I went to view the exhibition of antiques from England with my friend, Annie. It was such a beautiful experience that I did not anticipate the disastrous ending.

We had been looking around for an hour or so when Annie suddenly became voluble with excitement.

“Look!” she squealed, “Tricia, that’s the vase I’ve been telling you about! Isn’t it the most beautiful think you have ever seen?

Actually I did not think so, as all I saw was an old vase with beveled edges, which did not intrigue me one bit.

I only said, “Yes! It is so beautiful!” in an overly excited voice for Annie’s delectation.

While I was engaged with Annie in a animation conversation about the vase, I did not notice my bete noire Gregory slipping a priceless ruby and emerald necklace into my backpack. ( That pest was always out to sabotage me somehow. )

Just as I was about to step out of the museum, I was stopped by Gregory who was flanked by two police officers.

“Here she is!” he declared exuberantly. “Luckily I saw her putting the necklace into her bag!”

The officers then demanded that I allowed them to search my bag. I was shattered and bewildered at this trenchant accusation but permitted them to do so anyway.

“Oho!” the officer named Peter exclaimed as he pulled out the necklace triumphantly. “You are under arrest, young lady!” his partner said.

In the police station they sat me on a bilious overstuffed green sofa while they fired questions at me. I kept on denying that I had stolen the necklace, telling them I had no use for it, but they did not believe me.

With a brief and almost peremptory gesture, the officer requested for the necklace to be brought in. “You say you are innocent,” the officer drawled in a rich throaty voice, “What’s this ( he pointed at the necklace ) doing in your bag then?”

“That I don’t know sir, but I can assure you that I didn’t take the necklace,” I retaliated.

“And how would you do that?” the officer asked sardonically.

“My fingerprints are not on the necklace and you can view the tape the museum has. You certainly won’t see me stealing!” I replied smugly.

Further investigations proved that I was innocent and what was more, they found Gregory’s fingerprint on the necklace. He had to serve two years in jail and pay a $10,000 dollar fine.

I have not heard from him since then, but I have heard rumours that he had turned into an embittered and hardened teenage after his brief spell in jail.