by Patricia Fry
Craig smiled at her, then stood and said, “I’ll be back.” After nearly ninety minutes, he returned. “Mission accomplished.”
“Which mission?” she asked.
“I returned the keys. She’ll probably find them next to her porch in the morning. And I scoped out the storage center. They’re open at night. I actually wandered around, trying the key in some of the padlocks. Didn’t find a match, but there are a few areas I didn’t check. There were people moving out of one of the units and I didn’t want to be seen messing with the padlocks. We’ll go back either later tonight or tomorrow after dark.”
“Oh we will, will we?” she challenged.
He chuckled, then suggested, “Want to go get something to eat?”
“I thought you’d never ask.”
The duo entered a fairly modern restaurant and were invited to choose where they wanted to sit. After sliding into a booth, Craig raised his eyebrows and said, “Well, will you look at that.”
“What?” she asked.
“It’s Ms. Slattery-Bell.”
“Oh my goodness. I wonder how she got here without a key.”
“Oh, Savannah, I’m sure she found her keys. Even if she didn’t, she probably has more than one key to her car. Most people do.” He gazed at the woman for a moment, then said, “Hey, order me chicken-fried steak and eggs, will you? I’ll be right back.” He stood up, then leaned over and said quietly, “Text me if she leaves.” He put his hand on her arm. “And go ahead and eat if you want to. I won’t be gone long.”
Within twenty minutes, Craig returned to find Harriet Slattery-Bell sitting in his seat in the booth across from Savannah. She started to stand when he approached.
“No, please sit down,” Craig said. “I’ll pull up a chair.”
She protested. “I need to get home anyway. Haven’t fed the cats. They have their schedule, you know.”
“Yes, I know,” Savannah said. “Thanks for the information, by the way. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Craig raised his eyebrows and glanced at Harriet as she walked out of the restaurant. He looked back at Savannah, who smiled sweetly at him. “See you tomorrow?” Craig repeated with interest. “What was that all about?”
Savannah shrugged smugly. “I know how to make friends, that’s all.”
He stared toward the door and shook his head. “Well, I’ll be.”
“So did you find anything?” she asked.
“As a matter of fact, maybe.” He showed her his phone. “Recognize this?”
She looked at the screen. “Wow! That’s some piece of jewelry. Did you take this picture at Harriet’s house?”
He nodded. “It was lying on her dressing table.”
She raised her eyebrows. “You went inside? How?”
He winked. “She hadn’t found her keys yet.” He referred to the photo again. “Looks antique to me. Does it to you?”
“Sure does. It looks like vintage jewelry from maybe the thirties or forties, for sure. Was there more?”
“That’s the only piece I saw. But I also found an invitation to some sort of gala ball in the big city, so I suspect she’s going and she wants to wear this necklace.”
“Hey, don’t you have pictures of the stolen jewelry? If you can identify that piece as one that was missing, you’ve got her, dead to rights.”
“Well,” he hesitated, “just maybe.”
“Why maybe?”
“There’s the possibility that she didn’t take the stuff. It could be that someone gave this one piece to her and maybe that earring. That would be her defense, I’m sure. We need to find the stash of jewelry. Without that evidence, I’m afraid we’ll be shut down by any judge we approach for a warrant.”
“So we don’t get to go to the fancy bash in San Francisco?”
He smirked at her, then moved back so the waitress could place his meal in front of him. “What do you have planned with her tomorrow?” he asked.
Savannah smiled. “We’re going to the local animal shelter to inquire about a missing cat. She also wants to show me where the veterinarian’s office is. Sometimes they get calls about animals that have gone missing.”
“Oh,” he said. “You’re a pretty good game-player, aren’t you?”
She smirked playfully at him. “I have a good teacher. So what else did you find at her house?”
“A locked shed out back, but the key didn’t fit the padlock. She also has a small safe in a closet, but it’s too small for the amount of jewelry that was taken in that heist.”
“But we don’t know how much of it was left,” Savannah reminded him. “The original Dino Verano might have sold some of it or given it away.”
