THE BOOKWORM'S SCHEME - PT 1

It's a beautiful day in Gotham City except for what is about to take 
place in Ecurb's Fine Jewelry.............The door bell rings 
repeatedly as though the person outside has very little patience. 
After four or five lengthy rings; finally the buzzer sounds and 
grants the visitor entrance. A statuesque blonde haired woman wearing 
a mink stole and gray pinstriped suit with mini dress enters the 
establishment with an air of confidence about her that wreaks of 
wealth. She makes her way to the counter located on the far side of 
the store with the elegance of a runway model and her high heels make 
a click clack noise against the fine Italian marble floor. 

A stylish young lady with shoulder length brown hair, sits behind the 
counter reading a large book and appears to be paying no attention to 
the sensual blonde now standing directly in front of her. "Ahem..." 
the blonde says as she removes her obviously expensive gold framed 
sunglasses and moves her hair behind one ear. The young lady tilts 
her head downward to see over her spectacles and looks directly at 
the woman standing before her, "What can I help you with?" she asks 
very matter of factly. "My name is Dayna Blackwood, perhaps you've 
heard of me?" stated the blonde. The young lady behind the counter 
simply shrugs her shoulders lightly and said, "No." "Sir Reginald 
Fauntleroy sent me...............The shipping tycoon?" responded 
Dayna appearing to get frustrated. The brunette stood up and in a 
monotone voice said, "I'm very sorry. Why didn't you say so sooner?" 
Dayna responded by letting out a sigh while shaking her head as 
though she was dealing with an incompetent fool. 

"Do you have the Canary Diamond?" Asked the counter attendant. Dayna 
was already digging through her extremely large pocketbook, "Of 
course!" she exclaimed while rolling her eyes. She continued digging 
through her bag and began placing items on the mirrored glass 
counter. First a gilded cigarette case, then a reptile skin purse, 
followed by a perfume atomizer, and then a golden lighter that 
matched the cigarette case, finally she said, "Ahhh here it is." As 
she pulled out a rolled up purple velvet piece of cloth that was tied 
with a crimson ribbon. She placed it on the counter and began 
stuffing the other items back into her pocketbook, while the young 
brunette watched unenthused by the beautiful blonde's antics. After 
the tall blonde finished cramming everything back into her carryall 
and zipping it closed, both women looked at each other and then the 
velvet case. There was an uncomfortable silence when the young 
saleswoman asked in her bland fashion, "Are you going to open it?" 
Dana responded by saying, "Yes, after you show me the ring." The 
young attendant said, "Oh yes of course." As she started walking 
toward a large safe against the back wall of the establishment. 

Dayna seductively stroked her long French manicured nail along the 
velvet case as the as the jeweler opened the safe and pulled out one 
of the many trays that filled the vault. Once Dayna saw the young 
girl walking back toward the counter, she began untying the ribbon 
and rolling out the velvet case. As the girl approached the counter 
Dayna rolled something out of the lined casing of velvet and 
stated, "There it is........What do you think?" As the small 
perfectly shaped Diamond centered brooch was pushed from it's hiding 
spot within the purple velvet wrapping. "It's exquisite, is it 
not?..............The Canary Diamond." Dayna quickly followed up. 


"Now if you don't mind, the ring please." The beautiful blonde 
stated. The pretty jeweler held out her hands where there were four 
very unique and very different rings. She then asked her, "Which one 
is it?" Dayna's face dropped as though she was being insulted and 
girl said, "If you are the heiress, you will have no problem 
identifying the correct ring................So again I ask, which one 
is it?" "Enough of these games!" snapped the blonde. Realizing 
letting her temper get the best of her was the wrong thing to do 
right now, she took a deep breath and said, "Hold them closer." The 
young lady held up both of her hands so Dayna could get a better look 
at the four rings that adorned her hands. Dayna started looking at 
the rings from the left to the right the first was dark red in color, 
obviously a ruby and not the heirloom that she sought. Next was 
Smokey colored trillion cut gem which was not even remotely close to 
what Dayna was looking for. Dayna was now looking at the index finger 
of the girl's left hand, when her face suddenly lit up with a 
smile. "There it is!" she exclaimed. "Are you 100% sure?" asked the 
young brunette in her monotone voice as she raised the ring closer 
for her to see. A look of relief came over Dayna as she cracked a 
smile and said calmly, "I'm 110% sure that is the one." "Good, then 
you are the one" said the brunette. "Huh?" Dayna sounded and before 
she could get another word out, Pssssssssst!!! a tight stream of red 
gas came spewing forth from the ring right into her face. All Dana 
could do was blink her eyes a few times and shake her head slightly 
before succumbing to the effects of the knockout gas. Dayna fell to 
the floor and for the first time a smug smile came across Abby's face 
as she said, "You're right that is the ring." Abby calmly walked back 
over to her seat and leafed through the book she was reading to 
reveal a communication device of some sort located in the hollowed 
out tome. The young lass brought the book up to her face and 
said, "Lady Abigail to Bookworm, Do you read me, am I 
legible?................I repeat, Lady Abigail to Bookworm, Do you 
read me?"

THE BOOKWORM'S SCHEME - PT 2

Bruce Wayne looks at his watch and says to Alfred, "It's not like 
Dayna to be late, she's usually quite punctual." "That is an 
understatement if I ever heard one." Replied Alfred, "You could set 
your clock by Miss Blackwood." Bruce paces toward the huge bay window 
of Stately Wayne Manor and looks toward the sky. "Perhaps someone 
should pay her a visit?" questions Alfred with the obvious reference 
that Batman should look into the situation. Bruce turns, faces the 
elderly butler, and says, "Exactly what I was thinking 
Alfred.........Please tell Dick to meet me in the Batcave!" Bruce 
races through the open glass double doors leading to the study.

