Thief In The Mind Pt 04

To: Lindsey

From: Jen

Subject: Re: We got him!

Sent: March 20th 20XX 2:17 AM

OMG! I am so embarrassed. So, I went to follow up on my lead like I told you in the last email. The computer facial recognition picked him out perfectly in the picture from the zoo. He is the right age, the right height and build to match the man in the picture and the man in the video from the ball last week. Everything was there!

Sorry, I realize I'm getting out of order Sis, I'm just so frustrated and embarrassed. I got to the apartment of the man I thought was the thief in question. I told you that earlier. I got there, knocked on the door and there was no answer. I'm just about to kick the door in and search the place when it opens and there is this poor guy there who is sick as hell with the flu. It was like something out of a cartoon or an old movie. He was wrapped in a blanket, cold compress on his head, nose dripping, face red. It was ridiculous.

It was clear to me almost immediately that this guy couldn't have done anything that I was about to accuse him of...but I had to follow through since he was our only lead. I showed him the pictures of the missing items, and alll the while he is coughing and sneezing and moaning. Poor guy. I even had to ask him if he could prove his whereabouts for the nights in question. I felt ridiculous asking that, but I had too.

As I suspected on the night of the ball he was at home, watching the boxing match on Pay-Per-View, he even had the digital receipt to prove it. On the day of the museum heist he was at the doctor, and today... well yesterday now, he was at home, obviously sick. He was even able to call up his neighbor who has been bringing him soup all week to try and help him. I felt so horrible.

In the end the poor guy was a real sweetheart, at least as much as he could be while practically on his deathbed. He even showed me to the door and called me 'Miss'. It was so sweet, I actually cried on the way down to the car.

I feel awful. How could I have made such a horrible mistake? I should have done more research, I should have explored more avenues. I feel like a complete failure.

Sorry to unload on you Sis, I just needed to tell someone. Tomorrow I'll go into the office and fill out the report, then I think I'm going to grab a pint of mint chocolate chip ice cream and drown my sorrows in whatever is streaming.

I love you Sis. I hope you can learn from this mistake of mine and not make your own.

Your overzealous, unthinking sister.... Jenny

To: Thief's Apprentice

From: Thief In The Mind

Subject: Preparation is the key to success

Sent: March 20th 20XX 1:29 AM

Greetings Pupil,

Before I get into the account of the evening I just had, I want to remind you of the first rule of our trade. Always take your time and do the proper preparation. And here is the exact reason why.

As you will recall I ended our last email by mentioning that there was a rather aggressive knock on my door. Given that I took a moment to do a quick shut down of my computer, which is of course set up to destroy itself if it is not turned on properly, as well as hide a few other things, by the time I got to the door the person on the other side was about to kick the door in.

Fortunately, I answered in time to dissuade the beautiful police officer on the other side of the door. An Officer Jennifer Cartwright. She was magnificent in her own right, Stern, steady, confident. And that uniform, amazing! There is just something about a woman in uniform that is just so hard to resist. It's like the uniform can make any woman more beautiful, and when the woman starts out as beautiful as this young officer, it's quite a sight.

She had a warrant to search my apartment and pretty much barged her way in, she's so impetuous that way. She made me sit in one of my kitchen chairs and started to detail her case against me. A necklace stolen from an heiress at a ball. A group of priceless diamonds stolen from the museum. An intricate diamond ring missing from a gold digger who visited the zoo. She was remarkable in how well she was able to put the pieces together right in front of me, and spin the narrative so close to reality it was almost eerie.

And then there was her final piece of evidence, I had been so careful, so fastidious in my efforts to remain off camera. But yet here I was, plain as day in a photograph from that ridiculous photo booth at the zoo. I have to tell you my pupil, I was quite embarrassed by my apparent lack of care. But for the life of me I still can't think of where I missed the camera. The image was cropped so I couldn't tell for sure.

