Preparation for my new enterprise had not only included the study of English law but also toxicology, ballistics, criminalistics, cryptology and psychology. I had sat through endless trials at the Royal Courts of Justice and the Old Bailey, and followed random people in the street on five occasions. Although challenged by my prey four times, I was now proficient at it. My new equipment included a magnifying glass, a Powell and Leland microscope, a gimlet, a gem, binoculars, a torch kit, a Swiss Army knife, and a gun licence (but no gun). I had acquired a hollow bangle that could hide a supply of narcotics, a cane with a secret compartment for maps and the like, and I had applied, using a male alias, to join a few London clubs that might be useful, including the Press Club, the Carlton and the Alpine Club (which I'd done accidentally thinking it was the Athenaeum). I'd lined up a handful of newsboys and taxi drivers as possible narks, and experimented with picking locks. Already a fluent speaker of Russian, Romani and Swahili, I had started to learn Polish, German and Greek. I was prepared properly this time. Success was assured.
Dolly Butler