“He loves completely, and every time I think I’ve figured that out, I find I’ve barely scratched the surface. On the questions, a suggestion? Take your time and keep searching for answers. He’s not bothered by honest conversation when we hurt.”
“It was the first time I thought about Peg being in heaven where I would get to see her again. It got pretty emotional.”
“Peg’s there and it will be a good reunion. She’s going to be everything you remember, and more. Only her body died. And Jesus promised a new one for heaven and eternity.”
“You’ll see again in heaven.”
“Heaven is described as being so beautiful. A few years without sight here on earth will make the joy of seeing heaven so incredible.” She lifted a sleeve to wipe at her eyes. “Oh, I’m going to cry, and that’s not fair.”
He rolled toward her. “Here, I’ve got more napkins. And your happy tears aren’t so bad.”
She took a handful of the napkins. “I’ve been praying for you so long.” She scrubbed at her face and then just buried her head in her hands. “Oh, look somewhere else will you? My nose is going red; I can tell.”
He laughed. “It’s kind of endearing, but it’s not like all that many people are out here to notice.” He waited until she pushed her hair back and looked up. “I’m glad you kept praying.”
“I figured the O’Malleys were trying to do enough of the explaining.” She mopped her eyes and gave him a smile. “Did you bring dessert? I could use a distraction.”
“First-class dessert: cheesecake.” He pulled over the picnic basket. “How about we rent a movie tonight? Something you remember well and hopefully not too mushy. We can see if Ken and JoAnne are free. I need his help with the new kitchen cabinets.”
He watched her relax.
“Could I feed your sheep?”
“Sure. You’ll have to watch out for the baby goat; he loves shoelaces.” Stephen touched her hand and offered a plate. “Dessert is served.”
Jonathan sat in the diner at a corner table near the front window, watching people coming and going along Main Street. Craig was no longer a threat. Jonathan had to swallow hard to eat without choking. He’d done what he had to do. It cost him seven thousand to buy that envelope and its contents. He’d given Craig a chance; he hadn’t forced his friend to open the envelope and use what it contained…but Jonathan had known he would do it. Craig had betrayed him and tried to take the jewelry for himself. There had been no other choice.
He’d never killed before.
He wasn’t sure he liked how it felt.
He pushed the emotions aside, for it was over and done. He had a decision to make, and it was his own life on the line this time. The stolen gems were still out there somewhere.
If the jewels were not going to be found, then the correct tactical decision was to walk away and leave them behind—unsold, unfound, and the knowledge of them buried with Neil and Craig. But if Meghan or the cops had a chance of finding the gems, then recovering them had to be his top priority and would be worth any risk short of being discovered.
Neil, where did you put them?
The owner of some of those pieces might— He should have never let Neil talk him into stealing them from the wife of a mob boss. Rumor had it the man liked his victims to bleed to death. Slowly.
The jewelry could never be found. He would have to ensure that. So far they had been hidden well enough, even though in the last few days several people were looking for them. The authorities didn’t have tangible proof yet that more pieces existed, so eventually they’d give up and figure they had already found everything. If he tried to search and revealed that someone else was involved beyond Neil and Craig, it would create trouble and keep the search going.
Maybe Neil had done one thing right and hidden them well enough they would never be found. Maybe it was better to do nothing. Jonathan pushed his coffee cup aside. He was taking a nasty risk no matter which he chose. Was this over?
He left the restaurant and walked back to the hotel, then stopped at the desk to ask for messages and that his bill be prepared.
If he did come back to Silverton, it would be because trouble had arrived and the jewels had been found. He’d be forced again to act to protect himself.
They said the second murder was easier than the first. He didn’t want to have to find out…
Twenty-five
MONDAY, JUNE 10
SILVERTON
Meghan curled her bare feet into the living-room carpet, enjoying the warmth of the sun. In the last few weeks as summer arrived, this room had become her favorite place to spend her afternoons. She walked over and nudged out her piano bench with her foot, reached forward to search the piano top to find her coaster, and carefully set down her glass of ice water. She turned on the cassette player and listened to Mrs. Teal’s last lesson in order to hear the song played correctly. Mrs. Teal made this sound so easy.
