The Secret of the Circlet

Ava slowly moved through the darkening shadows, careful to stay out of sight. On nights like this, she felt invincible. The moonlight glittering and the wind softly swaying created a calming atmosphere and Ava savored it. On nights like this, she did her best work. 

Through the dim light, she could just see her surroundings. There in front of her was the rooftop of the Walter Mansion, home to the most prestigious family in Northern Europe. Ava herself was posed on the edge of the roof of the building next door, anticipating the jump. 

The Walter Mansion was something to behold. The marble staircase and perfectly furnished walls created a look of perfection, but the giant iron fence made it seem like a fortress. Ava didn’t waste a single moment admiring the mansion. She’d seen better. 

The jump was about 8 feet, something she could clear easily. The ledge she stood on was solid stone and would hold her weight when she jumped. 

The area of the Walter Mansion where Ava was aiming was the slope of the roof, thick with ivy. She crouched, her eyes fixed on the point where she needed to land. One inch off and she would plummet to her doom 100 ft below. 

She was confident in her abilities and trusted her instincts. Ava sprang off the side of the roof and landed perfectly. Her feet didn't even slide off the scarlet tiles, slick with rain. Smiling smugly, she grabbed a thick ivy vine and wrapped it around her wrist. Anyone else would have been crazy to do this. 

Without a second thought, Ava jumped off the side of the roof once again, hanging onto the swinging ivy. Her momentum brought her right in front of the stained glass window in the front of the mansion. 

She let go of the vine, tucked her feet up into her chest, flipped and landed on the edge of the window, still standing. From there Ava carefully slid her limber body into a piece of glass she had cut out the night before. 

The interior of the Walter Mansion was no less impressive than that of the outside. The golden gilded walls were embedded with precious gems, each one worth more than a thousand dollars. 

But that wasn’t the target for tonight. Ava had her goals set on something better. Something worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Something that could turn her life around and change it for the better. 

As she crept through the dark rooms, Ava approached the trophy hall. That was where her prize was located. She entered the room expecting a fight, but to her surprise, there was no one there. 

Thinking out loud she whispered to herself, “There is no way they would leave something like this unguarded. The question is what?” 

On cue, dozens of shining scarlet lasers appeared in the room, creating a maze. The light from the lasers lit up the room with an unearthly red glow. “There we go,” Ava said, “Now I’ve got something to enjoy. 

She ducked, flipped, and weaved her way through the deadly lasers without missing a beat. After doing this for so long it had become like a song to her. The pat of her feet as she touched the ground, the sound of her body as it swished through the air, and the gentle thumping of her heartbeat. 

Without any problems, she reached the large glass case in the middle of the room, took out her glass cutter, and slowly moved it in a circular motion. The knife cut easily and in no time at all Ava had grabbed the circlet and was gone. 

. . . 

The next morning, Ava arrived at work at Luciana Enterprises. She worked there during the day as a secretary. No one she didn’t want to know knew what she did at night. It was a secret that she intended to keep until her final breath. 

As Ava sat down at her desk on the 14th story, a rather slim man walked into the office. “How may I help you,” she asked politely. 

The man walked over to her desk with purpose and held out a newspaper. Ava gingerly took it afraid of what she might see. There on the front page was the headline story, “Acadia Walter’s Circlet Stolen from Walter Mansion.” 

“That’s very interesting but I’m afraid I have no idea what this has to do with me. If you are looking for the detective department please. . .” “Read the rest,” he responded in a gruff commanding tone. 

The article proceeded to talk about how masterful the thievery had been and that the police had no idea who could have done it. But there, in the very last sentence were the words “Issac Walter demands an audience with Luciana Levi, head of Luciana Enterprises.”

“Ohhhhh! I am so sorry Mr. Walter. Luciana will be here in a minute.” Issac Walter was getting angry now, “Luciana told me that her secretary would look for me on the security cameras and call her as soon as I arrived! This was supposed to be an emergency meeting! Didn’t Luciana tell you all that at the debriefing last night?!”

He looked at her suspiciously and Ava gulped. Of course, she hadn’t been to the debriefing! That was after she had stolen the circlet and was so tired. It had been relatively easy to log on online and create a looped video that made it look like she was listening. 

Ava knew any indecision could get her fired so she simply said in a calm even voice, “Of course I went to the debriefing. What kind of secretary would I be if I hadn’t. I just wasn’t expecting you because the security cameras lost internet for a few minutes,” she looked at his face to see if he could tell she was lying but he looked to be drinking every word. 

She continued, “I am so sorry for any inconvenience but Ms. Luciana should be here any second. You can take a seat over here” She gestured at the row of velvet chairs on the side of the room. 

Mr. Walters nodded politely and took a seat. Ava breathed a sigh of relief. She had thought for sure she was going to be busted. A few years ago she would have thought it evil to lie. But now it was just a way of life. 

Luciana came picked up Mr. Walters and together they walked out of the room, leaving Ava behind. As soon as they left, Ava walked over to the window, opened it, and jumped out, landing on the ridge underneath her window sill. 

The day might be just beginning but Ava had work to do. And not all of it came from being a secretary. Ava was going for her next big prize. She knew it was a risk, she knew it would maybe cost her her life.

But Ava was up for the challenge. She didn't care about the consequences anymore. She needed the money. With no time to waste, she jumped off the building grappling hook in hand.

She was going to kill her boss.