The Heist (Introduction)

Waves crashed into the rocks hundreds of feet below the Bloomberg Mansion. Built in 1920 as a retreat for industrial tycoon Phillip Bloomberg, the mansion sits atop a bluff overlooking a rocky and rugged section of the Washington coastline. The exterior of the mansion shows considerable wear from the constant wind and rain over the past 90 years. Explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark spent the majority of their winter expedition just miles south of the present day Bloomberg Mansion. They named the location "Fort Disappointment" for the relentless bad weather. After spending a winter at his estate in 1925 writing his memoir, Mr. Bloomberg vowed never to return in winter again.

Although the stone walls resemble the dreary November weather, tonight the inside is alive with action. Thomas Crow, a well-known art collector, is hosting a party to celebrate his 60th birthday. Without many close friends of his own due to his seedy art deals in the past, and feeling deserving of plenty of attention, he invited friends of friends, who were welcome to bring friends of their own.

With his extravagant art collection on display, Mr. Crow is reveling his role as host, telling stories of various art pieces and offering his impression of each piece. The wine is flowing and the host is blissfully unaware of the fact that his prized possession, a grandiose locket made for Catherine the Great, locked away in one of his many basement safes, is the only reason several of his guests are in attendance.

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