Challenge No.72 - Clothing Your Character.
Create a new character, beginning with the clothing they wear. Look in your closet, costume box, or search online vintage retailers for inspiration. Write a scene or story starring this character.
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The skirt was short, the legs long, the heels high and the under sole blue. Cerulean blue and dammed expensive. He should know – at twenty-one it was all his niece had wanted. He had had to work a second shift to afford the damned things.
The Detective Inspector was responding to a call about an art theft and this was the vision that greeted him when he arrived at the de Tavanoust Art Gallery. He eyed the smooth brown legs and prayed to all God's known and unknown that the face attached to those legs belonged to Helen of Troy and not some Gargoyle. The legs moved... indicating that the owner was changing position. The prayer froze in his throat and he looked up. He smiled in relief as the face of the brown-skinned woman fulfilled the promise of the legs.
"Good day. I am Detective Inspector Jean-Chambout Jennings from Le Département pour la Retreval de l'Art Volé, we had a report of a break-in and theft. Tell your boss that the police are here."
Her features hardened. The woman stared at him and made no move to comply. Jennings took a deep breath registering his impatience for anyone to see. "I need to see the person in charge."
Another woman entered. "Can I help you?"
He introduced himself again.
They shook hands. "I'm Hannah Tchaikovsky, the curator, this is Madame Sabine de Tavanoust - the owner of the gallery."
His heart sank. "Madame." He tried to repair his faux pas and was ignored for his effort.
"This way." Hannah led him towards the gallery.
"Madame." The Jennings said, but she didn't hear.
"Madame." This time he tapped her shoulder.
The touch brought her back. She swung around. "I..."
"Madame. I will need an inventory of what was stolen."
"Hannah!" Sabine barked.
The curator of the de Tavanoust art collection glided forward and handed the file over.
Sabine walked, talked and pointed at each space where an art piece once resided. "Simmons, Walcott, St Omer, Gladding, Toulon, Medrick, Eudovic, Xavier... all Saint Lucian artists. All gone."
"You're right." Hannah agreed.
"Valuable?" Jennings asked. He was not familiar with these artists.
"Yet Dali, Picasso, Michelangelo, Matisse, Turner, Constable all left behind." Sabine ignored the question.
"Minimum value of a piece is one million." Hannah pointed at an image on the tablet.
"I need to see the security system." Jennings requested.
"This is an inside job," Sabine stated flatly.
"Sabine." Hannah objected.
"Or a play for the insurance." Jennings countered.
He was surprised when the comment amused her. "Detective, when you are done with your financial background check on me... as I am sure you will do, you will realise just how much I do not need an insurance check."
He looked at Hannah who nodded.
"What I need is my artwork back!" Sabine wailed.
"Of course, Madame."
"Now prove me wrong." Sabine challenged the detective.
© February 2018
US Copyright Registration No. TXu 2-133-118
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More stories with Sabine are online at that bookstore.
https://www.patreon.com/dawnnbooks for longer stories
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