by Paul Regnier
“Alright, we’re even.”
Ellie Greyson’s display booth was smaller than I’d expected. The glass-fronted black case that housed the gemstones wasn’t much bigger than a chess board. Ellie stood a few yards behind the display booth, speaking with a young couple. She was in her early thirties, with windswept black hair. She was a lifelong resident of Crystal Falls, and my mom undoubtedly knew her life history, but I’d only met her in passing a few times. I also had a vague memory of her babysitting me as a kid.
Ellie’s uncle, Jacob Hammond, stood beside the booth in his security guard uniform. His salt and pepper crew cut was perfectly even, like he’d walked under a buzz saw. He was in his late fifties, and his six foot two, bulky frame looked slightly deflated, as though it had outlived the old glory days of high school football, and yearned for retirement. His stoic face swept the crowd, apparently gauging the threat of every passerby. He nodded at us as we approached, then went back to his sentry duty.
“Did you see that?” I whispered. “He gave me that look again.”
Brooke raised a brow. “You’re paranoid.”
Several close-up photos of the gemstones were spread out on the table next to the display case. Beside them were informational brochures with historical narratives of the gemstones’ discovery in Emerald Creek, Idaho, the details of their cut and polish, and a million other boring facts about how they ended up here.
Two soft spotlights focused on the gems behind the glass. There were three rows of polished, oval stones. The close-up photos of the gemstones showcased dark purple, galaxy-like formations with star highlights. In person, however, they seemed much darker.
“Are these really worth eighty thousand dollars?” I asked.
Brooke shrugged. “Supposedly.”
“What’s the big deal?”
“I guess they’re pretty rare. At least for this size and clarity. Apparently, star garnets like these can only be found in Idaho or India.”
“Really? That’s wild.”
“Yep.”
“Officer Casey.” Ellie Greyson walked over in jeans and a snug sweater. She was the pretty, girl-next-door type that I’d expect to see in a lemonade commercial. There was a sultry confidence about her that told me she’d been complimented on her looks a few too many times, and the world of hapless men was hers to conquer. Since I was already with my dream girl, her powers over me held little sway.
“Thanks for keeping an extra watch on things,” Ellie said.
Brooke nodded. “No problem. Just doing my job.”
“Well, I appreciate it. Sorry if this is spreading you thin. I know there’s other security issues to focus on.”
“It’s okay. It’s one of my stops as I circle the park.”
Ellie turned her attention to me. She held my gaze for a second longer than a typical, friendly glance. “Aren’t you Luke Cooper?”
“Yeah.”
“Remember me? I used to babysit you when you were seven.”
Brooke grinned as she turned to me. “Really? How was he?”
“He was a little stinker.” Ellie winked. “Used to get into everything. And so many questions. Always asking his cute little questions.”
Brooke chuckled. “Not much has changed.”
“Yep,” I said. “And my questions are still just as cute.”
“I’ll bet.” Ellie gave me a warm smile, her eyes going slightly bedroom. “I haven’t seen you in a while. How are you?”
“Good. Moved back recently. Writing articles for the Chronicle now.”
“That’s great. How’s your mom doing?”
“Fine. She’s around here somewhere. Said she’d stop by.”
She paused a moment, holding my gaze. “I’m really glad you’re back in town. You know, a bunch of us are meeting at The Shovel and Pan in the morning for breakfast buffet. You should totally come.”
“Oh, well, maybe.”
“Perfect.” She smiled. “I’ll be there at eight. We can catch up over breakfast.”
“Well, we’re headed to the other side of the park.” Brooke slid her arm under mine. “I’ll stop by a little later and check on things.”
Ellie glanced down at our hooked arms and gave a slight grin. “Okay, sounds good. Thanks.”
Brooke led me away from the booth with a subtle but definite pull.
“Didn’t you want to see the gemstones?” I asked.
“I saw enough.”
“We were there for like, thirty seconds.”
“A minute longer and Ellie would’ve bared her claws and lunged at you.”
