Stephano was working dockside this evening. He was loosely allied with the Fuzeta da Pontes (meaning that he could also work independently) and wanted to keep it that way, so when Carlo asked him to pull this job, he didn't hesitate or ask too many questions.
He used his one minor magical talent, so that he Carlo could communicate at a distance with whispered messages. Carlo knew what the mark looked like, but the mark also knew him. So when Carlo whispered from his hiding place "It's him. Rico. Guy with the red hat", Stephano began to make his way toward the mark.
The man he was following looked wealthy enough, with a fine leather outfit, rapier, and that jaunty hat. But Carlo's instructions were clear: He was to steal a sealed scroll and nothing else. He must not open the scroll, or else.
Rico was walking quickly, so Stephano could do little but follow. Rico went straight to the dock and onto a ship! Stephano hesitated, but knew he had to follow. He paid the last of his gold for passage on the ship. Only later did he find out that the ship was headed to nearby Gara Bairo, much to his relief.
It wouldn't do to make his move during the trip, since if the mark missed his scroll, the passengers would surely be searched.
Stephano's eye was drawn to a young lady on board. With nothing better to do, he struck up a conversation, using his sleight of hand skills to perform a couple of fake magic tricks. Sarah was friendly and laughed readily.
By the time the ship docked, Stephano was hardly thinking about the job, but he forced himself to get his head back in the game. With an 'accidental' brush against Rico as the passengers disembarked, he had the scroll.
He turned back to Sarah, hoping to turn this chance encounter into something more. "Good bye!" she told him, laughing and embracing the tall blond man who had come to the dock to greet her.
He sighed. In the morning, he'd have to book passage back to Porto Liure. In the meantime, he'd have to find the cash to do it with. He began to eye the people around him, looking for an easy mark.