Diamond Rings Are Deadly Things

by Rachelle J. Christensen

  The light was within reach. If I stretched my arm just right, I could extinguish it and then investigate the odd sound. I crept toward the light panel, fear tingling up my spine. With speed and stealth Hitchcock might have envied, I flipped off the light, dashed across the room, and turned on the patio light. A scream suspended in my throat as I watched Tux slam into the patio window—momentarily dazed by the light. He flipped around and batted at a grotesque June bug. The giant beetle lay stunned for a moment, the patio light reflecting off its glossy burgundy back.

  Then it launched into the air directly into my line of vision and bounced off the window again. The scream released from my throat, and Tux jumped back as I curled my shoulders inward. “Ew! I hate those things. Kill it, Tux.”

  He hesitated, then pawed at the bug. I chided myself for my near-panic attack. Ticking antennas held the feline’s attention, and I laughed when Tux jumped back at the bug’s sudden movement. Turning off the light, I gathered up my lists and binders and walked toward my bedroom, hopeful for a good night’s rest.

  The next morning, I hurried to get ready for work. Tux rubbed against the patio door as I approached, and I could hear him meow through the glass. I reached for the door and stopped, my mouth dropping open. A piece of paper was taped to the outside of the glass door. I stubbed my toe on a stool and cursed as I leaned in for a better look. I closed my eyes when I saw the picture and tried to quiet the terror pumping my heart at double speed. I dialed Tony’s number as I examined the picture of Natalie’s wedding dress taped on my patio door above a note:

  You have 24 hours to return the diamonds. Use the lunch bag and leave it at Rotary Park.

  I noticed my lunch bag sitting at the far corner of the patio, and a cold river of fear ran through me. I closed my eyes and sent up a quick prayer that Tony could get me out of this mess.

  Tony answered the phone. “This is Detective Ford.”

  “Houston, we have a problem.”

  Chapter 19

  Laurel’s Sweet Five-Petal Crochet Flower Pattern

  Use any size hook (depending on what size flower you want) and any weight yarn, but for delicate lace flowers use fingering 10-count crochet thread and a size 6, 7, or 8 hook.

  Rnd 1: Ch 5, join into a ring w/sl st in 1st ch.

  Rnd 2: Ch 3 (counts as first dc), work 9dc in ring, join to top of ch w/sl st—10 sts.

  Rnd 3: **Ch 2, work 3dc in next st, ch 2, sl st in next st** five times. Fasten off.

  For variety, you can create a different colored center by changing yarn colors after round 2. Experiment with different weight yarns and hook sizes. To layer a slightly smaller flower on top, use one hook size smaller than you used for the larger flower.

  Courtesy of www.mashedpotatoesandcrafts.com.

  “There’s an undercover cop on your street. I want you to leave right now,” Tony said after I told him what was taped to my patio door. “I’ll meet you at your shop.”

  “What should I do about the lunch bag?”

  “Leave it there for now. Act normal.”

  “Yeah, I’ll do that.” I fed Tux, grabbed my stuff, and hurried to my shop, not bothering with the speed limit this time.

  I spotted Tony leaning against the back door when I arrived. He straightened as I approached. “What do you have planned for today?”

  The bag on my shoulder probably weighed forty pounds, and I hefted it toward him. “Nothing that I’m willing to cancel for these crooks.”

  He grunted as he took the bag. “What do you have in here?”

  “Wedding plans.”

  We stepped inside the store, and I punched the electronic keypad, disarming the security system. Tony set my bag on the floor and walked around the shop, checking things out. “I know you’re trying to act tough, but we’re not fooling around with these guys. Hamilton and I have a plan.”

  Acting tough didn’t mean I felt tough. Dread came over me as I followed his train of thought. “You’re going to use me as bait.”

  “You’re already doing a great job of that yourself.” Tony stood with his feet apart, and he didn’t look happy. “Someone came right up to your patio door last night. Do you realize how easy it would have been for them to come inside and hurt you?”

  I stepped back and sat in my office chair, dropping my head into my hands. “I know.”