I laughed. “Oh, come on. That’s probably just her thing to throw guys off. You know, flirt it up, get the guy all confused, watch him squirm. Isn’t that a thing?”
“You mean like, a woman thing?” She arched a brow.
“No. I mean, some women. Not all. Not you.”
She shook her head. “Just keep digging that hole, Luke.”
“Um. Can I buy you some cotton candy? Popcorn? A pony?”
She gave me a playful squint. “Keep talking.”
“I can launch into some free verse poetry if you’d like.”
“Don’t ruin it.” She held my arm a little tighter. “Just win me that bear.”
“Deal.”
A leisurely stroll with Brooke through the grassy park, under a moonlit sky, was one of those moments in life I never wanted to end. Her arm linked with mine was the most comforting thing I’d felt in years. There was an easy compatibility with her that made conversation both relaxing and stimulating. Would I have to admit to Mom that the silent auction was actually fun?
As we finally zeroed in on the ring toss, I stopped by a popcorn stand and ordered a jumbo size, which was basically the size of a bucket. I usually avoided that much popcorn, unless I was sharing and about to sit through a two hour movie. In a carnival type setting, a snack container this large might as well come with a head strap, so people could wear it like a feed bag.
“Hungry?” asked Brooke, as the vendor handed me the popcorn.
“Not really.” I motioned to the vendor. “Can I get one more jumbo container?”
The vendor handed me an empty container, and I slid the full bucket inside it.
“Does this mean we’re splitting?” Brooke said.
I held the full bucket toward her. “Help yourself. I only want a handful.”
She furrowed her brow. “So, naturally, you got the biggest size they had.”
“Yep.” I crooked my arm toward hers. “Shall we?”
She shook her head and took my arm. “Maybe it’s better if I ask less questions.”
All too soon, we arrived at the ring toss booth. Several giant teddy bears hung from the ceiling, smiling down at me as if any attempt to win them was laughable. It was a standard carnival booth with a waist high wooden counter, and a myriad of stuffed animals fastened to the walls and hanging overhead. A tight field of empty glass soda bottles was assembled in close rows beyond the counter.
A skinny teen with bushy red hair leaned against the side of the booth behind the counter, spinning a red ring around his finger. He watched our approach with zero enthusiasm.
“Win a prize for your girlfriend?” The teen delivered his sales pitch like a yawn.
“Oh.” Brooke motioned between us. “I’m not actually his–”
I slapped a twenty dollar bill on the counter. “You bet. Hook me up.”
The teen glanced at my money, then pointed to the hanging sign above that listed game fees. “You get twenty rings for five bucks. You want eighty rings?”
“Yep.” I leaned back and smiled.
He shook his head. “Alrighty.” He brought out several stacks of plastic rings until multiple towers of red, green, and blue totaled eighty. “Good luck.”
“Thanks.” I removed the empty jumbo bucket from the popcorn filled one and handed the full one to Brooke. “Popcorn?”
She grabbed the container. “Sure. This looks like it could take a while.”
> “Nah. I’ll win on my first try.”
“Really? Then why would you buy all ... You know what, no more questions. I’m just going to enjoy the show.” She motioned toward the counter. “Carry on.”
“Sure thing.” I held the empty bucket under the lip of the counter and used my forearm to sweep the rings into it.
“Hey.” The teen peered over the counter, finally showing an ounce of interest in something. “What the heck, bro?”
I lifted the bucket full of rings to my side. “I’m just playing the game. You might want to step back.”
The teen took a reflexive step backward. I heaved the bucket forward like I was throwing water on a fire. Eighty plastic rings arced over the counter and landed in a torrent of clinking sounds on the glass bottles. Most of the rings bounced and fell to the ground, but two of them found their way around the mouths of the bottles.
Brooke chuckled. “I don’t believe it.”
“Told you,” I said. “First try.”
“Bro,” The teen broke out in an actual smile. “That was sick.”
“Thanks.” I pointed to the giant teddy bears hanging from the edge of the roof. “One please.”
