{"id":2431,"date":"2022-10-01T13:20:15","date_gmt":"2022-10-01T20:20:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/?p=2431"},"modified":"2022-10-01T13:20:15","modified_gmt":"2022-10-01T20:20:15","slug":"tiptoe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/2022\/10\/01\/tiptoe\/","title":{"rendered":"Tiptoe"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

prompt: Write about someone who has long since quit but decides to go another round for old time\u2019s sake.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

available at Reedsy<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Herv\u00e9 had long ago stopped answering the phone as Lieutenant Deschamps, so he was surprised by the greeting of the woman calling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLieutenant? Detective Julia Thierry, working with INTERPOL. I\u2019m calling to let you know that we have new information on the Tiptoe Thief.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cReally? That doesn\u2019t surprise me. I imagine he made a death-bed confession in a pensioner\u2019s home?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo, nothing like that. He\u2019s struck again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Herv\u00e9 thought about it. He\u2019d chased the jewel thief for the last twenty-two years of his forty-year career. During that time, he\u2019d closed hundreds of cases. The so-called \u201cTiptoe Thief\u201d had, however, continued on a spree in fourteen countries, scoring a hit every month like clockwork, until he fell silent for the last eight years of Herv\u00e9\u2019s investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The theory at the time was that he\u2019d had been jailed on some other charge, or died. Herv\u00e9 thought that perhaps that he\u2019d aged out of the high-risk jewel theft game. A new hit, however, would disprove that idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat was stolen?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Brilliant Set from the Danish Crown Jewels was stolen from the Amalianborg Museum.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Herv\u00e9 sighed. \u201cWhat makes you think it\u2019s our man?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe case was cleaned out in the middle of the day, with two guards and four cameras in the gallery. Nobody saw anything. They were there, then they weren\u2019t. Two minutes of footage wiped. That\u2026plus the Corinthian Emerald.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat about it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was left in place of the jewels.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA note?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere was an SD card under the emerald with a text file. Same kind of taunts.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo, either our guy is still alive and active again after twelve years of silence, or he\u2019s trained someone new.\u201d Herv\u00e9 paused for a moment. \u201cI can\u2019t imagine he\u2019d have passed on the emerald, though. That was the theft that caught our attention and earned his nickname in the press.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s possible that he finally made a mistake, though,\u201d Julia said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat kind of mistake?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere was an eyelash in the case. We\u2019re waiting on DNA results.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAre you working out of the Lyon headquarters?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ll be there in three hours.\u201d Herv\u00e9 hung up before she could protest and grabbed his coat and keys on his way out the door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When he arrived and showed his ID he was escorted to Julia\u2019s office. \u201cGood to meet you,\u201d he said, hand out for a shake. He was acutely aware of how grey and stooped he felt next to the young woman in front of him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhy are you here?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you\u2019ll allow it, I\u2019d like to offer my services. Unpaid consultant, if that works for you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ll take it.\u201d She led him to the conference room where years of records about the Tiptoe Thief were spread across the large table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He recognized the map he\u2019d marked with the thief\u2019s movements over the years. A new X on the map marked the museum in Denmark. To the right of the map was a dry erase board with \u201c12 years?\u201d in large, circled, red letters at the top.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Below that, the text file that had been found on the SD card was printed out and taped to the board. Herv\u00e9 read it, finding nothing in it surprising, until the last lines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This might be enough to pull Lt. Deschamps out of retirement. He loves to chase me as much I love to be chased. Miss you, Herv\u00e9. Sincerely, Tiptoe.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhy do you think he\u2019d come out of retirement now?\u201d Julia asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ve always held that he must be about my age,\u201d Herv\u00e9 said, \u201cpartly because of the sophistication of the targets. That idea was reinforced when his retirement was close to the time I was getting too old for field work. So, assuming he\u2019s closing in on seventy like me, he may be feeling his mortality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOne last hurrah before he shuffles off the mortal coil.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat about you?\u201d Julia looked into Herv\u00e9\u2019s tired eyes. \u201cThis is more than just closing an old case. Is this your<\/em> last hurrah?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt might well be,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019d really like to catch this guy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhy don\u2019t you get a hotel room and get some rest, Lieutenant. I\u2019ll call when we have the DNA results.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Herv\u00e9 turned to leave, then stopped. \u201cWhere are they holding the Corinthian?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPolice evidence lockup in Copenhagen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Herv\u00e9 chuckled. \u201cTell them to check. I\u2019d bet it\u2019s disappeared. It did the job he wanted; proved his identity. Now, he\u2019ll want it back.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the early hours of the next morning, Herv\u00e9 got the call he\u2019d been waiting for. He\u2019d already showered and dressed, so was on his way out the door as he answered. \u201cWhat have we got?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou were right about the Corinthian. I called right after you left, and after arguing with the desk sergeant, they agreed to check. It was gone, with a note that said, \u2018The chase is on,\u2019 and, \u2018here\u2019s a present.\u2019 There was a hair folded neatly in the note.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe hair?\u201d Herv\u00e9 asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIs already at their lab to test against the eyelash.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMaybe the eyelash wasn\u2019t<\/em> a mistake.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Julia sighed. \u201cYeah, well, how soon can you get here?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOn my way already. There in ten minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll find this\u2026interesting,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Herv\u00e9 entered the conference room where Julia was doling out assignments for agents to get in touch with other police agencies. He waited by the door until she\u2019d finished relaying her orders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou have the DNA results. Did you find a match?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe did. Herv\u00e9, how many children do you have?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWrong,\u201d she said. She handed him the report, showing that the eyelash belonged to his daughter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2026have a daughter?