  Tony crouched down and took hold of my hands. “I had an officer patrolling your street all night, and he didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary. Whoever is behind this isn’t out to fail.”

  I furrowed my brow, angry again that the stupid crooks were making me sick to my stomach. “It just makes me so mad that they are messing with my plans.”

  Tony chuckled. “You’re a spitfire. That’s how I know you can see this thing through.”

  “What do I have to do?”

  “Tonight you’re going for another run, and I want you to get those diamonds.”

  “We can’t hand them over.”

  “We won’t. I’m pretty certain this person is tailing you, and they’re planning to take the diamonds before you can put them in your cute little lunch bag.”

  “So I will be bait?” I didn’t like the idea, even though Tony was right about the criminals already stalking me.

  “It’s a nice open area. I’ll be running the trail as well as two other officers. Detective Hamilton will be in a car.” Tony took out a notebook. “Now, fill me in on your plans for the day.”

  I sighed and flipped out my planner so I could show Tony every appointment I had set up.

  “Can you postpone going to the hot springs?” Tony asked. “There are too many possibilities in that area—no way of keeping it secure.”

  “Sure.” Dallas would be disappointed. I hoped he wouldn’t think I was avoiding him. I would still stop by his office, even if I couldn’t explain exactly why we weren’t going to the springs.

  “Can you be ready to run at about eight o’clock tonight?”

  “I’ll wear my pink running skirt, so I’ll be easy to spot.”

  “Okay. You get the diamonds and then run back up the trail a half mile. We hope he won’t try to intercept you before then. You’ll hand the diamonds off to me, but be obvious about it.” He patted my knee. “So you’ll only be partial bait. The idea is for him to go after me.”

  Fear dropped like a stone down my throat, and for a moment, I couldn’t find my voice. “I’m scared.”

  “Good.” His expression was stern. “Maybe it’ll keep you from doing anything stupid.”

  “I’m sorry, Tony. I know I messed things up.” I gave him my best apologetic look. “I should’ve brought the diamonds to you first thing.”

  “Maybe not. This way, we’ll catch the smuggler. If you had turned them in already, we might not have had a chance.” He held up a finger. “But don’t do anything like this ever again.”

  I raised three fingers. “Scout’s honor.”

  He stood. “I’ll be keeping an eye on you, but please be careful.” Tony left the shop through the back door, and I waited until I heard the latch click before I groaned and lowered my head to the desk.

  Stiff with tension, I attempted to massage a few knots out of my neck while thinking how I could tell Dallas that I needed to cancel our date. He would probably want to try to do something else, and I didn’t want to risk bringing him into my dangerous life—not that I had any extra time today anyway.

  The shop was quiet because I had come in so early to meet Tony. It gave me a chance to work without interruption. I made several phone calls to check on the progress of Natalie’s catering, flowers, cake, and limo service. Valerie from Decadent Catering said she would bring a sample of the dark chocolate truffles Natalie requested, as well as a platter of cream cheese-stuffed strawberries that she wanted me to try.

  Mom e-mailed her “Sweet Five-Petal Crochet Flower Pattern” complete with pictures, and I uploaded it to mashedpotatoesandcrafts.com under our tutorial section. I rummaged around in the sewing supplies un
til I found some yarn and a crochet hook. Ten minutes later, I had made two that I thought might be a perfect embellishment for a thank-you card.

  Lorea arrived with a happy glow that increased when she surveyed the remaining wedding gowns in her collection. “My sister called me this morning and said one of her friends wants to look at our dresses. She heard that Natalie bought her gown here. It’s starting, Adri.”

  “Let’s just hope Natalie gets more publicity than Sylvia.” I didn’t want to be a downer, but I felt like I should keep Lorea grounded in case the Rockforts retaliated.

  “My bet is on Natalie. Sylvia will just be the jilted ex, no matter what she says.”

  “Good theory.” And it was, especially considering Sylvia had moved to Ketchum to follow Brock Grafton. Rumor was, he hadn’t even moved into the “log cabin on steroids” he’d built before Sylvia found out and the Rockforts came to town. They tried to make it look like it was Sylvia’s parents who had come up with the idea to purchase a vacation home in Sun Valley, but the tabloids didn’t take that spin.

