by Rayna Morgan
“All right. Tell me about yesterday, the day of the concert.”
“On concert days, I don’t come in until noon since I am here until after the performance to lock up. I worked in the office waiting for the food and beverage caterers and the volunteers who set up tables and chairs.” He tweaked his mustache. “The public is allowed into the Adobe for viewing during the hour preceding the concert. I walked through the main building around three o’clock to make sure stanchions and signs about taking pictures were in place.”
As Lea jotted notes, he looked into the courtyard recalling the scene. “I was excited for people to see the exquisite jewel. I wanted the display and the lighting in the room to be perfect.” His hands moved to his face and he cupped his chin. “My heart stopped when I approached the display case. The spotlight was shining on the black velvet bust. It was empty.”
Lea watched Francisco relive the distress he felt when he visited the room where the necklace was kept. His shoulders sagged. “I still can’t believe such a thing happened on my watch.”
Lea touched his elbow. “Don’t blame yourself, Francisco.”
“But I do. Taking care of the Castillo family’s heritage has been my responsibility since the heirs gifted the Adobe to the city. Their wish in making such a generous bequest was that people could see and understand how life was in that time.” He pointed to the pictures on the wall. “It is a history not only of the Castillo family but of all families who settled this area. By understanding our roots, we understand ourselves. It has been a great honor to pass on that history to visitors to the Adobe.”
Lea recognized his passion for his job. “You’ve fulfilled their wishes, Francisco. There couldn’t be a better curator.”
“There was great excitement when the necklace was located. It was another piece, and a most beautiful one, of the county’s heritage.” His anguished words tumbled out. “Now, that link to history is lost.”
He pressed one hand to his chest as though the pain of the loss was a physical one. His misery stiffened Lea’s resolve.
“Don’t worry.” She stood and placed her hand over his. “People will enjoy the necklace for years to come because we'll find it. I’ll be in touch soon.”
Halfway to her car, she remembered something from their conversation. She returned to his office. “You said the photographer signed the visitor log. May I see it?”
“Oh, yes.” He tapped his forehead. “How could I forget?” He flipped through the pages of the register and pointed to one signature. “Will that help?”
Bending over the illegible scrawl, she snapped a picture. “It’s probably nothing, but you never know. It might be a link in the history of this crime.”
* * *
The scenario Francisco conveyed nagged at Lea as she drove away from the Adobe. Something about the day before the theft. It’s right in front of my nose, but I can’t put my finger on it.
She was close to the freeway when she slammed her foot on the brake. The car behind her honked. She swerved to the side of the road, turned off the engine, and called Maddy. “The picture you took before the police arrived—”
“Hello to you, too, Sis. Which picture?”
“The woman in Eric’s hotel room.”
“What’s going on?”
She glanced at the clock on the dashboard. She didn’t have time to waste. “Send me the picture. I’ll explain later.”
“Give me a minute,” Maddy answered. “I’m on another call.”
Lea tapped her fingernail on the steering wheel. C’mon, Maddy. Quit gabbing. Send me the photo.
Several minutes later, the phone in her hand vibrated. After expanding the screen to display the attachment, she turned her car around.
She found the curator leaning over the copy machine. “Francisco!”
In her excitement, she startled him. He jerked and spun around. “Did you forget something?”
Lea marched up and held her phone in front of his face. “Is this the wedding planner?”
His hesitation was brief. “Yes, señora, that’s her, but she didn’t look like that when I saw her. Is she sick?”
“She ended up being way past sick.”
Chapter Thirteen
Standing in line at Starbucks, Lea brought Maddy up to date and told her what they needed to say to Tom.
Maddy was placing their order at the counter when the detective joined them. “Make that three, Miss,” he said. “You two get a table. I’ll pay.”
The sisters found a table on the patio. Lea relaxed into one of the chairs. “Are you two okay now?”
Maddy shrugged. “It’s touch and go. The only way I can keep Eric from setting Tom off is by taping his mouth shut.”
