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Aviva, I need to talk to you about your friend Colette.” Those were the first words out of Lucas O’Mara’s mouth when Aviva answered a call from him on Friday morning.

“Um…” It was all Aviva could muster, for she couldn’t imagine what Colette had done this time, though it certainly had to do with the bracelet.

But hadn’t Colette spent yesterday with Daniel Rosman?

Aviva had tried calling her after work, but Colette had merely texted back saying that they were on their way to the museum so that Mr. Rosman could see the bracelet in person.

Surely she hadn’t undertaken a heist while she was there, had she?

“What did she do?” She gritted her teeth while she waited for the answer.

“She showed up at the assisted-living facility again,” Lucas said.

“That’s all? Oh, thank God.”

“That’s all ? I thought you and I talked about this! The staff said she brought an older man with her this time, and they harassed my wife’s grandfather in the dining room.”

Aviva closed her eyes. “She brought Daniel Rosman with her?”

“Who’s Daniel Rosman?” Lucas asked.

Aviva hesitated. “It’s a long story. But it seems that the bracelet belonged to his family before it belonged to Colette. You didn’t meet him at the museum yesterday?”

“I left as soon as Hubert’s home called me to tell me what happened. This Rosman is from the family you said it was stolen from?”

“Yes.”

Lucas was silent for a moment. “You do know that I had no idea about any of this, right? That as far as I knew, the bracelet was a Verdier family heirloom?”

“I believe you. But Lucas, as much as I understand where you’re coming from in wanting to protect your wife’s grandfather, Colette and Mr. Rosman should have the opportunity to ask how the bracelet wound up here, in his possession.”

Lucas was silent for a moment. “Hubert has fewer and fewer lucid moments these days, Aviva. It might be too late to expect him to remember anything.”

“But if there’s a chance he might—”

“The assisted-living facility is insisting that your friend Colette be banned. They’re concerned about her repeatedly agitating a patient.”

“Please don’t let them ban her.”

“It’s not up to me, Aviva. But there’s someone else who might know what happened. Someone whose memories might be clearer anyhow.”

“Who?”

“My grandfather. He’s known Hubert since before they both immigrated to the States. He’s still sharp as a tack. If Hubert told him where the bracelet came from, he’ll remember it.”

“Have you asked him about it?”

“Hubert and my grandfather had a falling-out a number of years ago. He’s made it clear several times that he has no desire to talk about anything having to do with Hubert.”

“So what makes you think he’ll tell you anything now?” Aviva asked.

“Well—he probably won’t.”

Aviva’s heart sank. “Okay…”

“But he may tell you .”

“Me?”

“Look, you have a good reason for wanting answers here. My grandfather’s a decent man, and if he can give your friend Colette some peace, I think he’d want to do that. Why don’t you come with me to his house tonight for dinner?”

“Lucas, are you sure?” Aviva asked.

“I have plans with him already, and he won’t mind if I bring a guest. I’m very aware that someone I consider family might have deeply hurt someone you consider family. I’m doing the best I can to make it right.”

Aviva’s heart squeezed. “I know. Thank you, Lucas.”

It wasn’t a date. Aviva knew that, of course, but she would be lying if she said she hadn’t lingered a bit longer than usual in her closet before picking out a navy dress that dipped low in the front—but not too low—and hugged her curves—but not too much.

She called Colette on her walk back to the office and was frustrated when it rang through to voicemail.

“Call me back, Colette,” she said. “I heard what you did at the assisted-living facility, and we’re going to talk about that.

But in the meantime, I’m seeing Lucas O’Mara’s grandfather tonight.

I’ll tell you if I find anything out. In the meantime, don’t do anything stupid, okay? ”

But Colette didn’t return the call, and the rest of the afternoon fell away in a blur of drafting motions and briefs.

Aviva was waiting in the lobby of her building when Lucas arrived five minutes before five in charcoal pants and a crisp forest-green button-down.

“You look beautiful,” he said, looking her in the eye.

Then something in his expression changed, and he cleared his throat. “I mean, if that’s okay to say.”

“Thank you. You look great, too.”

He smiled at her. “I suppose it’s too late to ditch my grandfather and just take you out to dinner?”

She could feel herself blushing. “Can I take a rain check on that?”

“You name the day,” he said, holding her gaze.

“Does your grandfather know I’m coming?”

“I called ahead and said I was bringing a friend. I didn’t tell him why, though.”

“Oh, great,” Aviva said. “It’s an ambush.”