  Sylvia the stalker continued to surprise me with the lengths she would go in her quest to capture her man. For the millionth time, I wondered why Brock had dated her in the first place. He must have been attracted to her outward beauty but hightailed it when he discovered the snake within. I glanced at the clock—nearly ten. It was time to call Frankie and find out whether Sylvia’s trumped-up wedding would be cancelled. I picked up the phone at the same time I heard the bells over the front door chime.

  I turned around with a smile that immediately froze into place. Mrs. Bonnie Rockfort stood in the center of the shop with an imposing eyebrow arched over her fake lashes. She lifted a finely manicured finger and pointed it at me. The light glinted off the dark pink polish. “You have created great emotional turmoil in my home.”

  Just what I needed. Another torture session. I looked out the window behind Mrs. Rockfort. The caterer would be here in thirty minutes. That meant I needed to get this over with and excuse the leading lady in twenty. I sucked in a breath and put on my funeral face, as Lorea called it. “Mrs. Rockfort, I’m extremely sorry for all that Sylvia has had to go through. Lorea and I have stayed up nights trying to amend this. I even dug through the trash bins looking for clues.”

  Bonnie Rockfort blanched, and I continued before she could interrupt. “I just want your daughter to be happy, and it breaks my heart that someone would stoop so low as to steal her dress.” Next I would hammer home the point I had rehearsed in my mind, appealing to her diva persona. “The only thing I can think of is that someone saw Sylvia here, perhaps a rabid fan. Somehow word got out, and they stole her dress because she’s an actress who is also the daughter of one of the world’s most renowned actresses.” I stepped forward and took Bonnie’s hand. “I’ve heard of people doing crazy things like this before. Once, someone stole a gown right after the bride left on her honeymoon.”

  Bonnie’s fake eyelashes fluttered. “You think someone did this because of me—because we’re famous?”

  Scrunching up my eyes, I willed tears to come and felt a bit of moisture. The Rockforts weren’t the only actors in town. I nodded. “It’s terrible, isn’t it? When people hear, I’m sure they’ll be outraged.”

  Bonnie studied me for a moment and straightened. “I hadn’t thought of it that way, but of course you’re right. Sylvia must go on. Famous people must make sacrifices, and if she lets this setback throw her off course, then they have won.”

  Rustling from the back of the shop confirmed that Lorea had likely seen our visitor. I could almost feel her cheering. She had probably been hanging on every word since Bonnie spoke her first sentence.

  “I couldn’t agree with you more.”

  Bonnie pressed her lips together and smiled, revealing her too-white teeth. “Have you already cancelled everything?”

  I grimaced and let her stew for five, four, three, two, one. “I couldn’t reach everyone yet. But I did talk to Frankie.”

  “Yes, she called me. I told her that Sylvia was suffering, but she still wants to get married. We’re thinking of postponing the wedding until August.”

  “We could arrange that. We’ll just push everything back and have more time to make this the most spectacular wedding Sun Valley has ever seen.” My smile was genuine this time.

  “Sylvia hopes it might be enough time for the police to track down her dress or for a replacement to be shipped from China.”

  The authentic smile waned, and I struggled to replace it with another fake one. “Bonnie, it’s important that she doesn’t hang her hopes on that gown. If we find it in the same condition as the others, it would be devastating.”

  “We can still hope, though.”

  “You’re right. And I’m working with the dressmakers to get a replacement, but Sylvia’s was one of a kind, so it might take longer.”

  Bonnie tapped her foot. “I’m going to tell Sylvia what you said, about who might be responsible for the theft. Her manager would want to know, I think.”

  “Thank you for coming in, Mrs. Rockfort. Please have Sylvia call me when she finalizes the new wedding date.”

  “Ta-ta, darling.” Bonnie waved as she exited. Her driver held open the door for her on the cream-colored Mercedes parked in front of my shop.

  I turned around, and Lorea applauded. “I can’t believe it! You just turned the whole thing around. She took the bait.” She bounced up and down and then hugged me. “How did you come up with that?”

