Murder Blog Mysteries Boxed Collection
Page 58
The kitchen door opened, and I sat back, acting nonchalant as Josh returned to the couch and snuggled close.
“Do you think it’s time to go to bed?” He leaned close and nibbled my ear. “I do.”
Usually, it’s impossible to think about anything when he’s doing that, but I needed to know what that message said. The tip of his tongue traced my ear as I said, “Um, uh. You got a… Ooo… Ummm….”
“Yes?” he whispered, his lips kissing their way into the crook of my neck as his hand snaked down my pants.
I was nearly incapable of coherent thought, but I needed to know what his ex’s bad news was. The warm, wonderful hand was now approaching ground zero. Time was running out. Concentrate, Katy! “You got a text message. Maybe you should check it in case it’s something important.”
“It can wait, but I can’t.”
Josh untangled himself from my arms, threw back the blankets, and crept to the living room. I glanced at the alarm clock. 1:43. He must be reading the message. A minute later, he crawled back into bed and curled up to me.
“Everything okay?” I asked.
“I don't know. The text was from Nicole. She said she has some bad news. I’ll call her in the morning.” He nestled close and within seconds was softly snoring. I, on the other hand, lay there staring at the dark ceiling, consumed with curiosity about Nicole’s bad news.
Today
Good news! Emily and her girlfriend, Dana, are getting back together. In fact, she’s in her room packing as I write this. There’s a light in her eyes that I’ve never seen before. Must be the look of love.
Dana works at Roxy Studios for some big mucky-muck in the television division and says she can get Emily a job there, too. Probably more like a “go-fer” job, since she has no work experience or education that would qualify her for a position like Dana’s, but still it’s an exciting opportunity.
I’m going to miss my little sister. If you’d told me I’d be feeling this way after she moved in last summer, I would have said you were delusional.
Josh called to break our dinner date. He’s heading down to Los Angeles to see Nicole. Turns out her bad news was awful. She has colon cancer. I don’t know how I’m supposed to feel about this. Of course, I feel terrible for her. But why does Josh have to go?
I just read that last line back, and realize I’m being selfish.
Chapter Twelve
COINS AND CADAVERS
MONDAY • JANUARY 26
Posted by Katy McKenna
Don and Jeri Jacobs came over late this morning to see the coin collection. Even though they seem like good, honest people, I still felt anxious about being alone with them and all that money, so I asked Pop to attend. After everyone was settled in the living room with coffee, and green tea for Jeri, Pop set one of the fire safes on the coffee table, then opened it and sat back to relish their amazed reaction.
Don was the first to find his voice. “Even though I was expecting this, it’s still mind-boggling.”
“That’s putting it mildly.” Jeri held a hand over her heart, sounding breathless. She reached into her purse, and I’m embarrassed to admit this, but my back instantly stiffened with apprehension, as I envisioned her whipping out a gun and blowing Pop and me to Kingdom Come.
Instead of a gun, she pulled out a sheet of paper. “According to your list, you have eight hundred twenty-dollar gold coins, a hundred twenty-five ten dollar ones, and forty-eight fives with a total face value of $17,490.”
“Wow.” I already knew that number, but it still impressed me.
Jeri continued, “We won’t know exactly what you have until all the coins have been catalogued and graded, of course. But there’s no doubt in my mind that it will be in the millions. Even after taxes.”
Pop patted my knee. “You okay, Katy-did? You look a little unsteady.”
“Yeah.” I took a shaky sip of coffee. “It’s just so crazy. This kind of thing happens to other people. Not me.”
“Look, Jeri,” said Don, holding out a coin to her. “1847. San Francisco mint. Pristine.”
Jeri cradled it in her hand. “It looks like it was never circulated.”
“I gather there’s quite a bit of work to do before Katy can start selling the coins,” said Pop.
“There is,” said Don. “But luckily, the coins don’t need cleaning. That can be a very painstaking, time-consuming task. But I’ll want to confer with someone more qualified than me. There’s a man down in Santa Monica who’s well regarded in the numastics field. He’s dealt with big finds like this before. Even a sunken treasure from the Spanish Armada.”
“Oliver Kershaw’s his name,” said Jeri. “He’ll know how to proceed.”
“When you have time,” said Don, “go on Amazon and take a look at some of the coins they have listed there to get a better idea of what you have. I think you’ll be pleasantly shocked.”
“Amazon?” said Pop. “Are you kidding?”
Don shook his head with a chuckle. “Not kidding. They have a collectible coin department. In fact, go on there and type in Saddle Ridge Hoard—you know, the hoard that was discovered in the Sierras by a couple walking their dog on their property a few years back. Last time I looked, there were still several available for sale, ranging from $3,500 to $16,000.”
“And while they are all in excellent condition, not one of them matches Katy’s coins,” said Jeri. “I guess you’re going to have to come up with a name for your hoard, Katy.”
After everyone left, I grabbed my laptop and settled on the couch to take a look at the Saddle Ridge Coins on Amazon. There weren’t any 1847 gold coins listed, but there was an 1880 S Liberty Head twenty-dollar gold piece going for sixteen thousand bucks.
