Page 17

I got into my car and gunned the engine, pulling out and steering towards the hatchback. A spot had opened up next to it. I aimed for it and purposefully cut the corner, deftly smashing the hatchback’s headlamp and scratching the silver paint.

I reversed my car, killed the engine, and hopped out. “Oops!” I squeaked for the benefit of the elderly couple strolling past. “Oh no! I better get the insurance details of that car! My bad!”

Hopping back into my car, I pulled into the space, properly this time, and giving the hatchback a wide berth. When I locked up, I examined the smattering of glass on the blacktop and looked around, as if still searching for the owner. Anyone watching me, like the elderly couple who had climbed into their car opposite me and not moved, would think that was exactly what I was doing; but unfortunately for me, no woman dashed across the parking lot to scold me for damaging her vehicle.

Lily, waiting on the sidewalk, frowned at me. “That looked deliberate,” she said when I jogged over to her.

“It was,” I whispered. “And now the clerk will be obliged to call down the registered owner. If she checked in to the hotel, she could have asked them to validate her parking,” I said, pointing at the sign in the window telling motel guests the rules that exempted them from the same parking lot fees as everyone else. “If she’s not there, then I guess we’ll have to wait. Come on!” I headed towards the motel as Lily hurried to catch up.

“Hello!” called the receptionist, still smiling like a robot. “How can I help you? Are you checking in?”

“Still no,” I said, coming to a stop in front of the desk. “I’ve had a little accident in the parking lot and damaged another vehicle. Could you check to see if the owner is here so we can exchange insurance details?”

A flicker of a frown then, “Oh, gosh. Yes, of course. Are you okay?”

“Absolutely fine,” I assured her. “But I want to do the right thing and get the damage paid for. I have to make sure I hand over my insurance details.”

“I can check to see if the vehicle is registered to one of our guests if you give me the license plate.”

I made a show of checking the photo I’d taken and reeled off the plate as the clerk typed it into her computer. A moment later, she said, “No, sorry, we don’t have any vehicles with that plate registered here.”

“Oh no!” I pulled a face.

“Let me see that photo again.” She beckoned with her hand and I handed her my phone. “That definitely belongs to one of our guests. I saw the driver when she arrived. She must have forgotten to register the car. I’ll call her now.”

My heart did a small leap of delight. As the clerk picked up the phone, Lily and I exchanged subtle but pleased smiles but as the clerk’s call lengthened, I felt my resolve waver.

“The owner is on her way,” said the clerk. She leaned in, adding, “She didn’t sound too mad about it although I explained she might get a fine for not validating her parking. I hope everything gets sorted out amicably.”

I thanked her and we moved over to the small seating area by the window, out of the way of the two men entering, pulling large suitcases, and griping about their work.

“Lily, there’s a flaw in our plan,” I said, my face paling.

“You don’t have good insurance?”

“No, Cass Temple knows me. She knows what I look like. There’s no way she won’t bolt the moment she sees me.” I turned to Lily, “But she doesn’t know you.”

“Oh! I can pretend to be the driver who hit her car.”

“Exactly. I just need to hide until you get her on her own. Then I’ll spring out and…” I paused.

Instead of sitting on one of the hard chairs, I stood, my hands on my hips, facing the window, watching the world go by as I made a plan. Well, all I could see of the world was an elderly lady walking an equally elderly dog and a youth pushing another youth in a shopping cart. It was only as I scanned the wider area that I noticed a familiar-looking black SUV across the street, parked on the corner and facing the hotel.

“And what?”

I squinted, dropping my purse onto the vacant chair, certain Maddox and Farid were in the front seats of the SUV. Maddox had a straw in his mouth, sipping from a takeout cup. Farid was munching, his hand dipping into a bag of chips. I watched them for a few long seconds before I turned to tell Lily there was another problem with our plan.

