bright lights of the dressing room. According to the Haywood-Smiths earlier conversation, they were all fakes.
“I don’t understand,” Lily said, staring at the jewelry. “Why were you hiding fakes for an entire year? And why are you going to hide them somewhere else now?”
“Fakes?” Prue said. “Why would I have fake jewelry when I can have the real thing?”
“You’re lying,” Luke said, casual as can be from the doorway where he stood like a sentinel, his arms crossed and his expression thunderous. “They’re fake. And you hid them just the same as anyone would hide their most valuable jewelry.” He met Lily’s gaze. “Almost anyone.”
Yeah, yeah, point taken Mr Bigshot Cop.
“I do not own fake jewelry,” Prue said again.
“Yes, you do,” Luke said. “Ever since the real stuff was all stolen last year."
By Lily’s father, he could have said but didn’t.
“Since the insurance company would only pay a jeweler direct for replacements and not give you cash,” he went on, “you did a deal with your jeweler and had him make up fakes, costing him and you almost nothing. How much did he keep out of the payout for his co-operation? Half?”
Max and Prue sat on the chaise in sullen silence. Lily listened to Luke as he outlined the scheme and she realized how naïve she had been not to have figured it out already.
“Then you took your half of the money, kept the fakes and hid them as if they were the good stuff. Although not very well I might add. But then you were probably hoping another theft would one day occur and lo and behold these fakes get stolen too. Is that right?”
Prue made a snorting sound but said nothing.
“Except you were broken into the other night but nothing was taken. No problem since no one knew that. You thought you could make another claim, this time on the fakes. That’s why you were getting rid of them tonight. When were you going to report this jewelry as missing?” He nodded at the stuff on the floor. “Tomorrow after you conveniently remembered to look for it and found it also gone?”
“And tonight you were going to give it to your brother for safe-keeping while the insurance company and the cops investigated,” Lily said, shaking her head. Wow, these people were unbelievable. At least her dad was an honest thief and everyone knew what he was. The Haywood-Smiths were complete frauds, hiding behind a façade of respectability. “You were also going to give him the necklace I returned two nights ago since you couldn’t have it lying around after having it already reported stolen last year. That ruby necklace was the only fake piece in the entire lot from the original theft, wasn't it?" It must have been or her father would have sold it along with the rest.
Prue and Max stared at her. “ You’re the thief?” Prue said.
“She didn’t steal anything,” Luke and Max said together.
“No,” Prue said, probably realizing there was no point in continuing to lie. “But you’ll be going to jail anyway.”
“No, she won’t.” A note of danger threaded Luke’s words. Prue winced.
Lily waited for him to draw out his badge, arrest them for insurance fraud then look for the necklace in Prue’s purse. It was the evidence they needed to get her free.
But he didn’t.
“Uh, Luke,” she said, “can we talk. Out there.” She led the way into the bedroom where they stood far enough from the Haywood-Smiths to talk in private but still keep them both in their line of sight. “Why aren’t you arresting them? We have the evidence now.”
He kept his focus on the Haywood-Smiths sitting at opposite ends of the chaise. “Because it’s not a good idea.”
“Of course it’s a good idea! It’s what we came here for.”
He hesitated, his gaze flicking to her then back to the dressing room. “We need another plan.”
“What? Why? You’re a cop and this is an
“I don’t understand,” Lily said, staring at the jewelry. “Why were you hiding fakes for an entire year? And why are you going to hide them somewhere else now?”
“Fakes?” Prue said. “Why would I have fake jewelry when I can have the real thing?”
“You’re lying,” Luke said, casual as can be from the doorway where he stood like a sentinel, his arms crossed and his expression thunderous. “They’re fake. And you hid them just the same as anyone would hide their most valuable jewelry.” He met Lily’s gaze. “Almost anyone.”
Yeah, yeah, point taken Mr Bigshot Cop.
“I do not own fake jewelry,” Prue said again.
“Yes, you do,” Luke said. “Ever since the real stuff was all stolen last year."
By Lily’s father, he could have said but didn’t.
“Since the insurance company would only pay a jeweler direct for replacements and not give you cash,” he went on, “you did a deal with your jeweler and had him make up fakes, costing him and you almost nothing. How much did he keep out of the payout for his co-operation? Half?”
Max and Prue sat on the chaise in sullen silence. Lily listened to Luke as he outlined the scheme and she realized how naïve she had been not to have figured it out already.
“Then you took your half of the money, kept the fakes and hid them as if they were the good stuff. Although not very well I might add. But then you were probably hoping another theft would one day occur and lo and behold these fakes get stolen too. Is that right?”
Prue made a snorting sound but said nothing.
“Except you were broken into the other night but nothing was taken. No problem since no one knew that. You thought you could make another claim, this time on the fakes. That’s why you were getting rid of them tonight. When were you going to report this jewelry as missing?” He nodded at the stuff on the floor. “Tomorrow after you conveniently remembered to look for it and found it also gone?”
“And tonight you were going to give it to your brother for safe-keeping while the insurance company and the cops investigated,” Lily said, shaking her head. Wow, these people were unbelievable. At least her dad was an honest thief and everyone knew what he was. The Haywood-Smiths were complete frauds, hiding behind a façade of respectability. “You were also going to give him the necklace I returned two nights ago since you couldn’t have it lying around after having it already reported stolen last year. That ruby necklace was the only fake piece in the entire lot from the original theft, wasn't it?" It must have been or her father would have sold it along with the rest.
Prue and Max stared at her. “ You’re the thief?” Prue said.
“She didn’t steal anything,” Luke and Max said together.
“No,” Prue said, probably realizing there was no point in continuing to lie. “But you’ll be going to jail anyway.”
“No, she won’t.” A note of danger threaded Luke’s words. Prue winced.
Lily waited for him to draw out his badge, arrest them for insurance fraud then look for the necklace in Prue’s purse. It was the evidence they needed to get her free.
But he didn’t.
“Uh, Luke,” she said, “can we talk. Out there.” She led the way into the bedroom where they stood far enough from the Haywood-Smiths to talk in private but still keep them both in their line of sight. “Why aren’t you arresting them? We have the evidence now.”
He kept his focus on the Haywood-Smiths sitting at opposite ends of the chaise. “Because it’s not a good idea.”
“Of course it’s a good idea! It’s what we came here for.”
He hesitated, his gaze flicking to her then back to the dressing room. “We need another plan.”
“What? Why? You’re a cop and this is an
Similar Books