“You got it.” He grabbed a long metal pole and moved to retrieve a bear.
“I can’t believe you actually won me a bear.” Brooke smiled, taking a couple of steps closer, until she was within kissing range. “Where’d you learn that trick?”
“Circus freaks. They talk.” My mind spun on whether this was the right time to make a move.
“Is that so?” Her eyes locked onto mine.
Was she inviting a kiss? Was she just being flirtatious? My heart beat at double speed. It was now or never.
A loud boom echoed through the park. Brooke spun away, her hand resting on the grip of her pistol. Brilliant streams of red glittered in the sky. The fireworks show had begun.
Brooke’s shoulders relaxed, her hand leaving the pistol grip. “Wish they’d give us a warning before they start lighting those things off.”
“No kidding.” A half smile formed on my lips. The moment had passed. I’d missed my chance.
Several more booms echoed through the park as bright streams of multi-colored light exploded in the sky. I snapped a couple of quick photos with my phone.
“If we head over to the gazebo, there’s less trees in the way,” I said. “Should get a better view.”
She nodded. “Okay.”
A woman’s scream pierced the air. Without a moment's hesitation, Brooke sprinted in the direction of the scream. I followed after her, weaving my way between the people around us.
A cloud of thick smoke rose just ahead. We converged on a tangle of people, some fleeing the smoke, some moving closer out of curiosity. At the epicenter of the confusion was Ellie Greyson’s star garnet display booth.
Brooke called for people to step aside, and I followed her through the gap in the crowd. The smoke seemed to be thinning out, but it was still difficult to see. I started coughing and lifted my shirt over my face to block the smoke. My eyes stung, filling with tears.
As we broke through the gathering, I noticed several things at once. The display case of gemstones was missing, and Ellie Greyson and her Uncle Jacob were on their hands and knees, coughing and crawling to safety.
“Help him.” Brooke motioned to Jacob as she went for Ellie.
I slung the man’s arm around my shoulders and followed Brooke as we led them away from the billowing smoke.
Chapter 2
After several minutes, the chaos died down and the smoke disappeared. Brooke had called in the disturbance immediately, and officers were on the scene doing a sweep of the park and closing down the auction. Most of the townspeople had already left in a chorus of grumbles and second hand rumors about the theft.
Brooke had already questioned some of the bystanders, leaving Ellie and her Uncle Jacob for the final interviews. They sat on plastic chairs near the star garnet booth, still occasionally coughing in the aftermath of the smoke grenades.
Kenny and Bandit had joined me soon after the confusion began, and I had filled them in on what I knew so far. Brooke kept saying we needed to leave soon, but I was pushing for more time, hanging around to try and figure out what happened.
“This is nuts,” Kenny said. “Probably the biggest heist in Crystal Falls history.”
“Heist?” I said. “That doesn’t sound right. A heist is with like a team of guys that break into a museum or something. This is more like grand theft.”
“Isn’t that with cars?”
“That’s Grand Theft Auto. You play too many video games.”
“Okay, fine. Maybe it’s a robbery.”
“Pretty sure a robbery is at gunpoint.”
“Maybe you don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Oh, and you do?”
Bandit let out a soft woof. Well, all the food stands are closed. Guess that means it’s time to go.
I patted his head. Soon, buddy. I just want to eavesdrop a little on Brooke’s interview. She’s about to question Ellie and Jacob.
Sounds boring. How long will it take?
Just a couple minutes.
Can I sniff around a little? Probably lots of good scraps in the grass. Hot dogs, popcorn, bacon wrapped goodies.
First, I need you to do something for me.
Okay. What do I get in return?
Why does there have to be strings attached? Can’t you just do me a favor?
Of course. But bacon always sweetens the deal.
Fine. I’ll give you a piece of bacon. Now, can you go sniff around that booth? I pointed to Ellie’s booth.
Is that where you hid the bacon?
No, no. There’s no bacon. Bacon is at home. Focus Bandit. Right now, I need you to pick up a scent. Someone stole something over there and I need you to help me find the criminal. I bent down and unfastened his leash. Can you do that for me?
