Grieving and Thieving

A news headline from Dublin, Ireland, late last year: “Bereaved woman ‘stole nine bottles of scent’, court told.”

My authorial juices start to flow. The narrative snaps into place:

A distraught widow, desperate to recover the sensory presence of her late husband, grabs a bottle of his favorite cologne from a store shelf. Then, hoping to sustain his comforting olfactory ghost for years to come, she stuffs eight more bottles into her bag and flees the store. She is apprehended by mall cops and at trial the judge is torn—should he sentence her by the book or show mercy because this is clearly a case of nasal insanity?

But reality intrudes. Natasha Gleeson of Corduff Crescent, Blanchardstown, was caught on security video shoplifting perfume and aftershave. Her solicitor told the court she was “recently bereaved” but this looks like a lame attempt to invoke sympathy from the judge.

Still, it has the makings of a great story.