  “I took a drama class in high school.”

  Lorea high-fived me, and we both giggled. “Your shop is probably going to be on the front page of the tabloids by next week. With the Sylvia-Brock angle and the wedding dress stolen by a rabid fan.” Lorea grinned. “You’re a genius.”

  At three o’clock, the alarm on my cell phone went off with a message telling me to get ready to pick up Dallas. I groaned and surveyed my office space. Three chocolate truffles and two cream cheese-stuffed strawberries were left on the silver platter Valerie had brought. I grabbed a decorative box that had once held place cards and arranged the treats inside. Then I sent a text to Dallas.

  Coming early with a peace offering cuz I can’t go up to the hot springs today like we planned. I’m sorry things are so crazy right now.

  I wasn’t sure how much of a sweet tooth Dallas had, but I figured the confections would do the trick to buy me some forgiveness. My phone pinged with a response.

  I understand. No worries if the offering is you.

  With a chuckle, I headed out the door. I glanced around the parking area before getting into the Mountaineer, wondering where Tony or his fellow officers might be. The temperature had warmed up significantly in the last few weeks, and I cranked up my air conditioning. It was less than a week into June, so the dry heat of summer hadn’t officially descended on the Sun Valley area. On the docket for July would be mostly outdoor weddings held in the evening, but even then, the temperatures would still have a few of my brides glistening.

  The realtor’s office where Dallas worked was only half a mile from my condo. He had texted me this morning to tell me he had some showings, but he planned to be back early for our date. I pulled in front of a gingerbread-style house. Several of the businesses in our town had renovated old houses into cafés, insurance sales offices, and realty offices. As new businesses came in, they kept the charming village look with their décor.

  The heavy wooden door had a glass pane at the top etched with Gold Realty Agency. I pushed the door open and was greeted by a blast of cool air and a hint of lemon scent. There were two desks in the main room, and I could see a couple of rooms-turned-into-offices down the hall. Dallas worked at a desk in the corner, and he looked up when I entered, his face brightening with a smile.

  I held out the box of treats. “I’m sorry. Will you take a rain check?”

  “Definitely, but this looks good too.” He opened the flap to examine the truffles and strawberries and then closed it and set it
on his desk. He stepped closer to me and clasped my hand. “Can I see you later tonight? I’m covering a half shift, so I get off at nine.”

  The bag of diamonds in the cemetery flashed through my mind. I had been trying not to think about my plans for the evening. “If it wouldn’t be so boring for you, you could. I have twenty minutes if you want to walk around the block. That’s the best I can come up with.”

  “Can I introduce you to my coworkers first?”

  “Sure.” I followed him down the hall into the first office. Two women who appeared to be in their forties were on either side of the large room working at computers.

  “Kristie, Stephanie, this is my girlfriend, Adrielle Pyper.” I struggled to hide my surprise. Our relationship was moving at lightning speed, and I wasn’t sure I felt ready to refer to Dallas as my boyfriend.

  The women greeted me. “Dallas is such a nice guy. You’re a lucky girl.”

  I didn’t think it was possible, but his smile widened. He turned to me. “I’m the lucky one.”

  “Oh, you’re the wedding planner, right?” Stephanie asked.

  I nodded.

  “That’s just perfect,” the woman named Kristie said and gave Dallas an exaggerated wink. “She can plan your wedding.”

  I felt my face heat up, and I tugged on Dallas’s hand. Thankfully, he took the cue.

  “I’m going to walk around the block. Be back in twenty.”

  “It was nice to meet you,” they said in unison.

  “Thanks, uh—you—have a nice day,” I stammered and felt my face go another shade of crimson as I followed Dallas out the front door.

  “Sorry about that,” he said. “I’ve been talking about you a lot.”

  “It’s okay.” It wasn’t, though, because I hated how my face turned beet red when I was embarrassed.

  We turned right and ambled along under several green ash trees—their branches fully dressed in dark green foliage that provided a cooling respite along the sidewalk. “I’m sorry about today.”