I’ll do my best. Bandit trotted over to Ellie’s booth and sniffed along the surrounding area.
Kenny watched Bandit walk away. “Where’s he going?”
“Um…” I fumbled for an explanation. “He acts a certain way when he picks up a scent. I figured he might be able to track something down.”
“Well, I’ll be.” Kenny nodded in admiration. “I didn’t know he was a tracking dog. I thought that was like bloodhounds and beagles and stuff.”
“Oh, all dogs can track to some degree.” I spoke with confidence, even though I had no idea what I was talking about. “I’ve worked with Bandit a little over the years. He’s gotten really good.”
“Man, that dog just keeps getting cooler and cooler.”
Brooke sat down next to Ellie and Jacob, and took out her pad and pen.
“Shh.” I nudged Kenny. “I want to hear this.”
I edged a little closer so I could overhear the conversation. Brooke asked them to recount recent events.
“I don’t know what happened.” Ellie sipped from a water bottle, her hands shaking. “The fireworks started, and I watched a few of them, but then these weird pops went off.”
“Pops?” Brooke said.
“Yeah, I don’t know. Like a couple champagne bottles or something. Next thing I knew there was smoke everywhere. I couldn’t see anything, and it was hard to breathe.” She motioned to Jacob. “Uncle Jacob helped me to get out of the smoke.”
Brooke turned to Jacob. “That sound about right?”
“Yeah, I heard the popping sounds too. Probably some kind of smoke bomb. Couldn’t see anyone in that smoke. By the time I noticed the gemstone case was gone, I’d already breathed in too much. I felt dizzy and I knew I had to focus on helping Ellie out of there.”
Brooke jotted down notes. “Did anyone look unusual to you tonight? Anything seem out of the ordinary, or was there anyone who stayed by the booth longer than normal?”
“I don’t think so.” Ellie took another sip of water. “I mean, maybe, I don’t know. It’s hard to th
ink straight.”
Brooke patted her hand. “It’s okay. You don’t have to tell me right now. Just think about it. If anything comes to mind, call me.”
Ellie nodded.
Brooke turned to Jacob. “How about you? Did you notice anyone unusual?”
He shook his head. “No one that triggered any red flags. Everyone seemed pretty friendly. Mostly families and couples.” He glanced at Ellie and frowned. “It makes me sick that this happened on my watch. If there’s anything I can do to help, please let me know.”
“Thank you,” said Brooke. “If you know anyone that took pictures or video around that time, or remember anything else about tonight that might be helpful, please call me.”
“Of course,” said Jacob.
Brooke was wrapping things up. It was time to go check on Bandit’s progress.
“Hey,” I nudged Kenny. “Let’s go see if Bandit’s picking up anything.”
“Um, actually I’m gonna hang back here. Make sure Ellie’s okay.”
I paused. “I didn’t know you guys were friends.”
“Well, good acquaintances. I see her now and then. I mean, when you grow up in the same town with someone, you know them even though you don’t really know them, you know?”
“You lost me. I’m gonna check on Bandit.” I headed closer to Ellie’s booth, being careful to keep enough distance so Brooke wouldn’t think I was disrupting the crime scene.
Bandit sniffed along the ground near the booth. He trotted around in zig-zag patterns, as if finding scents and then losing them.
Smell anything interesting? I looked toward Bandit.
He turned his furry head, then went right back to sniffing. Sure, lots of good stuff. Pieces of hot dog, taffy–
Not food scraps. Scents of people. Like the person that stole the gemstones.
Do you know how many humans walked by here tonight? How should I know which one was the thief?
I sighed. I suppose you’re right. Maybe this won’t work. Well, is there anything unusual? Anything that doesn’t seem quite right?
Not really. Unless. Wait. Here’s something. Bandit stopped and grabbed something in his teeth.
What are you doing? If it’s a clue don’t you dare eat it.
Okay, relax. He trotted toward me.