Meghan found the opening chords and began her hour of practice. Someday she’d be able to play the song without jarring mistakes. She loved “Amazing Grace.” And the fact Stephen had mentioned it had been a favorite of his mom’s, she so wanted to be able to play it smoothly.
He likes me…he likes me a lot…he loves me… She paused to run a scale. Jesus, where’s this heading? Stephen has got me so off balance. She loved her job, her home, and the hope for a husband and family was a lifelong dream. Maybe it was finally drawing near…she sure hoped so.
Blackie barked. Meghan pushed back the bench and shut off the cassette player. JoAnne was coming over this morning to help her hang pictures. She knocked over the water glass. Meghan instinctively shoved her arm across the top of the piano to push the water off the piano top before it flowed down and into the keyboard. She knocked the metronome, the empty cassette box, her little bear, and the photo she kept there of Jonathan and Mrs. Teal from a high school concert to the floor.
She hurried into the kitchen and grabbed the roll of paper towels. She tore off squares to dry the spill. Accidents happened, even to people who could see. It just had to be the piano, the one thing she treasured most in her house.
As she came back into the living room she missed her location cues and struck her knee hard on the piano bench, then yelped as it tumbled over and struck her foot. She pulled back and stepped on something.
Meghan froze. Wanting to kick something in frustration, she forced herself to stand still and absorb the wave of emotion that came at such blindness-caused clumsiness. She eased back from the disaster, knelt to see what she had just destroyed, hoping it wasn’t the picture frame, and reached out toward broken glass fragments.
She had broken the metronome. The wood had cracked at the base. She tried to sort out how badly the wood had separated and if the metronome would still keep time. The bar that swung back and forth wouldn’t move. She pushed at it and felt the device come apart in her hands. Something that landed in her palm felt wrong. What in the world?
Velvet. She closed her hand around the unexpected item and set the rest of the broken device on the floor. The velvet was taped and when she opened it, she found herself holding a ring. It felt like a woman’s ring—slender, a big stone, and what felt like a modern setting. A ring, in her metronome. Neil’s piano… Neil’s metronome.
She was holding a stolen ring.
Neil, no. Why did you have to be a thief?
She had thought it was over, the searches having turned up only the ring in the barn and the brooch in Neil’s apartment. Dave and Kate had gone back to Chicago weeks ago, comfortable they had found everything.
Should she call Stephen? The sheriff?
She tucked the ring in her pocket, carefully stood, and walked into the kitchen. She dialed from memory. Dave would be back in town this weekend to do her a favor regarding the jewelry store as she prepared to complete her work with the estate. “Kate, I’ve got a ring in my hand that is likely another of Neil’s stashed pieces. Could you come with Dave this weekend and take a look?”<
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Joseph looked over the edge of the ravine and shook his head as he stepped back.
“The boy just had to break his leg when he was all the way down there, instead of tripping at the top of the trail.”
Stephen hoisted the ropes to his shoulder and smiled at his new partner. “Want me to lead the way to break your fall, or shall I hold the safety rope so you don’t crash to the bottom like he did?”
“The kid is my nephew, so I guess I should do the honors. I’ll take the lead. You would figure he’d have listened when I warned him. This loose shale will do it to you every time.”
“What’s down there that’s so fascinating?”
“An old coal mine. It’s kind of like Silverton’s equivalent to a haunted house. A couple miners died down there in the 1930s, and their ghosts are the legend behind all kinds of stories the kids tell to spook each other.”
Stephen accepted the water bottle from Joseph.
