Chapter 12: A Secret, a Heist and a Beautiful Ring

The day after Winterfest, Willow is in a great mod. Technically she, and everyone else, is off work for Thanking Day, but Willow has been given permission to show off what she's been working on in Magnolia Park, the transformation of the old toilet building into an orangery. It has been fitted with a glass dome roof, and some of the walls have been replaced by beautifully handcrafted windows, while other parts of the building remain the same to keep its historic value.
"We don't want to destroy a late Victorian building, after all," Willow says happily as she guides her parents and brothers to the building.



Inside, it's completely transformed. A giant topiary takes up most of the center space while pots and plants line the wall. "It's not finished yet, we've just started planting, but the idea is that it will be ready for opening to the public come spring," Willow says proudly.



Charles is very impressed with his daughter's work and even more with her obvious passion for it. But even as they walk indoors in this beautiful place, he hears a voice from outside that he recognises. The envoy has been keeping a low profile for some time, and he hasn't seen or heard about or from her, but he still knows her voice, he's spoken to her on the phone enough to know it is her. What in the wold is she doing in the park in the middle of winter, in this weather? Apart from him and the rest of the family, who are sheltered inside, the park is entirely devoid of life today. Whatever she is doing, it's clear that she has no clue someone else is close enough to hear through the glass of the building.

"Yeah... yeah... the boat? Yes, we'll be ready... oh I'll have it by then.... yes, you might have to break a few locks, but I will have the chests. You'll have the money?" She laughs loudly, almost manically. "Oh you should see the plans, it's going to be such a fancy house." She laughs again. "Yeah don't worry about that, I have a scapegoat. He won't know what hit him. No, don't call me again, I have your number, just... yeah exactly... new number then. See you in a couple of days."

Charles hears more laughing, and something clattering, before he can hear the envoys muffled footsteps retreating from the area.



"What was that?" Candice asked in a hushed voice, and this is when Charles realise that his entire family has gone quiet, listening as intently as he has.
"Are you the scapegoat, dad?" Neo asks. Charles frowns, not happy that his son has picked up quite so much even if he was a part of a lot of their first meetings. "What? I'm not deaf or stupid," he answers as if reading his mind. "So what are you going to do about it?"
"Figure out what she's up to, and stop her from doing it," he says, picking up his phone and calling her. He has an idea that she will either pick up and then he'll get something from her, or... just as he thought, that was the sound he heard. He goes out side to the trash can where the phone can be heard ringing and digs through it until he finds it. There has to be some evidence on this.



That afternoon he hacks into the phone. It's not very difficult, as his skills of hacking far outshines her skills on cybersecurity. To throw the phone, with battery, sim-card and everything into a simple trash can? How much of an amateur can you be when trying to escape with a big, stolen, treasure?



Once in, he can see it all. Trace her step by step, find out her current address, her financial situation, the correspondence with others, including himself. He can also see that just as Neo pointed out, he's set up to the scapegoat for her crime. From the documents, and what he has overheard, he now believes that she knows where the treasure is and has the key to unlock the door that guards it, but not the keys to unlock what is behind that door. But she has a buyer for the unopened treasure and big plans for a fancy house.

Time is of the essence.

In the calendar today's date is marked Blue Velvet. He asks Candice if she'd like to accompany him. She thinks it's exciting, a bit dangerous, and says yes. They arrive just before the place is starting to get busy, orders a drink and takes the opportunity to question the bartender. Has he seen her, heard that she has a meeting here? He seems reluctant to answer questions, but does after a bit of persuading (a "few" simoleons in tip for the good drinks). Yes she is expected here, they have a delivery for her.
"Don't tell her I said anything," he says. Charles promises that he won't.



He and Candice take a seat in the busy nightclub, watching for her to arrive. Candice is quite thrilled thinking this is so very exciting.

When she does arrive, they let her slip passed, pretending not to notice her until she's passed them. Only then does Charles sneak after her, finding her, so far alone, in the bar, clearly waiting for someone.



Charles quietly slides onto the seat next to her. "Waiting for someone?"

