To Become A Con Artist

Chapter Eight

Another short chapter :)

"Are you psychologically insane?" Anne asked me when I had spotted her and Tony exiting the alley of the Copper Bull and narrated my con failure.

"Of course not. I thought it would be successful." I explained stopping by Tony's Rolls Royce, which looked especially lustrous in the sunlight.

"Why would you think that?" Tony asked with a chuckle leaning back on the car and cocking his head at me in a condescending manner. I rolled my eyes.

"Because, I listened to all of the rules. My only conflict was fear. It would have been successful if not for my fear." I stated proudly only to be simultaneously scoffed at by Anne and Tony.

"Claire you listened to none of our rules."

"What? Yes I did."

"Did you plan the con weeks prior to execution?"

"Well-" I thought for a moment.

"Did you find your mark's weak spot? Despite his age which hardly counts?"

"No, but-"

"Did you let your emotions get the best of you? Did you take time to gain confidence? Did you plan an alternate exit? Did you plan an exit at all? Did you make sure that your surroundings were clear of eavesdroppers who could possibly be the bulls?"

"Alright!" I cut Tony's interrogation short knowing full well that I had made a foolish mistake. "So I don't know what I'm doing." I confessed.

"That is true. You can't go about carelessly conning the elderly." Anne stroked the sapphire ring on her finger. "You need practice."

"How do I practice without failing miserably as I did earlier?"

"Well." Tony inserted a cigarette between his lips. "You can get some practice tomorrow night." I looked up at him a bit confused.

"What's tomorrow night?" Tony smirked with the unlit cigarette still between his lips as he patted his breast pockets for a match book.

"You, my dear, will take part in one of my con's tomorrow night." He said. Anne smiled at both me and Tony as I knitted my brows in evident confusion.

"Really? But I'm not sure if I can." Tony finally found a matchbook in his trouser pocket and lit his cigarette allowing a gust of white smoke to emerge from his lips before he began to speak.

"You can and you will since I have already planned the con and included you. If you want to start doing this right and making some real money, not silver dollars-." Tony laughed with Anne joining in a second later making me feel all the more foolish, "then you need to see the art first hand. So Anne will get you from that bakery and remove those flour matted fabrics from you." I was almost offended by his last comment but then I realized it was frighteningly true. Anne wore a laced dress of rich blue that was perfected by the stone on her right hand. I wore nothing of the sort.

"Are you admiring my most recent gift?" She stuck her hand straight out and grinned.

"It's beautiful."

"It is. The mark lives in Sutton Place and is said to be well acquainted with the Vanderbilt's. He is entirely to gullible for my genuine taste, but what can you expect from a mark?" She sighed rolling her blue eyes as I giggled at her nonchalance in regards to her wealthy mark.

I wanted to know how she was able to appeal to prestigious marks. She must have been involved in the conning practice for quite some time.

"Well we must get going." Tony put his hands at his waist and nodded. "Do you need to be taken home? It's getting dark."

"No thank you. I can walk, it's not too far. Good night you two."

"Same to you. Don't forget about tomorrow." He called as I started home. I nodded to him then continued home.