Laguna Beach: That Gold in Laguna (Kindle Worlds Novella) (A Charisma Series Novella, The Ericksons Book 2)

by Heather Hiestand

  “I heard a motorcycle pulling up. Who is here?” her father asked as she padded into his study on the second floor.

  “Some of the California Gold team. They need the inventory from the jewel theft. It’s in here, right?”

  “Yes,” he said, rising. “I’ll get it for you.” He pulled open the Van Gogh reproduction mounted behind his desk and keyed in the combination to the safe.

  “I would like you to tell the staff that open the front door not to allow Lennon to come in without being announced anymore,” she said, fighting to keep her tone calm. Emotion irritated her father.

  “Why?”

  “We aren’t dating any longer and I’m not comfortable with him having full access to the house.”

  “It’s not like you live here.” He pulled the safe door open.

  “No, but I work here and he knows that. He stops by just about every weekday right at five for the free drinks and pool time.”

  “He’s practically my son. You dated for nearly a decade.”

  “Which is why I know he isn’t right for me, Daddy.” She forced herself to inject a smile into her voice.

  Her father kept his back to her as he spoke. “I wish you’d reconsider. He’s a good fit for you, and since you turn thirty next year, you are fast running out of first-class options.”

  Statements like that made her question her father’s true opinion of herself. He thought his daughter was about to become second rate? And what was his definition of first class anyway? “First class? What kind of first class man has time to show up at some ex’s father’s house every day at five for free food?”

  “His family is wealthy enough that he doesn’t have to work at all. At least he puts in a good show at the firm. He has a first-rate law degree.”

  “I’ve wondered if he paid someone to take tests for him,” Rachel muttered.

  Boxes toppled as her father rummaged. “Excuse me?”

  She lifted her hand and flexed her wrist as if shooing a fly away. “Please. I’d rather date that camera man.”

  “What camera man?” Sadiki McHughes appeared in the doorway, dark skin glowing rosily against a pure white caftan. Rachel’s stepmother already held a highball glass that was half-empty.

  Rachel checked her watch. It was just three minutes after five. She wondered if it was time for another intervention. There had been three of them over the past dozen years. She loved Sadiki but her alcoholism had slowly but surely ripped her father’s heart to shreds. It hadn’t helped his drinking either.

  "Don’t you dare. I'll cut off your credit cards." Her father shut the safe door with a bang. His hands were empty.

  “What?” Sadiki said again. “What are you two fighting about this time?”

  “Lennon,” Rachel said.

  “She’s not going to take him back,” her stepmother said, stepping into the room.

  Rachel saw, with relief, that the glass seemed to be filled with ginger ale, not alcohol, though Sadiki never drank soda. What did that mean? She’d have to smell the drink to be certain of its contents.

  “Why not?” her father asked.

  “He didn’t treat her well.”

  His lip curled. “Did he hit her? Cheat on her?”

  “He doesn’t have enough ambition,” Sadiki said, lifting her head at a proud angle.

  “And Rachel has ambition?” her father snapped.

  "I'll stop curating your collections and get a job," Rachel retorted. “I could work for an auction house or another collector. I could probably even consult for someone like Delilah Craft.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous,” her father said. “There is more work than you can handle here.”

  Rachel threw up her hands. “Then don’t complain about my lack of ambition.”

  “You could ask for a raise.” He smirked at her.

  “Just find me the theft inventory, Daddy, so that I can send the treasure hunters on their way.”

  “Theft? Treasure hunters?” Sadiki asked, glancing from one of them to the other.

  “The nineteen thirty-one jewelry theft, nothing new. The show might film a search for it here.”

  “Ah,” Sadiki said. “Are we really prepared to have people filming in our house, Richard?”

  “We can return to Kenya,” he said. “If you aren’t comfortable.” Over the years they’d discovered that Sadiki did better there. Too much time in Laguna Beach, too many parties, and the crutch turned into a habit.

  “It might be fun,” Sadiki said lightly, twirling a brightly pattered red and yellow scarf that was artfully draped around her neck. “Handsome young men around the house. Someone new for Rachel.”

