Connor thought he had outdone them all. His latest caper did not feel as transactional as all of his other crimes. This instance involved the life of another person. Rather than simply stealing someone else's money or property, he had now impacted the future of someone's life.

But it was Patricia Lewand. She wasn't a person in Connor's eyes. Patricia had been part of a family fortune that was a heavy hitter in the railroad empire in the late 1800s of the United States.

Unlike Connor's upbringing, Patricia had no idea what struggle was like. People who grew up with a gold spoon in hand were not human in Connor's eyes. They had no brain and they couldn't function outside of their own small pack of wealthy elites.

So there was no issue of morality when it came to swindling her out of some fortune by marrying her. The old witch he met in New York City indeed sold him a love potion that worked. But their wedding was over, and the potion was starting to wear off.

Connor and Patricia cuddled each other on the couch in their living room in the mansion that her parents bought for the two of them. Patricia lay next to Connor, but she got up suddenly and said, "Something's not right..."

Getting up from the couch, she wandered to a chair in the corner and gazed out the window. She was practically on the other side of the room.

Connor had a devilish grin. "Is everything all right, darling?" It was around the time and day that the witch had predicted the love potion would wear off.

"Yes. Everything is fine... I'm just starting to have some thoughts."

"Oh? And what about?" Connor was excited because he knew she was thinking about divorce, and that would lead to him getting his fortune through a settlement since she would want to end things with him, and they didn't sign any sort of prenuptial agreement.

Patricia pulled out a long filter and put a cigarette at the end of it and struck a match. She drew in an inhale and blew out a cloud of smoke. "I'm just confused that you didn't try and pursue my sister. She's a little older than I am, and it's well known that she's not going to be alive for much longer due to her condition... So by marrying me for my fortune, you might not get away with it. But you could have married her and waited for her to pass, and then you would have forever been part of this family and you forever would have received monies and you probably could have married me too."

Connor was stunned. He tried to think of something to say but his lips fumbled.

"You think you're so smart but I can see you right through you."

"I'm sorry," Connor said, and he actually meant it. In the process of making her take the love potion, he also developed some feelings for her. In his head, the plan was to get a divorce, but in his heart, he actually wanted to see if maybe they could work.

"You have some considerable talent, I'll give you that. But I still think you do more and do better." Patricia shrugged. "I have an idea for a score myself... Would you be interested to hear it?"

"Yes, absolutely. What are you thinking?"

Patricia's head tilted to the side. She was still gazing out the window, and didn't look at Connor. "Hm. We'll have to stay married for a little while longer. Are you still interested?"

"Yes, yes, yes, please tell me."

Patricia had a devilish grin much like Connor's and she took one big puff from her cigarette. Connor leaned forward, waiting to hear the details of the next potential caper.

r/randallcooper