Page 55 of Defending You

“So the smugglers…murderers were looking for something else?—”

“Evidence Charles Ballentine had collected?—”

“—and stumbled upon the necklace.”

“Exactly.” Cici dipped her head to punctuate the point. “A crime of convenience. I’m guessing the thief pocketed the things and never told the rest of the crew or…whatever you call a band of smugglers. I think he figured he’d take all the profit, but then he realized what he had and got spooked. He was afraid to sell it, so he just hid it.”

“You think it’s been…what? Shoved in the back of a drawer?”

“That’s exactly what I think. Hold on. I’ll show you.” She went inside and returned with the velvet pouch. She pulled out The Crimson Duchess. “See how unused it is?”

She held it out to him, so Asher took it, surprised by its weight. All those diamonds and rubies. He’d never touched an item so valuable. He tried to see it like Cici did, but he had no idea what she was talking about. It looked like any other necklace to him. It didn’t help that the sun had set. Aside from the light from the computer screen, they were sitting in the dark.

He found a light switch near the door, which illuminated the low-wattage bulbs in the ceiling fixture. He stood beneath it to study the necklace. “Can you show me what you mean?”

She picked out something from the velvet pouch and joined him, raising the item to the light. “This is silver.”

It was a heart-shaped locket. He was pretty sure silver wasn’t generally the color of a flat black chalkboard. “Are you sure you’re a professional?”

She laughed, the sound so lighthearted that he couldn’t help but smile. “You know how you keep jewelry from tarnishing? By wearing it. I’d guess this hasn’t been worn in years, which is why it’s so dark. If we had polish, we could make it shine.” She set the locket back on the table and lifted the necklace from his hand. “It’s not as obvious with this because the metal is gold. The purer the gold, the less it tarnishes. And of course the gold is outshined by the gemstones. But you see how brassy it looks? It’s not as yellow as gold should be. And look here.” She shifted it so the clasp was on top.

He tried to see what she meant, really he did. Maybe there was a little spot of something there, but he wouldn’t testify to it. “I’m not sure.”

“I can get out my jeweler’s loupe?—”

“I’ll take your word for it. What’s your point?”

“The tarnish tells me this hasn’t been worn—or cared for,” she continued. “Which tells me the owner knew it was stolen, knew it was recognizable, and didn’t dare let anyone see it.” She reached for the laptop. “Can I check something?”

“Have at it.”

“I know other things were taken from Forbes’s parents, but I don’t remember…” Her voice trailed as she searched the internet. “Here we go.” The screen displayed a few items. “A Cartier watch, a pair of ruby-and-diamond earrings, and a matching tennis bracelet. She probably wore them all to the charity event.” Cici spread all the items from the velvet bag onto the table. Most of the pieces looked like junk, at least compared to The Crimson Duchess.

Cici plucked earrings, then a watch and a bracelet, which he assumed had also been stolen from the Ballentines’ property.

“Those things aren’t nearly as valuable,” Asher guessed.

“Maybe not, but the earrings are distinctive.”

“How so?”

She held them out for him to see. “The diamonds are around two carats apiece. Usually, with a design like this—a big centerpiece gem, then smaller gems surrounding it—the more affordable stone is the centerpiece. This is flipped, with diamonds in the center. In fact, if this piece was made in the eighties or after, then these diamonds could be laser-etched.”

“Meaning?”

“They’d have ID numbers etched into them, small enough that they’re only visible with a magnifying glass.”

He hadn’t known jewelers could do that.

“The point is, the thief was smart to hold onto them. If he’d sold them, he might have gotten caught.” Cici returned the Ballentines’ possessions and the rest to the velvet bag.

“What else is in there?” He nodded to the jewelry stash. “Anything good?”

“I’ve only glanced inside, but I saw nothing else that stood out. Nothing like The Crimson Duchess. What do you think?” She rubbed her bare arms in the cool air. “Is there a way to check the list your boss sent to see if anyone’s from Maine?”

Right. Back to business, Asher pulled the laptop closer. “And has a son.”

“Good point.” She stood. “If we can’t do it, I can ask Alyssa.”