Chapter 15
Fifteen
T raffic noise swirled around them on the cool wind in downtown Dallas as they walked the few blocks to the bank listed on Tad’s keychain. Max spotted the drugstore where he’d bought the gloves and the Ziploc bags and had a thought. Grabbing Margot’s hand, he steered her toward the store’s entrance.
“What are we doing?”
“We need to preserve the prints on that key.” The doors swished open, and they stepped inside.
“Oh. How?”
“Makeup and packing tape.”
“Makeup and—” She sighed. “Max, maybe we should call Gallagher now. If we lift the prints, they won’t hold up in court.”
He paused near a rack of Maybelline foundation. “Hell.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “I really don’t want the cops involved until we know what’s in that box.”
“I don’t, either. But I don’t think we have a choice. What if there are prints on it and they belong to Tad’s murderer? What if it’s the only connection to the guy, and we blow it because we wanted to play Miss Marple?”
Max sighed. She was right. “Fine.” Turning around, he led them out of the store.
“So, where to?”
He paused, thinking. “We could go to the FBI offices here.”
“Okay. Where is it?” Taking out her phone, she looked up the address and mapped it. “I think we’ll have to take an Uber. The closest DART station to the building is an hour walk.”
Max looked down the street, another possibility churning through his brain. “Or, we could see if we can get an agent to meet us at the bank.” He glanced back at Margot. “We might have better luck getting the feds to let us see what’s in the box if we’re already there. Especially if you’ve got access to it.”
“I like that idea.”
A passerby bumped Max’s arm. They were in the middle of the sidewalk. Tugging on Margot’s sleeve, he tipped his head. “Let’s stand over here out of the way.” They moved under the store’s awning and leaned against the building.
“Do you have Gallagher’s card on you?”
“Uh, yeah. It’s in my bag.” She slipped her phone into her coat pocket, then raised her arm slightly, dipping her hand inside.
A furrow formed between Max’s brows. “How do you find anything in there? It’s like one of those magician’s bags. Or Santa’s present sack.”
Margot laughed. “It is not.”
“Yes, it is. You’re looking for a two-by-three square of cardboard in that giant thing.”
Chuckling, she rolled her eyes, continuing to dig. “You just don’t know how to use the magic.” In seconds, she held the white rectangle between her fingers under his nose.
Mouth pursed, he plucked it from her fingers. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” She settled the straps over her shoulder with a wide smile.
Max lifted his phone and called the cell number on the card. “He better answer.” Putting the phone to his ear, he waited. It rang three times, then the agent picked up.
“This is Agent Gallagher.”
“Gallagher, it’s Max Carson. Margot and I have some information for you.”
“What kind of information?”
“The kind that requires law enforcement to take physical possession of it. We’re in Dallas about ready to head into a bank with a safe deposit box key. Can you send an agent to meet us?”
“A safe deposit box key? Is that what you want to turn over? Or is it the contents of the box?”
“Probably both. We think it’s Tad’s. We did what you suggested and checked on Margot’s safe deposit box. This key was inside. I think it’s the spare to the one you found on the body. The numbers are the same.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes. And there’s more. We found a betting journal, and two of her coins are missing.”
“Crap on a cracker.” The agent sighed. “Okay. Give me the address of the bank. I’ll get someone there ASAP.”
Max passed along the bank’s address. “Can you give us an hour? We have another stop to make.”
“Where?”
“Just… somewhere. If it pans out, we’ll let your colleague know.”
“Mr. Carson, if this is pertinent to my investigation, I need to know.”
“That’s the thing. I don’t know if it is. But don’t worry. If it matters, we’ll make sure to pass along the information. Text me the name of the agent, so I know who we’re meeting.”
A beat of silence passed, then, “Fine. But you better not withhold anything.”
“We won’t.” Mentally, Max crossed his fingers. “Bye.” He hung up.
“What other stop do we need to make?” Margot asked the moment he ended the call.
“That jeweler.” Max tipped his phone toward the high-end jewelry shop across the street.
Margot’s gaze swung that way, then she nodded. “Let’s go.”
Traipsing to the corner, they waited for the light to change, then walked across the busy street. Max grabbed the golden handle on the glass door and pulled.
Vanilla-scented air wafted into his face as they stepped inside. Plush cream carpet quieted their footfalls and light gleamed from the gold and crystal chandeliers shining on the glass jewelry cases.
“Good morning. How may I be of assistance?”
An older gentleman in a gray suit and light blue striped tie walked around the counter to greet them.
“We’re wondering if you could do an appraisal for us? I’m happy to pay you, if you charge for the service.” Max returned the man’s polite smile.
“If it’s for an insurance report, there’s a small fee. But if it’s just a general inquiry, I’m happy to take a quick look.”
“It’s the latter.” Margot drew her bag down off her arm.
“Let’s come over here.” Turning, the man led them over to the jewelry cases, moving behind them again. While Margot found the jewelry, the man spread a velvet cloth over the counter and opened a small box that contained a jeweler’s loupe.
“My name’s Karl, by the way.” He offered them a kind smile.
“It’s nice to meet you, Karl. I’m Margot.” She laid the jewelry on the counter. “This is Max.”
“Nice to meet you too.” His expression sobered, then turned curious as he took in the jewelry. “These are lovely. Where did you get them?”
“They’re mine. Family heirlooms.”
Karl picked up the diamond pendant. “Are you looking to sell?”
“No.” Margot glanced up at Max.
He could see by the slight wrinkle to her forehead she was unsure what to tell the man.
Max went with a partial truth. “There’s some speculation that the stones aren’t real. We’re just checking.”
“Ah. Understandable. I see that all the time. This, I’m pretty sure is real. The clarity is stunning.” He picked up the loupe and held it to his eye, then raised the diamond to look at it.
“Yes, this is definitely real. And quite good quality.” He set the piece on the cloth, then reached for the emerald necklace.
A soft grunt left the man’s throat.
“It’s fake, isn’t it?” Margot glanced at Max.
His mouth flattened. This was what he’d been afraid of. If one piece was fake, how many more were?
“I’m afraid so, yes. It’s a good quality fake, though.” Karl looked up. “I’m sorry.”
“Not your fault.” Max leaned on a hand. “What about the ring?”
Setting the necklace down, he picked up the ring. A moment later, he hummed. “That’s interesting.” He straightened. “The diamonds are real, but the sapphire isn’t.”
“Why would the sapphire get replaced, but not the diamonds? There’s what, a carat or two in diamonds there?”
The jeweler nodded. “And I’m not sure. Some families will only replace stones as needed. It’s possible they only sold the stones they needed to.”
Max tucked his tongue into his cheek, thinking about all the jewelry they’d left in the safe deposit box. He glanced at Margot. “I picked these because something about them didn’t look right. The pendant tells me I didn’t know what I was talking about. We need to get the rest assessed.”
Lips flattening, she nodded.
“Sir.” Max turned to Karl. “If we brought you more items in a few hours and came back with a federal agent, would you look through them for us?”
Karl’s eyes widened. “A federal agent?”
“It’s complicated, but yes. We’d really appreciate your help.”
The man’s gaze traveled between them, then flicked down to the jewelry. He sighed. “All right.”
A surge of victory at this small win had Max smiling. He extended a hand. “Thank you.”
Karl shook it. “You’re welcome. How many pieces of jewelry are we talking?”
“About twenty items total,” Margot said. “But many have multiple stones, like the ring.”
Karl nodded. “Okay. Do you have documentation on the jewels? So I can compare the quality?”
“On some, yes. I’ll make sure to bring that.” She picked up the items and put them in her purse.
“Thank you. I’ll see you in a few hours, then.”