Con Artist

I just finished reading CITY OF BRICK AND SHADOW by Tim Wirkus.  Without going into too much detail, I would agree with a review I read that called it "not a mystery novel, but a novel about a mystery".  If you're looking for an engaging story that will make you think, I recommend this book.

Three of the characters are con artists, and the author describes a number of cons put on by them.  I happen to love The Italian Job and Leverage.  There's something about the criminals who eschew violence and get what they want with cleverness.  (Not that I have any desire to fall into one of those scams, I just admire the intelligence required.)

In honor of Tim Wirkus and his novel, our prompt for this week is to write about a con.  Seeing as I had a little trouble finding them when I Googled, here is a website to give you ideas: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_confidence_tricks

(Because no matter what you like to write, we all have to get used to doing research.)

Enjoy!

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My response:

I checked my reflecting in the mirror hanging behind the desk as I walked up, pressing my lips into a thin, hurried smile.

The clerk looked up at me and returned a wide grin, eyebrows raised.  "Checking out?  And how was your stay?"  He was too young to be balding, and yet the oily strands brushed across his scalp proved the unfortunate truth.  His tips were likely down from when he looked more his age, and he had to work harder.  Looking at my tailored linen pants and silk blouse, he saw only money, and he practically groveled.

I slid a key card onto the deck.  "It was lovely, as always, but I've run into a problem."

"Oh?"  He scanned the card and started typing, his eyebrows shooting up almost high enough to compensate for the missing strands on top.

I rest my purse on the counter and check the time on my phone before pulling out the earring.  Behind him, the phone starts ringing.

"I was checking over my room before I left, and I found this earring."  I hold it up, so he can see.  It really does look like a nice piece - all glass and gold plating - only the weight of it in my fingers gives it away.  "I found this had fallen behind the toilet.  The maids must have missed it when they cleaned before me ..."

"I do apologize for that ..." he begins, but I wave him off.

"Nevermind that, my ex-husband was a gem dealer, and I can tell these stones are top quality.  Someone has a matching earring, and I'm sure they'd want this one back.  They'll not be able to make another to match so well."  I check my phone again.  "Anyway, I need the name and contact information of the people who had the room before me, so I can contact them and return the earring."

I look up expectantly.  I can see shock and dismay dissolving his smile.  He knows he can't give out guest information, and I know it too.  I also know how bad he wants to keep me happy. 

And he takes the out.

"One moment, please?" He turns and answers the phone from the desk behind him.  I wait until he turns back towards me and make a show of checking my phone again. 

"An earring?  Could you please describe it to me, Sir?" 

He steps back to me and studies the earring.  I narrow my eyes suspiciously, but I let him look.

"A reward?  How much are you offering, Sir, so I may write it down?"  The clerk's smile ticks back onto his face even as his English falters in his excitement.  Then his eyes grow wide.  "On your way, now?"  Then the blood drains from the clerk's face.  "What, Sir?"

The voice on the other end of the line is so loud now that I can hear as the man threatens to tear every stone of the hotel apart if he can't find his wife's earring.  Then the connection ends, and the dial tone buzzes.

The clerk smiles sheepishly at me.  "I am not supposed to share secrets between guests, but I suppose you could not help but hear the end of that.  They have discovered their missing earring, and they are on the way back.  Lucky for me, you have found it, and lucky for you, they are offering a reward if we find it before they get here."

I wave my hand dismissively.  "That's not lucky at all.  My ride is sitting right there," I nod towards the black sedan sitting just outside the glass doors.  "My plane leaves in an hour, and I'm on a tight schedule.  I cannot possibly wait around."

"Please, Madame, I'm sure you want to see their earring returned as much as I do.  Just give it to me, and I will return it."

I let my eyes widen and I jerk back from the desk.  I let my eyes dart from the car to the clerk and back.  I frown.  I fiddle with the earring.  Then I pin him with my most intense stare.  "And how do I know you will return their earring?  I could have kept it for myself, but I didn't, so you and I both know I can be trusted with it.  You'll just have to give them my information, and they can contact me about the earring."

His head sinks lower on his shoulders.  "But ... but Madame ..."  Then his smile returns.  "The reward!  You wouldn't want to miss the reward.  He's offering five thousand US dollars."

I wave my hand again.  "I paid more than that for my plane ticket, which I'll miss if I don't hurry."  I drop the earring into my purse and tuck it under my arm. 

"Wait!" 

I pause. 

He lifts a finger.  "I can prove to you that I am trustworthy."  He leans over, punching keys on his side of the desk and rifling in a drawer.  "I will give you the reward money, and you will give me the earring.  Then, when he gets here, I replace the money, and he gets his earring back." 

I can see the flicker of fear in his eyes as he realizes what he's offered me, and I wait, giving him time to take it back.  "... and I know you're trustworthy, I guess, because you'll be in trouble if that money isn't back in the drawer by the time you count out tonight."  I nod, as if agreeing.

A chime sounds from my phone, and I lift it, sighing.  I shake my head and dig the earring back out of my bag.  "Well, if you're sure.  I don't have time to wait around."

He pulls a wad of bills out of the drawer and starts counting them on the desk.  Handling the money is stealing his nerve, and I can see his fingers shaking.  I stop him when he gets to two thousanad, five hundred. 

"That's fine.  Really.  And then you get a reward for your part, too.  I really must be off."

"Madame?"  His eyes light up again at the sight of the money on the granite. 

"Come on then."  I lay the earring down, and he taps the edges of the money against the counter and slides the stack into my hands. 

I push the bills into my wallet and wave.  "I guess you were right.  It is our lucky day."

He salutes me with the other stack of money as I stride out the front doors. 

The driver opens the door for me, and I climb in.  The same voice I'd heard over the phone speaks to me from the shadows of the car.

"How much?"

I sigh and pull the bills out of my wallet.  "Only half.  He was getting nervous."

"You took too long."

"Be nice now," I coo.  "Dinner is on me tonight."