When I finished penning Hollow Trail, my attention snapped to the next genre selected by my patrons, a crime caper. The moment I saw this request for this month’s work, my mind began searching for inspiration for Jessica Calhoun’s newest heist. With a little digging and sifting, I uncovered the perfect spark for her latest job. It started with a simple question. What makes the perfect crime? As I thought about that, it didn’t take long to shape that core idea into a fully fledged seed.
A grand alabaster hall gleams with chandeliers and polished marble while the hum of a thousand hushed voices fills the night. Beneath the glitter of the city’s elite, one woman waits with absolute poise. Her plan is already in motion, each piece sliding into place as she works to expand her legend.
The gala promises to unveil the Heart of Vion, a diamond so flawless it could silence a room. But for Jessica, the unveiling is only one beat in a larger score. Every laugh, every toast, every flicker of light off crystal glass is another cue in her intricate choreography. To the guests she’s just another socialite with impeccable taste. Yet the truth is far more dangerous.
When the lights dim and the orchestra swells, Jessica lifts her glass. Somewhere behind the scenes, her accomplices move into position. The perfect crime is about to unfold… and nothing shines quite as brilliantly as a plan executed with precision.
Jessica raised her champagne flute and smiled as the host led the current toast. Crystal reflections danced across the tiles, contrasting with the inlaid specks of gold. She pretended to sip her drink as her gaze lingered on those filling the grand alabaster hall. The hall pulsed like a living heart, with the meandering and self-important members of the city’s elite serving as its blood.
Every conversation joined was pure performance. She smiled, punctuating each exchange with rehearsed laughter. She clutched her glass to her chest as she looked at her wrist. After tucking her clutch under an arm, she tapped the hidden earpiece as she leaned against one of the several columns inside the hall. “Wilson, are you prepared for your part?”
“Just about. Doesn’t my portion require perfection?”
“Everything needs to be perfect,” Jessica said, obscuring her lips with the glass. “You promised me speed, not a poetic dissertation.”
“If I go any faster, you won’t get what you’re hoping for.”
“Hurry up, time’s running out.” Jessica disabled the earpiece with another tap as the orchestra’s tempo swelled. The intensifying music drew attention to the mayor, who prepared to unveil the Heart of Vion.
It was a flawless blue diamond secured within a pressure-sealed glass case. To everyone gathered, this unveiling would be the highlight of the gala. Yet Jessica took the first sip of her champagne. With a double tap, she switched her earbud’s channels. “Harry, did you finish the switch?”
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