_this space

Another day at the shop. Preparing for the day as I recite my morning mantra.

What wonderful splendors will we get the pleasure of talking to the customers about today? It’s been a long morning already but for the most part I am usually a bit more excited. The store is truly a wonderful place, especially on the quiet shifts and closing times. The antiques that Glen has collected over the years are truly wonderful. Hand crafted works of art made from all sorts of different types of woods some aged hundreds of years, I’m sure. Trinkets, clothes, rugs, lamps, novelties. All that the world needs to be filled with.

That is just what it was. An entire world. for me to work 40 hours of my life in a week. Maybe it’s the time I’ve spent here that has me so salty lately. Always selling wares for another shop. Being mistaken for the owner. I know as much about these antiquities as any historian or artisan.

All this knowledge just to be a lowly clerk.

Obviously, I should be more grateful. Glen pays me quite handsomely for the minimal workload. and during these times. how could I complain? It’s not a crime after all to aspire to have something I can call mine after all this work, is it?

This is perfectly fine for now.

My afternoon mantra.

A little mental preparation before the foot traffic usually starts. I didn’t expect much today because of the heavy rain.

"All finished up with your daydreaming Claire?" "Ready to sell some items today, yes?” says Glen.

"About as much as I can be today." I replied

"Rain getting to you?" he jests.

"Not so much the rain as the people it’s falling on."

"That's why I prefer to spend my time with furniture. Much less judgment. Much more fun."

I smiled.

Glen was a very nice old man who lost his wife a few years ago and did not have much for family aside. He understood me and we connected. More of the 'grandpa-I-never-had' type of relationship. I was an old soul at heart. The latest and greatest in fashion and beauty along with the up and comings of the recent heartthrobs was not my focus as it had been for most other women. No. I concerned myself more with the arts, cultures, genuine life experiences. You know. Actual sophisticated interests. Not this cut and dry mold media has been so kind to create.

"I will sell at my own pace today, how about that?" I said to glen

"Fine by me. Beats mine any day."

Glen was not much of a salesman. or much of a talker. He was great with people. just... a little awkward. Sort of how you would expect this area's oldest antiquity shops' owner to.

A few moments later while I was organizing tinctures and aromatics two customers walked in. Both men looking to be around the same age. About mid-thirties. Clearly coming from a more affluent background. Considering the designer brand clothing and enough leisure time during working hours to visit a store like this in the middle of the week.

I am a bit of a people watcher and play little games with myself to attempt to decipher the occasional customers’ life story before they make it to the counter. I like to let them explore the store a bit. Usually, they wave me down if they locate an item of interest.

These two were a bit different

Not necessarily focused on browsing the inventory. Clearly inquiring about a sale of their own. Conversing as if just finishing up devising a plan of some sort. More nervous than necessary. Looking to make some quick money perhaps?

"This ought to be good." I thought to myself as I completed the apothecary section arrangements.

"Hello, my dear!" the man on the left makes a hailing gesture towards me.

As if I were a valet in some parking garage.

"Are you the owner of this fine establishment?"

I relented the sigh.

"No, I am Claire the store clerk."

"Hello, Claire my name is Clyde, and this is Huck. We seem to have an item we need to be appraised and potentially sold; would you be able to be of some assistance?”

"Depending on the item I may be able to help. Is this a piece of furniture we are looking to appraise?" Claire says to Clyde.

"This happens to be a trinket of sorts I believe. I am certainly not an antiquity professional, and neither is my friend here. That is why we were hoping you would be so kind as to assist us here."

They did not know exactly what they had. Usually, the tell-tale sign they came upon this from more uncommon means. I knew not to ask the wrong questions in these situations. This is downtown New York after all. Not some Beverly Hills pawn shop.

Also, part of the reason Glen did not enjoy dealing with jewelry. He was more lenient on trinkets, however. I think it's because he enjoyed collecting them more than he did making a profit from them. He would be happy to hear of another, I thought to myself.

"Let's go to the counter and take a look. You do have the item, yes?"

"Sure" replies Clyde. his friend instantly made an expression of relief.

I prepared the appraisal equipment and my monocle to inspect the item as huck carefully places the trinket wrapped in a red cloth on the table. Immediately recognizing the item would be of high value I prepared my inner mercantile like demeanor. Don’t be shocked. Don’t be swayed. Hold fast.

"This was my mother's lucky broach” Huck injects.

