Page 23

Long after Maddox and I parted company, I fretted about how to smoke Cass Temple out. I researched her identity for two useless, frustrating hours, using the scant information he’d supplied. I set Lucas on the task—without revealing Maddox’s connection—and he confessed to not finding anything in the same time frame. Not only that, but he’d hit a wall with the shell corporations and the bank accounts we suspected she used to buy the building Maddox and I had infiltrated.

Maddox was right. Cass Temple was a ghost.

I’d even gone back to the safe house and sat in my car, observing the area closely, noting the occasional person entering and the pedestrians walking past. The penthouse apartment remained empty, no one visible through the broad window panes. Finally, I went to the motel but the silver hatchback was already gone, the space filled by an old sedan. I even thought about heading to Harmony Retirement Village but decided against it. Cass Temple wasn’t going to retrace old footsteps. Cass was going forwards.

Ellie Feldman was the future.

She had yet to call me and say the ring had been returned so I had to assume Cass was still biding her time, waiting for the right moment.

By the time I’d written up my report and gone home to eat a light supper, pull on my sleeping dinosaur pajamas, and crawl into bed next to Solomon, I was ready to admit defeat.

Not permanent defeat, but definitely for tonight as I drifted to sleep, my thoughts burdening me.

By the time I awoke, a sliver of sunlight peeking through a chink in the drapes, and the smell of coffee drifting up to the bedroom, I was marginally less pessimistic.

“You were tossing and turning all night,” said Solomon when I walked into the kitchen, tucking my sleeveless blouse into my mini skirt. He sat at the kitchen island, newspaper open, coffee in hand. “It was like being in bed with a washing machine.”

“Sexy washing machine, thank you,” I said, planting a kiss on his cheek as I passed on my way to the coffee pot.

“You seem remarkably perky given how fed up you looked last night.”

“It’s my superpower.” I poured coffee and joined him at the island. “Are you going to Reynolds’ today?”

“Yes, one last pass at their recommended security upgrades and then we’re installing the hardware. Your dad sent his undercover report already. He had nothing pertinent to report and my assessment of the thief returning to the shop is running at zero percent.”

“All that’s left is getting the ring back,” I said, “until then, there’s no deal.”

“The ring will turn up.”

“The deal might not hold if it doesn’t happen quickly. I have an idea how to make that sooner rather than later.” While I’d showered, my determination had returned and one option left became clear.

“Oh?”

“It might not work.”

“Or it might,” countered Solomon. “Do I want to know?”

“It’s nothing dangerous.”

“Now I don’t know whether to believe you. Most people don’t start with ‘It’s nothing dangerous’. They just expect everyone assumes that’s the case.”

“I thought I was being reassuring!”

“I’ve met you. Finding you in one piece at the end of the day is reassuring.”

I laughed.

Solomon went about putting his breakfast things away and folding the newspaper. He offered it to me but I declined. Instead, I pulled out my phone, made two quick calls that gave me the answers I needed before I clicked on my email app as Solomon’s phone rang and he excused himself.

I typed: Cass, hi. The Reynoldses and Ellie Feldman are both willing to work with each other. Reynolds’ will transfer ownership of ring to Mrs. Feldman. No cost. No prosecution. Meeting with both today at the Feldman house at 4PM. Please hand over the ring so the deal can go ahead. Lexi Graves-Solomon.

Then I inserted the email address Cass had given me.

I read the message four times but I still didn’t hit send .

Would it be enough to induce her to do what I needed?

I had to hope so. Short of tracking Cass down to her lair—and I was convinced she had one because what was the point of being a globe-trotting thief with a heart of gold, if she didn’t get to have a lair?—this would have to do.

I took a deep breath and hit send .

But that got me thinking… if Cass were still in town, where would she be?

“I got a call about an incident across town,” said Solomon, returning to the kitchen. “I’m going to meet Delgado there. What are your plans?”

“Poke around town a little and then tackle my paperwork. I arranged for the Reynoldses and Feldman to meet later today.” I sipped my coffee, feeling quietly pleased at my plan. If Cass didn’t agree, I needed to know where she was hiding out.

“Do you want me as backup?”

“I think I have it covered.”

“Call if you change your mind,” said Solomon.

When the front door clicked shut after him, I called Lily.

“I just dropped Poppy off at daycare and my beer supplier rescheduled their order. Do you want to get breakfast? We don’t even have to get it at the bar. We could go anywhere!”

“I want to find Cass Temple before her trail is stone cold. I can’t just rely on her to turn up.”

