Photo by Stacy Ropati on Unsplash
The canals of Venice, famous for their beauty, but infamous for their treatment of Carnival costumes, became an insurmountable barrier in Nemesis run from the police. At least, this one waterway in particular, and at least, so the police thought. Peacocks are not water fowl, blue though their colors be, but Nemesis wasn’t a bird, nor just a costume, but the best jewelry thief of all time. And insurmountable just mean you go under.
A lift of the skirt inverted the costume into a watertight bag holding all feathers, satin and costume jewels within, the criminal grateful to be out of the outfit. Waterproof lining meant the outfit did not allow any air in, and the breeze made Nemesis grateful for whatever slip since sent the police stumbling across their tail. The gems, wallets, and small bits and bobs of art procured over the three-day spree tumbled from sleeve to bag and they sealed it close. Larger, special-ordered items, had already been delivered to agents hidden among the crowds with a brush and bump. A twist converted the figurehead of the cane into a breathing mask, and the cane a very limited air supply.
The black full body suit kept the questionable water from touching skin, and Nemesis slipped away.
(words 210; first published 10/1/2023 – written for a Facebook group. Aim is 50 words.)