Do nothing by halves

CCTV FOOTAGE
Tesco Metro Harlow

We see a man in a top hat, bow tie and flouncy shirt with velvet cummerbund and purple lined cape, he is carrying a silver tipped cane. He is pulling a large blue and yellow box on wheels the box is painted with stars and moons

He casually enters the store and pulls the box over to the customer service desk and taps on the counter with his cane.

The manager appears and the man in the hat gives him a note that reads

The bottom half of your wife is in this box, the top half I have hidden, I require you to empty the store safe and bring me the contents.

The manager rushes around the counter and opens the box; inside we see another box with a circle cut out and a pair of ladies legs that are wiggling.

The manager goes ashen and empties the safe into two bags and the Magician walks out the store as he does so he lifts his cane to his hat and salutes to the camera.

HARLOW CID OFFICE
We see a room full of detectives and uniformed plod they have been watching the screen that has a frozen image of the magician tipping his hat on it.

SERGEANT PARKER
This happened less than half an hour ago, so he has to be close. He can't have, gone far, I've had the motorways and A roads closed and Romford are sending a chopper over plus the TA are ready to do stop and checks. No this time he's slipped up, they always do, I've got him in a vice and I'll have him in hours.

A hatch slides back behind the sergeant and a man in a headset pops his head through as he speaks.

HEADSET MAN
Eh Nosey, we just had word that ten minutes ago your mate took fifty ground off the manager of ASDA in Newcastle with the other half of that woman.

SERGEANT PARKER
How the...

DC PILLOCK
He's got away again hasn't he sarge?

Now that's clever it's all in the description with this one and it's got bags of character.

I liked that one, and I liked the way you used the other half to sort of round off the punch. Very clever.

Thanks folks I forgot how much I enjoy writing the Magician ones, anyway I'm off on my night shift so evening all.

V good. Loved the madness of it. Liked the fact that it remains largely unexplained but somehow makes sense in its own world.

Thanks Playfull it does add up in the end.

I don't think I understand the end - unless the point is he's magic and can jump to different parts of the country at will - but the extortion concept is excellent, one of your best visual images, Teddy.

Thanks for the compliment Gappy, as for the character I did quite a few awhile back, he might be magic I'm not sure myself all I know is that he carries on shocking and is a disgrace to his profession.