She jumps, clearly frustrated, tries to wiggle out of the situation with more lies and half truths.
"I know the truth," Charles interrupts her, holding out her phone. "You should have covered your tracks better. I have all the evidence I need, in here." For the first time, Charles sees her completely thown off course. She doesn't answer, doesn't argue, then she starts to beg.
"Listen, if you report me... I'll be ruined. My children will be ruined. They're not my husband's kids, you know, they'll be left orphans and all alone in the world. Please! I'll do anything. I'll share the treasure! Just agree to let it go, and I'll stay on the straight and narrow, and if I don't... well you have the evidence. Please?"

Charles doesn't trust her as far as he can throw her, but he promises to give the matter some thought before making up his mind, mostly to buy himself time.



Once at home, he discusses the matter honestly with his wife and son. Should they keep the evidence safe, and expose her if she does wrong again, or hit back? And what about the treasure? She still has the key that unlocks the chamber it's hidden in, even if she doesn't have the chests themselves. And if she does steal them, and it got out that he knew she was going to but didn't report her...
"You need that key, dad," Neo says. "It's the only way."
"Yes, but she has that key. I doubt she'll just hand it over."
"So take it."
"Take it?"
"You think she wouldn't? If she knew, truly knew, you had the four keys she needs, you think she wouldn't break in here and look for them? The only reason she hasn't is because she thinks they are lost."
"I hate to admit it, but Neo has a point," Candice admits.
"I'm not- I can't just- how would I?"
"I can," Neo said.
"No!" both parents answer in unison.
"So who else? Summer? Do you really want her bosses knowing about this?" When he gets no answer, he smiles in triumph. "So me. Or rather, us," he says to his dad, getting excited now. "You and me go to her house, you say you want to talk to her, distract her, pretend to get insurance that she won't double cross her, and while you talk, I look for the key. I'll text you when I have it, or if I can't find it."
Reluctantly, Charles agree, because to be honest, he cannot see another way out of this.



They head over to her house the next morning, Neo staying behind while Charles is being let inside. In the living room, he doesn't find the envoy, but well her husband, so Charles' not sure how to do this, asks for her.
"Oh she's not at home," Mitchell, her husband, says. "But I think she'll be home soon," he says. "You can wait here with me, do you know her from this project she's working on? Oh I know you can't tell me, all very hush hush, but yes or no?"
Slightly embarrassed, Charles sits down and strikes up a conversation. He is a bit worried that he'll sound weird and woody, but Mitchell is easy to talk to and super nice, so it's much easier than he thought. From the room next door they can hear the kids play together. Charles finds himself wondering if Neo is already in the house.



He is indeed, and like his father, he hears the kids playing and knows therefore not to go into any room where he hears noise. He starts downstairs checking out the dining room and kitchen fairly quickly, but thinking that a key like this won't be lying around in a place like that. The living room would be good to check, but dad and the other dude is there, so that's a no go. He has to hope for the best upstairs.



But which room to start with? Better take it in order, systematically. Neo tries one after the other, finding two kids rooms first, and reacting to how much fancier one is to the others. "I wouldn't want to be her kids," he thinks, as he moves on to the third room where he finds a bedroom.




He knows he's in the right room the moment he steps inside. It's a feeling, but also the presence of huge amount of cash in duffle bags on the floor. He's seen bags like that before, at the office in the gym.

He looks through the room methodically, but finds out he didn't have to. The key lies ready to be used - or swiped - on the desk. He pockets it, then grabs a duffle worth of cash too. Yes, he knows it would anger his father, but come on! It's right there! It's not like she's going to complain when dad has all that evidence against her, and besides, she can't know it's dad. He's downstairs with the worlds best alibi, right? Neo hurries outside.



Once outside, Neo stops short. It's the envoy! She's returning home. Better not let her se him, and better to warn dad. He texts him, then take another route home. That will give him time to hide the cash too. Better dad never learns about that.