“More fun, less nutritious,” said Lily. “Pick me up from outside the bar?”

“On my way.”

“Bring breakfast!”

I didn’t bring breakfast but I did swing through the drive-through for smoothies, which Lily grabbed gratefully when she hopped into the passenger seat. “Where are we going?” she asked as she pulled the seatbelt across her chest.

“Where would you go if you were a well-resourced, globe-trotting jewel thief with a bag of cash?”

“The mall.”

“Why the mall?”

“She needs more clothes than she had in her bag. She only had two days of clean clothes. She doesn’t look like she slums it.”

“Okay, aside from the mall.”

“A really nice hotel with room service.”

I gave her side eye. “Really?”

“Being a globe-trotting jewel thief comes with a lot of danger. The opposite of danger is relaxation. Everyone needs balance.”

“No, it isn’t, it’s saf—”

“And relaxation means a bathtub,” continued Lily, talking over me. “It means room service dinner on a big tray on the enormous bed. A large glass of wine and dessert. Maybe two desserts. All that running away from the right side of the law would make me hungry.”

I had to admit that did sound nice.

“Where’s the last place you would go?”

“As a sexy, international, jewel thief?”

“Yeah.”

“The scene of the crime.”

“Obviously.”

“Was it though? You did ask the question.”

“Fair point. Where’s the other last place you’d go?” I asked, already thinking. Cass Temple wouldn’t be foolish enough to go to the safe house she seemed to own through her shell corps, or the motel with her trio of rooms. I wasn’t sure if she had access to a new vehicle. I grabbed my phone, quickly typing a message to Lucas to ask if he could find out what happened to the hatchback. That left one place it would be absurd to go to…

“The retirement village!” we both said at the same time.

“She would be nuts to go there,” said Lily.

“No, she wouldn’t. No one would recognize her. She could pose as an employee, or someone’s granddaughter, or a therapist.” I bet they get strangers in and out of there all the time.

“And do what? Hang out?”

“There was at least one empty apartment. She could squat in that until she’s ready to make her next move.” I was already firing up the engine and pulling into traffic before Lily could call me crazy. It was the only idea I had and it was barely a lead.

“Do you think she’s sexy?” I wondered.

“Hundred percent smokin’,” said Lily and I sighed. “But she’s got nothing on us.”

“Except the jump,” I reminded her.

When we reached Harmony Retirement Village, I pulled over onto the side of the road opposite the bus stop, just as I had that first time Lily directed us here. I’d contemplated driving into the resident parking lot, like Cass had in her old lady disguise, but there was no guarantee we’d see her. If we did, and she took off for the front of the building and my car was in the back, we’d lose precious time retrieving it with no guarantee of picking up the chase.

Plus, I wanted to check my email and my phone had pinged with a message from Lucas that I wanted to read.

“Her vehicle is an official dead end,” I said, showing Lily the grainy video Lucas sent me of the vehicle being loaded onto a truck and carted away. “He says the recovery firm is contracted to the FBI. She’s definitely not driving it.”

“Not after you drove into it. I bet you get an insurance claim. How did your car avoid any damage? I didn’t see a scrape on it.”

“Luck. I doubt Cass filed a complaint or completed any paperwork,” I said as I checked my email. No emails from Cass Temple waited. Damn! “Maybe Maddox called it in. I’d ask but then I’d have to tell him what we’re doing and right now, we’re at a good place.” Not that I wanted to ruin that but I didn’t have anything to tell him yet. If I found Cass Temple… then I’d tell him.

“Ask later,” said Lily.

We strolled across the road, walked along the driveway and entered the building, thankful for a lack of joyriding elderly citizens intent on mowing us down in their mobility scooters, or geriatric flirts.

Inside, the atmosphere was subdued. Two orderlies were stationed at the reception desk, and another pushed a wheelchair with a chattering resident past us. Then came a crocodile of twelve men and women all moving quickly, and quietly, towards the recreation room.

Lily and I exchanged a glance and followed them.

“Why’s it so quiet?” she asked a straggler.

“There was a party last night. Someone brought a keg and set up a martini bar in one of the apartments. Everyone’s sleeping it off.”

“Is that… is it…” Lily sniffed the air. “Marijuana?”

“What are you? A cop?” snorted the straggler, darting a suspicious look at us before shuffling after the faster movers.

“They’re not just sleeping off alcohol,” said Lily. “They’re all going to have the raging munchies when they wake up. We should have brought snacks.”

“Do you have the munchies?”

“No! I’m a responsible grown-up. I meant, we should have brought snacks in case we needed bribes.”

