Read Online The Little Old Lady Who Broke All the Rules by Catharina Ingelman-Sundberg - Free Book Online Page A

knew how it would turn out.
    ‘Here we are. This won’t be as simple as I first thought. It isn’t like in the old films when you stole the keys from the security guard and then just helped yourself to everything.’
    ‘So even thieves had it easier in the old days?’
    ‘It would seem so.’ Brains pointed at the open page of his notebook, where he had drawn the locks and hinges of the safes. ‘These safes have electronic locks which are opened and closed with coded cards. Of course, a fancy hotel doesn’t buy its safes from a store. These safes are an expensive and sophisticated model. That system down in the spa would have cost a fortune to install. They may as well have a sticker on them saying “burglar-proof”. I didn’t dare say that to the others. To be honest, I really haven’t a clue how we can pull this off.’
    ‘Don’t worry, Brains. We’ll arrange a power cut.’
    ‘That won’t help. Those boxes have a battery back-up and all that will happen is that they will all automatically lock themselves.’
    ‘Well, then! I know what you can do,’ Martha called out in delight. ‘You can go down early tomorrow morning and arrange a short circuit so that all the boxes become locked. When the spa guests can’t put their valuables in the usual safes, the receptionist will have to offer them somewhere else to keep their jewels and expensive items. Did you see that storage cupboard, the metal one in reception? It looks like one of those old-fashioned cabinets with an ordinary lock. I bet you the receptionist would have to put the jewels in there.’
    Brains looked at Martha, astounded.
    ‘My dear, I’ve been mulling over that problem all evening without finding a solution. Your nickname should be “Brains”!’ he said as he looked at her in a rather wistful and admiring way.
    Martha couldn’t help but smile at his praise, but she tried to recover as quickly as possible. She stuttered in response, ‘You men think mainly about the technical stuff. There is the human factor to consider too.’
    ‘There is one other thing that we need to do, though. We need to create a diversion and also distract the other guests somehow. And I think I have got just the thing!’
    Brains smiled, got up and came back with two white plastic bags.
    ‘Here are some herbs. I got the henbane from Rake, thinking that it could be useful. He has given us a small, safe dose. If we put this into the nozzle on the pillar in the steam room then the powder ought to spread across the entire spa. This should make everyone a bit dozy. That’s when we can open up the cupboard in reception—and steal all the valuables!’
    ‘And what about the contents of the other pouch?’
    ‘We’ll put that down the nozzle too. Rake has a bit of cannabis left from his experiments on the balcony, or was it from his days at sea? I can’t remember. Whatever, it makes you happy and gives you the giggles. Just think of all those unfortunate people we’ll be stealing from. At least if they have a few cannabis fumes in their lungs they won’t be sad when they see that all their valuables are gone.’
    ‘You are a kind man, Brains, always thinking of other people’s feelings,’ Martha said, delighted. ‘We will end up withhappy victims of crime. These people will be laughing their heads off as they search in vain for their jewellery.’ She started giggling, and Brains joined in her merriment.
    ‘If you can take responsibility for spreading the contents of the pouches in the steam room, then I’ll deal with the locked cupboard behind the reception desk,’ Brains proposed.
    ‘But what about the others, aren’t they going to do anything?’
    ‘I think that for this first time we should do most of it ourselves. Then we can’t blame anybody else if it doesn’t succeed. And we will gain some experience too.’
    ‘Not many people start a new career at our age,’ said Martha.
    ‘Age equals wisdom!’ Brains answered, and then they laughed again