Page 9 of A Breath of Life (Shadowy Solutions #4)

From there, the jeweler proceeded to use calipers on the gemstones, followed by a strange laser device, and a second laser-type device on the card itself. He then flipped it over and conducted further analysis on the back.

The process took longer than I expected, although I had no idea how long an appraisal typically took.

The chime on the door rang at intervals as customers came and went.

Joshua’s focus broke each time as he inspected the newcomer before returning to his work.

The customers browsed the display cases and asked questions to the woman we’d first met.

A few greeted Echo when they noticed her.

A man inquiring about engagement rings caught my attention, and I remembered Tallus’s joking comment from earlier. Fearing he might have been serious, I shoved the memory away and locked it into a vault inside my head. I didn’t have the bandwidth to deal with something of that magnitude right now.

Echo soaked up the attention she received but never moved from her spot at my side.

No one tried to pet her, so for once, I didn’t have to grump at anyone.

Her weight against my leg grounded me. When I needed extra support, she was within reach, and I ran my fingers through her fur or scratched her floppy ear.

Echo defused my hair-trigger temper without even trying.

She calmed the storms that had raged inside me all my life.

I didn’t know how I had lived without her.

Tallus and I shared looks on occasion as we waited for Joshua’s verdict. All we had gotten from the man so far were scattered hums and annoying mouth noises that meant nothing. I earned a few wary glances, but that was typical.

Tallus seemed to grow bored and studied the contents of the display cases as he wandered about.

I studied him, curious what he was thinking, returning to that troubling conversation about rings. Fucking rings. Really? He wanted a fucking ring? A proposal? A wedding?

Nope. Process later.

After a time, Joshua set down a final instrument and rested his hands on the counter, bracketing the card. “Well, this is quite unique. Exquisite, to be honest. I’ve, um… never seen anything like it. The quality is simply superb.”

Instantly alert, Tallus leaned against the counter and glanced between the card and the jeweler. “What’s it made of? ”

“Well…” Joshua stood taller, if not stiffer, than before.

“The main body, the black, is titanium, but its craftsmanship is incredible. The cuts and angles are marvelous. Precise. A sophisticated patterning, and it makes a lovely backdrop. The inner core of the card is crafted from twenty-four-carat gold. It’s not plated, but filled, which significantly increases its value.

I honestly didn’t believe it at first, but the marking I discovered is authentic and accurate. ”

He offered Tallus the magnifying device and showed him where it was located.

“What does that mean?” I asked. “Filled?”

“When something is gold-filled as opposed to gold-plated, it means the layer is much thicker. At least five percent, which makes it more durable and also more expensive. Now, the inlaid spade. This is outstanding. It’s—”

“Silver, right?” Tallus said, handing back the instrument.

Joshua shook his head with a tight grin. “No. It’s platinum.”

Tallus’s eyes bugged. “No fucking way.”

“Indeed. Exquisite, like I said, and engraved beautifully. The artistry is wonderous.” Joshua carefully turned the card to show the design on the back.

“Here we have more gold and titanium. Again, the craftsmanship is superb. The interlocking pieces flow flawlessly into one another. It’s smooth and elegant.

” At this, he ran a gloved finger over the surface.

“No ridges, except where it’s engraved within the spade on the other side.

The stones here are pure onyx. Truly magnificent. ”

“What’s it worth?” I cared less about the breakdown than I did the final verdict.

Joshua whistled, brows raising as he waffled his head from side to side. “There are more tests to be done, and I would want to consult with a colleague before giving you—”

“Ballpark,” I interrupted. “I don’t need exact figures. Give me a rough estimate.”

Joshua gnawed his lip and stared into the middle distance for a beat. “Knowing what I know. I would say… roughly ten to fifteen grand. Likely more.”

Not caring about fancy gloves and smudging the precious metals, I grabbed the card and leather pouch off the counter and handed them to Tallus. “Put it away. Now we know. Let’s get out of here.”

Tallus, visibly stunned by the estimate and gawping like a fish, didn’t immediately register my statement. Knowing my boyfriend, he was likely tripping over dollar signs inside his head.

When the gears finally caught, Tallus fumbled and sputtered as he put the card back in its pouch. “T-ten to fifteen grand ? Are you sure?”

Joshua smirked. “At least, and I would lean more to the latter number. Like I said, possibly more.”

“That’s… Oh my god. D… D, did you… Is this… We have to… Oh, wow, I’m dizzy.” He clutched the counter. Tallus was officially broken.

I snagged his arm to keep him upright and addressed Joshua. “I assume this meeting is protected under client confidentiality?”

The man frowned and hesitated, flashing his gaze once at a flabbergasted Tallus before responding. “I… That’s not a thing in the jewelry industry. In fact, by law, if we suspect—”

I leaned over the counter, getting in the man’s space and making him stumble back a step.

“Make it a thing, or I won’t be back.” Lowering my voice, I added, “I could be a rich man in a few days, and my boyfriend, as you can see, has a hard-on for expensive shit, including jewelry, apparently. I can always take my business somewhere else.”