  “Treasure hunters?” her father scoffed.

  “Grandchildren,” Sadiki said, setting her hand on her husband’s forearm. “Take your time finding that inventory, darling. Rachel and I will tend to the boys.”

  “Just one,” Rachel said. “Thor Erickson. He’s with Delilah Craft.”

  “That name sounds familiar.”

  “We were in the same grade.” Rachel frowned. “I think we had our science classes together, but we weren’t friends.”

  “Is she the girl who was hit on the head when the basketball hoop collapsed during your junior year?” Sadiki asked.

  “Was it? You have a better memory than me.” Rachel rubbed the top of her head. That vaguely rang a bell.

  “She stayed in town, I take it.”

  “She left, then came back. Opened California Gold Coin.”

  “Is she going to fight you for this camera man?” Sadiki asked, her almond-shaped eyes squinting, cat-like.

  Rachel’s chest felt itchy, but she didn’t allow herself to scratch. “They might be together for all I know. I didn’t really mean I was interested in Thor. And he isn’t really a camera man. He’s been promoted to on-air talent.”

  “What an unusual name,” Sadiki mused.

  “Do you remember Treasure Hunters?” Her father asked, coming out of the closet where his second safe was hidden. “It was on right about when we started dating. The Ericksons were the stars of the show.”

  “No,” Sadiki said. “I was travelling a great deal then, for my modeling jobs. This boy does sound promising, Rachel.”

  Her father handed Rachel a manila envelope. Light flared through a window, spotlighting the goldenrod packet for a moment before the sun went back behind a cloud. “That’s what you need.”

  “Thanks, Daddy.” She kissed him on the cheek. He needed to shave again. “Will we see you downstairs?”

  “No, I need to make a call to Hawaii before the end of the day.”

  “I’ll have to invite the entire group for a tour of the house. Is tomorrow good?” Rachel asked.

  Her father nodded.

  “Do you know what happened to that coin I found when I was twelve?”

  Her father’s gaze unfocused. “We turned it into a necklace for you, right?”

  “Not that I remember,” Rachel said.

  “I hope that housekeeper didn’t steal it,” Sadiki said, picking up her glass. The condensation dotted her fingers. “Remember the one I had to fire right after we married?”

  “That was a good three years later,” Rachel said. “I hadn’t remembered the timeline. You might be right, because I found that coin when Mommy was sick. We wouldn’t have thought about it again for ages.”

  “I’ll take a more thorough look in the safes after my phone call,” her father said. “And I’ll go to the bank tomorrow. It could be in the safety deposit box. I could have even had it made into a necklace, put it aside and then forgotten to give it to you.”

  “You were drinking a lot then,” Sadiki said gently, patting his arm.

  Her father nodded. “It’s amazing how all these years later, I’m still discovering things that went wrong back then.”

  Impulsively, Rachel went to her father and put her arms around his waist. Sadiki joined them in a hug. Rachel could finally get close Sadiki’s drink. It only smelled of sugar,
not of alcohol. “I’m so happy you found each other,” Rachel whispered. “And that you’re both healthy now.”

  “Just promise me, when you do marry and have little ones, that you won’t live here,” Sadiki whispered back. “Laguna Beach and I don’t get along. I’ve never fit in here.”

  Rachel nodded. “Maybe it’s time to sell this place. I know it’s been in the family for ninety years, but when the show comes out Daddy will be able to get a fortune for it. Someone will buy it in the hopes there’s more gold hidden.”

  “Where would you go?” Her father asked, clutching his wife tightly. Taller than him, Sadiki rested the side of her head against the top of her husband’s.

  “Where ever I can find a museum to hire me. I finally finished my master’s in contemporary art. I’m sure someone will take me on, but it might take a couple of years to find the right job.” She forced a smile. “We really shouldn’t stay here. Not if it makes my sweet stepmama unhappy.”

