The Forrester Mansion

As she leafed through the paper, Jamie found exactly what she was looking for in the Society pages. The Forresters were throwing a gala for the public that would exhibit their entire art and antiques collection. It would be the perfect time for her to "case the joint" as the old saying goes. She could wander almost freely around the mansion, taking notes on security systems, points of access, points of escape, and rooms of special interest. She knew the mansion was old, and that it must have hidden passages, which also meant hidden rooms filled with lots of valuable goodies, just waiting for her to get her hands on. Of course it would take time to find these rooms and passages, but the search would probably be well worth it.

The Forresters themselves no longer lived in the old mansion. The grounds of the mansion were so huge they could afford to build smaller accommodations for various family members. The mansion itself was maintained by staff when it was not in use for public events such as the upcoming gala and exhibit.

Jamie knew she didn't have to take a lot of valuables. She only had to pick out a few that were close to being priceless. With the size of the collection the Forresters had, it would take them a long time to notice just a few measly items missing. When she scoped out the place, she could decide what her exact targets would be. Jewelry, of course, would be first on her list. She could pocket it easily, and it was simple enough to move, as long as you knew the right fences. But paintings and antiques were another thing. You almost had to have an avid collector ready to buy them, if you decided to swipe them. She did know a variety of collectors, but did she really want to get involved with bigger items? Common sense told her no.

Jamie continued to scour the article to see if she could determine exactly what would be on display at the gala. Then she found it. A rare 18th century gold necklace with jeweled clusters would be on public display for very first time. Of course, she had to see it for herself first, but she was sure it would become a top priority item. All she needed to do was snoop around, and find out exactly where everything would be stored after the gala.

Jamie opened her cash box to see exactly how much cash she had on hand. She couldn't go to a gala looking like a lowly slum dweller. She had to look and play the part of an aristocrat. She counted out two thousand dollars, which she thought would be plenty to get herself a nice, fancy evening dress and heels. If she looked the part, the rest would be easy. Now the only question was what kind of a dress should she buy?