Just as I was about to open my mouth, the side door opened and in stepped a woman with shoulder-length, dark blond hair, dressed simply in blue jeans and a cream linen shirt with the sleeves rolled to her elbow, casually elegant. The door closed softly behind her as she made a beeline for the reception, her back to us. I nudged Lily and nodded towards the woman, then turned away, certain she couldn’t see my face reflected in the window.

“Is that her?” she asked.

“It could be. She’s about the right age. It’s hard to tell without getting closer.”

“Try and look cool,” said Lily, giving herself a little shake. “No, Lexi, not like that.”

“I didn’t do anything!”

“Then you should definitely try.”

“I am cool,” I insisted.

“No one who is actually cool says they’re cool.”

That was a conundrum I didn’t know how to deal with so I held back a sigh and waited as the woman walked past the reception and out through the main doors.

“It’s not her,” said Lily, a note of disappointment in her voice.

I glanced over my shoulder as the woman reached the hatchback and stooped to examine it. “It is,” I said, thrilled as she inspected the head lamp and shook her head, then rose, turned, and returned to the motel, apparently not at all distraught at the damage I’d purposefully inflicted.

“I’m going to hide here,” I said as I ducked behind the big wing chair, squashing my body between it, the wall, and the large, fake monstera. “We’ll confirm and I’ll call for backup.”

The woman stepped back inside the motel’s reception and walked over to the receptionist who was handing keys to the new guests. She glanced around and, through the plastic leaves, I noted the sweetheart face and jawline, unmistakably Cass Temple.

She and the receptionist exchanged a few words and the receptionist pointed to Lily. Cass nodded and moved towards us.

“It doesn’t look like there’s any serious damage,” said Cass, stopping short of Lily as I wedged myself further behind the chair, out of sight. “I don’t think we need to get our insurance companies involved with this. There’s a mechanic down the road that can probably fix the headlamp.”

I reached for my purse to grab my phone and stopped… my purse was on the wing chair, out of reach. If I stuck my hand around, she’d see me and spook.

“I really should go through my insurance. I don’t want you out of pocket for my mistake,” said Lily, continuing the ruse easily. “Let me take your details. I’m Lily… Lil… uh, Lilian Shu… Schumacher! You are?”

“It’s fine, really. You shouldn’t have to incur any penalty from your insurance for a little mistake like that.”

“I really should pay and we really should exchange details,” Lily pressed. I risked popping my head up. Cass was already retreating, Lily on her heels. “I guess I could write you a check for the mechanic, if you prefer?”

“Really, there’s no need. It’s a rental and I paid extra for their insurance.”

“Oh, gosh, well, great. Should I call the rental company and explain? If you give me your name, I’m sure I can explain what happened and say it wasn’t your fault.”

“There’s no…” Through the plastic leaves, I watched Cass pause, narrowing her eyes and stepping slightly forwards, looking beyond the seating area.

I shot a look over my shoulder, wondering what had grabbed her attention. Across the road, Maddox and Farid had gotten out of their car and were making their way across the street.

“Shit!” hissed the woman. She hardly flashed a look at Lily as she turned on her heel.

“But…”

“Don’t worry about the car,” said Cass, her back to Lily, speed-walking to the side entrance. She pulled open the door and, with one last look behind her, sprinted.

Across the street, Maddox and Farid began to move faster.

“Let’s go,” I said, pushing the chair out of the way in my haste to rise and grab my purse. We ran after her, catching the door before it closed. I wrenched it open as the receptionist called out, “Hey!”

“Right behind you!” called Lily as I outpaced her.

Cass Temple took off between the buildings, running at top speed, leaving us no choice but to pound after her while I hooked my purse over my head and shoulder. Across the street, Maddox and Farid’s progress had been halted by the flying traffic, leaving them stranded in the middle of the street until the light changed. Whatever questions I had about how they’d managed to also find Cass would have to wait.

Cass rounded the corner and I tore after her, seeing the dead end looming. But instead of turning back, she ran full tilt, leaping to pull down the rickety emergency stairs, and clambering up them with no concern for the noise she made. I grabbed the handrail and turned, skidding on the ground, following. She was almost at the top floor with nowhere to go. I increased my pace, determined to catch her.

