The Ghost Who Loved Diamonds

by Bobbi Holmes

  “Was Bill at the party?” Brian asked.

  “No. I didn’t invite him,” Danielle said.

  “But you invited Adam?” Brian asked.

  “I invited Marie. I consider her a friend. I understood Adam would probably be bringing her, but I didn’t think there would be a problem.”

  “Even with the necklace here?” Brian asked.

  “I figured stealing something that everyone knows exists is much riskier than taking a treasure that everyone assumed went missing years before. I didn’t think Adam was that type of a jewel thief.”

  “But you think he is responsible for your cousin’s disappearance?” Brian asked.

  “I’m beginning to think he isn’t as harmless as I originally thought. She left with him. Where did she go that night? She obviously didn’t walk back here and no one has come forward to say they saw her.”

  “I’d like to take this down to the station, so we can look through it down there.” Brian dropped the few items he had touched back into the suitcase and zipped it up.

  “I guess that’s okay,” Danielle said, looking to Joe for some sign of support.

  • • • •

  Brian tossed Cheryl’s suitcase into the trunk of the police car. When he got in the vehicle with Joe he asked, “Do you think this is just some publicity stunt?”

  “Absolutely not. I was there, remember? Danielle would have to be one hell of an actress to pull something like that off.”

  “She’s a good looking woman. You wouldn’t be the first cop to be sucked into some conniving woman’s web.”

  Joe laughed and turned on the ignition. “You’ve become jaded. And I think you’re totally off base, Brian.”

  “Have you talked to Bill and Adam about the Marlow House break-in?”

  “No. Danielle just told me about it this morning.”

  “I remember when Smith was a teenager. Arrested him a few times for drinking. He was a wise ass back then but never got into any real trouble. Can’t recall Adam Nichols ever being a problem. Aside from a few of the local dads wanting us to arrest him for seducing their daughters.”

  “How old were the daughters?” Joe asked.

  “Fourteen, fifteen. As I recall he had just turned eighteen. Had to have a good talk with him about jail bait.”

  “But you didn’t arrest him?” Joe asked.

  “Nah. He was just doing what teenage boys do. Maybe I should have a chat with Bill.”

  Joe glanced over at Brian who sat in the passenger side of the car. “What about?”

  “See what he says about Boatman’s break-in story. If Adam really did have his eye on that necklace, then maybe he isn’t as innocent as he professes.”

  “I seriously doubt Bill will have anything to say. As far as I can tell, Danielle’s sudden belief those two broke in is nothing more than her imagination working overtime. She’s grasping at straws because Cheryl and that necklace have gone missing.”

  “What about her story that she refused to pay Bill for the repair?”

  “Honestly, I’m not sure how to take that,” Joe confessed.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Danielle didn’t have to call the prospective buyer of the Missing Thorndike and tell him to postpone his visit to Frederickport until after the necklace was recovered. By Sunday, state, national and Internet news sources carried the story. Danielle suspected Ian’s initial article on Eva Thorndike helped boost interest in the necklace. Had Ian’s article never run, she doubted many would be interested in what appeared to be nothing but a family squabble over an inheritance. Danielle had intended to call the buyer Sunday night and tell him there was no reason for him to come, yet he called first, asking if the stories were true.

  Wearing the necklace to the open house proved to be far more successful a marketing tool than Danielle ever anticipated. Of course, she doubted it would have garnered such notice had Cheryl not taken off with it. Despite the attention Marlow House Bed and Breakfast received in the press—and the calls she was getting from prospective guests wanting to make a reservation—she was not taking advantage of the successful marketing stunt. A stunt, in Danielle’s opinion, that had gone horribly wrong.

  By the time Wednesday afternoon rolled by, Cheryl was still missing. The police had received numerous Cheryl sightings, yet none had panned out. It was as if she’d simply disappeared into thin air. There was no activity on any of her credit cards or bank accounts. According to Cheryl’s friends back in California, whom the police had contacted, none had seen or heard from Cheryl since she had left California for Oregon.