Joshua might have been too posh for my liking, but he wasn’t stupid, and I suspected he made most of his money on commission.

Standing straighter and nodding furiously, he stammered, “My lips are sealed. P-please, take my card.” Rooting around the countertop, he found what he was looking for, and with a noticeable tremble in his hands, he held a slim business card between us.

I tore it from his grasp and skimmed the details before meeting the jeweler’s eyes. “Thank you for your time, Mr. Stroud.”

Yanking Tallus by the arm, I left the store. My boyfriend stumbled to keep up, staring after Joshua the entire time while blubbering, “Ten to fifteen grand? Ten to fifteen grand. Did you hear that? That can’t be right. Or more , he said. You heard that, too? I didn’t imagine it?”

On the street, I removed the leather pouch from Tallus’s hand with intentional nonchalance, not wanting to draw attention.

I tucked it into the same pocket containing my wallet, ensuring it was secure.

Something told me it wasn’t wise to leave such a valuable item in Tallus’s care.

Money made him stupid, and according to Joshua Stroud, the card was worth a lot of it.

Tallus didn’t seem to have the capacity to stop me, his gaze far away, likely imagining all he could buy with that sum of money. Not bothering to snap him out of his fantasy world, I dragged him toward the Jeep as I pondered what this meant.

The card was worth a decent amount. Nothing life-changing, but as a price tag on an item that a man had requested we toss in the garbage, it raised a lot of questions. Even Jeweler Joshua seemed taken aback by its magnificence.

In the Jeep and more coherent, Tallus faced me and announced, “We need to find a buyer.”

“No.”

“No?”

“It’s not ours.”

“It is ours. Hello? Finders keepers, losers weepers. Did you learn nothing in kindergarten? That man in the alley didn’t want it.

He insisted we take it and get rid of it.

Ownership has officially transferred hands.

To ours. It’s in our hands. We own that card, and we need to find a buyer because baby needs a new pair of shoes.

And pants. Christ, I could get a whole new wardrobe with that kind of cash. ”

“Tallus, think about it. Why did that man want us to get rid of it? ”

“Don’t care. Doesn’t matter. None of our business.”

I growled under my breath. “It is our business. That card is likely stolen. He didn’t want to be caught with it, so he thrust his problem onto us. We were supposed to dispose of it. We had a plan coming here, and we will follow the plan and see if someone has reported it missing.”

Tallus pressed his lips together, indignation on the surface. “Or…” he held up a finger before I could cut him off, “we sell it.”

“For fuck’s sake. No! The police can trace sales, and if it’s listed in the system as stolen, it will take no time for it to ping on their radar.

The next thing we know, we’ve got the cops pounding down our door, and we’re arrested for fencing stolen goods.

That’s over ten years in prison, Tallus.

Do you want to spend ten years sharing a cell with a sex-deprived pervert?

Because I promise you, your perky little ass won’t survive one day behind bars without being violated. ”

He crossed his arms and sulked, but I didn’t care. Tallus didn’t always see the consequences of his spontaneous actions and required me to paint vivid pictures before he understood. Even then, when it involved large sums of money, he struggled to see beyond the dollar signs.

Tallus wasn’t finished arguing. “What if we sold it anonymously on the black market?”

“What the fuck do you know about the black market?”

“Absolutely nothing, but my cousin—”

“Works for the police department. No.”

“He might take a cut to keep his mouth shut.”

“Tallus, we’re not selling it. We’re not diverting from the plan.”

“It was a stupid plan.”

“We got the card appraised. It’s not a hunk of junk. It’s worth something, so—”

“It’s worth fifteen grand!”

“I heard him.”

“Or more.”

I squeezed the steering wheel, and Echo whimpered from the back seat, licking my ear.

I gave her a pat and told her I was okay.

Regulating my temper, I continued. “This is what we’re going to do.

We’re going to go home and do research to see if someone has reported it stolen.

If it happened recently, it might take a couple of days to show up in the system.

It’s not a ring or a necklace. Those are dime-a-dozen finds.

This is unique. It stands out. I guarantee the guy in the alley pilfered it from whatever fancy fucking event he was attending while wearing those stupid clothes.

If we’re lucky, the owner rewards our good deed.

If he doesn’t, oh well. We keep our asses out of prison and go on with our merry fucking lives. ”

Still pouting, Tallus asked, “What if no one ever reports it missing or stolen?”

I washed a hand over my face. “I don’t know, Tallus. Maybe we can locate the guy from the alley and return it to him.”

“But he didn’t want it. He gave it to us.”

“He was delirious and dying. He didn’t know what he was talking about.”

We were arguing in circles. Tallus saw a future of prosperity, and I saw the inside of a prison cell. We were not the same people.

“What if—” he started.

“No. Conversation over.”

“But—”

I growled, and Tallus pinned me with a look of contempt. “Fine. For now. You’re a big bully, you know that.”

“A big bully who is trying to keep you from being someone’s prison girlfriend.”

“Whatever.”

Without another word, I started the Jeep and took us home.