TAMARA GETS ENGAGED – PART 1: TAMARA MAKES A PROPOSAL

[esercito sconfitto]

TAMARA GETS ENGAGED – PART 1: TAMARA MAKES A PROPOSAL

“This ring would look very nice on you, Madam; In my opinion it would be a good choice. Obviously, the decision is yours…” ventured the smartly dressed sales assistant.
Tamara lifted her hand up and turned her fingers so that the cluster of diamonds reflected the light. She was very impressed.
“What do you think, Darling?” she asked, turning to her companion.
“It’s very nice, but it very difficult to choose between this and the other one. Perhaps you would allow us to compare the two together.” Bruce asked, turning to the assistant.
“Yes, sir, of course”. The assistant replied and turned to unlock the display cabinet with the key that was attached by a chain to her skirt. She was optimistic about a sale this time. The couple had previously entered the store a couple of days ago and were obviously keen to buy a ring. They were getting engaged and wanted something very special. An extra effort to accommodate the customer would be appropriate on this occasion, she felt, and would clearly reflect in this week’s bonus. She retrieved the other ring from the cabinet and turned to show Tamara.

She froze. At first she could not immediately take in what had happened. Tamara was smiling at her as before, but there was a different glint in her eyes. The dew of the hopelessly-in-love fiancée had been usurped by a gleam of triumph, of excitement, with a hint of cruelty, even. The eyes seemed to be complemented by the menace of the snub barrelled Skorpion which was pointing at the assistant’s belt buckle. The helpless victim cringed. She could feel her bonus disappearing along with her stomach. A sale appeared unlikely on this occasion. She started to raise her hands.
“Oh, don’t bother doing that yet.” Tamara interrupted, “You wont be able to reach the zip on your skirt from up there”.

~~~~~~~~

Harmony slid behind the wheel and slammed the car door. She glanced back at the door from which she had just stormed. “It’s over. It’s history. It’s dead. I’m off…” she thumped angrily on the steering wheel as she attempted to exorcise the pain of the last six months.

Six months ago it all seemed so different. Love had struck at last. Ralph was so perfect in every way: kind, attentive, thoughtful, loving, liked children, in a well paid job: what more could she ask for? The marriage seemed to seal her happiness. She actually wore a white suit to the wedding which caused sister Melody to drop one or two remarks along the lines of ‘are you sure that is really your colour?’ Well, yes, there had been relationships before, quite a few in fact come to think of it. But so what? She wasn’t the type of girl who wore panties just to keep her ankles warm. This was the real thing; it was going to last forever. So Melody had claimed that she saw a different side to him… What do kid sisters know, anyhow?

So he left the lavatory seat up. So what? Men do. That’s just an irritation. So you have invited friends around for a meal and he has paused mid portion to explore the upper reaches of his nostril with his index finger. That’s boorish. To examine publicly the products of his scouring afterwards with such interest shows he has an inquisitive mind and an interest in archaeology. That’s understandable. But his late nights at the local watering hole – the one with the waitresses who wore dental floss for panties and dressed like cheerleaders – became far too frequent and seemed to lead to a diminution in his interest for Harmony. Eventually she became convinced that she could have left a perforated melon in the bed and he wouldn’t have known the difference. Then there was his early morning flatulence. We know it’s a men thing, but... Harmony used to be able to crinkle up her nose and complain gently “Do you have to do that, darling?” But it grew more menacing and virulent…Harmony began to beg for relief, to which entreaties Ralph would usually respond with a fresh, more vigorous eruption, flapping the bed sheets and exhorting “breathe deeply, darling: there are vitamins in the air.” Then there was the steady job. It just didn’t exist. Ralph simply lied. Caring, attentive, thoughtful, loving? Well, if he was, it was not to Harmony. Children? Harmony soon grew to realise that she had married one and it would be unwise to bring any more into the family. Love’s dreams prove seldom true. No, sweaty armpits and skid-marked underpants no longer allured. So Harmony decided it was time to move on in her life. She phoned Melody to see if her kid sister was prepared to offer sanctuary. She was, but only after she had put Harmony through the mill of ‘I told you so’ half a dozen times. So Harmony stayed only as long as it took to plunder Ralph’s credit card. Then she packed her bag, left a note for Ralph - which he might manage to read when he was sober in the morning - and closed the door for the last time.

Harmony turned the ignition key and fired up the engine. A little tearful, she turned to look back once more at the front door which she had just slammed a minute ago. ‘Goodbye’ she whispered as the emotions of the last six months caught up with her. She moved the gear shift into ‘Drive’ and floored the gas pedal. “Now, what was that Melody said on the telephone? She seemed to hint that Tamara might have something planned…”

~~~~~~~~

Tamara did have something planned. The following morning Melody answered the telephone. It was Tamara.

“Yes, she’s here… Left him yesterday…Yes, that’s what I said to her…This evening at eight? We’ll be there…Bye”

“Who was that?” yawned Harmony.

“Tamara. She wants to see us tonight at her apartment. She’s laying on a meal for us”

“Good. At least we will be spared your cooking” Harmony teased. “Who is going to be there?”

“You, me, Tamara and Bruce.” Melody counted out on her finger tips.

“Bruce? Who’s Bruce?” Harmony asked.

“Somebody Tamara met one evening” Melody offered as an explanation. “Apparently Tamara and Bruce worked together for a while before we came along. He’s good.”

“Anything between them?” Harmony was curious.

“Don’t ask” warned Melody. “And”- she paused for emphasis - “Hands off!”