“We’re just poking around. We don’t need bribes.”

“You say that now.” We walked through the recreation room on the way to the exterior doors. Several bleary-eyed residents were sitting around with plates of cookies and tall glasses of lemonade. One gentleman lay on the couch, his arms around a banana-shaped pillow. He wore a Hawaiian shirt, a straw cowboy hat, and had a cigar wedged between his lips.

“I like this place,” said Lily, her eyes widening. “I could see us living here when we’re old.”

“Everyone here will be dead by then!” I grimaced as the table of ladies next to us gasped and gave me the stink eye. “I thought I said that quietly.”

“Top-of-the-line hearing aids, honey,” said the lady closest to me. “I can almost hear your thoughts.”

“I’m sorry,” I said.

“You should be. That stuff is fruity.” Her companions hooted as she turned back to them.

“What were you thinking?” asked Lily.

“I know, I should have spoken more quietly.”

“No, I mean your thoughts. What did she hear you think?”

“She did not hear me think! She was… oh, never mind.” We’d stepped out onto the path that horse-shoed around the garden. One way was Evelyn and Judy, Cass’s unwitting accomplices. The other direction was new territory.

“Excuse me,” I said to the man with the wheeled walker coming towards us at a rate of no knots.

“Speak up,” he barked, stopping to cup his ear.

“Which apartments are free?” I asked, my voice raised.

“None of them,” he barked. “Cost an arm and a leg.”

“Hilarious,” said Lily between snorts of laughter.

“No, I mean, which are empty?”

He stepped closer, peering at me. “Are you moving in? Well, I’ll be damned. Wait ‘til the ol’ boys hear about this.” He winked and shuffled past.

“I’m not but if there’re any free apartments, maybe my grandma will and then we’ll visit every day,” I called after him, which wasn’t far, given he’d only moved six inches at the max.

He stopped. “In that case. 1J over there in the corner is empty and 4F is too but your grandma will need to be spritely for 4F since the elevator is forever fizzling out and the stairs get slippery when wet. How’re her legs?”

“She’s got them,” I said.

He nodded appreciatively. “That’ll do,” he said. “Can’t ask for more than that.” He shuffled off without a backwards glance.

“Would you want your grandma to live here? She must be close to a hundred by now. You could visit her more often,” said Lily.

I recoiled in horror. “You’ve met Grandma O’Shaughnessy. I want her to live out her days happily in Ireland where I can’t hear her curses.”

“You’re still pissed that she thought I was you and then got disappointed to find out you were her granddaughter.”

“She put a curse on me!”

“Fat lot of good that did! Your life turned out just fine,” said Lily, then she paused and added, “except for the shooting, stabbing, kidnapping, and getting thrown down a laundry chute.”

“I survived them all,” I said proudly as my cheek bruise gave a little pulse of alarm. “Grandma’s curses will never take me down.” Although, even as I said it, I wasn’t so sure. Grandma O’Shaughnessy was pretty feisty and seemed to have lived so long that I half-suspected she was brewing her own longevity potions and dancing naked under the full moon. One of those thoughts I could do without.

Apartment 1J was the corner unit and the door was closed. The plants and bushes under the window were as lush as any other in the village but the windows were dark and the door remained unanswered.

I pressed my forehead against the window and squinted. “I don’t see anyone inside and nothing to suggest anyone’s been there,” I said. “Let’s check the back and look through the bedroom window.”

“I feel like a peeper,” said Lily.

“It’s never bothered you before,” I said as we rounded the corner and headed for the rear.

“True,” said Lily, “and I don’t think it bothers me now.”

We both peered into the large rear window. The bed had a bare mattress and the closet doors stood open. No comforter, no pillows, and definitely no bag full of cash and alternate identities. Not even an empty water bottle. “She’s not here,” I decided.

“4F?”

“Let’s go.”

We stepped out of the flower bed, and walked around to the front, looking up for an indication of where 4F might be situated. As I turned my gaze to the left, I grabbed Lily’s arm and pulled her back, out of sight behind the corner.

“She’s up there!”

“Where?” Lily started to poke her head around the corner but I pulled her back.

“Up! There!” I pointed. “I saw Cass Temple. She was coming out onto the balcony and she had her backpack over her shoulder. She must have stayed the night.”

“She stands out like a sore thumb. She’s fifty years too young for this place.”

“She probably had a story worked out, like us when we go poking around.”

“She’s so smart,” sighed Lily.

“Stop it.”

“Are you jealous?”

“What? No? Why would I be jealous?” I snipped, wrinkling my nose in offense.

