Page 113 of Gem Warfare

“Return. Give. Tomato,tomahto.”

“What about the diamonds that also disappeared from the evidence locker?”

Maddox laughed. “Why am I not surprised to hear that?” he asked. Sobering up, he asked, “A nice bonus to add to hercommission. Or perhaps she took the bounty. What did she say to you anyway?”

“She seemed to know Ben. Gideon. She knew I’d seen her inside the police station. She denied taking the jewels but I guess she had them on her when she came to my rescue.” There was something I was missing, but what was it? As soon as the thought came to me, another pinged like a lightbulb. “She knew my name. She knew who I was, or knew about me, but I can’t think of why. I’m sure our paths have never crossed. She’s never been a suspect in any of my cases.”

“Did she say something to that effect beyond your name?”

“No, it was how she looked at me. I can’t explain it. Like she was confirming something, or judging me but not harshly. Just… curiously, I guess.”

“It’s unlikely she’ll come back.”

“She said something like that.”

“But if she does, I need you to tell me. Lexi, promise me?”

I nodded but said nothing. There was definitely something missing. What Cass Temple didn’t say then. What Maddox wasn’t saying now. Yet if I pressed, I knew I wasn’t going to get anywhere. Maddox would clam up. The truth always unfolded somewhere along the line; it would come to me eventually, whether he liked it or not.

The living room door opened and Solomon stepped inside, holding onto the door like he didn’t intend to stay. “Garrett and I just got here,” he said. “Do you want an update on the case?”

“Kelvin Huff?” I asked, wondering if his story had tumbled out under interrogation.

“That’s right. The Dugans just got here too. Apparently, your mom invited them.”

“I’ll be right there.”

Solomon glanced over at Maddox, nodded, and withdrew, closing the door behind him.

“I don’t know what’s going on with your pursuit of Cass Temple but it seems like she isn’t your regular thief,” I said.

“She isn’t.”

“So why not leave her be? Isn’t she performing a service? Operating in ways the justice system can’t?”

“Many would argue that, but it’s still theft. Don’t romanticize what she’s doing. She can’t be judge, jury, and executioner. That’s not how it works. Plus, whatever you think about the ruby, she still stole the diamonds. I’m assuming there’s nothing dubious about their provenance.”

“It looks like Charlie Black stole them from a jewel merchant around the same time as he stole Rachenstein’s jewels. Our contact was able to track the serial numbers. Insurance paid out, the merchant later folded. The insurers will collect the diamonds we do have and there’s no one to prosecute.”

“The police won’t pursue Cass Temple?”

“I don’t think they have a clear shot of her on camera. There’re no fingerprints. No evidence at all. I saw her but she was in disguise so I couldn’t even give an accurate description that would stand up in court. Whom are they going to prosecute?”

“Typical Cass,” snorted Maddox. He reached for the door handle, pulled the door open and indicated for me to go.

Garrett was waiting in the backyard, beer in hand, with Solomon. Serena was giving them an earful about not scaring the kids with talk of unearthed corpses and murderers running around the neighborhood.

Her daughter, Victoria, snuggled into Delgado’s arms sleepily, looked up and smiled at him. “Dead. Body,” she whispered and giggled as she tapped his nose. “Bash on the head. Bop. Bop. Roger!”

Lily passed me on the way to the kitchen, shooting me a look, mouthing “psychopath in the making” with a side glanceto Victoria, and darted away to join Ruby who was chatting to Alice.

My mom was dashing around the yard, making sure everyone had drinks and snacks while my dad was busy grilling at the far end of the patio. He wore a “Kiss the Chef” apron and was enthralling the grandchildren with an over-exaggerated story from his police days.

I waved to the Dugans, wondering if they were relieved or disappointed at the outcome of the case. The disappointment of not receiving a fat check for the discovery of the jewels could only be offset by the vindication that they weren’t involved in Black’s death.

My nephew, Sam wandered over to me with a hotdog. I watched it hopefully as he said, “Did you really find a dead body called Roger, Aunt Lexi?”

“I didn’t find him but I helped on the case, and he’s not really called Roger.”