Books, Lies, and costumes

Holly fought hard to keep herself from calling Tom. She knew that he was bad news from the day that she met him. However, she couldn't stop thinking about his smile. There was something kind in the way he smiled. He couldn't be completely bad. Or could he?

Opening the door to her office, she noticed that it was ransacked. Who could do such a thing? Everyone knew that she was such a neat freak. Maybe they were trying to play a cruel joke on her.

Sasha walked in behind her and gasped. "What happened here?"

"As if you didn't know already!" screamed Holly. "Everyone knows you are the biggest practical joker around."

"I promise that I had nothing to do with this. Maybe we should call the police. Do you know if anything is missing?"

Panic suddenly struck the very core of Holly's being. If Sasha was suggesting that they call the police, then this isn't a joke. This is for real. Someone rummaged through her office. Were they looking for something specific? Were they just looking for something to steal?

Holly snatched her cell phone out of her briefcase and immediately dialed the police station. They said that they would send an officer out as soon as one was available.

Oh great! Now she had to sit outside of her office waiting for them to show up. She had work to do. More importantly, she had an office to clean.

She impatiently waited about an officer. She was just pacing outside of the break room when he showed up. It can't be. How is it possible? But he said he was a waiter.

"Tom? What are you doing here? Why are you dressed like that?"

"I am so sorry Holly. I wanted to tell you. We had you under surveillance." Tom stated as he looked forlornly at her.

"Me? You had me under surveillance? All this time I thought you were interested in me and you were just there to watch me? What were you thinking? How could you? I can't believe this!! Get out of here!"

"I can't. I have to take your statement."

"Here's my statement! How dare you walk into my life with nothing but lies! You used me. What did you think I could have possibly done?"

"Its not what you had done. Its what someone in your immediate circle of friends has done. We haven't figured out which one yet. But each crime leads back to you and your friends."

"What crimes? What are you talking about?"

"Listen can we go somewhere private to talk?"

Stunned, she nodded silently in agreement.

Tom drove her out to Lupus Park. This was where they had first met. As he drove, he explained all about this inexplicable thefts that were occurring all over town. Each theft happened a few days after the owners had thrown parties. Each time, Holly was at the party with a few of her friends. They were the only ones that were at each and every party.

"Oh my god! I can't believe it! You have it all wrong!"

Tom just shook his head. He knew that it was difficult for her to comprehend. He explained that since she was invited to the mayor's big Halloween gala this weekend, he wanted to come as her date. This way, he can keep watch over her friends. They had to find out who was doing this.

Holly just wished that he wanted to be her date for different reasons. She can't believe that she fell for him. She had thought about him often. However, she had always pictured him as a bad boy living on the edge. Now she finds out that he is just there to watch over her and her friends.

She reluctantly agrees to the date. What costume should she wear? Are they going to match? What will her friends think? Then again, they all know she has been drooling over him.

The next day, Holly is on the phone with Norma. She doesn't say anything about the break in at her office at all. Tom had warned her against it. However, she does mention that she is going to the party with him. She couldn't help herself.

The eve of the gala, Holly stands in her room contemplating about tonight. Tom said that they were to go as a Prince and Princess. He said that the department would provide their costumes. He failed to mention that the costumes would have miniature cameras and microphones hidden inside.

She slips into her costume with some assistance from Elsa, the lady officer, that the department sent over to help her out. They had to make sure that the cameras and microphones were strategically placed.

That night, they all arrived separately to the gala. Holly and Tom got there first. Tom wanted to make sure that everyone was in place before the others arrived.

Next Norma and her date showed up dressed as Cleopatra and Antony. Holly was shocked that she brought Eric again. Norma was supposedly dating Chad, but she has been bringing Eric to all the parties with her. Hmm.. That is pretty strange. Oh well. Norma is a strange one anyway.

Tina and Sam showed up next. They were dressed as Little Bo Peep and a sheep. Holly couldn't believe that Tina had talked Sam into that one.

She noticed Elsa and a guy leaning on the wall on the other side of the room. They were both dressed as secret service agents or men-in-black. Holly wasn't quite sure which.

Sandy and Mark were the last of Holly's friends to arrive. They were dressed as a football player and a cheerleader. That was Sandy's traditional costume. She could never think of anything, so each year it was the same.

The gala started getting into full swing. The mayor had a nice buffet spread out for the guests. There must have been a few hundred people here. The costumes ranged from stereotypical vampires and witches to things that just couldn't be explained.

Holly decided to check out what was on the buffet line. Eric sidled up to her and asked her how work was. This was strange for him. He typically never talked to her. She said it was good. He asked her if anything out of the ordinary had happened lately. This triggered an alarm in her. How would he know if something had happened? She hadn't told anyone.

"No, everything is as boring as usual there." she stated in a voice that she hoped sounded confident.

"I have heard otherwise," Eric stated as he showed her a badge.

Now she was in shock. He was undercover too? This didn't make sense. How many people were in this operation? Were Sam and Mark cops too?

"You are a police officer?"

"Yes, you had left before we could get someone out to take your story though."

"No! Tom had shown up stating that he was a police officer. He took my story." Holly was feeling as if the earth was spinning too fast. Which way was up?

She had to get down to the truth. Tom did show up in a uniform. Tom and Elsa both had badges. Plus they had tons of electronic surveillance equipment. That meant that Eric was the robber and he now knew that Tom was an undercover police officer.

She had to get to him. Eric grabbed her arm and said that he needed to get her to safety since Tom wasn't a cop. She told Eric that she wasn't going anywhere.

Eric swiftly forced her through a doorway. Once through the door, he pulled a gun on her. "Where did you put it?"

"Put what? What is it that you think I have?"

"Norma had lent you a book. I need it back." A book? He is going this insane over some cheap romance novel trash that Norma insisted I would absolutely love?

"It wasn't my style of book, so I gave it to a friend to read."

"What the hell were you thinking?"

"It's just a book. Norma knows I don't read that type of book. I didn't want it and I didn't want it to go to waste."

Eric shoved her down and pointed the gun directly at her face.

It was just then that Tom came bursting through the door at break neck speeds. He caught Eric off guard and was able to knock him out.

Norma comes running in with a gun in her hand. What was going on? Has everyone gone insane?

Norma swiftly showed a badge. Does everyone else have one? Tom handcuffed Eric. Other police officers swarmed into the room. Norma admitted to also being an undercover police officer. They had been trying to bust Eric for ages. They felt that since Holly had invitations to all the top parties in the town, it would draw Eric out into the open.

"What was in that book that he was so desperately after?" Holly managed to ask.

"There was a key hidden inside the binding of the book. A key to a safe deposit box where he was stashing all the jewels."

Holly was crest fallen. Did she have any true friends? Were they all just there to catch Eric?

Tom walked over with his gorgeous smile beaming from his face. "Something else has been stolen!"

This was more then Holly could take. Tom then took her face in his hands and kissed her gently on her lips. "My heart was stolen and I already know who has it. "

Was he saying what Holly thought he was saying? She couldn't think any more since Tom was kissing her again.