A gang of five men on motorcycles
pulled up to Second Street Coffee
House & Gallery in Fairfield, Iowa, and
went inside. One of the men kept
starring at an abstract painting in
Suzanne B. Stryker's exhibit. He asked
the morning manager, Lauri Stokes,
"Do you have any bubble wrap? I want
that painting." Lauri suggested that he
try the post office.
He said, "I don't have time, my friends
are waiting for me." He disappeared
and returned a few minutes later
triumphantly waving bubble wrap.
Lauri helped him secure the bubble
wrap around the gold leaf frame with
packing tape before he stuffed it into
his backpack.
When Lauri baulked at the man's
Canadian check for payment, one of
his buddies slapped several hundred
dollar bills into her hand. The five
men mounted their motorcycles and
took off.
Suzanne asked Lauri if she got the
name of the man who bought her
painting. "All I know is that he was
returning to Canada, in his forties, and
was good looking."