  Rachel surveyed the California Gold team the next morning, assembled on the walkway in front of her family home behind the chain link fence. The sun was close to directly overhead; they hadn’t made an early start. Thor’s white T-shirt glowed almost blue. It seemed like the sun chose him to focus on, highlighting his tousled blond hair, appealingly shaggy, and angled cheekbones.

  “I thought you treasure hunters were an early morning bunch,” she said.

  “We thought rich people were late starters,” Delilah said, smirking at her. The skull on her T-shirt had a rose in one eye socket and a black patch over the other.

  “Okay, who do we have?” Rachel said. “Crowe and Thor, of course. No Beau?”

  “He’s meeting with ground penetrating radar company to get an estimate,” Crowe said.

  “Got it. And that’s Justin Hatch, and the Pizza Girl. So that’s the Season One team?”

  “Pizza Girl?” the lithe redheaded pizzeria owner muttered.

  “Sorry, I just remember you from Laguna Nights. You dumped a glass of root beer in my lap when we were shooting one time.”

  “You were in the cast?” the redhead said coolly. “I had no idea.”

  Rachel cleared her throat. “Right. I gave the jewelry theft inventory to Thor last night. My father is still hunting for the gold coin I found.”

  “What are the chances he’ll find it?” Crowe asked.

  “It wasn’t in the obvious place, but he’s trying,” she said. “For now, shall we focus on the jewelry theft?”

  “Please,” Crowe said. His team stood close together, a solid unit.

  “Very well.” She shifted from one foot to the other, out of place on her own family property, wishing she’d worn more comfortable shoes. Her crop top and blousy skirt with high heeled sandals were better for a lunch date than a house tour. If she’d dressed for Thor she couldn’t show it, but at least he didn’t have his hands on Delilah, unlike Crowe, who was now holding hands with the redhead. “Well, ladies and gentlemen, you are standing on a murder scene.”

  Thor raised his eyebrows. “No kidding.”

  The three camera operators seemed to come to attention. One of them surveyed the scene, while another made sure to capture the surprised faces of the team, while the third stayed riveted on her face.

  “That’s right. It was November the fourth, nineteen thirty-one. My great-grandfather, Bill McHughes, and his wife, Isabella Ruspoli McHughes, were having a party. An open house. Wealthy locals attended, as well as a selection of Los Angeles socialites. Claudette Colbert and Ginger Rogers signed our guest book that year, as did Charlie Chaplin and Gary Cooper.”

  “Hollywood royalty,” Delilah said, looking slightly more interested.

  “The McHughes had a lot to show off. This is a sixty-five hundred square foot house now, a bit larger than in their day. It’s a classic Mediterranean sea villa. We’re in front of a Provence-style gatehouse. On the night of the party, police were called. They chased the thief through the house, across the courtyard, and into the gatehouse, firing their weapons. He fell for the final time at the base of the steps, just below where I am standing.”

  “Who was the thief?” Crowe asked.

  “Bucky Tell, a bit player at Paramount,” she said, as some of the team made notes.

  “Was he at the party alone? Could he have handed the jewelry to someone?” Justin asked.

  “He was in the entourage of actress Joan Bennett, who was single at the time. She refused to discuss Bucky, but since she was a top star in that era, it’s unlikely she was involved. In fact, some of her jewelry went missing that night.”

  “How did the jewelry come to be stolen?”

  “They had a pool party. There were temporary tent cabanas set up and a lot of jewelry was left in them.” She emphasized the word ‘lot.’

  “Understood,” Justin said, looking thoughtful. “Do you know who else was in the entourage?”

  “Joan had her daughter with her, and a nanny.”

  “That’s all?” Thor said. “Then Bucky must have been her date.”

  “I would imagine so. Family records indicate that the nanny was questioned and searched and she wasn’t a suspect. But the important thing was that Bucky had a couple of hours while the jewelry was unattended. He isn’t known to have left the estate, which is why it’s assumed the jewelry is still here.”

  “Any other clues?” Crowe asked.

  She smiled. “He had dirt in his trouser cuffs.”