I was so stunned by my carelessness that when she asked me if I could prove my whereabouts on the days and times in question that I just kind of stared at her with a confused look. I was stunned at not only my own carelessness but also by her abilities to track me down. And also her beauty. It's a strange thing to realize that the woman standing in front of you has literally every piece of evidence that she needs to completely destroy your life, and all you can think about is how attractive she is. The human mind is truly amazing isn't it?

Well here I was, no alibi, no witnesses to prove I was elsewhere. A story carefully and meticulously crafted to fit the evidence at hand, and it was remarkably accurate. When she stood up I wasn't sure exactly what was going to happen. I watched as she took out her handcuffs and grabbed my arm. I will forever remember what happened next. She looked right at me said with a smile "It is my duty, and great pleasure, to place you under arrest." My heart skipped a beat, for a moment I thought for sure I was done. And then the handcuff made it's nice metallic click and tick as it locked into place...around her own wrist. She locked the handcuff around her right wrist and while still staring at me and berating me, and reveling in her success. Then she moved both her hands behind her back and locked the handcuff around her other wrist.

For a moment I wasn't sure that her suggestions were going to hold, I wasn't sure if she had broken them during the course of her investigation. But here she was, confidently reading me my rights with her own hands handcuffed behind her back, with her own handcuffs. It was an amazing sight. I couldn't help but start to laugh.

As I did she started to yell at me again, even more viciously as she explained to me just how much trouble I was in. I couldn't help but point out her situation and that she was actually the one handcuffed. I wish you could have seen the look on her face as the realization finally dawned on her. To my great surprise she knew exactly what I had done, she didn't know when it had happened. But she knew immediately that I had somehow managed to hypnotize her. Amazing, truly amazing.

As I sat in my chair I simply pointed to the ground in front of me; and without stopping her long winded speech about how I was going to pay for what I had done, and that she was going to see me in prison, she gracefully slid to her knees in front of me. It was almost weird watching her post hypnotic suggestions working on her mind. Here she was directly in front of me, on her knees, handcuffed, and still berating me. Still believing she had the upper hand even though she knew she was hypnotized.

I couldn't help but remove her hat from her head while I politely nodded to her accusations and threats. She had her hair in a tight bun just under the back brim of her hat. I love the look of a woman's hair when it comes out of a bun. How it almost has a curly look to it even though the young woman's hair is clearly straight as can be. She even did the perfect little head shake to make her long hair flow over not only her back but her chest. It was lovely.

By now I was getting way too engrossed in my prize to want to listen to her rambling any longer. So I used my favorite tactile trigger, the one where you place your finger in the little divot just behind her ear, between the jaw, ear, and skull. It's the perfect fit for your finger after all. And as soon as I pressed my finger into that spot she sighed and her eyes rolled up into her head. Her face relaxed but her mouth stayed open like she still intended to finish her sentence. She never did.

With my heart racing, first from thinking I was going to be arrested, and second from the sight of the lovely young woman before me, I just had to take a moment to enjoy my conquest, and good fortune in preparation. I slid my hand along her face and down her neck, undoing the buttons on her shirt one by one. She had a lovely bra on underneath her uniform, and believe it or not it had a badge embroidered onto it. I definitely kept that as a trophy.

I could detail the rest of my time with her Pupil, but let's just say that some things should be kept private. I will admit however there is no greater feeling than thinking back on your mistakes, while the woman that pointed them out to you slowly unzips your trousers with her teeth.

Anyhow, Pupil, it was, as you could imagine, an exhausting evening for me. I had to completely give her a believable fake memory so that she would not be coming my way again. Also, unfortunately, prudence dictates that I must move on from New Chicago post haste. So I am going to send this now and get some rest. First thing tomorrow I will be leaving town. I shall email you when I arrive in my new city. And always remember that when you move to a new city, take the time to hypnotize a police officer or two, it is worth it in the end.

Regards Pupil,

Thief In The Mind

P.S. I believe our dear Officer Cartwright has a younger sister at the New Chicago Police Academy, perhaps you should look her up the next time you're in town.