Excerpt
The thick trunk of a maple tree shielded a man as he hid in the front yard of the Gottschall home. He watched and waited until the caretaker eventually came out, presumably headed to Als Tavern. This was the shadowy figures clue.
He quietly slipped around to the rear of the house and hoisted himself through an unlocked kitchen window. He had been inside this residence under other circumstances and knew exactly which expensive art work and exquisite antiques would fatten his wallet.
He carefully removed those paintings he knew to be most valuable and crept through the other first floor rooms, gathering all the prized acquisitions he had observed on his earlier visits. With the expensive procurements safely leaning against a wall near the back door, he headed upstairs.
Snorts and grunts emanated from one of the rooms but the racket didnt deter the intruder. He checked the other bedrooms and finding nothing of any value, moved on to what had been the noisy bedroom. All was quiet. He slowly opened the door and flashed the beam of his penlight around the room. A magnificent jade jewel box reflected in the faint shaft of light.
He slowly inched toward the prize. As his hand closed around the shiny box, a lamp on the bedside table suddenly flicked on.
William Gottschall sat up and squinted through the glare. Who are you and what the hell are you doing in my bedroom? he yelled
Undaunted, the blurred figure came closer to the bed. With each step he took, the air in the room became oppressive from the odor of his spicy cologne.
William knew his caretaker would never use such a strong scent. Wheres Oscar? he demanded and struggled to push back his blanket. His heart was pounding as he fought to free his legs from the covers.
The strangers foot bumped the lamp table.
William looked up. A shiny object gleamed in the trespassers hand.
Anticipating his momentary demise, William tugged frantically at the blanket still wrapped around one ankle. The exertion forced his adrenaline to kick in and his vision became more perceptive. Now he could see that the intruder wasnt holding a weapon. He was stealing Williams precious jade jewel box.
This increased the elderly mans rage, his animosity and his courage. Put that down you sonofabitch! he yelled, and freed his other leg from the covers. Dont even . . .
With a clenched fist, the intruder landed a blow to the side of the screaming mans head, sending him sprawling back across the covers.
Stunned, William tried to right himself. Before he could regain his equilibrium, a pillow was pressed firmly over his nose and mouth. He flailed his arms about.
More pressure was exerted on the pillow.
For several minutes the skirmish continued. Then all movement on the bed ceased.
With his victim subdued, the antagonist picked up the Jade Jewel Box again. This time he opened it. A sadistic grin crossed his face. A gold band with a cluster of diamonds and an exquisite emerald ring sparkled on the satin interior. Such incredible luck. He closed the box, tucked it under his arm, and hurried down the steps. He knew the caretaker only stayed out for about an hour.
The intruder loaded the pilfered articles into a van he had parked behind the house. With the headlights off, he cautiously pulled out of the alley. As he turned onto Main Street, someone was entering the front door of the Gottschall residence.
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