Page 22 of Lost Cause
Fine. Admit it.He’s good-looking. Even thinking about him sent her heart somersaulting.
Not good. Not in front of the team. She cleared her throat. “Ulrich wore a suit, looking like he’d stepped out of a detective fashion catalog.”
“Is there something going on there?” Reece wiggled her eyebrows. “Do tell!”
“Nothing to tell,” Abby said firmly, hoping to put an end to her teammate’s suspicions. “I should dress the part, but maybe throw in some business casual. Never know when I might need to get my hands dirty. And something chill, in case there’s actually any downtime.”
“I’d contribute to the conversation, but all my shirts are the same so…” Jude laughed.
The others nodded too, and just like that, the warmth she felt for her friends pushed aside the worries crowding her head. They’d had her back since college, through every high and low, and she knew without a doubt she’d do anything for them—no questions asked.
Nolan cleared his throat. “I think we can all agree this is settled, and if you want to discuss it further, you can do it without the rest of the team. The biggest thing you both need to remember is how important it is to keep Victor happy as a client and find the crown. Our future here depends on it.”
Abby didn’t need to be reminded of the importance of their mission. Based on Gabe’s frown, he didn’t either. Not only did they need the money for the team, but these guys were her family, and she didn’t want to let them down.
“What other resources will you need?” Nolan asked.
Abby shifted her focus to Hayden. “Can you do a deep dive on Victor Lemoine and his wife, Estelle? The only thing I know isthat he inherited the estate from his father, and he and his wife settled in Oregon over forty years ago. She went missing a couple years after they relocated and has never been found.”
“Missing woman?” Hayden’s typically serious expression lifted, revealing a spark of interest. “Now that’s more like it. Sounds more exciting than the usual routine background checks you dump on—I meangive—me to do. I’ll get right on it.”
“Thanks.” She ignored his attempted humor so she didn’t get distracted and focused on Nolan. “It’s safe to assume the crown’s headed for the black market. Might be an open market, or the thief already has a buyer. I can’t imagine buyers around here have pockets deep enough to afford it, so it’s not likely a local deal. But a local expert could know where it’s going or a collector who would buy it.”
“Wouldn’t an expert for a pricey artifact be rare around these parts too?” Reece asked.
Nolan sat forward. “Last weekend, Mina dragged me to an antique shop. The owner’s sharp and aware of what’s going on in the antiques market. I could go back and ask if he knows of an expert—fence—in the area. Mina could come with me. She speaks their language.”
Excitement about this potential lead lifted Abby’s tired shoulders. “I like the idea of you talking to him, but don’t take Mina.”
Nolan raised an eyebrow. “Why’s that?”
“She might just be your girlfriend to you, but she’s also the local sheriff. He might’ve recognized her or she could’ve talked about her job. If she goes back with you to discuss fencing stolen goods, he could very well clam up.”
“You have a point. With reelection around the corner, he could’ve seen her campaign posters or billboards. I can go there alone first thing tomorrow and report back to you.”
“Thanks,” Abby said. “But I need you to hold off for now. With Burke’s permission, I’d like to overnight the locket to you so you can show it to the shop owner. Get an idea of its age and where it could’ve been made or purchased. That kind of thing.”
Nolan nodded. “Just let me know when to expect it, and I’ll take it straight to the shop.”
“Will do and thank you.” She jotted Hayden’s and Nolan’s assignments on her notepad.
“All right, boss lady,” Jude said, a hint of his usual humor in his voice. “Should I start with something productive or just sit here looking handsome and confused?”
Gabe rolled his eyes. “I get confused, but handsome? Nah. Not that.”
A soft smile tugged at Abby’s lips as she watched her team—her people—and felt a comforting warmth inside. “I hope to take Lemoine to his bank tomorrow morning to retrieve the crown’s certificate and bill of sale from his safety deposit box.IfI can get a guy who hasn’t left home in decades to go outside and leave the island.”
“So what do you want me to do?” A sharp glint burned in Jude’s eyes. “Come along and drag him out if he doesn’t want to leave?”
She stifled a groan. “We won’t force him from his house. I need you to find an expert who can review and validate the documents once I have them.”
“You think Lemoine is lying to you about the validity of the crown?” Nolan asked.
A good question.One she hadn’t answered one way or the other yet. “The guy is quite condescending, but he’s also elderly. He might not be thinking straight or he’s covering something up. Authenticating the documents from his safety deposit box will confirm his story.”
“Could he be trying to scam his insurance company?” Reece asked, not surprising. As a former FBI agent she would be familiar with insurance scams.
“Not likely.” Abby shared Victor’s reasons for keeping the crown quiet, then looked each teammate in the eye. “You’re not to mention the crown to anyone. If you have to discuss it at all, just call it a valuable artifact.”