“Because she’s so smart.”

“I’m smart!”

“ Okay ,” said Lily.

“I am!” I insisted.

“Not ‘international criminal who gets away with it’ smart.”

“I’m ‘gonna catch her’ smart,” I said. “If the elevator is working, I need you to engage it and wedge something in the doors so she can’t use it. I’m going to take the stairs and cut her off.”

“On it,” said Lily and saluted me.

I peeked around the corner. Cass Temple’s head and shoulders were visible above the balcony wall as she started in the direction of both the elevator and the stairs. We needed to cut her off—now! “Ready? Go!” We took off along the pathway, hugging the building as closely as we could and hoping our target didn’t look down. When we reached the elevator, Lily punched the lift button, which flashed that it was opening.

Lily grabbed a nearby lawn chair and brandished it as the doors slid open. “I’ll stick this in the doors,” she said.

I gave her the thumbs up and began to ascend the stairs, knowing that at any moment I would come face-to-face with Cass. I didn’t know which of us had the upper hand. Me because I knew what I was walking towards, or her because she was descending and had velocity behind her if she chose to take me out like a bowling ball.

I rounded the first turn. No Cass.

The second, and I paused, my back to the wall as I heard footsteps.

Then she was there, in front of me, and her eyes widened a smidge. “How did you find me?” she asked, stopping dead still.

“I’ll never tell.” Damn it. I would lie awake at night and think of fifteen better responses, all infinitely cooler than that.

“Okay, sure,” Cass said as she glanced over her shoulder.

“You’re surrounded.”

“By octogenarians,” she fired back.

“Did you get my email?”

“I got it.”

“I only want the ring, then you’re free to go.”

“What makes you think I still have it?”

“Ellie Feldman doesn’t have it and neither do the Reynoldses. They’ve made a deal. If you don’t hand it over, the deal’s off.”

“I didn’t make a deal with you,” she said, pointing to me.

“It doesn’t matter. I’m trying to help you out here. The Reynoldses will relinquish the ring. Ellie Feldman will get it back, and both of them can stir up some publicity to help others in the same position. It’s a win for everyone.”

“And you get to wrap the case up nicely. Is there a bonus in it for you?”

“No. We’re writing off the fee for the ring investigation. I just want to do the right thing.” I held out my hand, palm open, waiting. All she had to do was reach forwards and drop it in my hand.

“What about me?”

From the corner of my eye, I saw Lily edging around the corner of the stairwell.

At that moment, Cass turned and leaped onto the top of the balcony. Her backpack slipped from her shoulder and she caught it with her hand before it dropped away. I darted forwards and grabbed the other strap just as she jumped. As she fell, I pulled hard with both hands, throwing myself backwards, and jerked it out of her hands. Scrambling to my feet, I rushed to the edge and looked over.

Cass had landed on the ground, and was rolling before springing to her feet.

“Drop the backpack,” she called, waving for me to throw it.

I unzipped it, checking inside. The cash and the identities remained but the ring wasn’t inside. “Four PM at the Feldmans’,” I said, hoping Cass wanted the contents enough for me to use the backpack as leverage. “Return the ring and I’ll give you the backpack.”

She looked at me long and hard, then nodded and sprinted away.

“C’mon,” I said to Lily as we watched her disappear once again. “We’ve got work to do.”

~

“Are you sure this is going to fly?” asked Lily.

“You look more nervous than the Feldmans and the Reynoldses,” I said, casting a glance at the huddle of people in the Feldmans’ living room. Solomon and my dad had arrived only minutes ago, the muscle if we needed it. Not that I thought a fight would break out but tensions were high and the excitement palpable.

“I’m very invested in this. I got you the big lead to find your thief and I want to see her get her just desserts, although I’m not sure what those should be. Did she really do the wrong thing?”

I looked between the Reynoldses and the Feldman family, all chatting away without any hint of awkwardness. I had no idea what the answer was so I said, “I’ll make sure you get credit in my report.”

“Thanks, and I’ll send you my fee.”

“Sure! You can have ten percent of mine.”

Lily’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “Really?”

“Sure. Let me see what ten percent works out to be,” I said, counting on my fingers. “Hmm, one hundred percent of zero, minus ninety percent, equals… zero!” I closed my fingers into a fist and dropped my hand.

“Yay! I’ll take that in cash.” Lily laughed, not at all perturbed at her cut.

“Here,” I said, brushing my palm rapidly like I was dispensing dollar bills.

Lily mimed tucking the phantom bills into her back pocket. “Pleasure doing business with you.”

