How to Catch a Thief (sneak peak)

INTRO

"Come hold the other end."

He had no clue what she was doing but working with her he learned to just go with it. He knelt down across from her and held the other end of the cane in his hand to keep it steady.

"Everything has its proper place. And when things go according to plan it relaxes me. Is that so bad?"

"Only for the poor chap that will wed you."

She gaped in offense.

He chuckled.

"Well just for that I'm going to gloat even more when I'm proven right."

"I don't think he's in there."

"Three..."

"Amelia."

"Two..."

"Do you really think that—?"

They were cut short when a man's body was flung through the glass of the window they were beside and hit the ground running as shards flew into the air, but was promptly tripped by the cane they held and toppled painfully to the sidewalk, jeweled necklaces and rings scattering across the damp street, sparkling in the lamp lights.

The beggar that was nearby was startled awake with wide eyes.

"Oh look at that," Thomas remarked, admittedly surprised that she was right.

The police officers were right behind the thief, cuffing him securely before he had a chance to escape.

The beggar that was there slipped one of the rings into his pocket and looked the other way innocently, none of them noticing that.

"Oh it's such a burden to be so right," Amelia said as she handed Thomas back his cane smugly.

"Again, so very humble," he replied as he took it.

"I warned you about the gloating. Take it on the chin."

They stood looking over the criminal that was being forced up and into a carriage for transport. "Please, come on! Can't I just give it back?!" he pleaded but the door was shut on him.

"I suppose we can thank you for this investigation, Mr. Stone, and Ms. Everheart, he addressed with the tip of his hat accordingly. "The city owes you quite a debt."

"Happy to help, inspector," Amelia replied with a smile.

"I would advise the both of you to take a rest as this is the third criminal you've successfully chased into custody this month."

"It's our job, sir. Wouldn't have it any other way," Thomas replied politely.

"We like to put everything in its proper place, don't we?" Amelia asked her brother-in-law with a smile.

He gave her a subtle look.

"Indeed. Good evening," the inspector dismissed himself as the other two officers cleaned up the jewels and roped off the broken window for the shop.

"Well I'd say we have earned a long restful night—or what's left of it," Thomas said when he looked at his stopwatch. "What do you say, Amelia?"

"Just so..." she pulled her lips to one side. "Right after I finish some of these leads on a man who killed his wife's cat!" she said with excitement as she took off down the sidewalk towards her home, her white bob that she always refused to tie up bouncing with each step.

He stopped and rolled his eyes, shaking his head.

Amelia Everheart. She was always such a mess.

But she was also the best at what she did.