\u201d He was confused. \u201cBut\u2026how?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHerv\u00e9, when a man and woman like each other a whole lot\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s not what I meant.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo, you never<\/em> had unprotected sex? Ever<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOnce. But why wouldn\u2019t I know about it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSometimes, a woman just wants a baby without dealing with a man.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI had a lover that begged for unprotected sex after she had been on the pill for a couple months. The day after we did, she went on a trip to Spain for a few weeks, then sent me a letter saying she was moving back to England.\u201d Herv\u00e9 frowned. \u201cThat can\u2019t be it, though.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis wasn\u2019t long enough ago. If her child was Tiptoe, she would have only been ten or eleven for the Corinthian heist.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Julia was scribbling in her notebook. \u201cWhat was her name? Are you still in contact with her?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMelissa Carter,\u201d he said, \u201can English woman. We haven\u2019t talked since she broke it off with that letter from Spain.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ll see what I can find on her. The early thefts were<\/em> in the UK, and we thought the culprit might be English. I\u2019ll check her travel history.\u201d Julia looked at Herv\u00e9. \u201cDo you think it\u2019s possible that Ms. Carter is the original Tiptoe, and her daughter\u2026your<\/em> daughter\u2026is following in her footsteps?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFunny you should use that terminology. Melissa had a congenital defect that required the use of braces and crutches to walk.\u201d Herv\u00e9 shook his head. \u201cShe wouldn\u2019t have been able to access the crime scenes and leave unnoticed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHow did you meet?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe was studying forensic science at American University in Paris. Part of her program was intern work in our lab. After her graduation, we started seeing each other. That lasted about four months.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Herv\u00e9 spent the rest of the day assisting with the phone banking, calling departments in France, and sharing the information they had. He also requested the station in Copenhagen send all their surveillance video from the time the Corinthian arrived until they discovered it missing to the Lyon INTERPOL office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He was watching the footage for the second time, focusing on the evidence access cage when Julia interrupted him. \u201cIt\u2019s getting late,\u201d she said, \u201cyou should get some dinner, get some rest. We can pick it up again in the morning.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He nodded and closed the laptop he\u2019d been using. His eyes were heavy and rather than the invigorated feeling he used to get when hunting a suspect, he felt wrung out, tired.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rather than deal with the restaurant, Herv\u00e9 called for room service and ordered a light dinner. He was resting his eyes when the knock on his door came.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He opened the door, and the young woman in the hotel uniform pushing the cart into the room looked familiar\u2026but he knew he\u2019d never seen her before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYour dinner, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He held out a banknote for a tip and she shook her head. \u201cThat\u2019s not necessary. I just wanted to see you up close.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDo I know you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cKind of, but not really.\u201d She leaned against the door. \u201cYou\u2019ve been chasing me a long time. And I think, all I ever wanted was to meet you, and get your attention.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019re the Tiptoe Thief?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI hate that name, but yes. Sandra Carter. Mom didn\u2019t tell me who you were until my tenth birthday.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She slid down the door and sat on the floor. \u201cShe took me to the British Museum for my birthday and told me about the police detective she\u2019d tricked into getting her pregnant. Said she felt bad about it, but not too bad, since she had me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe was in a wheelchair by then, and I was pushing her around the museum, thinking about how I could meet my father. She didn\u2019t tell me your name, though.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen I saw the Corinthian, I thought if I nicked it, the police would catch me, and I\u2019d meet you. Stupid, I know.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Herv\u00e9 sat in stunned silence as she told her story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat I didn\u2019t expect was how easy it was to lift the case just high enough for my little hands, grab the stone, stuff in the back of Mom\u2019s wheelchair and walk out with it. I guess I kind of got hooked on it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut you were so young.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was,\u201d she said. \u201cTwelve years ago, Mom was diagnosed with bone cancer. I took care of her, considered myself retired\u2026even got an honest job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen she passed last year, I went through her things in storage. She had collected every story that ever mentioned you in the papers. As much as she tried to tell me that you were nothing more than a sperm donor, I think she fell for you against her own wishes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Herv\u00e9 had pulled out his cell phone to call Julia but had no service. Sandra pointed at the phone. \u201cSorry. There won\u2019t be any service in this wing of the hotel for at least another twelve hours\u2026until the batteries die.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou have to turn yourself in,\u201d he said. \u201cNow that we know who you are, you won\u2019t be able to run forever.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe?\u201d she asked. \u201cI only see you here. You<\/em> know who I am. Do I think you\u2019ll rat me out? Probably. It was worth it, though, to meet you. I\u2019ve seen pictures from when you were younger, and I\u2019m not surprised Mom picked you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPlease, turn yourself in. You can go to the regular police if you want, rather than deal with INTERPOL directly.\u201d Herv\u00e9 locked eyes with her; they were Melissa\u2019s eyes in shape and color. He could see her in Sandra. \u201cIf you turn yourself in, you won\u2019t have to run forever, and I would visit you in prison, get to know you. I wish your mother had told me the truth. I would\u2019ve been a part of your life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI can\u2019t turn myself in, Herv\u00e9…Dad. It would make some very dangerous people extremely nervous.\u201d She gave him a sad smile. \u201cThis was one last attempt to meet you. After this, I\u2019m retiring for good, and Sandra Carter will disappear from the face of the Earth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI won\u2019t be completely gone, though. Now that I have your address from the hotel registry, I\u2019ll send you the occasional postcard to keep in touch.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She stood and reached for the door, pausing to turn back to Herv\u00e9. \u201cGoodbye, Dad. It really was nice to meet you, finally.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He knew he could go after her, stop her before she could leave the hotel, but something held him back. It was several minutes later that he left the room to find a signal and call Julia, though he didn\u2019t know what he would say.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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