"Quite beautiful" I respond out of respect for his mother.

This was a beautiful piece. However, certainly not a broach. This was a locket. A broken one. The chain had been broken and is difficult to make out the hinges indicating where it opens from. I have seen a design like this before. There was most certainly something inside. I'd be a fool to tell them that. This was solid gold on the outside with the family emblem custom molded and engraved.

I’ll give them the market price for the gold and do some more investigating once I can find time to pry this open. They seemed more than willing to accept my first price, which told me a bit of how desperate these two gentlemen actually were. Perhaps the stock market had an unexpected crash that day.

I don’t know how rich people budget I just sell antiques. Not my concern. Anyway, the gentleman left, and I made my way back to do some inspecting while the store was quiet, aside from the constant pounding from the rain on the store windows. I wanted to act rather quickly before Glen came back to check on the shop.

I readied the pliers and carefully pried after applying a greasing solution to the hinges. This was about 150 years old. from the Victorian era. You can tell by the shapes and patterns used to create the family emblem. Finally, after some strain the locket pried open begrudgingly. A blue gemstone emerged. I immediately recognized the gem. This was blue sapphire. A gem kept within royal families. This was worth a fortune from the quality of the cut alone. My big ticket. I thought on a reflex. Finally. I know just where to sell this without anyone asking any questions.

What am I saying? I caught myself. This is certainly not me. I would be stealing from the store in a sense if I pocket this. But who would it hurt? Glen? Did he really need the money? He did not even care for money. The store was payed off. He had no family to support. No thoughts of dating. He might even want me to have this. He knew I was struggling and always joked about how he would pay me more if he could. No. I would not be hurting anyone here.

"Ah Claire! Busy as ever I see!" Glen shouts as he announces the return from his errands.

"Busy as it ever gets on a Tuesday afternoon during a rainstorm."

"Yes, but rather exciting nonetheless!”

“What makes you say that?” Claire asks.

"I just returned from a rather large estate sale that will be taking place this week."

"A few of the areas richest families had a run of unfortunate events and are selling off all of their estate and assets."

“I suppose that is what happens when the same families create hedge funds these days.” Glen smiled wittingly as if he outsmarted the entire class system in one confident statement.

“What made them so rich?” I asked.

“Ah, that” is where the exciting part comes in. These two family’s history dates to the Victorian days. they came from royally I believe."

"The items at the auction were too amazing that I had to leave and collect myself before returning to make a purchase."

“They had hand crafted lamps with gifted from members of British parliament. Trinkets used by members of the queen’s family.”

“Sounds like you found your paradise.”

“indeed” glen replied as he hurried to the back.

Most likely to count his till to see what all he could spend at this estate auction. All I could think about now was the stone. A strange reward about working in a shop like this is the connections that can be made from a passerby. Overtime, Glen would casually talk about the black-market scene and the various fences in the area. He did not like stolen goods, and he did not like to undercut. His two golden rules. The one thing Glen did covet was his store’s reputation. These wares were his passion.

He casually told me of a few fences the pawnshops use. Everyone must make a dollar somehow. I knew just the one to call. I waited for Glen to leave for the day first. I arranged to have the gem looked at tomorrow during my break. The shift was over, and I began closing the store to prepare my walk home. I laid awake that night fantasizing about Victorian era lore and rooms of treasure. What if I could finally afford my own store? This was the answer to my dreams!

Morning came and I prepared the store as usual. As afternoon approached my anticipation for this meeting was steadily rising. I rushed out of the shop as soon as the time came and met with the fence at his apartment. He lived only a few blocks away. Upon making my way into the loft I noticed there was not much there. Perhaps this unit was being rented just for ...business... I told myself to not spend too much time there at any rate.

“Why hello Claire” the fence welcomes.

“Hello Ron” I replied. I knew this was not his real name. just the alias he went by.

“What do you have for me today set it here?” he gestured toward a coffee table.

“I knew he would not try anything funny because of his relationship with glen. Everyone in the neighborhood respected him. even the local thieves and loan sharks”

“This gem I found in a locket. It is a blue sapphire.”

“If that” s true then you and I are going to have some particularly good luck in the future.”

“Please tell me what it’s worth.” I replied.

I placed the gem on the table and waited some time before Ron was finally ready to make his assessment.