As soon as I saw that, I realized I needed to get the coins out of my house. But where? A safe deposit box? It would have to be a really big one. And I seriously doubt I could drag the fire safes into the bank without raising a few eyebrows. They’ll probably think I’m a drug dealer and call the cops. Or the Feds. Or, God forbid, the IRS.
I sure hope those fire safes are as heat resistant as their labels claim.
“I’m not waking you up, am I, Cookie? I know it’s late to be calling, but I wanted to hear your voice.”
It was 11:25 and yes, Josh had woke me, but as soon as he said, “Cookie,” I switched on the bedside lamp and piled the pillows behind my back, ready to listen and offer comfort.
“How’s Nicole?”
He exhaled a sad sigh. “Not good. She needs to have a colectomy. Her mother and grandmother died from colon cancer at fairly young ages. I remember how sick her mother was. We were still in high school at the time.”
“How bad is the cancer? I mean, what stage?”
“She didn’t say. But she said her prognosis for a five-year survival is around eighty to ninety percent. She’ll be doing chemo and radiation after the surgery.”
The desolate tone in Josh’s voice tugged my heart. “Ninety percent is really good, Josh. I don’t think the doctors ever say one hundred percent, but ninety is pretty much that.”
“You think so?” he asked in a small voice.
“I know so. My grandmother had breast cancer in her fifties, and her odds weren’t nearly so good, and she’s been cancer-free for over twenty years now.”
“To look at her, you’d never know she’s been sick a day in her life,” he said.
“I know. But she was incredibly sick when she was going through the chemo. I remember how frail and old she looked. But as soon as she got through it and regained the weight, she was back to being my crazy, glamorous grandma.”
“That’s good to hear. I’ll tell Nicole.”
“Does Nicole have any family close by or friends who can help?”
“No relatives in the area. Nicole’s dad joined the Peace Corps after he retired, and he’s in Botswana. She has friends, but they all work full-time, and she’s going to need round-the-clock care.”
I know where this is going. He
’s not coming back.
“So I’ve volunteered to take care of her,” he said. “It’s the least I can do after everything I put her through.”
“Oh....”
He continued. “I know. This is a hell of a thing to happen just when you and I are getting started.”
“It’s okay. I understand.”
My head buzzed so loudly I barely heard him say, “I should be home in a couple of weeks, more or less.”
“Huh? A couple of weeks? But you said she’s doing chemo and radiation after the surgery.”
“She is, but she’s going to do it in Santa Lucia. In fact, she
insisted, because she didn’t want me to have to stay away from you for so long. I told her all about you, and she can’t wait to meet you.”
“Oh.” It’s going to be okay!
After Josh’s phone call, I was wide awake. I opened my laptop and went on Amazon to look at coins again. Some of the “storefronts” had numerous pages of rare coins, while others had just one or two coins. And that gave me an idea.
Even though I still have a lot of money left over from selling that coin to the Jacobs, I have decided to put one coin for sale on Amazon. My hope is to get enough money to pay off my credit cards and still have enough cash stashed in the bank to cover my bills for the next few months.
However, I will wait and do it in the morning. I’ve learned through bitter experience that sometimes my late night bright ideas don’t seem quite so bright in the cold light of day.
And that concludes today’s post. However, I’m still wide awake, dammit.
Chapter Thirteen
COINS AND CADAVERS
TUESDAY • JANUARY 27
Posted by Katy McKenna
First thing this morning, I canceled the exterminator. I just can’t be a party to slaughtering innocent little critters. There’s got to be a better answer than that.
Last night’s bright idea still seemed brilliant today, so I am now an “individual seller” on Amazon. I put an 1888 S Liberty Head ten-dollar coin up for sale in my shop. There’s already one for sale in another shop for $5,250. Mine is in better condition—the other one has some tiny scratches, but I priced mine at five thousand to move it fast.
What really pushed me to do it was a call from Stinky’s Muffler Shop this morning. They want me to design a NASCAR style logo that will be embroidered onto a jacket for their company mascot, an English bulldog named Stinky. They’re not in a rush, so I said I’d check my calendar and get back to them.
Don Jacobs called and said the coin specialist in Santa Monica is eager to see my coins and wondered if tomorrow would be okay. So, things are moving along. Fingers crossed I don’t have to do the Stinky job.
My newfound cousin, Erin Cranston, texted me. She’s driving to Los Angeles on Thursday for a business meeting on Friday. She wants to stop on the way to meet me. She invited me to join her for dinner at Le Stella, a swanky restaurant in the fanciest hotel in Clam Beach where she’s spending the night—just ten minutes from my house. Can’t wait to meet her.
Chapter Fourteen
COINS AND CADAVERS
WEDNESDAY • JANUARY 28
Posted by Katy McKenna
The coin expert from Los Angeles arrived around one, along with Don Jacobs from the coin shop. In my mind, I’d pictured the numismatist as a scholarly gent in his sixties or seventies, and boy was I wrong. Oliver Kershaw, a tall, dark, and handsome Brit, looked like he’d stepped from the pages of GQ magazine. And his accent. OMG.
