The Key is Knowledge(P.S. Winn) The Key is Knowledge

P.S. Winn – copyright 2013


Bill and Jackie Peterson were standing outside their front door. Bill was busy searching for his keys, while Jackie stood and giggled at him. Normally she wouldn't be acting this way. But she had one too many drinks at the Davis’ party. Jackie always got giggly when she drank.

At first she had felt guilty about even going to the party. She and Bill’s two boys had gone off to summer camp for their first time. Jackie felt funny doing anything without them there. She was thinking she shouldn't be having any fun while she thought her boys must be having a miserable time. Her feelings changed that morning when they had received their first letter from the boys. The letter had gone on and on about the good time the boys were having and never once mentioned missing home or their parents. So, that letter and a few drinks had gotten Jackie over her guilt. Now, she stood still laughing at Bill.

He had finally gotten the key out, but now was having problems putting it in the door. Finally the door opened. Bill and Jackie stepped in. Jackie was the first to notice something was wrong. They always left on the hall light when they went out in the evening. Jackie, thinking the light may have burnt out, flicked the switch on the wall. The sudden bright light momentarily blinded the couple. When their eyes adjusted, Jackie looked worriedly at Bill. She could read the concern she felt echoed on Bill’s face.

Both headed for their bedroom. Jackie went to the dresser, while Bill headed for his gun cabinet. Jackie opened her dresser drawer. She reached under her nightgowns, but her hands didn’t feel the familiar objects she kept there. Jackie threw one nightgown after another onto the floor. Finally the drawer was empty. Jackie had already sensed it would be, but she was hoping against hope that all her beautiful jewelry would be found at the bottom of the drawer. But no, it was all gone. All her beautiful jewelry was gone. She had always known she should have put it in the bank for safekeeping, but she had liked having it here, close. That way she could take it out and look at it and wear it if she wanted to. Jackie sunk to the floor; her hands went to her neck, absently fingering the silver necklace with its many jade settings. The matching earrings and ring were now gone. Along with them the burglar had taken the other jewelry Jackie had saved over the years. Jewelry that had been passed down from her great grandmother. Jackie’s great grandmother had carried all that jewelry with her on a boat from Germany. She had been pregnant with Jackie’s grandmother at the time. Although the family was German they had saw through an evil Hitler and stole out of Germany as quick as they could, before things had gotten worse than they were. Her Great Grandmother had only been 24, a few younger than Jackie was now. All the women in Jackie’s family had started their families young. Jackie at 28, already had a ten and an eight year old son. Thinking of the boys, Jackie felt sick. What if they had been here?

Jackie turned to find Bill standing behind her. She had forgotten about him. Before Bill spoke, Jackie already knew what he was going to say.
“It’s gone Jackie, the money is gone.”
Bill had always kept a thousand dollars hidden in the bottom drawer of his gun cabinet. Sometimes on week-ends Bill would feel like doing something crazy. He’d just grab Jackie and the boys along with his mad money and they’d go. Now it was gone.

Bill knelt on the floor beside his wife and took her in his arms. Jackie couldn't hold back the tears. They poured down her face as sob after sob racked her body. It wasn't just the loss of the material things, although most of the things were more sentimental to Jackie. No, it was that feeling. The invasion. Someone had come into their private home, and into the intimate solitude of their bedroom. Jackie felt as if not only the house, but the family had been invaded. It was like being assaulted from the inside. When Jackie’s crying had subsided, Bill went to the kitchen and called the police. Jackie joined her husband in the kitchen. She made coffee, knowing there wouldn't be sleep tonight.

A few blocks away from the Peterson’s, the Daniels’ would have understood the feelings exactly. Mark and Cathy Daniels’ own house had also been robbed. They too had lost personal items. The Daniels’ felt the same hurt and confusion as the Peterson’s.

All the way across town, two other homes had been burglarized. One two months earlier, and the other just a month ago. None of the families had gotten over the devastation, not really.

A knock sounded on the Peterson’s door. Bill let the policeman in after checking his credentials. Bill wasn't taken any chances, not anymore. He led the policeman back to the bedroom he and Jackie had once considered private. It would be a long time before either of them could feel that way again.

The policeman wrote down the descriptions of the Peterson’s missing items. Another policeman came to try and get fingerprints. Both of them were pretty sure they wouldn’t find any. This was the fourth burglary in the last couple months. It rang a very familiar bell. All of the homes that had been burglarized were empty when the crime took place. When the owners returned they found their homes the way they had left them, except for a few missing items nothing else had been touched. Usual jewelry, expensive jewelry in most cases was taken. Some of the victims had found cash missing, but for the most part the burglar had an eye for jewelry.

