Timothy J. Pruitt's Blog, page 130
December 17, 2021
Sketch Christmas Mr Benedetto
For me a large part of the celebration of Christmas is the music. I’m so thankful for the classic Christmas songs, sung by my favorite singers. One of my favorites is Tony Bennett. Here is a quick market sketch of Mr. Benedetto
On The Way To Westminster One Christmas
Alec was nervous, as anyone should be, when being on the way to Westminster. Especially when you are headed there to be knighted by Her Majesty the Queen. The whole family was being permitted to go with him, and it was to be a grand day.
It was also the first snow of the season, fitting for a December ceremony. This was definitely an early Christmas present for Alec. He remembered thinking that he had never thought of receiving a knighthood, not in his entire life.
His wife Lucille believed in him, and of course Mom did. Mom had said he would do something special most of his life, and now at 102 she was still here to see the day. I’m not sure which of the three were prouder, of course the proudest of all was little Niko, Alec and Lucille’s grandson.
Alec thought back over the events that had brought this about. Since they originally happened over Christmas, it was fitting that the ceremony would be during the Christmas season. The morning it had happened, Alec was not expecting anything, only trying to enjoy his coffee.
“Alec, there’s a call for you, says the name is Mahaffey. Something about an ornament.” Sgt. York handed him the note. “He’s holding, says he’s impatient.”
Alec sighed, put down his coffee, and picked up the phone. “Detective Micklewhite here, how can I help you?” He wasn’t prepared for the voice at the other end.
“Afternoon sandals, been a long time. It may interest you to know the Queen is missing an ornament on her tree, pretty nice one. The question is which one? Season’s greetings sandals.”
“York trace that call! See if you can get anything. Also, get me Buckingham Palace and MI-5 now!!!” As he was saying it, he knew no one would believe it, but he had to try.
“Detective Inspector, this Mahaffey you’re talking about is confirmed dead. You were the eyewitness, how could it be him?” The agent, who had yet to give his name asked.
“Honestly Sir, I don’t care if it is really him or not. It sounded just like him, but even if it’s a copycat mimicking, I know what kind of damage the real Mahaffey did. He even used the word sandals, a word he would call police in the typed notes he left. I couldn’t afford to take a chance of something happening. It was worth risking being wrong if there’s any truth to it at all.”
The lead agent took another look at the Detective Inspector. This wasn’t someone seeking glory, and it wasn’t someone with an old vendetta. This was someone more concerned with protecting people, he could work with someone like that.
“So you really don’t care if this is or isn’t your Mahaffey? I won’t have to worry about you chasing fox holes to prove something? We don’t have time for stuff like that.”
Alec looked at the agent respectfully. “Even if it’s him he’s in no way my Mahaffey sir. Once I’ve done my duty, I leave them to the system. The only reason I would even explore whether the man faked his death or not is to get a lead on what’s happening now.”
The agent decided. “All right, you’re with me. We’ll go to the palace, see if you see any signs of anything that you recognize as the guy’s MO, or if anything at all is out of place.”
As they got in the car, Alec’s mind reviewed the twenty five year old case. He was what the Americans would call a beat cop, and Mahaffey was a business man. They didn’t know the bomber was Mahaffey at the time. It looked like a random crazy person bombing anywhere and everywhere.
It was Alec that figured out the pattern, but that was accidental. He just kept thinking that random bombing didn’t make sense, people called him naive, and he was, but that time he was right. Mahaffey wasn’t bombing loosely, every so called random site was connected with a shipping business, Mahaffey’s.
When you stripped away all the fancy trimmings, it was an old fashioned insurance scam. Mahaffey’s company would get money for the damage, and Mahaffey planned to pocket it and skip the country. Alec proved it through phone records, a call from a certain cell phone to the area right before each bombing.
Mahaffey was triggering the bombs remotely. Alec quietly compiled the proof, submitted to his superiors, and they went to arrest him. Alec, not yet a Detective Inspector was asked to come too. They got there just as the doors were closing on the lift Mahaffey was in. He was smiling at them as they shut.
A few minutes later there was an explosion. Everyone, including Alec agreed that Mahaffey couldn’t have survived it. Still there was some part of Alec that wondered. He remembered, that was around Christmas time too, it was snowing that day.
“You’re very quiet Detective Inspector. Reviewing the old case? Anything we can use?”
Alec shook his head. “There wasn’t much there Sir. The only thing I can’t get out of my head was Mahaffey’s smile. That funny smile I’ll never forget. It was more unique than his voice. I had interviewed him before we knew he was behind it you know.”
“That’s how I knew his voice. He was a witness at the second bombing, probably to throw off any suspicion. I had no idea he was connected to it then. His voice was deep I remember that, but I didn’t think I would recognize it if I heard it again. I did think the smile was unusual though, even then.”