Lea sympathized. “Hmmm, same effect Eric’s always had on Paul. You need to tell Eric to put a lid on it. We need Tom’s help if we’re going to get your ex out of this mess. And you need to stay on the detective’s good side.”
Tom approached with a tray of three cups. Maddy plastered a smile on her face.
“Thanks, Tom,” Lea said, “and thanks for agreeing to meet with us.”
He frowned. “It’s not a problem because thanks to Eric, I’ve got time on my hands.”
Maddy’s cheeks turned beet red. “You’re getting fired—”
“I wasn’t fired,” Tom objected. “I was taken off the case because of our relationship and—”
“Okay, you two,” Lea said sharply. She kicked her sister under the table. “Settle your differences later. Let’s concentrate on solving this murder so things can get back to normal.”
“There isn’t any normal where Maddy’s concerned,” Tom grumbled.
“That’s what you love about me.”
“Maddy, enough!” Lea ordered. She brought Tom up to date on the information provided by Cleo and her discovery that Kim had a room at the hotel.
“From what you’re telling me,” Tom said, “you suspect there were other people interested in killing her.”
“She’d cheated on partners before. The murderer could be her current partner, or someone she double-crossed in the past. Her last partner got ratted out by an unknown person. He’s doing four to six in prison.”
Maddy rushed in. “Lea was hoping you’d contact the jailbird.”
“For what purpose?” Tom asked.
Maddy raised her hands. “To figure out if he had Kim bumped off for revenge, of course. Except your being suspended and all, I guess you won’t be able to help.”
Lea glared at Maddy before turning her attention to Tom. “Is it true you’re off the case?”
“Unfortunately, it is. I’m on involuntary vacation for three days. I don’t have access to police resources for the time being.”
Lea grimaced before she noticed a trace of a smile on Tom’s face. “That doesn’t mean I can’t help.”
Maddy nudged Tom on the shoulder. “Atta boy, I told Lea you’d be in.”
“In for what?”
“For flashing your badge to get us access to Kim’s room at the hotel.”
“Whoa, slow down, Maddy. I’m willing to do what I can, but a dumb stunt like that could cost me my job.”
“The people at the hotel won’t know you aren’t on duty,” Maddy insisted.
“Sorry. I’m not willing to bend the rules.”
Lea intervened. “It’s all right, Tom. I was sure you’d see it that way. I understand.”
“But—” Maddy objected.
Lea held a finger to her sister’s mouth.
“What do you hope to find in Kim’s room anyway?” Tom asked.
“I haven’t told you the most important thing I learned today.” Lea told Tom about Francisco identifying Kim as the woman masquerading as a wedding planner at the Adobe.
The lieutenant leaned forward, his interest piqued. “Are you suggesting what I think you are?”
Lea nodded “I think Kim stole the necklace.”
“Theft in itself is not a reason for someone to be killed.�
��
A sly grin crept across Lea’s face. “My research indicates that necklace is valued at around twelve million dollars.”
Tom’s face lit up. “Now, you’re talking motive. You think Kim stole the necklace while her partner, playing the role of a photographer, diverted the curator.”
Lea nodded. “That’s how I see it. That’s why it’s important for us to get into Kim’s room. Either the two of them planned to meet at the hotel or—”
“The manager told me—” Maddy cut in.
“My good buddy, Homer?” Tom asked.
“Let me finish,” Maddy complained. “He saw Kim talking to a rough-looking dude in the hall. After she left, he told security to run the guy off unless he was registered as a guest.”
Lea squinted her eyes. “He could have been a fence. She may have been way ahead of her partner and planning a double-cross. If Kim's partner followed her to Eric’s room, but didn't get what he was after before Eric returned…”
Tom jumped in. “He’s still looking for the necklace, or information about where it is.”
“If he killed her, he had to get away from the hotel,” Maddy guessed. “He knew it would be swarming with cops. He had to wait until today to recover the loot.”