  Danielle kept thinking of Ian’s theory—Cheryl was hold up in some beach bungalow enjoying the attention she’d created while wearing the necklace like some princess, preening in front of the mirror. She could actually imagine Cheryl doing something like that, and she preferred thinking that was the case, because the alternative was too dark. She couldn’t believe Cheryl had actually stolen the necklace and made herself a fugitive; that made no sense at all. If she wasn’t playing some reckless game, it meant Cheryl was in real trouble.

  “I just turned down another reservation,” Lily said after hanging up the telephone in the parlor. She glanced over at Danielle who stared off into space, an open book in her hands. When Danielle didn’t respond, Lily said, “How’s your book?” Still no response. Raising her voice Lily asked, “Dani, enjoying your book?”

  Danielle jerked her head slightly, coming out of her fog, and looked over at Lily. A vacant expression on her face, she blinked her eyes and glanced down at her hands. Closing the book she tossed it on the floor and said, “Not really.”

  “Dani, are you sure you don’t want to start taking reservations? It might be good for you, help occupy your time.”

  Danielle sighed. “I just can’t focus on being a hostess. Not with Cheryl missing.”

  “It’s been five days, where do you think she went?”

  “I wish she hadn’t left her cellphone here. We might have been able to use it to track her.”

  “Maybe.” Lily shrugged. “So you still think something bad happened to her?”

  “I keep hoping she’s just kicking back somewhere punking us. But then…I don’t know…I don’t see her staying away this long for some silly prank. Cheryl gets bored easily.”

  “What’s going on with Adam?” Lily asked.

  “When I talked to Joe this morning, he said Adam is sticking with his story. And they really don’t have anything to charge him with. From what I hear, the publicity this thing has been receiving has given his rental business a boost. Seems everyone wants to rent that bungalow where Cheryl supposedly spent Friday night.”

  “Rather ironic, if you think about it,” Lily murmured.

  “How so?”

  “Well, one of your great fears about Ian’s article, before you found the necklace, was that your guests would be nothing but treasure hunters and come here for a chance to search the rooms and rip off paneling.”

  “I see what you mean. Some think Cheryl stashed the necklace in the beach bungalow. While I seriously doubt that’s the case, I have a feeling Adam doesn’t really care if his guests are treasure hunters or not, as long as they pay the rent on time.”

  The desk phone began to ring. Lily sighed. “Another reservation to turn away?” Picking up the receiver she said, “Hello, Marlow House Bed and Breakfast.”

  “Danielle Boatman?” a male voice asked.

  “Who can I say is calling?” Lily asked.

  “Her attorney, Clarence Renton.”

  Lily placed her hand over the receiver and looked at Danielle. “It’s your attorney, Mr. Renton.”

  Danielle got up from the sofa, walked to the desk and took the phone’s receiver from Lily. “Hello Mr. Renton.”

  “Hello Ms. Boatman. Can I assume your cousin is still missing?” he asked.

  “Unfortunately, yes. So far no trace of her.”

  “I’m afraid we have a little problem,” Mr. Renton began.
<
br />   “I have a big problem alright. Although I have a feeling you’re talking about something else. What’s wrong?”

  “A Marvin Burrows just left my office. He is Cheryl’s attorney from California.”

  “Does this mean she’s been in contact with him? Is she okay?”

  “No. According to Burrows he hasn’t heard from her. Apparently he wants to move ahead with her claim against the estate.”

  “I don’t understand. How can he do that without Cheryl?”

  “If he legally can is still to be determined, but I’m fairly confident of his motive.”

  “Which is?” Danielle asked.

  “His client is missing with a very valuable piece of jewelry, which legally belongs to you. I have a feeling he’s attempting to protect his client by establishing she has a legal right to the piece.”

  “If she and the necklace are missing, why does he care?”

  “I suspect he assumes she’s going to resurface, and when she does he wants to avoid her getting arrested and charged with theft. I think he’s just trying to protect her.”