Getting his son's tests, Charles heads outside, but in stead of avoiding the envoy, he confronts her. "I was just looking for you," he says walking up to you. "Chatted to your husband. Nice guy."
"Yes, he is. It's why he doesn't deserve this."
Charles nods, pretending to understand. "Fair enough, I will let it go, but, I will keep the evidence. To make sure you do not attempt anything anytime soon. Trust me, I will know, and I've taken steps to ensure that if you do anything towards me or my family, everyone will know about you." That last part is a blatant lie, but he thinks he probably should put those precautions in place. Just in case. Utterly relieved, if a bit disappointed, the envoy trusts him, not thinking him capable of lying so well. Shaking hands, they agree to go their separate ways.



But Charles isn't finished yet. He is not satisfied with just having the keys, not when he knows that might put him and his family at risk, so after going home and getting the key from Neo, he heads straight to the one place in town he thinks the treasure is truly hidden. The library.



Having admired the beautiful building before, he's noticed that there is an entire third floor on the building, but only two upstairs. He suspect the third is an attic, and that's where the treasure will be.

Heading upstairs, he looks for and finds, the ladder leading up. The place is dark and dank and filled with old boxes, bookshelves and dust. Years worth of dust. But at first glance no treasure. He wasn't sure what he'd find. Older stuff, perhaps? This has clearly been used more recently, given the looks of the bookshelves. Apart from one, much older looking book cases. But is that...?







Charles steps closer to the bookshelf, finding it odd looking and when examining it, he can clearly see the hidden lock behind a worn wooden panel. A hidden door. He tries the key Neo swiped, and like magic, it fits perfectly. The door swings over with a loud squeak revealing a hidden chamber.

In here, Charles finds what he's been looking for. Two chests, each locked with two sets of locks, and his keys fits perfectly in these locks too. But if the envoy expected to find a treasure with money and jewellery... well she'd be disappointed. It's mostly papers, books, old love letters and a beautiful antique ring. Charles has no need for any of it, and so he heads back down and shares his finding with the nearest librarian, then stands by while she calls the museum.

They are all very excited about the documents and love letters and books, and offer Charles the antique ring as a reward. It's a reward he gladly accepts. Candice will love it. Before he leaves he sees a cabinet being brought forward from the hidden chamber, with five slots, one for each key. He hands them over then admires his work, before heading back home.



Returning home, he hugs his wife, tells her the entire story and gifts her the ring and one of the, now empty, treasure chests.



But all is not well in the household. While Charles is downstairs, retelling the story to his son ("You didn't take anything? Seriously? Are you stupid?") Candice is upstairs, admiring her new ring. It makes her feel special, and perhaps it doesn't work with her everyday wardrobe but she intends to wear it anyway. But as she stands there, admiring the ring on her hands, doubts begin to creep up on her. The ring is beautiful enough, but is she? She's hardly the picture of success. She's overweight, living in a modest house, comfortably but not in luxury. Doesn't a ring like this deserves success? Fancy clothes, a fancy house, a fancier person?

Before she knows it she's holding an insta-lean in her hand. Does she really want to take it? She has never really been bothered by her size before, but now... she looks at the ring again, and at the potion, then she drinks it.

Heading downstairs she feels it taking effect, and she stars smiling, in the kitchen she starts planning for a remodel, and she needs a new wardrobe. One for Charles' as well. Perhaps a fancy boarding school for Neo? She has all sorts of ideas on how to be more successful. Why has she never thought of that before? Why has she never come to realise how important success is before? 

Has he walks into the kitchen, Charles finds himself in shock. 

"What have you done?!" he asks, looking at the woman who used to be his wife but now seem only to be half of her. 

"I lost some weight. Don't I look beautiful?" Charles doesn't know what to say, as he realises that this is dangerous territory. He has learnt from his mother that you never comment on a woman's weight but Candice looks... unhealthy. 

"I just didn't see the need," he says lamely. "You are always beautiful."

"Nonsense. Now I am beautiful, well on my way, and we'll get working on you too. We'll become a real successful power couple," she says, rattling off signs of success. Money in the bank, and impressive house, being skinny enough, fancy clothes... "We'll get you a new suit, something fancy," she drones on. Charles doesn't know what to say. Who is this woman? What has happened to his wife?