For one crazy instant, Richie thought of taking the plaster Doberman to punish the Westons for the anxiety it had caused him.   But logic dictated it was too bulky to fit into his sack, and much too heavy for its value to waste time on it anyway.

So, ignoring the faux Doberman, Richie started round the room, carefully evaluating each item in turn by the beam of the penlight, before deciding whether it was worth taking or not.

The room was filled with plaster or jade statues and statuettes from pocket-size up to need-a-forklift-to-move-it size.   In the end Richie took just two small jade vases, which he carefully wrapped in newspaper, both to protect them and to stop them clinking in his sack.

Then, after one last look around the room, he returned to the wide corridor and started toward the next room to the left, deciding to do all the rooms on one side first, then return to investigate the right-hand rooms later.

After more than an hour, he had finished the first floor rooms and had only picked up three paintings — although all three would pick up a few thousand dollars each — half a dozen small silver knickknacks, and the two jade vases.

“A small haul for the third wealthiest family in Australia,” said Richie, feeling vexed.   Although normally an easy going bloke, he couldn’t help feeling a little cheated at all the work he had had to do, for the little he had to show for it.

Not a man of violence, Richie was reluctant to check the upper floors, knowing the Westons and their domestics were asleep up there.   “I should have waited till they went on their holidays in a few months,” he thought.   But just out of prison, he’d needed cash urgently and the Weston manor house seemed a surprisingly easy tickle.   So far though, it had hardly been a tickle at all.

“Still, the second floor might be safe enough,” he decided.   He knew the Westons themselves lived on the fifth floor, which had been converted to a private penthouse.   “So, stay well clear of the fifth floor and I ought to be relatively safe.”   He hoped.   Of course, the domestics could live on any of the remaining floors for all that his blueprints showed.   However, he was prepared to gamble that any occupied bedrooms would be locked at night.   So, as long as he was careful trying the doorknobs, he should be safe.