Page 62 of Lost Cause
Gabe rubbed his hands together. “If you need someone to go to his compound, I’m your man. I might get a look at the other gadgets they have to add to our team wish list.”
Abby rolled her eyes. The team had zero dollars to buy additional gadgets, but Gabe could always dream.
She glanced at her watch. “There’s another ferry scheduled to arrive in half an hour. You could get to the Blackwell compound and back here on the six o’clock ferry.”
“Give Gage a call.” Gabe jumped up. “I’ll go meet the ferry, and you can let me know if I should get on it or not.”
“No question he’ll say yes,” Abby said. “He’s one of the most generous men you’ll ever meet so you might as well plan on leaving.”
“Looks like I’m off babysitting duty.”Gabe gave a crooked grin as he slid the journals down the table toward Abby. “Officially handing over the most thrilling assignment on the island. Hope you’re up for the challenge.”
The deep rumble of his laugh as he exited put a smile on her face.
Even Burke’s mouth quirked up on the side. “I’ll keep looking at this journal while you make the call.”
She nodded and dialed Gage to give him a quick rundown of their needs, mentioning they needed Victor’s permission before installing the cameras. Just as she expected, he readily agreed.She counted herself blessed to know him. To know his whole team. On her many visits to Sam over the years, she’d had a chance to interact socially with the entire team, and they’d come to her aid professionally a few times as well.
And, of course, she and her deputies had attended many of their trainings. The LLL team had been wanting to attend them too, but they’d been too busy to fit any classes into their schedule. Maybe being here and needing their help was God urging them to get going on developing additional safety skills.
“We’re good to go with Gage.” She set her phone on the table. “How many cameras are you thinking we need?”
Burke placed his finger on the journal page and looked at her. “One on the steps down by the dock. One for every entrance to the building, including the one covered in ivy. One for the greenhouse too.”
“I think we should also place one in the library facing the crown’s hidden cabinet.”
“Agreed, and if Blackwell can spare enough cameras, one in the foyer.”
The plan was really shaping up. “We need Victor’s approval, but we can’t leave him here tonight knowing the thief might return.”
“Which means not only convincing him to leave but finding a safe place for him to go,” Burke said. “Our department doesn’t have an actual safe house. No surprise there. I hate to waste valuable time hunting down a place.”
She agreed. “He can come with me to the Blackwell compound. If they don’t have a cabin for him, he can have mine, and I’ll bunk on Sam’s couch.”
“What about twenty-four-hour protection for him?”
“The compound is one of the most secure facilities I’ve stayed in. I’m confident he’ll be safe there, but I can arrange for someone to stay with him when I’m not there.”
“I could take night duty.”
Burke was the last person she wanted in a nearby cabin or even worse, in her cabin. “I think we’ve got it covered. Let’s go talk to Victor.”
She scooped up the pictures to maintain the chain of custody.
He reached for the journal he’d been reading. “I’ll bookmark the pages we’re reviewing and bring all of them with me.”
She didn’t wait for him to gather the books, but took off, spotting a light on in Victor’s office. She found him sitting in an easy chair, staring at the fireplace. When she entered, he looked at her, his expression so forlorn she wanted to offer him a hug. Not a professional thing to do. She felt for him, but she needed to maintain her distance. He’d never been ruled out as a suspect, though she honestly didn’t believe he stole his own crown anymore.
He clasped his hands together on his lap. “Don’t tell me you have more bad news for me.”
She sat in the matching plaid chair next to his and shifted on the faded cushion to face him. “We don’t know if it’s bad news or not, but Estelle wrote a cipher in her journal, and Gabe cracked it. She mentions having a replica of the crown made.”
He gasped. “Impossible.”
She waited for him to process the information. “I’m sorry, but it seems likely. We compared the photos from the trunk to the one you showed us of the crown, and we believe she’s holding a fake.”
He blinked slowly, shock flashing in his eyes. “Do you think she replaced the real crown and disappeared with it?”
“Seems likely.”