The agent nodded. “Some faces stick out, especially if they impact a lot of people’s lives. I remember people connected to my family growing up, faces I never saw, but the names my parents told me about. Some they hadn’t even met, but that were connected to us someway. Here we are.”
The agent had different people on his team check out the different decorations, but suggested that he and Alec look at one off the corridor.
“It’s filled with ornaments, so I doubt we’d tell if any are missing, but still we can look. Tell me Detective Inspector, how do you figure out when something is missing?”
Alec’s eyes were darting here and there. He was going to mutter an answer, when he stopped. The agent instinctively moved his hand closer to his weapon, but relaxed when Alec spoke. “I suggest you check that one Sir.”
The agent looked at the ornament Alec pointed out. It was a little silver and gold ball with a velvet ribbon, hardly noticeable at all. He reached for it. “I’m confused Detective Inspector, I thought you were looking for something that wasn’t there?”
Alec shook his head no. “That wasn’t Mahaffey’s MO Sir. He didn’t remove things, he placed them there. If this is Mahaffey, or just someone following his rules, even if they take something, that’s not the danger. The danger is what they leave behind.”
The agent called for a detector of some kind. Alec wasn’t sure exactly what it was. The lead agent had his agent check it, but it was a simple ornament. The lead agent smiled. “It looks like you guessed wrong Detective Inspector. I guess this wasn’t your day.”
Alec smiled, and as the lead agent looked away, moved an object in front of the detector. “Check this one agent, how about it?” Instantly the signal went off. The team swarmed it, placed it in a security container, and got it out of the building.
The lead agent was all smiles. “Well, well, I guess you outsmarted Mahaffey after all. Here everyone was looking for what was missing, and you were looking for what was hidden in plain sight. Team, you wrap things up here, setup a detail. I’ll drop off the Detective Inspector, I think he’s had enough excitement for today.”
“No Sir, I don’t think so. Agent, can you check the inside of that ornament for fingerprints? I think you’ll find it surprising.”
The lead agent shook his head. “It’s on it’s way downtown. I’m sure they’ll thoroughly check it though. My guess is there’s enough in it to blow up this entire place.”
Alec smiled. “Actually I meant the little one I handed you originally. Of course it’ll have your fingerprints and mine on it, we both handled it. I’m interested in it though.”
“What fingerprint are you looking for Detective? You just said we both handled it. Besides, if that’s not the ornament he put in place, what does it matter?”
“Very much Sir. You see, Mahaffey didn’t just strike once, he struck multiple times. Once or twice he also had a decoy device too. One that would occupy police if found, while the real device had time to do it’s job. It’s a good trick, one I’m sure you’re familiar with.”
The lead agent laughed. “Yeah, I’ve seen it a number of times. Okay, check the thing for fingerprints. I think it’s a goose chase, but we have to be thorough don’t we?”
Alec motioned to the agent. “One more thing Sir, it’s very important. Lift the top and check the inside for prints, that’s the most important of all.”
The lead agent looked puzzled. “That seems unnecessary. Why would anyone leave a fingerprint on the inside?”
Alec smiled. “For a very simple reason, to add an extra bit of luster. It looked like it was glowing. I think it had an LED on the inside, something to stick out. To draw an old man’s attention, to keep me from missing it. I think he wanted me to find it Agent…, I’m sorry I never got your name?”
The lead agent smiled. “Where are my manners Detective Inspector, the name is Hiller, Arthur Hiller. You’re a smart one Detective Inspector, let’s get you back to work.”
Alec didn’t move. “No, I don’t think so. I think I’d rather have a squad car come for me. Thank you though. Agent Hiller, could you answer a couple of questions for me though?”
“I’ll do my best Sir, though we are a little occupied right now. We’ve just found a mysterious device at Buckingham Palace, you’ll understand if I don’t have much time for small talk.”
Alec laughed, “Oh I quite understand Sir. I won’t be in your hair long. As a matter of fact, today is my last day on the force, set to retire you know. I suspect you knew that though, Intelligence thinks of everything.”
“You probably even knew my background before you ever set eyes on me. Why, you probably even knew who my Grandfather was. Who was your Grandfather agent? What was his name?”
“You’re right of course, I knew all about you very quickly. My Grandfather and I share a lot in common Detective Inspector, even the same name, Arthur Hiller. Why do you ask?”
This time Alec didn’t answer right away. Instead he moved, and quickly, disarming the lead agent, and tossing the gun to the other agent. He moved quickly for an older gentleman.
“What’s the meaning of this. Agents, arrest this mad man! You’ll wish yesterday was your last day by the time I’m done with you!”