  “Do you think she’s already contacted him?”

  “It’s possible. But he claimed he hasn’t heard from her since she left California.”

  “What do you want me to do?”

  “For the moment, nothing. Let me look into a few things.”

  “I was wondering—last week when I spoke to you about Cheryl’s claim, you told me you were going to check into it and get back with me the first of the week. With Cheryl and the necklace going missing, I haven’t really followed up with you. What did you find out?”

  “I’m still waiting to hear back on a few of my inquiries. When I find out something you’ll be the first to know. I just wanted you to be aware that Mr. Burrows is in town, and what his intentions are.”

  “Thank you Mr. Renton. I really appreciate all your help.”

  “That’s why I’m here, Ms. Boatman.”

  “What was that all about?” Lily asked when Danielle got off of the phone.

  “Apparently Cheryl’s attorney is in town. I assume it’s the same one who says she has a rightful claim to the estate. He intends to pursue her claim in her absence.”

  “Can he do that? And why would he?”

  “I don’t know. Mr. Renton thinks the attorney is trying to protect Cheryl. I guess he figures she’s going to show up, and when she does he doesn’t want her charged with theft. As part owner of the necklace I doubt the DA would press charges, especially if she returns the necklace to the estate.”

  “What if she returns without the necklace?”

  “I didn’t ask Mr. Renton about that. I would imagine a judge would probably order her to return it, but who really knows? I have no idea how this stuff works. Life was sure a heck of a lot easier when I thought my inheritance was just a house and a few bucks.”

  “Ian and Sadie are here,” Walt announced when he appeared in the room.

  “Here where?” Danielle asked.

  “Are you talking to me?” Lily asked.

  “No. Walt just came in. He said Ian and Sadie are here.”

  “I was looking out the window. They’re coming up the front walk.” Walt explained right before the doorbell rang.

  Lily jumped up to answer the door. A few moments later she led Sadie and Ian into the parlor.

  “I just returned from downtown, and Marlow House is all anyone is talking about,” Ian told them.

  “I guess in some perverse way your publicity stunt worked—too well. Of course, I always knew you had a knack for marketing,” Lily said.

  “Sure, all I have to do is arrange for people and valuable objects to go missing,” Danielle snorted.

  “Unfortunately the problem with situations like this is how people start spinning the stories. They can get out of control,” Ian said.

  “What do you mean?” Lily asked.

  “When I stopped at the market, I overheard two women discussing the Missing Thorndike. One woman was telling the other one that according to Samuel Hayman at the jewelry store, the entire thing was nothing but a publicity stunt.”

  “You’re kidding me! Why would he say that?” Danielle asked.

  “Was Sam still here when Cheryl took off?” Lily asked.

  “Yes. Actually, he came into the parlor when Cheryl put the necklace on,” Danielle said.

  “Unfortunately, that tends to lend credibility to Sam’s story, since he was here when Cheryl took off.”

  “Oh, let them talk. At this point I don’t care. The entire thing is making me ill,” Danielle groaned. “It doesn’t matter what they think.”

  “Unfortunately it does matter,” Ian corrected. “A few other patrons from the store joined the conversation and they started discussing how it was wrong for you to misuse the services of the local police department like this.”

  “What do you mean, misuse the police department?”

  “They’re convinced Hayman’s story is true, which means to them you’re fraudulently spending taxpayer’s money. Someone even suggested that if that’s proven, you should be fined to compensate for whatever the police department spent on its investigation.”

  “Why in the world would Samuel Hayman spread such a vicious story?” Lily asked.

  “I get the impression Hayman likes attention. Remember how he couldn’t wait to call the local paper and the police after we took him the necklace?” Ian reminded.

  “Marlow House is definitely getting way more attention than I ever hoped for—I just never imagined the attention might destroy my reputation.”