Lucas shrugged. “I don’t think he would have agreed to see us if he knew we were coming to ask him about Hubert. It’s… complicated. It’s better this way.”

On their drive out to Weymouth, where Lucas’s grandfather lived, Aviva told the story of Daniel Rosman’s arrival and his claim on the bracelet, as well as Colette’s. By the time they pulled into his grandfather’s driveway, Lucas’s face was pale, his expression grave.

“No wonder it’s so important to you to find out how it got here,” he said as he helped her out of the car.

“I have a hard time believing that Hubert is the person you seem to think he is, but what happened to Colette and Daniel is horrendous. The bracelet’s in my possession, which means I owe it to you to help. ”

“You don’t owe me anything.”

“But Colette deserves answers, Aviva. I know that. I’ll do what I can to help you get to the bottom of this.”

She nodded, a lump in her throat. It took her a few seconds before she was able to say, “I just want to bring Colette some peace.”

Lucas led her up the winding front walkway to his grandfather’s house, a large, white two-story with black trim. “What a beautiful home,” Aviva said.

“It’s where I grew up,” he said with a smile. “When I was little and my mom and I moved back to Boston, we lived with my grandparents.”

He rang the bell, and a moment later, the front door swung open to reveal a tall, white-haired man with slightly stooped shoulders.

He stepped forward to hug Lucas and then turned to smile at Aviva.

“Lucas,” he said warmly, a French accent still coating his words.

“Who have you brought with you this evening?”

“This is my friend Aviva,” Lucas said. “Aviva, this is my grandfather.”

When Aviva reached out to shake hands with him, she was surprised to find his grip strong, though she could feel a tremble in his arm. “Nice to meet you, sir.”

“Call me Bill, young lady,” he said. “And please, come in.”

Aviva smiled at Lucas as they followed his grandfather down a long hallway that opened into a dining room. He used a walker, but otherwise, he seemed in good health.

“You’ll forgive me for the early dining hour, young lady,” he said, throwing Aviva a smile over his shoulder as they entered the dining room.

The table had already been set, and his housekeeper was bustling around, filling glasses with water.

She smiled at Lucas, nodded at Aviva, and then headed for the kitchen.

“Back in my younger days, I didn’t eat until nine o’clock most nights.

But now, I’m sorry to say, I’m fast asleep by then. Ah, the indignities of age.”

Aviva returned the smile. “Don’t tell anyone, but I love a good early bird special.”

Bill chuckled. “To be honest, I’ve found that as long as the meal includes a nice glass of wine, it doesn’t really matter what time you take it.”

“A man after my own heart,” Aviva said.

“Excuse me, Bill,” the woman cut in, reemerging into the dining room. “Would you like me to uncork a bottle of the Artemis?”

“That would be lovely, Sondra, thank you.” He glanced at Aviva. “Aviva, this is Sondra, who’s been with me for many, many years. Sondra, this is Lucas’s friend, Aviva.”

Sondra smiled. “It’s nice to meet a friend of Lucas’s,” she said. “I can’t remember the last time he brought someone home.”

“Please, sit, sit,” Bill said, sitting down and gesturing to the two seats across from him. “Sondra, we’ll have that wine now.”

The woman bustled off as Lucas and Aviva took their seats. “Sondra is a wonderful cook, isn’t she, Lucas?”

“She makes the best meat loaf in the world,” Lucas said.

“Well, we are not having meat loaf tonight.” Bill winked at his grandson. “It has been a long time since Lucas has brought home a young lady. This deserves a special meal.”

“Granddad—” Lucas began, shooting Aviva an apologetic look.

“No, no, you don’t have to explain,” his grandfather said, raising his palms. “To be honest, Aviva, it means a lot to me when Lucas includes me in his life. It gets rather lonely around here. If I didn’t have Sondra, I fear I’d lose my mind.”

Aviva swallowed hard and shot Lucas a guilty look. “Maybe we should—”

But Lucas reached for her hand under the table and squeezed. “What Aviva is trying to say is that we’re very glad to be here with you, Granddad. And we do look forward to just talking. But first, we had some questions we want to ask you.”

Concern flickered in Bill’s expression. “Questions?”

Sondra bustled back in then with an open bottle of wine, and no one said anything as she went around the table, filling each of their glasses. When she was done, she nodded at Bill, who gave her a distracted half smile.

“To Lucas,” Bill said, raising his glass as Sondra disappeared back into the kitchen. Lucas and Aviva exchanged looks and raised theirs, too. “Now what’s this all about? I was under the impression that this was to be a friendly meal with a new friend of yours.”