“I’ve got the splints and litter. Let’s go get him.” Joseph moved over to the start of the steep trail and began his descent. Stephen watched his footing and followed. A cop and two other teens were already down there with the boy. It was good to be back working as a paramedic. And his partner had been doing the job for decades. Stephen liked being the junior man on the team for a change.
Splint the boy’s leg, carry him out, transport him to the hospital to get his leg x-rayed and set— They’d be done with this run by two. That left plenty of time to stop by and see Meghan and tease a smile out of her when he turned in paperwork.
He started whistling as he slid down a particularly steep six feet of the path. Meg liked to hear about the job runs and he enjoyed talking to her about his day. He slapped at a mosquito and scowled at the swarm of them ahead of him. He’d forgotten the bug spray again.
Kate pushed open the door to the jewelry store Saturday morning, smiling as she caught Meghan and Stephen standing a step closer than just friends, Stephen’s hand idly rubbing Meghan’s shoulder as they talked. Her brother looked…content. Kate hadn’t seen that relaxed expression and stance since before Jennifer died. She nearly stepped back outside rather than interrupt them.
Stephen half turned. “Hi, Kate.” He reached for a spot below his shoulder. “Right about there.” Meghan scratched his back. “Oh…perfect, now down a bit to the left.” He sighed. “I walked through a swarm of mosquitoes this week and the bites are driving me crazy.”
“He forgot to use repellant and now he’s paying for it. But I think he just wants to be pampered a bit,” Meghan added, leaning against Stephen’s back to rest her chin on his shoulder. “You made good time, Kate. Was the drive okay?”
Kate looked from Meg to Stephen and walked over to the table and set down her coffee. “Dave and I left early so we could stop often. Are we the first ones here, or has Jack arrived?”
“He’s measuring the truck now to figure out how to load the workbench. I’d better go help him out.” Stephen reached back and held Meg’s hand. “You’ve got everything you need?”
“Yes. Don’t drop that thing on someone’s foot when you haul it out.”
“We won’t.”
Stephen shook his finger in silent caution as he went by and Kate smiled back, planning to ignore the warning. Something had definitely changed here in the last few weeks, and Stephen wasn’t talking.
Meghan touched the counter and oriented herself. “Kate, I’ve got the ring back in the vault. Would you like to see it now or does Dave need me to do paperwork?”
“He’s still making a couple calls squaring away details, so we’ve got time. How does Stephen like being a paramedic again?”
Meg laughed. “He loves it, even though he takes every opportunity to make a big deal about the calls.” She led the way through the jewelry store to the back repair room. The shelves were about empty and the worktables cleared.
Meghan opened the vault door and retrieved the box from the second shelf. “Here’s the ring I found.”
Kate turned on the powerful lighted magnifying glass and Meghan brought her the ring. Kate turned it slowly, studying every detail. “It’s gold with the inscription: I have, I hold. The words don’t strike me as a particularly romantic phrase. The diamond is nice size though.”
“It didn’t show up anywhere in Neil’s registry. Do you think it was stolen?”
“It’s a more modern setting than the last stone, and the inscription should be easy enough to track down if a report was filed. I’ll take it with me, if that’s okay.”
“Of course. Given this is the third piece found, I have to figure there will be more pieces turning up in random places. We never stopped to think about the number of items Neil gave away over the years.”
“It’s hard to know when these discoveries will end. Thanks for calling me.” Kate carefully put the ring away.
Jack strode into the workroom, followed by Stephen. Jack leaned over the massive workbench in the center of the room to see how the brace was secured. “Do you really have to have this workbench?” He shoved it and barely moved the bench a few inches.
“It will be perfect at the barn,” Stephen said.
“And I need the floor space,” Meghan added. “I can’t sell this building with that thing still here.”
“Well if we do get it to the barn, it’s going to stay there,” Jack declared. “This is a monster. How do we do this?”
“Tip it on its side and shove it through the door?”