“Which is why I’m not charging in and arresting Ms. Slattery-Bell. Anyway, those pieces she has might have been handed down through the generations. The women in the family may have actually been wearing some of that jewelry over the years, not knowing it was part of a famous robbery.”
“Even if that’s so,” Savannah said, her eyes flashing, “it doesn’t belong to them, does it? I mean, they have to give it back.”
“Yeah, but we don’t want to rush in and accuse anyone of anything until we have a pretty good idea who’s guilty and of what.”
“Craig,” Savannah said, putting her fork down, “family photos.” When he looked puzzled, she said, “We need to get our hands on the Verano and Slattery family photos. We might see some of that jewelry being worn in the pictures.”
“Brilliant,” he said. “But how?”
She shrugged. “You’re the detective.” She thought for a moment, then said, “Maybe I could actually get Harriet to show me some family pictures. Or Sharon might. She seems willing to help. I’ll text her and see if she can send me some pictures of her mother or a grandmother wearing nice jewelry. Hey, I’ll try to get Harriet to start talking about jewelry tomorrow. Girls love to show off their favorite pieces. She might show me hers.”
Craig looked at her for a moment, then reached into his pocket and pulled out a velvet pouch, carefully retrieving from it an exquisite bracelet.
Savannah gasped. “Oh my gosh. That’s the tennis bracelet Rags found at the Verano’s house, isn’t it? How did you get that? What are you going to do with it?”
“It’s called bait, Savannah. I asked them to send it to me from the evidence box in Colorado, just in case we needed it. And it appears,” he said, using a mysterious tone, “that we’re going to need it.” He looked into her face. “I want you wear this tomorrow.”
“With my jeans and t-shirt?” she asked.
He studied her for a moment. “Why not?” He then said, “Actually, if you need something fancier to wear, let’s go shopping.” When she didn’t respond, he explained, “What I want is for you to bring the conversation around to jewelry.” He held the bracelet toward her. “Do you think this will help?”
Savannah laid the bracelet over one arm. She beamed. “Absolutely.”
Chapter 8
When Savannah arrived at Harriet’s home a little after ten the following morning she noticed that the woman seemed a little rattled. “Is something wrong?” Savannah asked.
Harriet brushed her hair away from her face. “I can’t find my keys. I can’t imagine what happened to them. I’m usually so careful…”
“Where did you last see them?” Savannah asked.
“I was trying to remember that. I know I had them when I drove home yesterday from running errands. I thought I might have either left them in the car or dropped them into my purse or a pocket, but I can’t find them in any of those places.” She pointed. “I generally put them in that tray right there on the hall table.” She glanced around the room. “I can’t imagine what happened to them.”
Just then Savannah noticed a small black cat entering the room. “Hi there,” she crooned.
“That’s Bridget,” Harriet said, smiling. “She was a stray. She has adapted really well to her new lifestyle. My
catsitter says she’s a dream when I travel—sweet and friendly and all.” She peered under a chair. “I can’t say as much for Rascal. He’s still a hidey kitty. He’s curious about you and interested, but too frightened to make your acquaintance. See him there under the end table?”
“He’s pretty.” Savannah spoke to the cat, “Yes, you’re a pretty boy, Rascal.” She got down on her hands and knees and talked to him. He simply stared out at her through bright green eyes. “Okay,” she murmured. “This calls for something special.” She glanced at Harriet and asked, “Can I give him a treat?” Harriet nodded, and Savannah pulled a kitty treat out of her pocket and placed it in front of the black-and-white cat. He looked at her suspiciously, then took a few steps forward until he reached the treat. He sniffed it, looked at Savannah again, and ate the treat. He sat down and stared at her as if waiting for more.
“I don’t believe it,” Harriet said. “I’ve never seen him interact with anyone but me before.”
Savannah grinned. “Maybe no one else brought him treats.” When she noticed Bridget nosing around, she handed her a treat. Then both cats sat and stared up at Savannah. Bridget mewed and Savannah couldn’t resist petting her. “You are too cute,” she said. She reached her hand out for Rascal to sniff and he allowed her to scratch him behind one ear.