“We can use that to set a trap,” Lea urged, “but we have to act fast.”
Tom shook his head. “You won’t find anything. The police have been over the crime scene with a fine tooth comb.”
Lea leaned closer to the detective. “But if Kim stashed the loot in her room?”
“Staking out that room,” Tom concluded, “is our only chance to nab him before he finds the necklace and blows town.”
Maddy looked at her watch and grabbed her purse. “What are we waiting for? He may have already searched her room.”
“Not so fast.” Lea touched her sister’s arm. “We’ve got a problem.”
Tom leaned back and rested his head on his outstretched arms. “You don’t have the number of Kim’s room.”
He jerked forward as someone’s handbag hit his shoulder. Swirling around, he saw an attractive young woman dressed in a business suit.
“I’m so sorry,” she said. Chic, short hair partially covered wide-rimmed sunglasses. “Clumsy me. Can I squeeze by you?”
Tom stood up. She took off her glasses revealing large, brown eyes accented with a hint of smoky shadow. A strange sense of familiarity ran up his spine. “No problem.” He pushed in his chair.
Maddy snapped her fingers. “Tom, are you with us?”
The detective sat down and collected his thoughts before turning to Lea. “Let me guess. The reception desk that connected you to the room wouldn’t give out the room number.”
“That’s right,” Lea confirmed.
Maddy threw her bag back on the table.
Lea put her hand on her sister’s arm. “Don’t give up. I’ve got a plan.”
“I had a feeling we’d get to this point,” Tom said. “Is this the part where you need my help?”
“Kind of. We need—”
“I told you I can’t use my badge to get hotel personnel to open the room for us.”
A smile played on Lea’s lips. “What if someone on the hotel staff gave us the key?”
“I don’t like the sound of this.”
“It’s not like breaking and entering,” Lea explained. “The room is vacant, and still registered to Kim.”
“And, it’s not like she’ll be using it any longer,” Maddy observed.
Tom looked doubtful. “How are you going to talk someone at the reception desk into giving you the key?”
“Not just anyone at the desk, but someone I know at the desk.”
“Who do you know who works at the hotel?”
“I don’t know anyone who works there now. I’m talking about someone who could be working there in a few hours.”
“You’re talking in riddles, Lea. Who are you referring to?” Tom demanded.
“Amber.”
Tom choked on his coffee. “Amber! The Amber who testified against Joey?”
“The Amber whose life you saved.”
“She doesn’t work at the hotel.”
“That’s part of my plan,” Lea said. “The owner of the hotel is one of Paul’s clients. Paul will convince the owner to use Amber for a special work-training program.”
Tom looked at Lea and whistled through his teeth. “Got to hand it to you. Bold move.”
Maddy’s voice was excited. “With Amber working at reception, she’ll be able to give us the key long enough to search for the necklace. If the bling isn’t there, we may find info about where she stashed it. Maybe, the name of her fence.”
Lea smiled at her sister’s melodrama. She leaned over the table to appeal to Tom’s logic. “There’s a bonus to using Amber.”
Tom didn't hide his sarcasm. “This should be good.”
“Amber saw Kim at least twice. There’s a good chance she may have seen her partner. If that’s the case, she’ll recognize him if he shows up at the hotel.”
Tom rubbed his hands together. “Sounds like you’ve got this all figured out. Where do I fit in?”
“I’d like you to back our play in case we run into something we can’t handle,” Lea replied.
“Let me think.” An easy smile spread across his face. “That would give me an excuse to sit by the pool all day.”
Maddy scoffed. “Checking out bikini-clad women, no doubt.”
Lea frowned at her sister. She pulled a phone from her purse and tapped several times. “There,” she told Tom, “I’ve moved you to the top of my speed dial.”
His grin widened. “Are you admitting there’s such a thing as something you two can’t handle?”
