwittingly of course."
"Maybe you can prove that."
"He's closed down."
"You know, this could go on for hours, if you're not going to confess anything," said the inspector.
"After which you'll admit your mistakes."
"After which I won't. I'll present you with all the preludes you'll need for the prosecution side of your impending court hearings. Then you will wait it out, before you start a much longer waiting period. You're going to be nothing more than material for future university law students to look over when preparing their assignments. How does that grab your pathetic mind, Geoffries, or is it Alfrench? You'd make it all so less drawn out on yourself, and all so much easier on me, if you made some confessions now. I might even try to have it taken into consideration at your trial!"
“I can’t believe how devoted you’ve become to me,” said Ingrid the following night, “Come to think of it, I see now that you were always that devoted to me. I’m the one who’s become devoted. I guess my tastes in men have really changed.”
If she only knew how much he appreciated what he thought had been an unintentional pun on the phrase ‘tastes in men’.
“Do you think they’ll ever change again?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Then I have something to show you, something I knew (during every minute of that last adventure) that I wanted to buy, but only had time to buy today,” said Percy, taking out an engagement ring, “Will you marry me, Ingrid?”