Tamara’s Chicken Mere Michel, cooked with brandy and Madeira, set the scene for a convivial evening. A few glasses of Muscadet sur Lie encouraged Harmony to regale the company with a few tales of marital bliss, tales which had as their focus the inadequacies and perfidy of the opposite sex. Bruce smiled to himself, and remained relatively silent, wondering how long it would be before Harmony remembered he was there. Then they turned to reminisce about some of the jobs they had been involved in, stories which usually involved exaggerated descriptions of discomforted victims. Eventually, the hilarity died down and Tamara stood up.

“Who would like coffee?”

Everybody.

“Would you like some help?” Harmony offered.

“Sure. Help me with the cups”

In the kitchen, Harmony turned to Tamara “How did you and Bruce meet up? He looks nice.”

“He is. Oh, we met one night. I’ll tell you about some time.” Tamara prevaricated. “Here, take the cups out”

~~~~~~~~


“Right, let’s get down to business.” The coffee had been drunk, the guests had been made comfortable, and Tamara took centre stage to unfold the plan.

“It’s a jewellery store.” Tamara announced “I have had my eye on it for a couple of months now. I have done the groundwork and I am confident we can pull it off. It’s bigger than our usual job and obviously there are risks involved. But let me outline the plan so you can see what is involved.”

Tamara told the others about the store, its location and personnel. “Three people only at the time we go in. The manager and his two female assistants. I shall call them ‘Goldie’ and ‘Sandy’ so you know who is who. We go in just after the manager has opened the store at nine o’clock. There won’t be many people wanting to visit a jewellery store at that time in the morning, but we have to accept that this might happen. We must be ready for it. Bruce and I will visit the store the day before the raid to make a final recce. and to establish our credentials as a couple looking for a ring. We won’t buy one: we will promise to return the following day. On the day, Bruce and I will enter the store just after nine o’clock. Melody and Harmony will join us soon afterwards. You will ignore us. You will be seeking to buy a watch for your mother. Bruce and I will probably be served by Goldie, so Melody and Harmony will have Sandy to take care of.”

“Should we wear anything special?” interrupted Melody.

“Good question, I was coming to that.” replied Tamara. “You will dress smartly in business clothes. You will then look as if you have legitimate business in a jewellery store and the staff will not feel suspicious. Bear in mind, too, that we have to escape after the robbery and will need to blend in with our surroundings. You have got a business suit, I trust?”

“Well, no, but I know a good underground car park where…” Melody started, excited by the prospect of acquiring a new suit.

“Forget it!” Tamara disappointed. “I don’t want you getting into trouble at this stage of the game. Go and buy a suit. On credit if necessary. You should be able to afford an Armani after this job.” Tamara paused and smiled to herself “Having said that, I suspect Goldie and Sandy would be more than unwilling to let you have their suits when you ask them nicely.”

Melody brightened up at the prospect.

“Who takes care of the manager?” asked Harmony.

“I do: he’s mine” Tamara smiled. “Bruce and I strike first. As soon as we move, you and Melody control Sandy. Bruce takes care of Goldie whilst I secure the public door to the store and then immediately take out the manager who will be in his office at that time in the morning. If there are other customers in the store you, Harmony, will take care of them and leave Sandy to Melody.

“Suppose he isn’t? In his office, I mean” queried Melody.

“Then we may have a problem” responded Tamara “To an extent we shall have to play it by ear and use our initiative, but whatever happens, do not do anything until I have made the first move” she insisted. “There is always a chance that something unexpected happens and it becomes impossible to pull the job. There might be too many people in the store, a cop car might pull up outside, someone gets run over in the street, anything. Just don’t move until I do. If I don’t think the time is right, I shall make my excuses and leave. You will do the same shortly after. Any questions?”

“How do we get away afterwards?” asked Harmony.

“Right. I have worked out three possible routes to take. We will be on foot obviously. There is a route through the shopping mall just around the corner; there is a Metro station across the road and a public service bus passes frequently.”

“A bus?” exclaimed Melody “Do you want us to buy bus passes?”

“I know it sounds bizarre, but just think: a bus is passing at the very moment you are leaving the store. Jump on it. Go the next Metro station along the route. That is an interchange for several lines. We can disappear anywhere from there. But as I said, there are a number of escape routes to consider and we shall look at these in detail shortly. Again, we shall have to play it by ear, but the aim is to get away from the scene as soon as possible and the best place to hide is amongst other people. We shall each be dressed for the occasion so we won’t look out of place. Our final destination is the car park at the Glen Mall shopping precinct. A car will be left in area J, another in G. The sites are in view of each other. Now to get down to details…” Tamara continued to go over the plan, tackling each point in turn as it arose. By the end of the evening Tamara was happy that each member of the gang understood exactly what was expected of them. The date of the raid could not be fixed until Bruce and Tamara had paid their final visit, but they intended to go within the next three days.

“I’ll get in touch with you shortly” confirmed Tamara as she said goodnight to Melody and Harmony.

“Well, what do you think, Big Sister?” asked Melody as they walked to their car.

“It looks good. Tamara has obviously done her homework properly. It should keep us for the next few months if everything goes according to plan” Harmony replied.

“I am looking forward to getting a new suit” Melody grinned “Anyway, welcome back to the gang!”

“Thanks.”


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[esercito sconfitto]

“I am looking forward to getting a new suit” Melody grinned “Anyway, welcome back to the gang!”

“Thanks.”

well, the gang is back for real...after so much time




Tamara, Harmony and Melody posing for the camera whilst showing their wares. Preparing for a heist, perhaps?