“Remarkable,” Harriet said. She then gasped, “Your bracelet!”
Savannah looked down at her arm. “Oh, you like it?”
Harriet moved closer and examined the bracelet. “It’s beautiful. Gosh, that’s quite stunning. Just stunning.”
“You like jewelry?” Savannah asked.
“Oh yes. There’s actually a very wonderful jeweler in my family tree.”
“Really?” Savannah remarked. “Someone who designed jewelry?”
She nodded. “I’ve always loved fine jewelry, the fancier the better.” She laughed. “And that was before women began wearing fake vintage jewelry.”
“Oh?” Savannah asked. “Like what sort of pieces?”
Harriet stood. She shivered with excitement. “Come in here; I’ll show you.”
Her bedroom’s decorated like a French boudoir, Savannah thought, gazing at the dark velvet valance draped across the top of the window and aware of the subtle lighting. There on the French provincial dressing table was the almost gaudy necklace that Craig had photographed. She studied it. Definitely similar to the one Rags and Lucy found in the Verano home.
When Harriet saw Savannah eyeing the necklace, she picked it up and held it at her neck. “Isn’t this something?” she asked in a rather seductive tone.
“Absolutely dazzling,” Savannah said. “Where did you get this? Did your relative design it?”
Harriet’s eyes flashed mischievously. “I believe so. It belonged to my great aunt. Mother ended up with it, but she wasn’t the type who would wear something like this.” She chuckled. “I doubt she ever wore it. But I believe my great aunt did. And I do,” she said proudly. “I wear it every chance I get.”
“So how do you keep it safe?” Savannah asked. When Harriet looked at her, she added, “I mean you certainly don’t leave it out in the open when you travel and all…”
“No, I don’t. I generally store it along with…” She looked at Savannah, then said. “Oh yes, I keep it safe. That’s how it has survived in my family’s hands for so long.” She leaned toward Savannah and said, “I just love juicy gossip. I should have been a gossip columnist.” She got excited when she said, “As I understand it, my great aunt was having an affair with the jeweler who made this and so many other wonderful pieces, and he gave her this one. I’ve seen some of his other work over the years in various countries—would you believe? But he worked in America, in a small town in Colorado. That’s presumably where Aunt Anna met him. She was married to a prominent businessman named Dino Verano at the time.” She shivered in excitement. “Can’t you just imagine the delicious gossip that came from that scandal?” Harriet grinned. “I’ve made it my hobby to collect Jerrold Harmonson’s jewelry and advertisements promoting his jewelry. I spent many months in Colorado last year ferreting out information for my project. I might actually write a book someday.”
“Gosh, that sounds ambitious. Did the jeweler have many followers? Is there a market for a book like that?”
Harriet hesitated. “I really don’t much care. I’d just like to let the world get to know this remarkable artist and his amazing work.” She spoke more quietly. “I have a strong feeling that he may have been my great uncle.”
That stopped Savannah for a moment. “Really?” she managed. “Is this what you discovered through your research?”
“No. It’s just rumors and…” Harriet stared into space and said more quietly, “I have this relentless fascination for him and his work. Sometimes I feel as though he created his jewelry just for me.” Harriet took a breath and continued, “I’m so much like him. There’s definitely a strong link—a pull, almost.”
Savannah tilted her head. “Where does the name Slattery come from?”
“Slattery was Anna’s maiden name. My grandfather was her brother.” She made eye contact with Savannah and revealed, “Next week I’m going to meet some of his family…possibly my cousins.”
“Whose family? Do you mean the jeweler, Harmonson?”
Harriet nodded.
“You know where they are?”
“Oh yes. As I understand it, Mr. Harmonson’s only son died recently and his two children are about to divvy up his estate, which includes more of this magnificent jewelry.” She grinned. “I’m going in there with swabs.”
“Swabs?” Savannah asked.
“Yes, so I can get some DNA. I need proof that I’m related to them so I can get what’s rightfully mine. That would be at least a third of the take.”
