Sonny: An author in the making

Christmas Warehouse Heist

In the late hours of downtown Chicago the notorious criminal Jim Thefty (or known to you and I by the name of Skinny Jim) is writing plans for his big warehouse heist that he and his partner Bob Flab (or Fat Bob) are going to attempt on the 24^th of December, Christmas Eve. If the heist goes to plan the pair would obtain over $10m in jewellery and antiques.

                                                                                    

Suddenly, a large gust of wind swept up one of the papers and it flew out of an open window. Jim, who was out of the room having a toilet break, didn’t notice that one of his papers was missing and continued to write up his plans.

The next morning, Inspector Steve was enjoying his Christmas holiday and was taking Chopper the Dog for a walk. As they neared the end of Alcopone Park Steve gazed at the battered hut in the distance. Unaware that the hut belonged to Skinny Jim he passed it without giving it a second glance. But then, Chopper the Dog began running towards it, barking wildly. Now, Chopper is a very well trained police dog and only barked when he smelt something suspicious. Steve, naturally followed to see what he had found. When he arrived at the hut Chopper was standing over apiece of paper with one paw on it, like he was making sure it didn’t blow away, With the words ‘Big Heist’ written on it.

Skinny Jim and Steve had met before. And Jim had cut off Steve’s left thumb. During their encounter, Jim had been wearing bright green nail varnish and some of it had spilt on Steve’s suit jacket. Steve had never been able to get the stain out and today he was wearing that same jacket.

Steve picked up the piece of paper and examined it carefully. Just as he was putting it in his pocket to take to the police station he noticed a green smudge on the corner of the paper. Immediately he remembered the stain on his jacket and compared the two. Sure enough, the two shades matched and Steve new that Skinny Jim was behind the heist.

Big Heist ·      Get job at warehouse ·      Get clearance for Bob to load after 8pm ·      Mark all the goods worth taking ·      Stay in after hours and collect marked goods ·      Load goods into Bob’s truck ·      Head north for Canadian border ·      Cross border at midnight Day 2 ·      Buy up expensive land ·      Search for great grandfathers lost treasure Once treasure found… ·      Move to Hawaii and enjoy rest of life showering in cash $$$

 

Steve took the plans back to his apartment and set them down on the table. He spent the rest of the day examining them and came to the conclusion that he should take them in to the station but when he stepped outside it was pitch black.  He took a quick glance at his watch and realised that he had spent the entire day looking at the papers and it was now 23:00. He knew that by now the Chief of police would have gone home and he would get stuck trying to explain the heist to a teenager doing his or her last shift before they get to take Christmas off.

When Steve woke up the next morning he did what he usually did. He poured a bowl of food out for Chopper, who came running as soon as he heard the rattle of it against the metal of his bowl. Then he made himself his favourite breakfast, a bacon sandwich, and sat down at the table with the paper.

He had forgotten about the papers he had found the day before and was just leaving his apartment with Chopper to go for a walk when, out of the corner of his eye he caught a glimpse of the bright green nail vanish that Skinny Jim had left on the plans. Suddenly he remembered that he was supposed to take them to the station today.

“Sorry Chopper,” he said picking up the papers. “Looks like we’ll be taking a different route for our walk today.

When they arrived at the station they were greeted by what Steve had tried to ovoid the night before, a teenage receptionist. She had her sleeves rolled up untidily, long frizzy blonde hair that obviously hadn’t had much attention for a while. And she was filing her nails with a pocket nailfile.

“Can I help you?” she asked without looking up.

“I’m here to see Police Chief Barnes,” Steve replied.

“Do you have an appointment?”

“No but I’m an old friend,”

“I’m sorry I can’t let you in if you don’t have an appointment,” Steve was getting angry now. Not only was he not being allowed to see Police Chief Barnes but the person he was addressing still had not made eye-contact with him yet.

“Can you tell him that Inspector Steve is looking for him and its urgent,” Steve asked?

“Ok,” the teenager replied and continued to file her nails.

“Well,” Steve said.

“What,” the teenager said blankly.

“Can you tell him that Inspector Steve is here to see him and it’s urgent,”

“Um I’m busy,” this was the last straw for Steve and he was just about to shout when Police Chief Barnes walked out of his office and greeted him with a smile.

“Steve good to see you, why are you here your meant to be on holiday?”

“I have something you might want to see,” Steve said in a stern voice. “Maybe we could talk in your office?”

“Of course,” Police Chief Barnes replied and he led Steve past the front desk (were the teenager was still filing her nails) and into his office shutting the door behind them.

“Are you sure that Jim Thefty and Bob Flab are behind this heist?” Police Chief Barnes asked after reading the plans.

“Positive,” Steve replied. “I know that nail varnish from the day he, you know,” and he lifted his false thumb in the air.

“Steve, if we don’t catch Jim now we will never be able to because he will be across the border and you and I both know we can’t touch him while he is,”

“ I know Peter, what your trying to say is that you want me to come off my holiday to help you catch him.”

“I’m really sorry Steve but you’re the only inspector that hasn’t gone abroad for Christmas.”

“You think I’m sad about this,” Steve chuckled, “I have been waiting for this for my whole life. I’m finally going to put that twig behind bars!”

“Right what are we going to do?” Police Chief Barnes asked.

“Well we know that there is only one warehouse in Chicago that holds valuables and antiques and that is the ‘sparkle’. We can’t catch him before he does the heist because we won’t have any proof it was him,” Steve replied. 

“What about that smudge on the plans can’t we use that?” Police Chief Barnes asked.

“No that could be anyone’s unless we had the bottle it came from we could match his prints to it but all we have is a smudge.”

“So your saying we are going to have to let him get the goods and catch him in a chase?”

“An ambush my friend, an ambush. The plans say he is going to head for the Canadian border we just have to ambush him on the way.”

“According to this the heist is tonight at 8pm. I will ready a S.W.A.T team at once because it is already 19:00 and we need to leave as soon as we can,”

By the time Steve got to the warehouse Fat Bob was already parked up and he and Skinny Jim were loading items into his truck. “They have started loading. I’m going to hang back and follow them to your position over,” Steve radioed in.

“Ok, we are all set over,” replied Police Chief Barnes.

Steve followed Jim and Bob up the high way and then he gave the signal. He honked his horn for three seconds and two chains with spikes on them were tossed in front of Skinny Jim’s truck. With a loud bang the tyres on the truck punctured and it span off the high way and into a ditch. Police cars surrounded the wreckage and Jim and Bob stumbled out. They were handcuffed and put into the back of a van to be taken away to jail.

“Merry Christmas!” was what woke Steve up the next morning and he was met by his mum and dad. He hadn’t got home till late and so his parents had probably let themselves in. They opened their presents at the table. Steve got a new watch and Chopper a new chew toy but nothing could beat the present he had received the night before. His life long enemy was behind bars.

THE END