The Batmobile races across Gotham City to the penthouse apartment of 
Dayna Blackwood located on the Northwest side of Central Gotham Park. 
Batman & Robin arrive and race in the front doors of the extravagant 
skyscraper and make their way up to the 69th floor. Ding, dong! the 
doorbell rings in a very obnoxious manner as the Boy Wonder and 
Batman look at each other. The dynamic duo wait a few uncomfortable 
seconds and finally the door opens, and long, dark haired, middle 
aged Hispanic woman stands there. In a perfect English accent the 
woman asks, "Batman & Robin pray tell, what could I do for you?" 
Batman says, "We were informed that Miss Blackwood may have gone 
missing." "We were hoping you could verify that ma'am," Said 
Robin. "Oh, my!" the woman exclaimed, "I had no idea!" "Please ma'am, 
there's no need for alarm we are on the case." Robin confidently 
said. "We were hoping you might have a copy of Miss Blackwood's 
itinerary for the day?" Asked Batman. After a couple deep breaths the 
woman replied, "Yes, as a matter of fact I do......Please come in." 

After leading the duo into the living room she said, "I'll be right 
back." The woman made her way to the kitchen and returned a short 
time later with a typed sheet of paper. She handed the sheet to 
Batman and said, "Here it is, she types one up every day." Batman 
looked over the parchment and said "Umhum, I think we have a lead 
Miss......" "I'm sorry Batman, I'm Esmarelda Miss Blackwood's 
personal assistant." The petite Latino said. "Do you think you'll be 
able to find her?" She asked. "I certainly hope so........Robin, to 
the Batmobile!" 

The duo got into the suped up car and Robin asked, "What was that all 
about?" "Very perceptive of you ol' chum....Dayna would never type an 
itinerary." "Holy querty, Batman why?!" Robin responded. "Very simple 
Robin. Dayna is an expert calligrapher and despises the very thought 
of using a typewriter. She wouldn't mind others using a typewriter to 
take notes for her, but she would never type something herself!" 
stated Batman. "Batman, I just don't know how you do it." Robin 
said. "Skills come with time and study ol' chum, one day when you 
graduate high school, go on to college, and experience more in life 
you'll be picking up on things just as well as I." Says Batman. "Gee 
Batman, I hope so," said Robin. Batman went on to say, "Esmarelda is 
a decoy, and the itinerary is a trap that we will walk right 
into.........Prepared of course. It says the only thing Dayna has 
scheduled other than our meeting this morning was a trip to Ecurb's 
Fine Jewelry." The dynamic duo set off in the Batmobile to see what 
dastardly scheme is brewing in the jewelry district.

Meanwhile, Chief O'Hara makes his way to Gotham National Bank with 
the weekly department payroll deposit. The chief exits his car and is 
just about to go through the glass turnstile doors of the bank when 
he hears a female yell for help. The chief had to make a decision and 
quick. He looked at the large bag that contained the police 
department deposit and back over at the busty red head yelling for 
help. Being the gentleman that he is the chief shook his head at the 
large bag of money and realized that the young lady had to come 
first. "Help, please somebody help!" the well built young lady 
yelled. The chief ran over to the girl who was standing outside the 
Novel Nematode book store and out of breath asked, "What's the 
problem young lady?" "A crazy man just robbed the store and ran out 
the back, please stop him!" She exclaimed. O'Hara entered the store, 
surveyed the situation and noticed nothing out of place with the 
exception of the door in the rear of the shop that was left wide 
open. He pulled out his gun and ran to the back door to see if the 
perpetrator was still around. After looking both ways down the alley 
he knew that there was no catching the culprit, at least not now. 

Chief O'Hara went back into the store, placed his gun back in his 
holster and asked the shaken beauty, "Everything will be OK young 
lady, now tell me exactly what happened here?" After regaining her 
composure and straightening her tear shaped glasses she said, "The 
man came in yelling about getting some sleep, and threatening me if I 
didn't help him." What did happened then sweetie?" the chief queried. 
The young lady said, "I went over here." As she walked to the 
bookshelves maybe five or so feet away and pulled a large book off 
the shelf. "I showed him a copy of this very book." She turned around 
and walked back to the chief. "What's this?" O'Hara asked with 
outstretched hands. The young girl in the green striped one piece 
mini dress handed the large book to the police chief. "The Mysteries 
of Sleep Uncovered." Stated the husky O'Hara as he read the title of 
the book aloud. "I told him that the book will help him; if he really 
wants to get some sleep." She said. "Does this malarkey work?" The 
chief asked with his heavy Irish accent. O'Hara looked down at the 
tome preparing to open it. "Oh yes." The girl said smugly as the 
chief proceeded to open book. Pooof!!! The chief was hit in the face 
with a puff of red sleeping gas emitted from a mechanism hidden 
within the book. O'Hara lost all feeling in his body and he could 
barely stand, he knew he was succumbing to the effect of the gas. The 
beautiful girl removed the book from his grasp and hugged it firmly 
against her large voluptuous breasts just before the chief dropped to 
his knees. With a smile still fresh on her face she said to the 
chief, "Sleep tight, baby." As O'Hara hunched over and landed heavily 
upon the floor, he was out cold.