The Second Hand Man
July 15th, 2001

At thismoment the only diary remaining in my possession is this 2001 journal that Itook along with me on a three-day business trip to Los Angeles. Yet it is onlynow, on my return that I feel the need to include a new entry.

I had a visitfrom an old acquaintance. Only, he chose to drop in when I was convenientlyaway in LA. I never would have guessed who the unwelcome intruder had been ifhe had not chosen to taunt me with his special calling card. Yes, the thief hadbeen proud to announce his accomplishment.

My heart hadskipped a beat as I noticed the first evidence of his invasion – my front doorwas wide open.

The second wasthe fact that my entire security system had been disabled.

The third (Ifmy heart had recently skipped a beat, it now made up for it by gallopingfrantically towards my drying throat) – the door of the large safe in my study,normally hidden from view by an enormous framed print of Paolo EleuteriSerpieri’s voluptuous Druuna, was also wide open.

Druuna, ifshe had ash-blonde hair would have a remarkable resemblance to Nikki, stoodupright against the front of my desk – placed mockingly in a blaringly loudannouncement of the trespasser’s discovery of what lay behind her sensual,naked form.

I movedswiftly to the breeched strongbox and gazed at the even louder emptiness thatscreamed icy daggers into my already shattered disposition.

On my desklay the jewelry and spare cash that I had also kept in the safe, and I knewthat this burglar had come with a definite, singular purpose, seeking only mymost prized possessions – I realized in that moment that I would discover theonly items missing from my treasure-filled mansion would be - my diaries!!!

The safe hadbeen emptied, except for a single, rectangular, slightly yellowed picture thatlay face down, placed there purposely by the criminal.

I had pickedit up and turned it over. I knew it well. It was a photograph of me; I washolding a board marked, ‘F.B.I.’s Most Wanted!’

I had hissedthe intruder’s name from between my clenched teeth, “Tallis!”