Page 107 of A Real Good Bad Thing
Groan.
Before I could knock, the door swung open to reveal Eli holding up a bottle of Cristal, wagging it in…celebration?
“Come in,” he invited, sweeping out his arm in a grand gesture of welcome. “Let’s celebrate.”
Confused, I walked into the house where Willow pounced and pummeled me with a hug. “You’re a superstar.”
These two. I swear. They operated by rules of their own. “How am I a superstar? What are you celebrating?”
Willow poured and handed me a flute of effervescent wine. “We’ve been saving this bottle for when we caught the thief,” Eli said, lifting his own glass.
“What thief?” Up was down; left was right. Any moment now, a white rabbit in a vest would run by with a diamond-studded Rolex and I wouldn’t bat an eye.
Willow’s eyes glimmered with glee. “The one trying to steal the diamonds.”
Making a time-out sign was awkward while holding a champagne glass. “Somebody needs to explain to me what’s going on.”
Eli walked to the kitchen. Willow followed, and I did too.
“A few weeks ago,” he said, leaning against the marble kitchen counter, draping an arm around his fiancée, “we realized someone was sniffing around for our precious gems. We’ve tried everything to catch the would-be thief, and now we have.” He beamed proudly at me. “Seconds after you called, I contacted my friends on the police force about the stolen car and the stolen gems, and Clarissa is already under arrest.”
Willow squeezed his arm. “Don’t forget Tristan,” she said.
“Yes, Tristan is locked up too.”
I remembered him zipping by in his green Honda, and the smug look on his face. Mr. Smith, I presumed.
“You’re telling me that Clarissa and Tristan were working together to steal your diamonds?”
“I had a hunch it was her,” Eli said, stopping to sip his champagne. “I’ve been setting traps, trying to catch her. That’s why Nigel hid nuts in the back of the painting in my office, and then dropped hints to all the club employees that the gems were in the frame.” He laughed like a king, above the world’s cares on his throne. “I wish I could have seen Clarissa’s face when she sliced open the frame the other day and found nothing but nuts.”
Willow joined in the laughter, queen to his king.
Of course he would think his trick was hilarious. I let them continue to think it was Clarissa who peeked into the frame after slitting the backing. Served them right with their mighty attitudes.
The sunlight streamed through the kitchen window and splashed its rays across Willow, catching on the pendant at her throat. The gem flashed with a glint of blue. “Your necklace,” I exclaimed. “How did you get it back?”
Willow placed her hand on it, leaning in slightly to stage-whisper. “It was never missing in the first place. I just pretended it was stolen by wearing a fake during the gallery party. I popped it out of the setting and dropped it into my drink.”
She laughed at her cleverness.
I didn’t laugh.
“So you never suspected Nigel of stealing anything? Maris said—” I broke off, not wanting to get Maris in trouble for telling me something she shouldn’t have.
Eli waved a careless hand. “Oh, Maris and Nigel are dating. She spread the word that we suspected Nigel. But we just wanted the thief to feel secure, like we were looking in another direction, so they’d finally take action. And they did!”
Willow shrieked and pointed frantically to the countertop. She covered her mouth with her hand and choked in terror, “Spider.”
Eli grabbed a paper towel as if he planned to squash the trespassing insect, but out of nowhere, the silver tabby leapt onto the counter, allhold-my-beerattitude, and swiped the offender into next week.
Cats.
“Aww, Jade,” Willow cooed, as the cat groomed its murderous paw. “What a good kitty you are, getting rid of that nasty spider for Mommy.” Jade accepted her due adulation then sauntered off, pausing only to eye me as if I might be another trespasser who needed taking out.
I shuddered and got back to business. “So who stole the diamond from my hotel room? Was that part of this ruse?”
Eli banged a fist against his counter. “Bastard! Tristan must have seen me give it to you at the restaurant that day. All because I didn’t want to invest in his terrible business idea. I wish that hadn’t happened to you.”