Maddy crossed her arms. Her lips puckered. “I told Lea we could do it on our own. She’s the one who insisted on your help.”
Tom nodded toward Lea. “Smart woman. That’s one of the reasons Paul married you.” Lea beamed before Tom’s next comment brought her up short. “Forgive me for being a wet blanket, but there’s a small glitch in your plan.”
“What did I forget?” Lea asked.
“Paul asking the hotel to let Amber greet customers at the reception desk is one thing. Convincing the owner to let her stay once he sets eyes on her is something else. I can’t imagine a girl with caked makeup, a ring nose, and spiked stilettos is what he’ll have in mind. Besides, any con would recognize Amber a mile away.”
Lea cut Tom off as she stood to embrace a woman wearing a suit and wide-rimmed sunglasses. “Come join us. You’re just in time.”
Amber leaned over and gave the startled detective a hug. “Hello, Lieutenant. Good to see you again.”
Lea leaned her elbows on the table and rested her chin on her hands. “What were you saying, Tom? Something about a glitch?”
Chapter Fourteen
Planning for the next step, Lea drove to the basketball court where Paul was shooting hoops with Jon. She picked up a burger and fries on the way to keep her son distracted while she talked to her husband.
“Hey, guys,” Lea shouted when she arrived. She placed the fast food bag on the bottom row of the bleachers. “Can you take a break?”
Paul looked in Lea’s direction while Jon ran around him to complete an easy lay-up.
“Two more points for me,” Jon yelled. He laughed as he ran over and grabbed the bag from Lea’s hand.
“Not so fast,” Lea said. “There’s a malt in there for your dad.”
Jon pulled it out and handed it over before moving to the end of the bench. “Sorry, Dad. The rest goes to the victor. I’m four points ahead of you.”
“Game’s not over,” Paul reminded him.
Paul grabbed a towel and sat on the bleachers beside Lea wiping sweat from his brow. “No burger for me?” he complained as he unwrapped a straw and pushed it through the cup.
“Too close to dinnertime.”
“What about him?” Paul asked, jerking his head toward Jon.
&nbs
p; “When did a burger stop him from eating a big dinner two hours later?”
“True,” Paul admitted. “So, what’s up? You rarely watch us practice.”
“Do you think I’m always up to something?”
“When you track me down in the middle of the day? Yeah, I do.”
“As a matter of fact…” She dragged out the moment trying to gauge her husband’s mood.
He took the lid off the cup and used the straw to scoop the thick malt into his mouth. “Okay, let’s hear it. What do you need?”
She brought Paul up to date on her investigation, and finished by explaining the need to get into Kim’s room at the hotel.
“Are you saying you want me to apply my breaking and entering skills?”
“Not if you’re referring to the time you picked the locks when I lost my keys. I wouldn’t expect you to pull that stunt any place but our house.”
“Glad to hear it.”
Lea related her plan to put Amber at the reception desk to get access to Kim’s room and possibly spot her partner.
“Interesting idea,” Paul noted. “Amber might even like being on the opposite side of the check-in desk for a change.”
Lea ignored her husband’s attempt at humor. “Maddy knows the manager, but asking him might jeopardize her relationship with a new customer. Besides, I met him. He’s too nervous, he’d give everything away.”
“Maybe he has reason to be nervous,” Paul suggested.
Lea put her elbows on the bench behind her and leaned on them. “What are you implying?”
“Just saying…”
“No, I can’t imagine him being involved in anything underhanded. He’s simply high strung by nature.”
“In that case, how do you think he’d react if he found out what Amber used to do for a living?”
They both laughed. Paul raised his arm to aim his empty cup at a trash can. “How are you going to pull it off?”
“Well…” She watched as he drew his arm back. “I know the owner of the Surf and Sand is a client of yours.”
Paul jerked, and the cup missed its mark. “You’re kidding! You want me to ask Bill Thompson to put his stamp of approval on your little sting operation?”