“It certainly is flawless blue sapphire. Made in a way no longer practiced by today’s standards. This is worth a fortune from the quality of cut alone.”

“How much?” I interjected.

“I will give you 3 quarters of a million.”

“Sold.” I said not batting an eyelash.

“When and where do we do this. I want this done as painless as possible.”

“Your usually in the shop by yourself around noon, yes?” Ron says.

“You’re very observant” I replied.

"A man with a briefcase with visits the store tomorrow. Give him the gem and he will give you the briefcase. "

“How do I know it won’t be empty?”

“What. you do not trust me?” he jokingly smiles.

“Look. How many other connections have you got in this city short stuff? words out already. you are going to want this out of your hands sooner rather than later.”

I took the hint.

“I’ll be on the lookout for the gentleman tomorrow.”

I made my leave and headed back to the store in time and not late from my little break. Not too much later Glen made his way in and began talking more about the estate sale and assorted items he lost bidding wars attempting to acquire.

“The item that everyone was fussing about however was not even at the auction. the sellers lost the most prized asset.”

“What was it?” I asked.

“A golden locket that had not been opened in a century. people were prepared to pay a fortune because no one knew what was inside and the family was prepared to sell it this way as a sort of prize to the highest bidders.”

My heart sank. Now I knew I had to get rid of this just like the fence said. Those two gentlemen must have stolen it from the auction looking for a quick score.

“How could they misplace it then?” I asked.

“I do not know. These two families have had quite the run of bad luck recently.”

“That locket was a token of trust passed between the two families. It was a gesture of reconciliation of sorts.

There was an affair that took place a century ago. the woman gave the locket to her husband as a token of faith that she would not be unfaithful every again.”

“That’s actual quite a beautiful story.”

“I know, a tragedy that locket is lost. Especially now that they are having a parting of ways.”

I made no more attempts to gather information on this family or the locket. After going about the day as usual I closed and headed back home. The day had been incredibly quiet, and glen was away for the day. I had been all but biting my nails preparing to see the man with the briefcase. When he finally strolled into the shop, I made sure to stay behind the counter. We exchanged no words, and he placed the briefcase on the counter just as planned. I set the gem on the counter, and he made his leave. Immediately flipping the store open sign to closed I took the briefcase to the back. Everything there and accounted for. $750,000 in hundreds. All real. This was it.

I can finally buy my own store. But how do I do this without paying attention? I do not think the real estate agents mind me paying in cash. I closed the briefcase and continued the shift, opening the store again. Later, a beautiful woman walked in. Distressed and uneasy. familiar to the look I saw on the two gentlemen. Perhaps there was some relation?

“Welcome in ma'am.”

“Hello dear.” she replied.

“I seem to be having a bit of a trouble here.”

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“You see, a few days ago my son and his friend may have come into this store.”

“They said they sold a broach to the owner.”

Oh no.

“Yes, they did I remember them.”

I could not deny her, the locket was clearly already on display.

“It’s right here.”

“Oh, thank goodness. Let me see. This was a terrible mistake you see as this was taken from an auction. Boys will be boys. Do you have any?”

“Oh. No I do not. That is quite troubling. I am sorry about that.”

“It is quite alright. What has done is done, yes? Anyway, what do you want for it? I must get it back.”

I told her the price that was originally said to the other two gentleman, and she accepted.

“Oh no”

“What?” I asked.

“It appears to have been opened.”

She opened it further unveiling it was completely empty.

“I know for a fact no one would have opened this.” she responds.

“So, the owner of this store is a thief I see.”

Panicked I respond, "What do you mean?”

“You know good and well what I mean dear. I will see to it this shop is not able to sell ever again! Mark my words.”

The woman stomped out of the store and slammed the door. I felt my knees weaken. It's fine. Simply an angry customer. This sort of thing happens. I will just deny opening the locket and will be done with it.

That night I went home and stared at the money while looking at real estate ads. I could purchase a property by next week. So, this is what it feels like to have a fortune. A few days went by, and I had secretly lined up property viewings and had business plans prepared. Getting all the blueprints ready for my big dream. I made my way to the shop and noticed Glen had beaten me there. He was very uneasy and appeared to be in tears. He was reading the paper. I asked him what was wrong, and he turned the paper toward me and threw it on the counter. The headlines read “ROYAL FAMILY ROBBED. SHOP OWNER NEVER ALLOWED TO SELL AGAIN!”

_this space

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