  Thor grinned. “Our boy had been digging.” He pulled papers from his back pocket. “So, we’re looking for an assortment of diamond evening watches, animal and bug brooches, and your basic gold jewelry. No famed gems or anything like that.”

  “But expensive pieces,” Rachel said, feeling the need to defend the lost horde. “A casual little gold bracelet could fetch twenty thousand dollars today. One diamond ring that was stolen is worth about thirty-seven thousand. And as far as I know, the pièce de résistance is a handmade diamond and sapphire necklace worth about forty-six thousand.”

  “How do you know that?” Thor asked. One of his feet tilted a loose flagstone, sending him off balance, but he righted himself. “I don’t have any of that here.”

  “We have photographs of some of the pieces. They were insured, or the owners were photographed wearing them at some point. The important thing to remember is that none of it was ever seen again. Not one single piece.”

  “We’ll need to get those photos,” an assistant producer called from the sidelines.

  Rachel nodded. Behind the team, the front gate opened. Her father’s BMW convertible pulled up and he climbed out without opening the door. Show off. A huge grin on his face, he spread his arms wide. “It’s the cast of my new favorite show!”

  Cast and crew alike broke into chuckles as he walked around to the other side of his car and pulled out a briefcase, then joined his daughter on the steps leading through the gatehouse.

  “I think I have something you are going to need,” he said, placing the briefcase across his forearms. “Rachel, if you’ll do the honors.”

  She lifted the clasps on the unlocked leather case and opened it. A camera operator shot over her shoulder at what was revealed. Inside was a leather jewelry case. She unsnapped its fastener and opened it, leaving it there so the camera operator could get a clear visual. Then she lifted the chain holding a gold setting holding a beautiful gold coin.

  Delilah was at the foot of the steps before Rachel had realized the coin shop owner had moved. “May I?”

  Crowe had moved forward, too. “Is this definitely the coin you found on this property seventeen years ago?”

  Rachel glanced up, found Thor’s gaze steadily on hers. She bit her lip and turned to her father. “Daddy? Are you sure?”

  He nodded. “Yes. I only ever had one coin mounted and that was the one you found. I’m sorry it never came back to you.”

  Rachel cleared her throat. The sound seemed too delicate for the emotion. “My mother successfully fought breast can
cer around then. When she recovered, she moved to Israel. We’ve never seen her again. Mother and Daddy divorced. It was not the best time to keep track of one little gold coin.”

  At that moment she wanted a hug. Rather desperately. But her father was holding the briefcase, and she didn’t have any friends among the California Gold team. Too bad, since they were probably among the most interesting people she’d ever met. She wiped under her eyes, careful not to smear her mascara, as Delilah examined the coin with a small magnifying glass attached to her keychain.

  She flipped it from front to back, then faced her team. “It’s a very nice specimen but not the kind of thing we’re interested in.”

  “What is it?” Thor asked, looking at Rachel, not Delilah, as if more interested in her reaction than the coin.

  “A Nineteen O Seven two and a half Gold Liberty,” Delilah said.

  “Nineteen O Seven,” Rachel echoed, wincing as she peered at the coin. Of course it was. The numbering was clear as day. How had she missed that as a child? Either that or her memory had altered completely.

  “Maybe it belonged to your great-grandparents,” Delilah said.

  “What is it worth?” McHughes asked.

  “Less than eight hundred,” Delilah said. “But it is a high grade coin. If you had a nice stash of these you’re starting to talk real money.”

  “I had it cleaned,” McHughes said. “It was dirty, of course, when Rachel found it.”

  Rachel forced a carefree smile to her lips and made sure Thor saw it before she opened the chain and slid it around her neck. “It’s a lovely piece of jewelry and a fond memory. Sorry, guys. I was hoping my tale of finding gold was a lot more exciting. I remembered my coin find very differently.”

  “You were only a child,” Delilah said with a disappointed sigh.

  “You’ve excited me with the jewelry theft,” Crowe assured her. “There are fourteen pieces of jewelry listed. Based on what I’m seeing, this small treasure trove is worth over two hundred thousand dollars, probably more since movie stars were involved.”