THE BATTERED BLACK BRIEFCASE

RUNNING LATE FROM HER MUSIC LESSON TO CATCH A CITY BUS, TESS BLAKE DISCOVERS AN OLD BRIEFCASE HIDDEN BEHIND SOME BUSHES. SINCE SHE IS IN A HURRY, SHE SNATCHES IT BELIEVING SHE WILL FIND THE OWNER'S NAME INSIDE AND WILL BE ABLE TO RETURN IT. SHE NEVER IMAGINES IT IS FILLED WITH STOLEN MONEY. TAKING THE BRIEFCASE WAS A HUGE MISTAKE WHICH TESS WILL SOON REALIZE. THE THIEF HAS VIEWED THE ENTIRE INNOCENT HEIST FROM HIS APARTMENT WINDOW, AND STUNNED AND ENRAGED HE INSTANTLY KNOWS HE HAS LOST A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF MONEY TO A TEENAGE GIRL. USING DECEPTION AND A CLEVER DISGUISE, HE PLANS TO RETRIEVE HIS BRIEFCASE, AND HE SETS A TRAP TO CATCH THE GIRL. WANTING TO KEEP THE MONEY BECAUSE HER FAMILY COULD USE IT, TESS STUBBORNLY TRIES TO SOOTHE HER CONSCIENCE. SHE BEGINS BY TELLING BOLD LIES, BUT SOON IS FORCED TO FACE HER GREATEST FEAR. WILL HER CHRISTIAN FAITH, INTEGRITY AND GRIT HELP HER DO THE RIGHT THING?