My gosh, the woman’s brutal, cold, calculating, and determined, Savannah thought. Craig is going to be very interested in this turn of events. I might as well see what else I can find out while she’s so eager to spill her guts. “Well, I guess so,” she said. “So are you married, Harriet?”
“Not at the moment. My last husband died a couple of years ago. Bell is my first husband’s name. I like it better than Henry or Tuttle.” She took a deep breath. “Yeah, maybe I should have stayed with Jonathan Bell. But I was young and didn’t know what I was doing. I married him right out of college and later decided it was a big mistake. However, he ended up becoming a state senator.” She shook her head. “I should have hung in there and endured his strange personality. I would have been on the arm of a senator. If I’d stayed with him, we may have even won a stint in the White House.” Harriet swooned. “Then I’d have lots of occasions to wear my jewelry. But I’d have another problem,” she said, laughing.
“What’s that?” Savannah asked.
“I’d have to buy more jewelry. Now that would be too bad, wouldn’t it?” she joked. “But I think I could make the sacrifice for a cushy life in the White House.”
Savannah humored the woman by laughing with her. She then said, “And you’d have the problem of keeping it all safe.”
“Oh, that’s not a problem. I’ve been hiding jewelry all my life.” She giggled. “I even hid jewelry from my last husband—you know, when I’d buy a new piece.”
“You didn’t wear it in front of him?”
“Well, of course, some of it. But I sure didn’t want him to see the new pieces I bought. If he were to see it all together, he would have had a heart attack.” Harriet’s eyes widened. “That’s actually what happened to him. He had a heart attack, but not because of my jewelry.” She shook her head. “No, he just keeled over one night while we were out to dinner.” She snickered. “I was wearing a fabulous emerald necklace I’d just bought. He didn’t even notice it. I guess the poor man wasn’t feeling well.” She smiled. “The good news is that his life insurance policy paid for that trinket and many others.” She put her hands together under her chin and looked up. “Thank y
ou dear Arnold.”
“So you don’t have a gigantic jewelry box then, right? You’ve become accustomed to storing your jewelry, what—in separate places, so it isn’t all together?”
Harriet grinned. “You’re a smart cookie. Yes, that’s right. But the temperature and moisture level must be right for the metals and gems. Honey, I know how to take care of my jewelry. I keep it in soft jewelry pouches—separated, of course.” She looked again at the bracelet Savannah wore. “You keep that in a pouch don’t you, so it doesn’t get scratched? Some jewelry pouches have properties to protect the metal from the elements. I have dozens of them and I use them. You must protect your finest pieces from the air.” In a scolding manner, she added, “And do not place them on hard surfaces, well, unless they’re in a pouch.”
“It must be difficult to travel or to move with a lot of jewelry that’s so meticulously stored,” Savannah said.
Harriet looked at her. “Yes. Yes, it is. But I manage.”
“Do you keep it all here?” Savannah asked.
Just then Harriet’s phone rang. She glanced at a clock on her bedside table. “Oh my gosh, it’s Randall. I promised to meet him for lunch at the club.” She took the call. “Randall, darling, I’m so sorry. I’m running an itsy-bitsy bit late. Yes, showing a new friend around. I’ll freshen up and jump into the car this minute. Have Charles pour me a gimlet, will you? Thank you. Be there in a jiff.”
Savannah stood. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to keep you for so long. I’ll get out of your way.”
“I’m the one who should apologize. I promised to take you to the shelter. Well, I’m sure you can find it. Just follow Main to Cypress and take a right. There’s a big sign out front that says, ‘All Pets Animal Shelter.’ Hugs,” she said, leaning toward Savannah with an air kiss.
“Thank you for the visit. Enjoy your lunch,” Savannah said, stepping out the front door. Once it was closed, Savannah stared down at the ground. She searched the area around her feet, moved a shrub with one foot, and then reached down and picked up a set of keys. She thought about knocking on the door to let Harriet know she’d found them, but decided to leave them in plain sight on the walkway.