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“What did I miss?” I asked as I stepped through the doorway.

“Not much,” said Lily. “You’d think investigating a jewel robbery would be more dynamic and glamorous than being stuck in a sweaty boardroom with all my in-laws.”

“This isn’t the movies,” replied Solomon.

“Don’t I know it,” said Lily. “If it were, I’d be a foot taller, ten pounds skinnier, and my character would be married to a guy forty years older than me, and no one would bat an eyelid.”

“The robbery was dynamic,” I said, wondering about the voraciousness of Lily’s segues. “And so far, she’s outsmarting everyone.”

“I kinda like her,” said Lily, “She’s ballsy. Hey, what’s the feminine equivalent for ballsy? Ovary-y?”

“Does it matter?” asked Dad.

“I want to raise my daughter as a feminist. We can’t always use masculine words.”

“Can you do it later?” asked Dad. “We need to catch the bad guys first.”

“What’s the female equivalent for ‘guys’?” asked Lily.

“’Guys’ is unisex,” said Dad.

“Yeah? How many guys have you kissed?” asked Lily, raising her eyebrows while I stifled a laugh. “You want new vocabulary now, huh?”

Solomon clapped his hands. “Back to work,” he said, barely able to conceal his exasperation. I had to wonder if he regretted hiring my dad, allowing Lily into the investigation, or marrying me? Probably all of the above but he was definitely stuck with one of us. Hopefully, me, but it really depended on how well my dad performed in his undercover role.

“Lexi?”

“Hmm?” I blinked, realizing Solomon had said something.

“What are your next steps?”

“I’m sure the deli guy and the dad aren’t our perp. I want to concentrate on the mystery woman, Angela. I need to find out if there are any security cameras near the retirement home that might have picked up our thief’s vehicle,” I started.

“Get Lucas on it,” said Solomon.

“Will do. While we figure out who our thief is and where she went, I think we should also approach this case from the other side. I want to double check on the ring’s provenance to be sure it’s on the up-and-up,” I said.

“Is there any possibility the Reynoldses lied?” asked Dad.

I shook my head slowly, contemplating the question I’d already asked myself. “I don’t think so. Laura and Alan both appeared sincere but that doesn’t mean they weren’t lied to . I’d like to take a look at the list of hotel guests Lucas is generating, which could possibly include our caller from Germany. Maybe there’s something we can cross-reference.”

“Good call.”

“I think we should talk to the Reynoldses about the next steps too. If they want to file a claim with their insurance, the police need to be called in. If they’re not planning to claim it, why not? The ring is worth a small fortune. It looks like the business is doing well but I doubt they can just write that kind of loss off.”

“That’s a good point,” said Dad. “And, why employ private investigators at all? I can poke around, ask a few subtle questions.”

“Good idea. They did make a point about wanting to keep the theft quiet so it didn’t attract more thieves to the shop,” I said, thinking. “I didn’t get the impression there was any subterfuge going on and none from Jonathan either. We still have the assistant and cleaner to interview. My gut says it’s not an inside job but perhaps they’ll have a different take.”

“We should interview them before the day is out,” said Dad. “I took a look at their files so I know we have their addresses already. I’m not sure if they’re aware of the theft but if not, it would be good to catch them both off guard before we decide to rule them out.”

“That makes sense,” I agreed. “We can go together now.”

“It sounds like we have a plan,” said Solomon. “You both check out the last of the employees today. Then, Steve, you go undercover starting tomorrow and keep us posted. Lexi, you’re in charge of tracking down the thief. Make sure you check in with Lucas on following up the Germany lead. It’s tenuous, but I don’t think we should ignore it.”

Solomon and Delgado’s phones both buzzed. They checked the screens and did some sort of imperceptible silent bro-mmunication. “We have to go,” said Solomon, then to me, he added, “I might not be home until late but call if you find anything serious.”

“What about me?” asked Lily.

“Thanks for your assistance,” said Solomon. “We couldn’t have gotten this far without you.”

Lily beamed at the praise. “You’re welcome,” she said. “Guess I’ll go then. Bye!” She gave a cheery wave, turned on her heel, and headed out, but not before my suspicions were piqued. First, because Maddox was way too cheerful on the phone, and now, Lily didn’t even attempt to muscle in on the action? I hurried after her, catching her at the door to the office before she could make her incredulously fast exit.

“What gives?” I asked.

“Don’t know what you mean!” She grabbed the door handle. “Bye!”

