Hunting for More than a House

The real estate agent greeted each guest with a smile as they entered the mansion. She ushered the prospective buyers through the expansive kitchen and out to the crystal, clear pool to begin her pitch about the impressive home and estate. But I did not follow them. I snuck up the winding staircase and hurried into the massive primary bedroom. Instead of looking for a safe I knew I would never be able to break into, I headed directly for the dressers in the middle of the large walk-in closet. I searched for valuables that the homeowners would never realize were missing, like a pair of expensive, yet unremarkable diamond earrings forgotten at the back of a drawer or a designer watch that had been lost under a stack of clothes. Laying haphazardly in a bin of accessories was the perfect item to lift: a dainty, diamond tennis bracelet. Score. I slipped my prize into my pocket and tiptoed down the stairs. I peeked around the corner and saw the crowd still huddled around the pool. The real estate agent and I locked eyes, shared a quick, knowing smile, then I slipped out of the front door without a sound.