Daniel and the Burgler

Daniel Mason and the Burglar{size}
By Doris Ruth Mackey

         Cassandra sat up in bed listening for the sound that woke her. Then she shook her husband. “Danny, wake up,” she whispered in his ear. “There’s someone downstairs.”

         Daniel glanced at the clock on the nightstand. “It’s 2am,” he moaned. “I don’t hear anything; you must have been dreaming Go back to sleep.” Suddenly he sat up. He looked at his wife.

         “You heard that, did you?” she said.

         Daniel put on his slippers and robe. “It’s probably just Willy, that cat’s always getting into something. Give me time to look around.” He stopped and took something from the closet and put it in his pocket. Cassandra started to follow him and he shook his head. “Cassie, you stay here and call 911. “

         At the bottom of the stairs, he stood listening and then quietly made his way through the living room, dining room and kitchen. He opened the door to his office and looked in.

         “Come in,” said a man holding a gun. The man was dressed in black wearing a ski mask. “Who else is here?”

         “No one,” Daniel lied. “That is, no one but me and the cat.” He pointed down at the large orange tabby rubbing on his ankle.

         “Well, step inside and keep your hands where I can see them.” He pointed to where he wanted Daniel to stand.

         The man turned on the desk lamp. “Cooperate and you’ll come out of this all right. Where’s the key?”

         “What key?”

         “The key to that safe.”

         The man pointed at the large, ornate metal box in the corner near the window.

         “Oh, that,” said Daniel. “First, it takes three keys, and second there’s nothing in side. Now if you want to steal something; take the clock in the living room.” David grinned. “They tell me it’s worth a lot of money, but I’ve never liked it.” He took a step toward the door. “I’ll even help you carry it out.”

         “I’ll pass on the clock,” said the stranger and jabbed the gun in to Daniel’s side. “Now open that safe.”

         “I told you, it’s empty.”

         “Do you think I’m stupid? No one keeps a safe that big without putting something of value in it.”

         “They might if they did what I do for a living. The safe is a prop; I use it in my act.”

         “Your act?” The masked man waved his gun and Daniel moved closer to the safe and slipped his hand into his pocket.

         The man stepped toward him. “I told you, hands where I can see them.”

         Daniel took his hand out and there was a blinding flash.

         When the would-be robber’s vision cleared, he was unmasked and handcuffed to the desk chair. Daniel laughed and told him, “You should have taken the clock.”


464 words