Read Online The Sapphire Heist (A Jewel Novel Book 2) by Lauren Blakely - Free Book Online
Authors: Lauren Blakely
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jut of her shoulder, as if she were reeling him back in.
He shook his head, bemused as he finger-combed his hair. “You crack me up. You go from thinking I stole from you to wanting me to take you out for food?”
“I do,” she said, wiggling her eyebrows as she met his gaze in the mirror.
“Then I’m taking you on a date. Even though you’re a pain in the ass, but evidently that’s one of the things I like most about you. So get ready to be wined and dined,” he said, giving her an order.
She clicked her bare heels together and saluted. “Yes sir. May I have the lotion now? And a full report on your findings from the gallery, sir?”
“I’ve only been trying to tell you about it since I left, but you had your mind on other things.” He handed her the hotel lotion.
“I did, but now you’ve satisfied me, so I’m ready,” she said, even though she knew sex wasn’t what he’d meant.
As she rubbed lotion into her legs, he explained what he’d found at the gallery. “Here’s what happened. As soon as I got into Isla’s office, I knew Penny’s tip was wrong about the diamonds. I’m not saying she lied or anything. Just that whatever knowledge she had no longer applied. There were clearly no gems in Isla’s office at all.”
“I think she worked there a while ago, so maybe her info was out of date,” she offered.
He squirted toothpaste onto a brush. “Yeah, that’s probably what happened. Because the walls were completely bare. Not a damn thing on them. But, being the brilliant private-eye-slash-bounty-hunter that I am,” he said, tapping his temple, “I wasn’t going to squander my chance and cry in the chicken soup over the absence of frames. I did some digging.”
“Naturally.”
“Looked through some drawers. Pawed around the desk. Made sure she wasn’t hiding the diamonds elsewhere. And fortunately, Isla is quite organized. Did you know that?” he asked, then began to brush his teeth.
“No. I haven’t been debriefed on her organizational skills. Please, do share all you know about how she sorts her drawers.”
He smirked, brushed, and spat out the toothpaste. “She’s a dream to investigate. She has nothing. Her office is like a shrine to simplicity. I think she’s one of those people who hates things.”
“Except for sex toys and olives.”
“Well, obviously. Sex toys are awesome, and olives aren’t so bad. In any case, she has one of those sleek metal desks with one drawer. Only pens in it and a Moleskine notebook. She had some nuts on her desk.”
“Nuts?” She arched an eyebrow.
“They usually grow on trees, they’re high in protein and fat, and you eat them. You’re familiar with nuts?”
She tapped her chin as if deep in thought. “Ah, yes. Nuts. Now I understand.” She rolled her eyes. “Point being, that’s an unusual thing to have on your desk.”
“Maybe she keeps nuts around for a quick protein hit. Anyway, she also has only one file cabinet. And it’s not even the metal kind. It’s one of those fancy, cloth-drawer thingamajiggers that women like.”
“We all like fancy cloth file cabinet drawers?”
“Oh, I’m sorry. Was that an overgeneralization?” he asked drily.
She held her thumb and forefinger together.
“Anyway, so on the top of it I found some paperwork and that’s what I took. Basically, it’s a document saying Isla donated fifty grand last month to a charity that builds schools in Africa. It’s in one of the countries where there was a ton of diamond mining with child labor, and kids were affected by it. This charity was set up to help them go to school and earn an education.”
“Is it the one where she’s listed on the website as being a major donor?” she asked, then gave him the name of the charity.
He nodded. “Same one.”
She dropped her towel and enjoyed the way his eyes followed her naked body even as she left the bathroom and headed to her suitcase. “Do you think she’s cashing in diamonds for charity?
He shook his head, bemused as he finger-combed his hair. “You crack me up. You go from thinking I stole from you to wanting me to take you out for food?”
“I do,” she said, wiggling her eyebrows as she met his gaze in the mirror.
“Then I’m taking you on a date. Even though you’re a pain in the ass, but evidently that’s one of the things I like most about you. So get ready to be wined and dined,” he said, giving her an order.
She clicked her bare heels together and saluted. “Yes sir. May I have the lotion now? And a full report on your findings from the gallery, sir?”
“I’ve only been trying to tell you about it since I left, but you had your mind on other things.” He handed her the hotel lotion.
“I did, but now you’ve satisfied me, so I’m ready,” she said, even though she knew sex wasn’t what he’d meant.
As she rubbed lotion into her legs, he explained what he’d found at the gallery. “Here’s what happened. As soon as I got into Isla’s office, I knew Penny’s tip was wrong about the diamonds. I’m not saying she lied or anything. Just that whatever knowledge she had no longer applied. There were clearly no gems in Isla’s office at all.”
“I think she worked there a while ago, so maybe her info was out of date,” she offered.
He squirted toothpaste onto a brush. “Yeah, that’s probably what happened. Because the walls were completely bare. Not a damn thing on them. But, being the brilliant private-eye-slash-bounty-hunter that I am,” he said, tapping his temple, “I wasn’t going to squander my chance and cry in the chicken soup over the absence of frames. I did some digging.”
“Naturally.”
“Looked through some drawers. Pawed around the desk. Made sure she wasn’t hiding the diamonds elsewhere. And fortunately, Isla is quite organized. Did you know that?” he asked, then began to brush his teeth.
“No. I haven’t been debriefed on her organizational skills. Please, do share all you know about how she sorts her drawers.”
He smirked, brushed, and spat out the toothpaste. “She’s a dream to investigate. She has nothing. Her office is like a shrine to simplicity. I think she’s one of those people who hates things.”
“Except for sex toys and olives.”
“Well, obviously. Sex toys are awesome, and olives aren’t so bad. In any case, she has one of those sleek metal desks with one drawer. Only pens in it and a Moleskine notebook. She had some nuts on her desk.”
“Nuts?” She arched an eyebrow.
“They usually grow on trees, they’re high in protein and fat, and you eat them. You’re familiar with nuts?”
She tapped her chin as if deep in thought. “Ah, yes. Nuts. Now I understand.” She rolled her eyes. “Point being, that’s an unusual thing to have on your desk.”
“Maybe she keeps nuts around for a quick protein hit. Anyway, she also has only one file cabinet. And it’s not even the metal kind. It’s one of those fancy, cloth-drawer thingamajiggers that women like.”
“We all like fancy cloth file cabinet drawers?”
“Oh, I’m sorry. Was that an overgeneralization?” he asked drily.
She held her thumb and forefinger together.
“Anyway, so on the top of it I found some paperwork and that’s what I took. Basically, it’s a document saying Isla donated fifty grand last month to a charity that builds schools in Africa. It’s in one of the countries where there was a ton of diamond mining with child labor, and kids were affected by it. This charity was set up to help them go to school and earn an education.”
“Is it the one where she’s listed on the website as being a major donor?” she asked, then gave him the name of the charity.
He nodded. “Same one.”
She dropped her towel and enjoyed the way his eyes followed her naked body even as she left the bathroom and headed to her suitcase. “Do you think she’s cashing in diamonds for charity?
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