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“Oh, that’s wonderful news.”
“Do you mind going over with me again how the theft of your property occurred?” I’ve spoken with every one of the individuals who had something stolen. She’s the last one.
“Sure. That’s fine. I wore my mother’s diamond necklace during the charity event. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. I met with an old family friend, Chad Atkinson, for drinks.” That must have been the photo he placed on social media. “He was down on his luck after his divorce went through, so I gave him some business advice.”
“Business advice?”
“Yes, I’ve been investing with Randall Maitland, and he’s a wiz with money. Every quarter this year, I’ve doubled my investment.”
“That’s impressive.” Who doubles their investment? The man must have a magical unicorn horn growing out of his ass.
“Yes, it is. Anyway, Chad didn’t have much to invest, but I set them up to discuss his option, and they hit it off.”
“That’s good.” I click on Randall’s website again and scan it, looking for a testimonial from her or Chad, but I don’t run across anything.
“The last I heard, he was raking in the money.” Well, that tidbit of information makes Chad less likely to be a candidate. The twenty-two-year-old or the almost seventy-year-old? Ri-i-ight. Maybe it’s someone who’s not even showing up on the guest lists. My head bangs as frustration floods my brain. “Did anything else happen that night before you put your jewels in the safe?”
“Well.…”
“What?”
“There was one young girl. She’s a friend of my son’s.” She chuckles. “I caught her and my son making out in the study where the safe is located. I’ve told Donavan to stay out of that room, but he said Leanne insisted.”
“Leanne?” It can’t be the same person. Can it?
“Leanne Bell.” What is the likelihood of that? Apparently, it is greater than one would think. A tryst and diamonds. A woman’s two best friends. The only one not mentioned in this story is David Brown. Shit. Maybe they’re all in on it together. Don’t be stupid. This isn’t a Hollywood movie.
“Do you know a David Brown?”
“No. I don’t think so.”
Oh, well. It was worth a try. “Thank you for taking the time to chat with me. I believe we have everything on file, and if we find the missing jewels, we’ll get them straight to you.”
“Thank you so much.” The phone clicks in my ear.
Randall’s smiling face is still squarely in the middle of my computer. He’s been in the tanner so much that his skin is almost orange. The Rolex on his wrist is oversized and encircled with diamonds. It would be remiss if I didn’t at least consider him being responsible for the thefts.
What can Patricia tell me about him? If she’s investing through Randall’s business and potentially dating him, she should have a good idea of what all he’s into. We were never friends, but we had a bunch of classes together in college. She’s the safest bet to talk to about him, but with her, I can’t pretend to be anything but myself.
On the fourth ring, a breathless female voice answers the phone, “Hello?”
“Patricia?”
“Yes, who is this?”
“This is Lola Sutherland. Do you remember me? We were in college at the same time. If I remember right, we were in Social Psychology together.”
“Oh, yes. Hello, Lola. It’s good to hear from you. By the way, thank you for the floral arrangement for my parents’ funeral service. It was beautiful.”
“You’re welcome. I was so sorry to hear about their passing. If you need anything, let me know.”
“Thank you. I appreciate it. How have you been?”
“I’m good, thank you for asking.” After a slight pause, I say, “I’m sure you’re wondering why I called.”
“I have to say, I’m a little curious. Not that I mind hearing from you, but it’s been a couple of years.”
I tap my pen on the desk calendar as heat floods through my body. I should have run this past, Mr. Truman. Fingers crossed, he doesn’t get pissed. “I recently saw a photo of you and Randall Maitland on the front page of the society pages. I think you were at the Danner Benefit.”