Oliver has a Ph.D. in numismatics from Oxford University. His original field of expertise was Roman and Greek coinage, but his real passion is for modern: 1700’s to early 1900’s. He consults on archeological digs around the world and is affiliated with several prestigious museums.
“Don told me that he believes your coins are second only to the recent Saddle Ridge Hoard found in the Sierras by that couple who were out walking their dog,” said Oliver.
“From what I’ve read, their identities haven’t been revealed. I would like the same for me.”
“Of course, we’ll be discreet. I was fortunate to be a member of the team inspecting the Saddle Ridge Hoard. Those coins were in excellent condition, and many appeared to be uncirculated.”
“Where would you like to look at my coins? Right now, the fire safes are sitting on the living room floor by the coffee table.”
“I think the kitchen table would be better for us,” said Don. “Easier on our backs.”
He bent with a groan to pick up a safe and Oliver said, “Here, let me do that. I don’t have a bad knee. You grab my attaché case.”
Don straightened, looking relieved. “You won’t hear any arguments from me.”
In the kitchen, Oliver removed a pair of latex gloves, a lighted magnifier, a laptop, and a microscope from his briefcase. “I’m very eager to see what you have, Ms. McKenna.”
“Katy, please.” I unlocked one of the safes.
He gazed at the contents for a long moment before removing a plastic-bagged coin. I glanced at Don, who was grinning ear-to-ear.
“Oliver? Was I right, or was I right?” said Don, chuckling.
“At first glance, yes.” He removed the coin from its bag to inspect under the magnifying glass. “Extraordinary.”
Don connected the microscope to the laptop, and Oliver placed the coin under the lens. The magnified image filled the computer screen.
The numismatist gazed into the eyepiece murmuring, “Astonishing. Brilliant, uncirculated. Lustrous.”
“What does that mean?” I said.
“That means the coin still has its original mint bloom,” whispered Don to me with a wink.
I exhaled the breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding, unclenched my hands, and sat in a chair to watch the men examine the coins.
Forty-five minutes into it, my stomach was growling. “Anyone want a snack?”
The men were so engrossed that neither heard me, so I grabbed a bag of taco chips and settled in the living room to watch an episode of House Hunters on HGTV.
Finally, Oliver called me into the kitchen. “Katy. It is amazing and unprecedented to have two such significant finds within a few years of each other. Before the Saddle Ridge Hoard, the largest buried collection of gold discovered in the US was the Jackson Hoard, found in Jackson, Tennessee in 1985, and that one pales in comparison to yours.”
“Wow. So now we have the Santa Lucia Hoard?” I asked.
“We do,” said Oliver. “But it will remain a secret until every coin has been evaluated and you’re ready to begin the arduous process of selling the collection.”
Oh crap. “Uh, I kind of already put one coin up for sale on Amazon.”
His pained expression made me feel guilty.
“I can pull it off the market if you think best.”
“Let me see the coin,” he muttered through tight lips.
Feeling like an idiot, I plucked a coin zipped in a labeled bag from the safe. “This one.”
After a quick inspection, he said, “All right, we can let this one go. How much are you asking?”
“Five thousand.”
“Ms. McKenna. You’re giving it away at that price. It’s easily worth seven thousand, so up it to $6,700 and do not take a penny less than $6,200.” He gave the coin back to me, looking grumpy.
“I’m sorry. I’m between jobs and....” I slumped on my chair, mangling the plastic bag.
“I’m sure Oliver didn’t mean to sound so gruff,” said Don a little too jovially. “We just don’t want you to lose money, that’s all.”
“I apologize for my tone, Katy,” said Oliver. “But I do hope you won’t sell any more until after we have analyzed the collection. Trust me, it will be well worth the wait.”
That made me feel better, and I straightened up. “So, what happens next?”
“I’d like to have another colleague see the collection, and then if it is amenable to you, my firm would like to represent you. At s
ome point soon, we’ll need to move the coins. Of course, we will use an armored truck. Do you have an attorney?”
“Yes, I do. Ben Burnett. He’s a retired criminal attorney from Los Angeles. But I’m sure he can do whatever I need.”
The minute they left, I dashed for my laptop, fearing someone had already discovered the underpriced coin and bought it. Thankfully that hadn’t happened, and I reset the price to $6,700.
Chapter Fifteen
COINS AND CADAVERS
THURSDAY • JANUARY 29
Posted by Katy McKenna
Josh called this morning while Nicole was still in recovery. The good news was the surgeon was able to reconnect her colon, which meant no colostomy bag. She’d been worried about that. Who wouldn’t be? The bad news: the cancer had spread to her liver. However, they felt very confident that they got it all, and that she should have a good recovery.
“I can’t stop thinking about you,” said Josh.
“Neither can I. I mean about you, not me.”
He laughed. “I love your quirky sense of humor—amongst other things.”
Hadn’t meant to be funny, but I let him think I did. “What other things?”
“You know.... Hold on a sec.”
“Mr. Draper, your wife’s in her room now. As soon as she’s settled in, you can visit her for a few minutes.”