Inside Job

The man in black decided to break in at midnight—if, in fact, the occupants were away in the country for the weekend. So he watched and waited for his opportunity.

The surveillance took weeks as the burglar tracked patterns of behavior for his target, the wife and children, and the inevitable mistress on the side. All parties had to be elsewhere for a minimum of three hours. That would allow time to penetrate the residence, disable the security system, blow the safe, and escape without detection.

Luxury apartments have doormen to record every visitor and security systems included in the rental agreement. However, the rich are notorious in their efforts to pay lower prices and get a good deal. Cost benefit analysis inevitably leads to standardization, meaning that every apartment receives the same packaged security system. Criminals prefer standardized safes which are predictable and easier to crack. Doormen and security guards patrol on scheduled routines which can be analyzed for gaps and weaknesses.

The rich also have their routines to follow. Weekend getaways in fancy cars occur all the time. A criminal dressed in rented formal driver clothes and sitting in a leased limousine attracts little attention. Matt Stevens sat in heated comfort and recorded his target’s patterns until a favorable weekend approached.

Stevens tailed the departing group as their fancy automobile motored towards their country retreat. He stayed with them long enough to ensure the jewels were not dropped off at a local bank branch on the way out of town. Relieved to see the limousine remain on the highway until the outskirts of town, Stevens turned back towards the city. After returning the rented costume and vehicle, he returned to his own residence to tool up.

Like most successful burglars, he kept a low profile. No fancy cars or boats to sit outside and attract attention. His townhouse was in a respectable middle-class area, far removed from corporate extravagance or opera houses. Steven’s lone reward to himself was the well-furnished interior of his home with all the amenities he needed. In his comfortable sitting room, he assembled the lock pick, explosive charge, and electrical wiring needed for the job.

Dwellings can never be static and devoid of comings and goings. Appliances break down. Internet connections fail. Cleaning staff comes once a week. No matter how much security is in place, you cannot stop everyone. The only thing to do is record every visit and check the schedule. In this fluid environment, preparations can be made to rent uniforms, make up fake work orders, and create bogus phone calls/internet requests for scheduled service. Doormen can only check so far without irritating every visitor. Matt Stevens depended on Friday night boredom and the routine nature of security guard work to get him past the entryway. By the time the fake work order was detected, he would be long gone with the loot.

Sure enough, his neat appearance, fake mustache, and written work order got him past security and into the expensive apartment complex. Keeping watch on the deserted corridor, Stevens picked the door lock in less than five minutes.

Once inside, the soundproofing concealed his movements as he searched the walls and floors for the hidden safe. After 15 minutes of careful groping, he found the safe behind a wall painting. Naturally, the front of the safe had the most armor. With practiced experience, he hooked up the explosive charge to one side away from the handle. Once again, cost benefit analysis worked in Steven’s favor as it was considered too expensive to armor the sides of the safe to the same depth. Rigging electrical wire to the detonator, he blew the charge.

Waving away the smoke with his gloved hands, he scooped up the cash and jewelry. With haste, he hurried out of the building’s rear service entrance. From start to finish, he was in and out of the building within 45 minutes.

Damon drove south quickly in a foul mood. He had dreaded the weekend at his brother-in-law's estate from the beginning. He and his family had been received well enough, but the mediocre food at dinner set the tone for the visit. Couldn’t the idiot put out a decent spread? It was a six-hour drive to get there, after all. Getting three unwilling kids ready for a family trip was no joke. The teenager would rather be dating, the middle child looked lost, and the youngest one needed constant attention.

The next day, things got worse. Outdoor activities were nice for an hour or so, but after that, Damon was ready for an easy chair and a cold beer. No such luck. Half the day was spent tramping around hills and streams. When they finally got back, he made a snide remark to his wife that set her off. After a furious tirade, it was agreed that the family would stay the week while he immediately left for the city.

After an hour of furious driving, he cooled off enough to call his mistress. She agreed to meet him for dinner at a fancy restaurant that evening. Arriving in the afternoon, he tramped up the stairs to his apartment to wash and change. In the doorway, he stood with his mouth agape in shock. There was no hiding the wires on the floor leading to the blown safe. Striding into the room to examine the breach verified his worst fears. Everything was gone.

The security guard shrugged his shoulders at the question. All visitors signed in. A written work order had been presented by a uniformed employee. How was he to know a real one from a fake one? Police review of the surveillance tapes revealed a blurred image with a fake mustache that did not match up to any facial recognition records. Once again, the professional burglar had gotten away clean.

Damon was frustrated by the pro forma police investigation. What were they good for? Their promises to investigate further were like a doctor giving him two aspirin.

The reality was that Blacks didn’t trust the police and vice versa. Damon knew his case would go to the bottom of the pile. If he wanted results, he would have to go elsewhere. First, he picked up the phone to order a replacement safe. With luck, the damage could be repaired before the rest of the family returned. His next call canceled the date with his girlfriend. Finally, he called his patron to deliver the disappointing news.