“You’re giving up too easy. Why?” I narrowed my eyes.

Lily shrugged and her face made a too exaggerated show of not understanding. “You all seem to have it under control. Your dad’s going undercover, you’ve got all the leads, and I’ve done my bit. So… bye!” She slipped through the door before I could stop her, leaving me to grab it before it closed, and hurry after her.

“Hold on,” I said as Lily pressed the down button for the elevator. “What are you really up to?”

Lily sighed. “Fine. I thought I might head back to the retirement village and see if there’s anything we missed. There has to be a reason the thief picked that place above all others. It can’t be because the bus route is good.”

I thought about it for a moment. It was strange that only a couple weeks ago, one thief had been there and now another. What was so appealing about Harmony Retirement Village? “It could be because the bus route is good. It goes directly from the retirement home to Reynolds’ street,” I said. I thought about it for a moment. Could it really be that simple? Were ease and location the real reasons the thief had picked that facility to start her plan? To put her plan in motion so quickly after the Reynoldses acquired the ring and listed it for sale, she had to already be in possession of her elderly-appearing prosthetics. More and more, this looked like a well-targeted theft from a criminal who had a lot of experience in pulling off something so tricky.

However, maybe Lily was also right? What if there were another reason that we hadn’t thought of yet?

“That’s a good idea,” I decided. “Maybe she knows one of the residents or she’s been there before and knew it would be a safe bet for her plan. Perhaps she’s worked there, although it seems like an odd career choice for someone with a sideline in grand larceny.”

“But you never know,” said Lily. “Of all the disguises she could have picked, why that one? Why pick Evelyn and Judy? I figured I can snoop around a little more and see if anything turns up.”

“Okay,” I agreed. I felt like stamping my foot. I should have thought of that! I should have insisted on following the lead too but my dad was waiting inside the PI’s office. It felt like I was being pulled in two directions. “But be careful. Call me and Dad and I’ll come straightaway, and if anything feels off, leave.”

“They’ll never know I was there,” said Lily, clearly excited about staying on the team even if she hadn’t planned on telling anyone she was still on it. What harm could it do? It felt unlikely the thief would return to the retirement home but Lily might still pick up a clue just by hanging around.

“You could have said that’s what you wanted to do,” I said, a brief moment of worry that Lily had attempted to hide her plans, just like she did yesterday. “Your instincts are what gave us this break.”

“I know. I’m awesome.” Lily bounced into the elevator car, saluted me, grinned, and disappeared behind the closing doors.

As I headed back to the office, I placed a call to Lucas asking him to find any cameras on the day of the theft and the time window in which I wanted him to pinpoint any vehicles leaving Harmony. I hadn’t noticed any obvious security at the building but that didn’t mean they didn’t have any. We’d driven past a lot of residential housing on our way there but I hoped there might be businesses at the other end of the street that had security cameras facing the road. The bus networks wouldn’t be much use since the thief was already equipped with her disguise for both journeys. I decided hacking into those would be a waste of Lucas’s technical skills.

“Did you get anything for the call from the German hotel?” I asked after I’d laid down my parameters.

“Not yet but I’m working on it,” said Lucas.

“Sorry to add more to your list.”

“Not a problem. It’s what I’m here for. I’ll call you when I have something.”

Solomon and Delgado had their heads together, discussing plans in the boardroom but my dad was ready and waiting for me by the time I reached him. I grabbed my purse and we went out to my car.

“The file said the assistant, Tansy, doesn’t work today so I hope we’ll catch her at home,” I told him.

“The Reynoldses mentioned she’s part time although she often works extra hours when they need it. Laura mentioned Tansy is a single mom,” said Dad. “School’s probably letting out around now.”

The address the Reynoldses had given us was not far from my old high school. I drove there, filling Dad in on the conversations with Noah Levin and Miles Wilson while Dad ran through the notes he’d made from watching the camera footage one more time, culminating in our agreement that, in his opinion, the old ladies were definitely the most interesting suspects.

Tansy McDonald’s home was a small duplex, perfectly twinning its neighbor with matching doors, paint colors, and even identical window boxes with the same pretty pink and purple flowers. A small hatchback was parked in the driveway on Tansy’s side.

We took the path and I knocked on the door, hearing the sound of a TV inside. A woman answered the door, a tea towel in her hand. “I’m sorry,” she said, giving us an apologetic smile, “I don’t buy anything at the door. I don’t even keep cash in the house.”