“Getting it on the truck will be the tricky part.” Jack put his entire weight against one end of the bench to get it to tip. “Meg, you might want to keep Blackie back. I’d hate to step on a foot or a tail.”
She snapped her fingers and the dog moved to her side.
Stephen shoved and the bench began to move. They walked it toward the doorway.
“Watch the door frame,” Jack cautioned.
“I’m watching it. There’s no clearance for fingers.” Stephen heaved to get it over the rise.
Kate leaned back against the wall. “Guys look good flexing muscles and sweating,” she commented for Meghan’s benefit. “I’ve got good-looking brothers.”
“Thanks for the visual.”
Kate laughed.
“Hold it, Jack. This isn’t going to work. We can’t clear the display case.”
“Let me see.” He shoved the workbench back. “We can fix this. Meg, where’s the power screwdriver?” Jack called. “I need to take out a glass door and two handles.”
“The toolbox is behind the counter.”
“Thanks.”
The security guard squeezed around the guys. “Miss Delhart, the armored truck is here.”
“Thanks, Lou. Kate, JoAnne left the tally sheets in the top drawer of the file cabinet.”
Kate pushed away from the wall to stand straight. She would be so glad when she delivered this child. She couldn’t see her feet and her balance was off. She felt great for the first time in months; she just couldn’t walk without thinking about her balance. She found the documents and flipped to the final page. “Wow. You weren’t kidding about the appraisals.”
“Neil had some good pieces.”
Kate looked up as her husband came in. “It’s a good thing they sent two security guards.”
Dave accepted the list. “Are you sure you’re ready to do this, Meghan?”
“I’ll be incredibly relieved to have it over. You’ll need to check each piece against the list, make sure we didn’t miss anything.” Meghan opened the vault door and picked up two black hard-sided cases stored inside. “Thank you for this.”
“I’m riding back to Chicago with my wife and following an armored truck with a million dollars in jewels. I can think of harder ways to spend an afternoon. We’ll sign them over to the wholesale buyer and call you when the delivery is complete.”
“It’s a huge load off my shoulders to have this done.”
“Have you decided on the next step here?” Dave asked.
“Dad h
as decided to use some of the estate gift to expand the clinic. We’ll start looking for a doctor to join the practice.”
“That sounds like a good plan. Kate, hold on to the list and I’ll take these cases outside.”
Meghan used a brick to brace open the vault door so it would air out. “Would you check to make sure I haven’t missed anything?”
“Sure.” Kate found a flashlight and checked the back corners of the drawers and edges of the shelves. “I think you were smart to work with one dealer to take all the pieces.”
“It ends it at least. It’s awful to say after all Neil’s years of effort that I’ll be relieved to have his business liquidated, but I will. The realtor already has a possible buyer for the property.”
Kate looked around to make sure Stephen was still outside. “Have you decided if you’ll come with Stephen to Jack’s wedding?”
“I’m still thinking about it.”
“Come, please. We’d love for you to be there.”
“It’s a big deal, Kate.”
“I know. I need you to come, Meg. Stephen will be the last O’Malley not married, and I don’t want him to be there alone. I don’t know how he’ll be feeling at the end of the weekend when he leaves to drive back here. I’d rather he had someone with him.”
“When you put it that way—yes, I’ll talk to Stephen and come.”
Meghan pushed a broom across the now open floor area, finishing the cleanup. She was amazed that Jack and Stephen had been able to move the workbench in one piece. She was sure they’d have to take it apart to have any chance of getting it out of the room.
The problem with going to the O’Malley weddings was the drive to town and back with Stephen, being the focus of his attention for the weekend. That amount of time would either move them a huge step closer together or something would happen that brought out just how hard it really was to have a relationship with a blind lady. She bit her bottom lip and shoved at the broom.
It was one thing to dream, another to realize a dream might be coming true. What had been easy to dismiss earlier now had to be dealt with. She’d be on unfamiliar territory and would have to depend on Stephen for so many details just to get around.
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