Cass was at the end of the walkway, leaning forwards and looking around when I climbed the last few rungs.

“I need to talk to you,” I said, stepping out to the open walkway on the third floor. “I think you know what it’s about.”

Cass glanced back. “No, thanks,” she said, far from the friendly demeanor she’d exhibited when coming to my rescue only a couple of weeks ago.

“You stole the ring.”

“What ring?” Her impassive face revealed nothing.

“The antique ring from Reynolds’. I know it was you and I think I know why.”

“What’re you going to do? Arrest me?” she scoffed.

“I’m a PI. I can’t do that but I can call the cops. Or you can give me the ring. Or…”

Cass backed up, assessing me as I stepped closer. She was trapped. Maddox and Farid would be here any moment. There was no way out. “Or what?” she challenged.

“Or you can answer to the FBI.” I didn’t dare glance behind me to see where they were but I was sure they’d followed me. So where were they? And where was Lily? I had to hope that meant Lily had stopped, realizing the value of pointing Maddox and Farid in our direction.

“What makes you think that even if I did steal the ring, I’d still have it?” She fixed me with a challenging look, daring me to share what I knew.

“I know you have it. There’s no reason for you to still be in town if you already handed it off so I don’t think the delivery has happened yet. That’s what you planned to do, isn’t it? You stole it to order but you made mistakes,” I prodded, relying on guesswork to fill in the blanks.

“What do you think is going on here?” asked Cass. Another backwards step and she was against a room door.

“I think you’re cornered and have no way to escape,” I said, stepping forwards, my hands up, wary, showing I wasn’t armed. Well, I was. I just didn’t plan on reaching for my weapon but Cass didn’t need to know that. “As for the ring, I think I’ve been told a story that I’m not sure is true. If you tell me the real story, including who hired you, perhaps I can help.”

“How about I tell you about the ring and you tell me how you found me. I know it was you at my safe house,” said Cass. “Then you can verify it and bug out of my case.”

I thought about it for a fraction of a second. “Okay.” Then, “Case? Are you law enforcement?” Maddox had given every indication she was on the opposite side of the law.

“Less law and more enforcement. I’m sure you know by now I find things,” she added. “Things like the ring you think I have.” She held up her hands, empty. Not that it mattered. I didn’t expect her to be wearing it.

“Go ahead.” Where were Maddox and Farid? Why was it taking them so long? I needed to stall for time. Cass had no escape, unless she went through me, and I’d already experienced her getting me out of the way. I glanced over the balcony and my heart thumped. Caution was my friend.

“You first,” she countered.

“You shouldn’t have left your rental car at the retirement village,” I said. “It was too easy to pick up on camera and follow. And you took your disguise off too soon.”

“That makes sense,” said Cass, shaking her head and heaving a huff of exasperation. “Well, I won’t make that mistake again.”

“Tell me about the ring.”

“Hypothetically? Since I don’t know what ring you’re talking about. Between us girls though, hypothetically , the ring belongs to the family that might have hired me. They owned a number of jewels that were stolen by the Nazis when their family left Europe during the second World War. They have the purchase receipt, photos, and a letter that mentions the ring. They’ve been tracking the jewels for decades. This is the only one they found.”

“Why not buy it back?” I asked.

“They didn’t sell it in the first place!”

“Then why not go to the police?”

“And have it tied up in courts for years while they prove ownership and argue their case for repatriation, hoping someone will right the wrong that they suffered?” Cass pressed her back to the room door and pulled in a breath sharply. “That’s enough questions.”

“Regardless of what happened, I’m going to need the ring back. My clients are good people. They did their due diligence and if they were duped, and you can prove everything, I think they’ll work with you to return the ring. I also found evidence of the seller’s associations so I think my clients will believe you,” I said.

Cass looked like she was contemplating that. Then she smiled and said, “I don’t think I’ll take that risk” before darting through the door she’d been leaning against, and slamming it shut behind her.