  “No one is going to run you out of town. But, there will always be people like those women gossiping at the market. I just thought you should know the rumors Hayman has been spreading. Joe knows this wasn’t some publicity scam,” Ian said.

  “What do I do about it?” Danielle asked.

  “Maybe talk with your attorney. He might have a little chat with Hayman and remind him people can be sued over spreading false rumors—especially rumors that can damage your business.”

  “At the moment I have no business.”

  “I’m sorry Danielle,” Walt said. “This is all my fault. I should have never suggested you wear the necklace to the open house. And I should never have taken my eyes off you and the necklace while it was in this house.”

  “No one has called for reservations?” Ian asked.

  “Are you kidding?” Lily said. “The phone has been ringing non stop all week with people wanting to stay here.”

  “That’s what I thought you told me the other day,” Ian said with a frown. “So why do you say you don’t have a business?”

  “Because Danielle refuses to take any reservations until Cheryl and the necklace resurface.”

  “What happens if they never do?” Ian asked.

  “Please don’t say that,” Danielle groaned.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  While driving down Main Street, Brian Henderson spied Bill Smith’s truck parked in front of Lucy’s Diner. On impulse, he made a quick U-turn and parked behind the vehicle. He didn’t get out of his car immediately. Instead, he sat there for a few minutes with his engine idling.

  Everything about this case irritated him. Initially he thought it was either a publicity stunt created by the cousins, or a family dispute. In either case, he didn’t appreciate wasting department resources on the antics of two obviously spoiled women.

  Cheryl had been missing almost a week now; she’d virtually vanished into thin air. Her car remained parked in front of Marlow House, there had been no activity on any of her credit cards and no one had seen her—at least, there had been no credible sighting. Cheryl’s attorney had shown up in town and was kicking up quite a ruckus down at the station—one minute demanding the arrest of Adam Nichols and in the next insisting Danielle Boatman was responsible for his client’s disappearance.

  Adam was the last one seen with Cheryl, yet they hadn’t been able to come up with any discrepancies in his s
tory. Even the wine supported Adam’s version. That piece of information had not been released to the public. Not even Danielle Boatman knew.

  Brian had to admit that had he been the one to show up on Adam’s doorstep on Saturday morning looking for Cheryl, he wouldn’t have considered having the wine analyzed. Perhaps he’d simply been a cop for too long and having the wine tested would have seemed more in line with TV-cop than reality. Yet, Joe was much younger than him—and more naive, considering he seemed unable to consider the possibility that this was some publicity stunt orchestrated by the cousins to garner more attention for Marlow House.

  After Adam claimed to have passed out after drinking just one glass of wine, Joe had taken the wine in to be analyzed. According to the test results the wine was laced with the date rape drug, Rohypnol. Judging by the amount of wine remaining in the bottle and second glass, only one glass of wine had been consumed. Those results forced Brian to take a fresh look at the case.

  He wondered who had been drugged—Cheryl or Adam? Had Adam drugged Cheryl, taken the necklace and then disposed of the body, perhaps tossing her in the ocean? Or had Cheryl drugged Adam, using him to throw off the police while she took off with an accomplice and disappeared?

  Brian chewed on both versions and kept coming back to Adam drugging Cheryl. That would explain why the tainted wine hadn’t already been disposed of. Adam would want evidence of it to support his story, whereas he would assume Cheryl would get rid of the tainted wine before taking off.

  Of course, if Adam’s story had been false, his lie could be exposed with a blood test to show Rohypnol wasn’t in his system—if one had been taken. The chief reluctantly agreed to have the wine tested, even though Brian thought it was a waste of time. However, they didn’t feel it necessary to have Adam’s blood tested. It was argued that if Adam had drugged the wine and then left it there to implicate Cheryl, he would have probably ingested some of the drug after disposing of Cheryl’s body.

  The only problem with Adam’s version was what Cheryl’s attorney had to say. According to him, Cheryl was a wealthy woman—worth far more than the Missing Thorndike. Therefore, why would she do something as stupid as publicly stealing a necklace?