“We’re not selling anything,” I said, producing my license. “We’ve been retained by your employers, Alan and Laura Reynolds, to look into a theft on the premises. They told us you have a keen eye for details and could help us with a few questions.”

“Oh, well, yes, of course. Will you excuse me for a moment to call and check with them? I don’t like to let people I don’t know inside the house.”

“Of course,” I agreed. “We’ll wait.”

She shut the door.

“That was a good move to appeal to her willingness to help,” said Dad.

“I figured she’d have more to say that way than if she feared she were a suspect,” I said.

Tansy returned, and beckoned us inside. “Come into the kitchen,” she said. “My son just got home from school and he’s supposed to be doing homework in the living room, not watching TV.” She shot her son a look and he gave her a lopsided smile from where he sat on the floor, his legs curled under him, homework sheets and colored pencils spread out on the coffee table. “I’m sorry to keep you waiting outside but I figure you can’t be too careful when someone you don’t know appears at the door. Laura said she’d appreciate any help I might be able to offer you.”

“It was sensible of you to make the call, ma’am,” said Dad. “Anyone legitimate would want you to feel comfortable.”

“I hope you don’t mind if I bake while we talk,” she said, moving around the small island in the bright kitchen where a large mixing bowl stood amidst open packages of flour, sugar, and eggs, like she’d just been getting everything ready when we knocked. “There’s a cookie bake sale after school tomorrow to raise funds for the new library and I promised two dozen chocolate chip cookies.”

“Not at all. We’re just glad you can help,” I said.

“Laura said it was the vintage sapphire ring that was stolen but I didn’t even touch it yesterday so I’m not sure I can offer anything of interest. I don’t think I saw a thing.”

“You’ll be surprised what people don’t realize they know,” said Dad.

“Well, go ahead with your questions. I’ll tell you whatever I can.” Tansy sifted the flour into the bowl.

“We’d like to know a little more about the day of the theft. You were working yesterday?”

“That’s right. I work flexible hours. I don’t have much of a choice while Olly is still in elementary school. I started at nine-thirty and worked until two-thirty. Jonathan was there too and he works longer hours than me so the only time I was alone was when he took a lunch break. I took a coffee break at twelve for twenty minutes but I don’t get lunch until I finish for the day,” she explained. “I think Alan was with Jonathan while I was getting coffee. I went outside to breathe some fresh air since it was such a warm day.”

“Where did you get your coffee from?” I asked.

“There’s a coffee place across the road. I treated myself to an iced coffee and did a little window shopping since it was so hot and I didn’t want to walk too far.

“I like that coffee shop,” I told her. Lily and I had been there only a couple hours later than Tansy.

“Me too. I usually make coffee at home to save money but it’s nice to have a treat every once in a while.”

“Treats make life worthwhile,” I agreed.

“Did anything stand out to you as unusual that day?” asked Dad.

Tansy shook her head. “No, I can’t think of anything right now but I don’t know if that’s due to the surprise of hearing there was a theft. It felt like a normal day. Are you sure it isn’t a big mistake?”

“Do you think it could be?” I asked.

“Well, I guess there’s never been a theft before so I suppose it’s possible! But no, I guess it must be true. It’s just… the security is really good! There’s a buzzer entry system so people can’t just waltz in, and all the jewelry is kept in lockable cabinets or inside the safe. It’s almost impossible for anyone to steal anything. I can’t think of any way it could have happened!” Tansy shook her head and dipped a measuring cup into the sugar bag, pouring the sparkling granules into the bowl before reaching for the eggs.

“What can you tell us about the customers?”

She pulled a face, giving a quick shake of her head that loosened strands of hair from her ponytail, which she pushed back. “I’m not sure I totally remember. There were a few customers that day. Men and women, and a gaggle of old ladies who arrived just before I left. The guy that works in the deli down the road, and a man who wanted to buy something for his daughter, I think, and another man who wanted to… oh!” She pulled a face. “Yeah, I remember him. He wanted to buy something for his wife and mistress. Jonathan was not impressed with that.”

“You have a good memory,” I said. “Go on.”

“Some women bought things. I rang up a necklace, I think. The old ladies were looking for a gift, I believe, until one of them slipped on the floor and hurt herself so they decided to go home. Jonathan helped them. I was unpacking an order of gift boxes and bags, putting them under the counter near the cash register and trying to stack them into a nice display.”