It was exactly three fifty PM and we were standing in the window of Ellie Feldman’s townhouse. Behind us were Alan Reynolds, Laura Reynolds, Ellie and her husband, Danny, and Ellie’s mom, Ruth Abrams, formerly Mendelson. Ellie had put out homemade cookies and tall, ice-filled jugs of lemonade like we were having a book club meeting, not waiting to repatriate stolen jewelry.

The meeting, so far, had been smooth, not awkward. The Reynoldses had arrived armed with all their documentation and a dozen fascinating stories of how they acquired jewelry for the vintage arm of their business. Laura reddened as she told the gathering how it hadn’t occurred to her to ask about Madame Michel’s war era affiliations, and how the Frenchwoman had been indignant when she’d called, refusing to speak further. The Feldmans, in return, had been warm and welcoming, keen to share their own documents and tales. Not one of them had shot an accusation at the other, which was good because I’d been concerned about tensions rising.

Ellie Feldman had technically commissioned a crime, but the Reynoldses had decided to take the bigger view. The ring had been stolen from Ruth’s parents, and the Reynoldses could help right a terrible wrong.

Now, Ruth was telling everyone a story about her early years in America and the others were laughing and Ellie was passing Alan old photos, pointing out the jewelry worn, asking for his and Laura’s expert opinions and thoughts.

I glanced at my watch, three fifty-five.

Five minutes to go.

Then I glanced at my feet where Cass Temple’s backpack slumped. Once Cass had run from us again, Lily and I had taken the backpack to the agency and turned it upside-down and inside out, patting it down to ensure it was empty. I’d catalogued the contents, xeroxed the IDs and counted the cash before returning everything to the backpack.

Now I was toying with the idea of leaving the backpack on the stoop for Cass to collect because I couldn’t fathom her not delivering the ring somehow. But would it be in person? Or would she send an intermediary? Or lead me on another chase?

The latter was the worst possible outcome because, so far, Cass had won every chase. I might have found her each time—partially thanks to Lily—but she’d also outsmarted me.

Only this time, I had leverage.

I had something she wanted and I was pretty sure it was the passports, her face accompanied by a different name on each one.

Three fifty-eight.

I scanned the street, noting the two women walking past, deep in conversation, a dog on a leash. On the other side of the street, a man jogged. Two cars passed.

Just when I was about to turn away, I saw her.

She was just standing there.

On the other side of the road, a Red Sox cap pulled low over her eyes, long blonde hair sweeping to her elbows, her sweetheart face undeniably familiar despite the large sunglasses. She wore a t-shirt, cut-off jeans, and sneakers, every inch a woman in summer. Her hands were thrust inside her pockets.

She lifted one hand and tapped her forefinger in the air, towards me.

“Lexi, look at this,” called Laura. “I’d love to know what you… oh!”

I grabbed the backpack, darting around Laura as she approached me, ignoring Ellie Feldman’s gasp, and wrenched open the front door as a large truck trundled past. When it cleared, the street was empty.

Cass had disappeared.

At my feet, on the brick stoop, was a small, black box.

I squatted to pick it up, snapping the lid open and smiled.

The ring had come home.

Underneath it was a scrap of folded paper. I unfolded it: Drop the backpack over the side and close the door .

Without looking, I dropped the backpack over the railing where it landed with a small thump. I turned away, closing the door behind me. Not just on the street and the backpack, but on Cass and the case.

“Is that…?” Ellie started as I rested my back against the door. Everyone had grouped into the entrance to the hallway, expectant expressions on their faces. I smiled. “Mom?” Ellie stepped away, letting her mother come forward, slow but steady with her cane.

“I think this is yours,” I said, and offered her the open ring box.

Ruth’s jaw trembled as she took the box in her shaky hand and gazed at the ring. “You don’t know what this means,” she said, her eyes filling with tears. “This is the only piece I have of my parents beside photos. Oh, look everyone, look!” She turned, showing them all the ring as they crowded around her, voices chorusing at once.

The commotion was suddenly interrupted by the wail of a siren close by and then it was receding into the distance, the voices picking up again.

“Was that Maddox’s SUV?” asked Lily, her hand shielding her eyes as she peered through the window panes surrounding the door.

I grinned. “Gosh, was it?”

“What about honor amongst thieves?”

“I’m not a thief,” I said and winked. Cass Temple might have upheld her part of the bargain, but I had my own relationship to mend with Maddox. Keeping him informed was the least I could do. The most was dropping a small tile tracker into the backpack I’d given her and passing the details onto him.

Whether he caught her or not, well, that was between them.