Page 70 of Mountain Man’s Mystic Touch

“Shot?”

“Maybe. Or struck.”

“What happens after it breaks?”

“A hand reaches inside.”

His gaze lands on the jewelry arranged across the upper shelves. “The auction items.”

“I think so.”

The display contains a silver-and-turquoise necklace, several smaller pieces of jewelry, gift certificates, and carved figures. A sign attached to one side explains that proceeds will support the county’s volunteer rescue program.

“Is anything especially valuable?” I ask.

“The necklace was donated by a gallery in Aspen. It was appraised at twelve thousand dollars.”

“And it’s sitting inside a glass case near an exterior door?”

“The case was supposed to remain attended.”

A couple pauses in front of it while their young son presses both palms against the glass. There is no volunteer nearby.

Rocco’s jaw hardens.

Wade arrives with a woman wearing a festival badge and a burgundy sweater. Her face brightens with recognition when she sees Rocco, then turns uncertain when she notices me holding his hand.

“This is Marsha Bell, the auction coordinator,” Wade says.

Rocco releases my hand to step toward her. The loss is immediate, but I understand why he does it. Whatever exists between us cannot distract him from the people moving through those doors.

“Who is assigned to the display?” he asks.

Marsha glances inside. “A volunteer should be there.”

“There isn’t one.”

“She may have taken a break.”

“Without arranging coverage?”

Concern replaces confusion. “I’ll find her.”

“First, I need the case moved away from the entrance.”

Marsha looks at the display. “The lodge manager approved that location. We wanted people to see the auction items as soon as they entered.”

“It obstructs traffic and creates a hazard if the glass breaks.”

“The case is tempered glass.”

“That reduces the type of injury. It does not prevent the entrance from being blocked.”

Moving it will not be easy. The case is nearly six feet tall and filled with items that must be cataloged before anyone touches them. Marsha begins explaining the difficulty, but Rocco does not argue. He asks Wade for four employees, tells Marsha to bring the inventory record, and requests that a deputy remain nearby while the items are transferred.

Within minutes, the area changes.

A security employee redirects visitors toward the opposite door. Marsha and another volunteer remove each auction item and check it against a printed list. Rocco examines the case while it stands empty, testing the lock and studying the hinges.