Chapter 2: England Swings Like A Pendulum Do

As the spies fly to England, Alex asks quietly, "Do you guys really think David is involved?"

"No way! David wouldn't do that! Besides, I bet there were dozens of people who attended those three events!" emphatically stated Clover.

"Wait, Clover! That's it!" interjected Sam.

"Let's get GLADIS to send us a list of all the people who attended all three events!"

"Great idea, Sammie!" said Clover, as she contacted GLADIS with their request.

Within minutes, GLADIS provided a list of at least 60 people who attended all three events, including David.

"I knew it, Jerry jumped to conclusions! This list proves David is innocent!" remarked Clover triumphantly.

"Wait a sec, Clover! It just expands our list of suspects, and unfortunately, David is still one of them!" replied Sam. "We need to cut the list down. Certainly not everyone on the list is athletic enough to pull off those gymnastic moves the thief did."

"Okay, Sammie! Alex and I will review the list."

Clover and Alex were able to cut the list down to three people, including David.

"There! Two other people could have pulled off the heists! David is innocent!" said Clover.

"Wait, Clover! You're jumping to conclusions! Our suspect list is now three, but David is one of them!" answered Sam.

"Sammie, whose side are you on?" Clover asked angrily.

"The side that wants to catch the thief, no matter WHO they are!" replied an irate Sam.

"Are you accusing me of not wanting to find the real thief?" Clover shot at Sam.

"Clover, we have to treat ALL suspects equally, even if we know them! I'm not sure you are willing to do that, if the suspect turns out to be David!" Sam shot back.

"Break it up you guys!" pleaded Alex. "I'm sure we all want to catch the real thief," she said, looking at Sam, "and I am certain we will not show any favoritism toward any suspects," she concluded, looking at Clover.

That ended the argument, but the rest of the flight continued in stony silence: Clover with her arms folded across her chest, angrily looking out a side window; Sam equally as angry, paying one hundred percent of her attention to flying the plane, even though it was on autopilot; and Alex not knowing what to say to break the ice.

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As the spies land at Heathrow Airport, they deploy KIRTT, to take them to the Jubilee.

"KIRTT, change into a limo," commanded Alex. KIRTT complied. Sam set the autopilot, so that the three spies could ride in the back.

While enroute, they used their x-powders to change into their formal gowns, for the Gala: Sam wearing a cream pink gown, Alex a peach gown, and Clover a Lincoln green gown. Jerry had provided them with the necessary credentials to pass Security, so they had no trouble getting into the party.

The first thing the spies do is check the diamond. It is encased on a solid metal pedestal, with metal encased, unbreakable glass on all sides, on stage, eight feet above the rest of the auditorium. The pedestal went straight through the floor, and twelve feet under the stage floor into the ground. There was no way anyone was going to knock over the glass case and get at THIS diamond!

"It sure looks thief proof to me!" remarked Alex.

"Alright, then! Let's see if we can find our three suspects: David, Jared Ellis, and Barbara Winton so we can shadow them!" replied Sam.

Almost immediately, the gals spy David across the room, and approach him.

"Hi, David! Fancy meeting you here!" Clover said friendly.

But David was a bit nervous and tense. "Oh…..hi, Clover, Sam, Alex. Nice to see you. Please excuse me, I have to take care of something!" and he quickly walked away from the trio. It was only then that they noticed he had a briefcase handcuffed to his left wrist.

"Alex! We need to keep an eye on David! Follow him, but don't let him KNOW he is being followed!" said Sam.

"Right, Sammie!" replied Alex, as she used her x-powder to change into her spy threads. She then went off shadowing David.

Sam turned to Clover, but before she could say anything, Clover ran into a dark corner of the room. Confused, Sam followed, only to find Clover crying to herself, silently.

Sam walked over to her friend and put a friendly arm around her.

Clover glanced back at one of her best friends, embraced her, and cried on her shoulder.

"You're right, Sammie! David is a prime suspect! His totally rude behavior proved it, along with that briefcase! He brushed us off as if he didn't even know us!"

"Easy, Clover. David still is just a suspect. You and I have to watch the other two people on our list. He still may be innocent, but we'll have to determine that!"

"Can you forgive me, Sammie? I was such a…a….jerk on the airplane ride here!"

"Of course, Clover! Deep in my heart, I don't want David to be the thief either, but only time will tell.

"Now, let's change and find those other two suspects!"

"Right, Sammie!"

Clover and Sam used their x-powders to change into their spy jumpsuits, as they each took one of the remaining suspects. GLADIS was able to pinpoint their location, so Clover and Sam followed GLADIS' directions. They come upon the two suspects, talking to one another.

"There!" whispered Clover to Sam, from the shadows of the hall. "It's Jared Ellis, one of the suspects!"

"And Barbara Winton, the other suspect! They seem to know one another!"

"It looks like they're old friends!"

Jared was casually talking with Barbara, his right hand in his trouser pocket, and using his left hand for emphasis. Barbara was listening, with one hand on her purse and the other hanging idly down by her side.

All of the sudden, the lights went out. Immediately, Clover and Sam put on their x-ray contacts. But Jared and Barbara didn't move from where they were standing. The only thing that changed was Barbara took her hand off her purse, and Jared removed his hand from his pocket. After about two minutes, the lights came on – and the diamond was gone!

Clover and Sam rushed to the case, which was still intact.

"But how….?" asked Clover.

"Look at the pedestal base, Clover! Someone has drilled a hole large enough through the base to allow the diamond to fall through! Quickly! Let's check under the stage!"

And as Clover and Sam run to an entrance trap door to the area below the stage, they run into Alex.

"Alex, what happened? Where are you going?" asked Sam.

"I've lost David!"

"Was he below the stage?" asked Clover.

"Yes! After I started following him, he snuck behind the stage, over to a trap door to go below. He looked around to ensure he wasn't being followed. I donned my x-ray contacts, to watch where he went, so I could get down there too, without him knowing. After I got down there, staying in the shadows, I noticed he was walking toward a small light. Another man was there. Then the lights went off! I continued watching David and this other guy, and they each opened their briefcase, closed them, and exchanged them. The lights then came on, and David and the other guy went off to this trap door! I tried to watch where they went, but I lost them in the tumult!"

"Where did they exchange briefcases?" asked Sam.

"By that metal column over there!"

"The pedestal!" remarked Clover.

The three spies then went over to the pedestal to inspect it, but couldn't find any opening connecting the hole in the pedestal, out under the stage. That is until Alex leaned up against a bracing peg. It gave a little. Intrigued the gals tried to remove the peg, doing so without problem. There was the access hole to the drilled hole!

Glumly the three spies exited below the stage.

"It looks like we know who our thief is!" remarked Clover sadly.

"Yes, it sure looks like David is our man!" agreed Alex.

"Let's tell Jerry what we found out!" added Sam glumly, as the spies head for KIRTT and then their plane ride home.