Read Online Dior or Die (Joanna Hayworth Vintage Clothing Mysteries Book 2) by Angela M. Sanders - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Angela M. Sanders
Tags: Mystery
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moment and regained her breath. "I figured they were coming to tell me they were through with the North lot. I had no idea they suspected me of selling stolen jewels."
"I know you're innocent. The charges are ridiculous. But they found the diamonds in Vivienne’s stuff." That had to explain why they seized everything from the auction. "Somehow, they suspected you."
"I had no idea." Both women sat in silence a moment.
"How do you think the jewels got there?"
"Don’t know." Poppy's voice was emphatic. "It's only me at the auction house. Me and the guys."
This put a whole new spin on things. The fact that the police had held Vivienne’s auctioned goods made a whole lot more sense now. They weren’t looking for evidence in a murder case—they were looking for stolen jewels.
"Okay, let's examine the facts. The police found diamonds at the warehouse. You didn't put them there, but someone at the auction house must have. Besides you, there's Ben. Anyone else?"
"We have someone who comes in for cleaning twice a week, and the catalog writer stops by sometimes. Appraisers, too." She knitted her brow. "Most auctions, I pick up temporary workers for load in. Then there’s the trucking company. Been using them for years. Depending on how big the auction is, I might pull in a few more spotters. That's it."
"Nothing has seemed out of the ordinary?"
She stopped as if remembering something. "Travis has been a little—well, no, I don't think he'd do anything as stupid as to steal diamonds. But—"
"But what?" Joanna remembered Travis as a stringy-haired teen, one of Poppy's warehouse hands.
"Ben was at the warehouse after hours a few weeks ago and caught Travis there. It was the night Vivienne's shipment came. I'm not sure how Travis got in, but no one except Ben's supposed to be there after I lock up. We have to keep everything secure for the clients. He's a good kid, but we had to let him go. Now I wonder—"
"What was he doing?"
"That's the strange thing. It's not like he was hauling out sterling platters or anything. He was going through the files in my office. Every shipment that comes in has a manifest that lists all the items on the truck. When we unload, we compare the manifest to an inventory of what the customer has given us to put up for auction."
"And Travis was going through the file."
"Ben said he didn't have a good excuse for being there. He knows the rules."
"Poppy." Joanna put her hands flat on the table and leaned forward. "Vivienne's daughter-in-law told me her diamonds were stolen. I mean, the diamonds in the furniture—could Vivienne have put them there?" Travis may have caught onto it.
"You think Vivienne was a jewel thief?"
"I don't know. But someone did it."
Poppy glanced at the guard. "Something was going on with Vivienne. The night she died—" Poppy paused for a breath. "She telephoned me. She said someone was trying to kill her."
"Oh my God, Poppy." Helena hadn't told her any of this. Maybe she didn't know. But it partially explained why Poppy had been so out of it the night Vivienne died. "What did she say?"
"Not much. I could barely understand her. She sounded—frantic. Kind of confused. At first I thought she was returning my call from earlier about the lots. Sometimes clients call after business hours, they don't always think you might have a life. So I picked up the phone. All I got out of her was that she thought someone was trying to kill her, then a bunch of nonsense."
"Nonsense?" Joanna remembered Vivienne the day of the auction. She'd been so cool and deliberate.
"Her voice was shaky, and she was almost panting. She didn't make any sense, Jo."
"Could you make out anything? Even a word or two?" Helena said Vivienne was having a cocktail when she died. Perhaps she'd had more than one.
The young woman's voice nearby rose again. "If Goldie don't want him, I can't force him. I don't care if he is your brother, Goldie don't want no dog!"
"Keep it down," came a
"I know you're innocent. The charges are ridiculous. But they found the diamonds in Vivienne’s stuff." That had to explain why they seized everything from the auction. "Somehow, they suspected you."
"I had no idea." Both women sat in silence a moment.
"How do you think the jewels got there?"
"Don’t know." Poppy's voice was emphatic. "It's only me at the auction house. Me and the guys."
This put a whole new spin on things. The fact that the police had held Vivienne’s auctioned goods made a whole lot more sense now. They weren’t looking for evidence in a murder case—they were looking for stolen jewels.
"Okay, let's examine the facts. The police found diamonds at the warehouse. You didn't put them there, but someone at the auction house must have. Besides you, there's Ben. Anyone else?"
"We have someone who comes in for cleaning twice a week, and the catalog writer stops by sometimes. Appraisers, too." She knitted her brow. "Most auctions, I pick up temporary workers for load in. Then there’s the trucking company. Been using them for years. Depending on how big the auction is, I might pull in a few more spotters. That's it."
"Nothing has seemed out of the ordinary?"
She stopped as if remembering something. "Travis has been a little—well, no, I don't think he'd do anything as stupid as to steal diamonds. But—"
"But what?" Joanna remembered Travis as a stringy-haired teen, one of Poppy's warehouse hands.
"Ben was at the warehouse after hours a few weeks ago and caught Travis there. It was the night Vivienne's shipment came. I'm not sure how Travis got in, but no one except Ben's supposed to be there after I lock up. We have to keep everything secure for the clients. He's a good kid, but we had to let him go. Now I wonder—"
"What was he doing?"
"That's the strange thing. It's not like he was hauling out sterling platters or anything. He was going through the files in my office. Every shipment that comes in has a manifest that lists all the items on the truck. When we unload, we compare the manifest to an inventory of what the customer has given us to put up for auction."
"And Travis was going through the file."
"Ben said he didn't have a good excuse for being there. He knows the rules."
"Poppy." Joanna put her hands flat on the table and leaned forward. "Vivienne's daughter-in-law told me her diamonds were stolen. I mean, the diamonds in the furniture—could Vivienne have put them there?" Travis may have caught onto it.
"You think Vivienne was a jewel thief?"
"I don't know. But someone did it."
Poppy glanced at the guard. "Something was going on with Vivienne. The night she died—" Poppy paused for a breath. "She telephoned me. She said someone was trying to kill her."
"Oh my God, Poppy." Helena hadn't told her any of this. Maybe she didn't know. But it partially explained why Poppy had been so out of it the night Vivienne died. "What did she say?"
"Not much. I could barely understand her. She sounded—frantic. Kind of confused. At first I thought she was returning my call from earlier about the lots. Sometimes clients call after business hours, they don't always think you might have a life. So I picked up the phone. All I got out of her was that she thought someone was trying to kill her, then a bunch of nonsense."
"Nonsense?" Joanna remembered Vivienne the day of the auction. She'd been so cool and deliberate.
"Her voice was shaky, and she was almost panting. She didn't make any sense, Jo."
"Could you make out anything? Even a word or two?" Helena said Vivienne was having a cocktail when she died. Perhaps she'd had more than one.
The young woman's voice nearby rose again. "If Goldie don't want him, I can't force him. I don't care if he is your brother, Goldie don't want no dog!"
"Keep it down," came a
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