“What do you recall about the old ladies?” I asked.

Tansy reached for a wooden spoon and began to stir her mixture. “Nothing much,” she said. “Chatty and cooing over everything, and then the one that fell down was upset about how much the other two were fussing over her. It was quite sweet really. They looked like they’d been friends forever.”

“What about Jonathan?” I asked.

“Oh, he was worried about them, asking if they were okay and did they want to call a taxi. But one of them said it wasn’t so bad and they’d catch the bus. When they left, I think he said he was sure they’d be back, or something like that.”

“I meant, do you two get on well?”

“Oh! Yes, I think so! He’s technically my boss but he doesn’t throw his weight around. Did he show you the jewelry he designs? He’s very talented.”

“He did,” I said. “I liked his pieces a lot.”

“Me too. I hope he doesn’t leave us to work on it full time but he says he’s not planning to. He’s nice to work with and that counts for a lot in retail jobs.”

“I wonder what kind of income a side hustle in jewelry-making earns,” I said to my dad, not because I expected an answer from him. Instead, I watched Tansy from the corner of my eye.

“I haven’t asked him,” said Tansy, “but I think he makes a little bit of extra money. Not enough to afford anything flashy. I think he’s been driving the same car for at least ten years.”

“He should take a vacation sometime,” I said. “The side business must take up a lot of his time on top of having full-day working hours.”

“That’s what I said to him and he did say he’s saving up for a trip to Europe. I think he wants to see Paris. Can you imagine? I bet it’s even more beautiful than it looks on TV.”

“You haven’t been there?”

“No. Between bringing up Olly solo, working part time, and going to school, Europe is totally out of my budget. A girl can dream though.” She smiled warmly before she glanced at her recipe, running her finger down the ingredients list.

“And what about the Reynoldses? What’s your relationship like with them?”

“Good, I think. They’ve been very fair to me. They’re happy for me to work around Olly and if he’s ever sick or anything like that, and I’ve needed to stay home, they’ve never complained. They know I can’t work weekends but they’re okay with that too. My last boss was nothing like them. I think they trust me and I wouldn’t want to ever let them down.” She looked up and smiled, then her smile faltered. “Do you know how the ring was stolen? I’ve been so worried that they’d think it was me and I couldn’t prove it wasn’t but they haven’t said anything like that at all. Actually, they haven’t said anything except to answer your questions,” she added, worry flitting into her eyes.

“We think it was a distraction theft. At the time we think it happened, you weren’t anywhere near the jewelry case,” I told her.

She heaved out a sigh. “I know it probably sounds awful, and like I’m only interested in myself, but I’m so happy to hear that. I hope you catch whoever did it. The Reynoldses don’t deserve having something stolen from them. They’re nice people.”

“What do you know about the ring?” I asked.

“Nothing at all. Except that it’s vintage and Laura brought it from a family seller, I think. It’s sapphire and diamond. Very pretty. That’s it. There’s probably more information on the website but I don’t own a computer and I’m not very tech-savvy with my phone either.”

“Do you remember if there were any inquiries about it? Maybe someone came in and wanted to see it or know more about it?” I asked.

Tansy wrinkled her nose. “I think I tried showing it to someone last week but he wasn’t interested. He wanted a new sapphire ring for his girlfriend, nothing vintage, and I sold him one. Otherwise, no. At least, I didn’t handle anything. Jonathan could have, but I suppose he would have told you already,” she said. “We didn’t have it long. I remember Laura showing it to me with a couple of other things she bought.”

“Oh? What other items?”

“Another ring, I think. And two necklaces.”

“Do you know if they came from the same seller?”

She shook her head. “I don’t think so but if Laura said otherwise, I don’t remember.”

“You’ve been very helpful,” I said, reaching for a card in my purse. I handed it to her but she wiggled her flour-tipped fingers so I placed it on the counter, away from the mixing bowl. “If you remember anything else, could you please give us a call?”

“Sure,” she said, reaching for a towel to wipe her hands, then escorting us to the door. “You know there was one thing that puzzled me.” She stopped, pressing her lips together.

“What’s that?”

“It’s just that we hadn’t even had that ring for very long and it really was a unique piece. I know it was expensive but a lot of other pieces in the store are too. Why steal that? Why not steal something else that would be far easier to resell than something so unique?” she asked.

I contemplated that. “Good questions,” I said. “That’s what we intend to find out.”