The police were stumped on this one, rather these ones if you counted all four. The two officers went to the station to report in. They found the chief in a very unhappy mood. Bob Carson had good reason for his moodiness. The burglaries had him stumped. He had been over them time and time again and each time he came up with nothing but a headache. Bob sent the officers out of his office after taking their reports. He scanned the papers quickly. What he found only brought more pain to his already aching head. Bob Carson dropped his gray head into his big hands. Slowly his head shook from side to side. How, that was the big question. How did someone get in without breaking the locks? How did they know right where the prize articles were hidden? Nothing else in the homes had been disturbed. Chief Carson didn’t like this dead end street he was on. Bob pushed his big body out of his chair and headed for the water cooler. Once there, he reached in his pocket for the familiar bottle of aspirin. Bob swallowed a couple of the pills, grimacing at the taste. As he turned back to the office, Bob was thinking he’d give anything to catch this guy and get rid of his headaches.

A few weeks later Norma Hartley grabbed a few letters that needed mailing. She locked her house and headed for town.

A few minutes after Norma left, a young woman carrying a bag approached the Hartley home. She went to the door and knocked. When no answer came, the woman pulled out a key and opened the door. She adjusted her bag, which only held some torn sheets of paper. Then she entered the quiet house. The woman closed and locked the door behind her. She headed first to the kitchen. It wasn't hard to find, the woman had been here before. In fact, she had come here only three days ago. She had stopped by Norma’s on her way to the post office. She had even been given a set of Norma’s keys. That way she could check Norma’s post office box. Norma had expressed her thanks to the woman, not knowing the woman’s ulterior motives. Those being to obtain a copy of Norma’s house key.

The woman wasted no time in the kitchen, going straight to Norma’s bear shaped cookie jar. Instead of cookies, the jar held Norma’s keepsake jewelry. The woman smiled as she slipped the jewelry between the strips of paper in the sack. How easy it was. She only had to visit a few minutes with people and she would find herself being shown that person’s private collections. Just like Norma had shown her jewelry. The smile on the woman’s face turned triumphant as she also remembered Norma’s chatter about more jewelry in her bedroom closet. The woman headed down the hallway to check out the jewels.

About a mile down the road, Norma was turning around her car. How could she have forgotten her niece’s package? She had even set it out especially so she wouldn’t forget. Upset at herself, Norma headed home. She hated to go off her carefully made up schedule. Norma drove as fast as she could. Soon she was pulling in her driveway. Norma hurried to the house and unlocked the front door. She went to the kitchen and grabbed the box she had wrapped up. Turning to go, Norma heard a noise. Frowning, she walked to the bedroom. Entering the doorway, Norma saw someone leaning into her closet. Norma opened her mouth to scream when the person looked up.
Norma’s screamed turned into a resounding question. “Janet, what are you doing here? How did you get in?”

Janet’s defensiveness took over. She flung the half full sack at Norma, knocking her backward. Janet took advantage of Norma’s unsteadiness and ran from the bedroom and out of the house.

Norma recovered quickly. Just as quickly she called the police, giving them Janet’s address. Norma sat down shakily after her phone call. She just couldn't believe Janet’s actions. But as she looked into the sack, the contents confirmed it all. Norma was relieved to find all of her jewelry lying in the sack.

Bob Carson pulled up outside the address Norma Hartley had given him. The house was extremely lavish. Bob opened his door and warily made his way to the front steps. When he was about half way there, a young woman with long, dark wavy hair came out of the house.

A look of resignation covered her pretty face. The woman walked slowly up to Chief Carson. The Chief pulled out his handcuffs and placed them on the woman’s wrists. Then he looked into the woman’s dark eyes. “Show me the stuff Janet.”
The Chief followed Janet back into the house. Once inside, Bob realized Janet had been busy. A huge dining room table was covered in sparkling jewelry.

Janet looked dishearteningly at Bob Carson. “It’s all there. I've only kept my own.” Janet held up her fingers, they also sparkled with jewelry.
The chief and Janet walked to the car. The Chief called in for someone to collect the jewelry. He drove Janet to the station where she was booked and taken to a cell. Before she was allowed in the cell a female officer came and took away Janet’s jewelry. Then Janet was searched for any other hidden jewelry or other objects. Janet felt humiliated, degraded and invaded. Almost the same way the families she stole from felt.

Sitting lonely and dejected in her cell, Janet knew her violations held no reward.

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