Something Missing

Martin has many clients of whom he is very fond.  He keeps very close tabs on them; he reads their emails, checks their regular mail, watches their homes, discovers their schedules and then takes what he needs from their cupboards.  They have never met him and they have never discovered that he has been stealing from them for years.  That is because Martin has very strict standards and rules.  His clients are always married, no children, no dogs and no maids.  No dogs, because he doesn't want to be bitten.  Married couples would assume that the other spouse had forgotten to replace the toilet paper or ate the last tomato (Martin isn't greedy, he only took what he needed of foods and household supplies; he carefully followed his list which was written in French, to slow down the police if he was ever stopped.) He felt that children and maids would complain about being accused of theft and therefore the couple might start to look around and think the word thief and that would be dangerous for him.  Also children break up parent's routines, so Martin wouldn't be able to maintain a regular schedule of visits.  Martin is very cautious in selecting his clients; he watches the house for months, sometimes. He reviews their belongings, bank accounts and schedules before deciding that they are worthy of being a client.

Martin always takes a camera with him and photographs how items are placed in the pantry or sitting on the refrigerator shelves.  He takes pictures of the couple's valuables, like jewelry, silver and crystal.  He would take pictures over time and then help himself to the valuable that hadn't moved or been touched in months. Then after it was fully cataloged (using Excel) he would sell it on E-bay using his alter ego Barbara Teal.

Then one day Martin decides to interfere in the life of one of his clients...it made him feel good.

Something Missing is a compulsive read about a thief suffering from OCD.  The author Matthew Dicks has said he has never worked as a thief, but the story is so thorough, it made me wonder.....