Bart was a conman, and a very successful one too. He had amassed a fortune in excess of $8 million, but he had no intention of giving up his lucrative profession. He was so very good at it, and he derived a malicious pleasure from cheating his victims and shattering their illusions.

No, Bart Garrow wasn’t a very nice man, but he was a clever and audacious one. He was currently involved in a scheme to con three different women who all lived on the same street out of their savings. He considered it a challenge.

So he first moved in on Frannie Karl and stripped her of $300,000, then he moved on to her neighbor Tessa Williams, and robbed her of a cool $430,000, and then he decided to try for a hat trick with their next-door neighbor, Clara Funcinno.

Sooner or later, the bill for malice will come due.

He met Clara Funcinno, a 56-year-old widow at her gym after ascertaining she had a considerable amount on deposit from the insurance payout after her husband’s death. For six weeks, he romanced Clara, took her dancing and dining at the most expensive restaurants in town, and sent her flowers and love letters.

Clara felt as if she was the most cherished woman in the world, as if finally someone saw her, Clara, in all her fragility, strength, and complexity. And so she fell in love.
When two months after their first meeting Bart fell on one knee and asked her to marry him, she didn’t even hesitate. Clara said yes and proudly wore the huge diamond Bart had given her.

The two started planning their wedding. Bart said, “I know you were married before, Clara, but I wasn’t. I want a big wedding, and I want you to wear white for me.”

Clara blushed. “Oh Bart!” she gasped. “At my age! White is for virgin brides, young girls…”

Bart kissed her hand and whispered, “Clara, I think I won your virgin heart. Tell me, have you ever loved anyone the way you love me? Because I know I’ve never felt about anyone the way I feel about you.”

So of course, Clara went shopping for a gorgeous wedding dress and melted every time Bart played “White Lace and Promises” for her. Clara was flying high on love, and that was when Bart struck.

One Friday afternoon he picked her up for a picnic, but he was not quite himself. He was distracted, distant. “Darling, what’s wrong?” asked Clara, worried.

“It’s nothing, my sweet,” Bart said smiling. “It’s just business, nothing to worry your pretty head about.”

“You know,” Clara said. “I have an MBA! I might be able to help!”

“Clara, the thing is, I’ve been offered the possibility of buying into a new company and it might be the deal of a lifetime,” Bart said sadly. “Unfortunately, my money is tied up in a six-month deposit my financial manager concocted for taxes… And so I’m going to have to pass the opportunity by.”

“How much is it, Bart?” asked Clara.

“Two hundred thousand dollars,” Bart said. “Quite a chunk of cash.”

“But Bart,” Clara cried. “I can lend you the money!”

“No, Clara,” Bart said firmly. “I won’t take a cent from you! What if something goes wrong? No, never!” But Clara kept insisting and Bart, feigning great reluctance, finally agreed but on one condition.

“We’ll go to my bank, Clara,” he said. “And I’ll give you the transfer code, so if anything goes wrong you know you’ll get your money back!”

Bart took Clara to the bank and showed her the printout of his account that held $8.3 million, then he gave her the code. After that, Clara happily wrote Bart a check for $200,000.

“Babe,” Bart said with tears in his eyes. “I love you so much! I’m going straight to the broker with this, and I’ll pick you up for dinner tonight at 20:00, OK? Wear something special!”