However, the agents didn’t move towards Alec. Instead they cuffed former lead agent Hiller. “Sir, let’s go down to headquarters and talk this over. Thank you Detective Inspector, we’ll take it from here.”
The lead agent screamed “How did you know?” All the way down the corridor. Alec sat down, a little tired, and a little shaky truth be told. Hiller’s boss stepped out of the shadows.
“Well played Detective Inspector. You were running quite a risk getting into the car with him weren’t you? I must admit, I thought you were crazy when you called me. What tipped you off?”
“Oh it was the smile. The moment I saw him, I knew I had seen that smile before. That’s why I made a second call before getting into the car, this time to Downing Street. His paternal Grandfather was Arthur Hiller, but his maternal Grandfather was Stuart Mahaffey.”
“That’s why we went along with your crazy scheme, though we didn’t know you were going to disarm him. Why would he throw it all away the way he did though, Hiller was a smart man?”
Alec shook his head. “He’s very smart, and he wasn’t throwing anything away. He was set to be the hero. After I picked the wrong ornament, and was embarrassed, he’d notice something and point out the right one.”
“Hiller would get recognition, a promotion, perhaps even a Knighthood, and family vengeance at the same time. He’d embarrass the man he blamed for the embarrassment caused to his family, and his Grandfather. It was a neat little package, right down to the ribbon.”
“It was the same color as the suit his Grandfather was wearing that day. The disarming wasn’t planned, but I knew his Grandfather was known for the unexpected. If this was Mahaffey’s Grandson, I didn’t want to wait for an unexpected reaction myself.”
Alec never heard what happened to Hiller, he was MI-5, so it wasn’t going to become public knowledge. When a Christmas card came from both Buckingham Palace, and Downing Street, it was more recognition than Alec expected. Especially the two handwritten letters from two certain individuals, Lucille insisted on framing.
They were filled with thank you’s, and very few details of course. Alec was thrilled, and knew he could not tell a soul what had really happened. Still it was a nice retirement and Christmas present, to box up the holiday with.
It wasn’t til this Christmas that he was blown out of the water. The conversation on the phone was tempting to discard, except that Hiller’s Boss was the first one on the line. The second one he instantly recognized.
“We shall say it is in honor of your long, faithful, dedicated service to your country and the crown. Which of course it is, but my family will know exactly what you did for us, thank you Detective Inspector.”
He managed a breathless thank you, and sat in disbelief. The official invitation arrived the same day, and Alec’s family began preparation. All were in their finest attire for the ceremony, and Alec was still in shock.
As it was lifting, just moments before the actual acolade ceremony occurred, he began to think of what he could tell people when they asked? He certainly couldn’t go into detail, could he? Then it hit him, and old comedy line from the Telly in his youth, “A funny thing happened, on the way to Westminster One Christmas…”
The original punch line escaped him, so he replaced it. He wasn’t sure anyone would think it was as good. Granted, “I became a Knight” wasn’t the funniest line he had ever heard, but it definitely made Sir Alec Micklewhite laugh.
December 16, 2021
iPainting Santa Clause
I love the Santa Clause trilogy, this is my rendition of Tim Allen as S.C. (Scott Calvin lol).
iPainting Honoring Our Heroes This Christmas
Even on Christmas, men and women sacrifice time with their own families to keep our country safe. Whether in peace time or war, our soldiers stand strong and true to protect us. The above iPainting is based on a photo of an American solider, hero, and actor Brigadier General James Stewart. It’s a reminder of how much our soldiers leave behind so that we can experience peace.
iPainting Moose Grazing
For all of our Christmas fans who may live outside of areas that see a White Christmas but with a little snow in the distance to make you smile.
December 15, 2021
iPainting Jim And Kermit
In some ways, even more than Walt Disney and Mickey, you can’t think of Jim Henson without thinking of Kermit the frog, and vice versa. This is an iPainting celebrating the two. I remember in The Muppet Family Christmas, Jim washed the dishes at the end. Little touches like that made The Muppets special to me.
iPainting Muppet Country Trio
If you’re a huge Muppet fan, you’ll remember Jim Henson, Frank Oz, and Jerry Nelson both as the people behind the scenes, and the time they were Muppets themselves. The Country Trio featured Jim on banjo, Frank on bass, and Jerry on guitar. They appeared in 1974 for the Perry Como Winter Show. This is my rendition of them.
Sketch Muppet Family Christmas
I watch it every year, Muppet Family Christmas. For me it’s as special, if not more so, than even a Muppet Christmas Carol, which I also love. So here’s a few sketches based on “Muppet Family Christmas”, and I’ve got to warn you, “be careful of the icy patch.” (If you’re a fan you understand!)
