30. Stuart
STUART
Fortunately, Brooke woke up the next morning with a clear recollection of the prior night’s events. She shared the details of what she heard and what happened to her. We called my dad and set a plan in motion.
For it to work, everyone must believe that Brooke is missing. Fortunately, the errand I sent my driver on last night makes that possible.
Now, the next step is today’s meeting at the PR firm. To make sure everything is in place, I arrive early with two guests, Mr. Gentry and Mr. Rivers, who are set to play key roles in the meeting, if all goes well.
The receptionist shows us into the largest conference room where Jason awaits our arrival, nervously wringing his hands as he paces in front of the windows.
Hearing the door open, he looks up. “Stuart, there you are. Everything is set up as you requested,” a slight tremble detectable in his voice.
I survey the room. The jewels from the auction are displayed on a long table under the windows. Armed guards stand at each end. Good.
“Thank you. This is Mr. Gentry, a well-respected expert on gemstones. He’s going to take an initial look at the auction items now.
And this is Mr. Rivers, who will be viewing the proceedings remotely for security purposes.
He prefers to remain anonymous, so you’ll understand the sunglasses and baseball cap. ”
“Of course. It’s a pleasure to meet both of you. Mr. Gentry, please proceed with your analysis. Let me know if I can be of assistance,” Jason says.
“Thank you, I will. Please have one of your guards bring me one piece at a time.” Mr. Gentry says. Walking to the side of the conference table closest to the jewels, he opens his briefcase, removing a loop and related tools for inspecting the diamonds.
As Mr. Gentry goes about his work, I turn to another part of the plan. “As I mentioned on the phone, Mr. Rivers would like to observe the proceedings in an adjacent room. Were you able to set that up?”
“Yes, sir. We’ve set up a video meeting with a live feed shown on a computer display in the closet over here.
Mr. Rivers will be able to hear the conversation on headphones.
However, our IT department has muted the audio and video in the main conference room.
Follow me, and I’ll show you the setup. I must apologize though.
The closet is small. We were barely able to fit a small table and chair inside. ”
Mr. Rivers and I follow Jason to the door in the far corner of the conference room and peer inside. It’s as he described. Turning to Mr. Rivers, I say, “I think it’s best if you wait in here for the meeting to start.”
With a nod, he steps inside, closing the door.
“Jason, would it be possible to have a cup of coffee while we wait for Mr. Gentry to finish his analysis?”
“Of course. Excuse my poor manners. I’m rather flustered by the course of recent events.”
“I completely understand. But you will need to play the role of calm overseer today. You cannot let the people joining us know that you suspect anything is out of the ordinary. Perhaps you should add a drop or two of brandy to your coffee,” I suggest.
“Not a bad idea. I’ll be right back.”
While Jason goes in search of coffee, I walk over to Mr. Gentry, asking, “What have you learned so far?”
“I started with the Gertrude diamond as you suggested. Then I took a quick look at several of the other pieces. So far, I’ve found exactly what you expected.”
“Excellent. You should have time to inspect the remaining pieces and put your tools away before the group arrives.”
“I’ll let you know if I find anything unexpected.”
“Thank you.”
Thirty minutes later, Jason, Mr. Gentry, and I are standing by the end of the conference table. We’re casually chatting about the weather when the others we’ve been expecting arrive.
Hannah, Art, and José join us. They are followed by Aunt Jen and Mr. Broadmoor. Finally, Brooke’s boss, Mr. Barclay, arrives with the Triple Threat team of Justin, Wendy, and Ben.
Mr. Barclay approaches with an extended hand, saying, “Lord Sandridge, it’s a pleasure to meet you. Congratulations on the successful premiere and auction last night. I’m sure the Foundation will make great strides with the funds.”
“Thank you. Your law firm played a key role.”
“My apologies for not personally handling your work this week. I’m regretting that choice, given that Jason told me that you’ve been unable to reach Ms. Bennett this morning.”
I reply, “It is strange that she’s not answering her phone or responding to texts. Perhaps she’s fallen ill. Hopefully, someone at your firm will be able to check on her.”
“Of course. And I’ve brought along three of her colleagues, whom I believe you have already met. They work closely with her, so if there are any issues that you have questions about today, they are here to help as well.”
“I appreciate that,” I say, nodding to the group of lawyers standing attentively at Mr. Barclay’s side. It takes all my etiquette training to avoid sneering at them after how they treated Brooke.
Jason speaks up, saying, “Let’s all take a seat and start our wrap-up meeting.”
I’m relieved to see Jason’s professionalism has taken over as he calmly directs everyone to sit at the table.
He turns to me. “Stuart, I know you would like to say a few words.”
“I would. First, let me thank everyone for their hard work on not only bringing the movie to fruition, but also helping with the fundraising. Overall, the week was a huge success. However, I would like to take a moment to remember Mr. Champion. His life ended much too soon. He’ll be sorely missed.”
Aunt Jen says, “He will. His dedication to the Foundation was unparalleled. And he was a personal friend of mine. I hope the culprit is apprehended quickly and brought to justice.”
Tears threaten to spill from her eyes.
“I know we all share your sentiment, Aunt Jen.”
Heads around the table bob in agreement, except for Mr. Broadmoor’s. He’s looking uneasy. I’m glad.
I continue, “We’ll go over the accounting from the fundraising events and discuss plans for future events in a minute.
First, we have a surprise for everyone today.
You see, my dad insisted that with each piece, we provide a certificate of authenticity signed by one of the royal gemologists.
Mr. Gentry is with us today to do the honors.
And rather than having him certify the jewels in private, I thought you would all enjoy an opportunity to view them one last time before the couriers deliver them to the lucky auction winners. ”
The guards quickly remove the black cloth covering the jewels. The diamonds shimmer as the sunlight from the windows hits them. It’s a light show beyond comparison.
Several people gasp in awe and delight. But Mr. Broadmoor squirms in his seat, wiping his brow with a napkin. I pretend not to notice.
Aunt Jen says, “The beauty found in nature is incredible. It’s only appropriate that these diamonds be used to raise funds for saving another natural resource.”
I smile at her words, adding, “And we should also note that each item is either a vintage piece or was made with reclaimed stones. But enough background, let’s move on to the certification.
In the interest of time, Mr. Gentry has already evaluated the jewelry on the table by the window.
You’re all welcome to take a closer look at it.
However, he still must complete his analysis of the two pieces here.
We’ll pass them around the table, and when they end with him, he’ll complete his review and sign the certificates. ”
At my signal, one of the guards approaches with a bracelet box. He opens it, displaying the Edgar diamond bracelet. We pass it around the table, requesting that no one touch the bracelet itself.
I carefully watch the reactions of each person as they view it.
There is a mix of reactions. Art and José barely look at it, passing it along quickly.
Either they’re nervous about holding something that expensive, or they don’t care about diamonds.
Hannah and Wendy take longer looks. Perhaps they are dreaming of someone giving them a special gift like this someday.
The others at the table are harder to read.
Aunt Jen is the only one who asks who bought it. We explain that it was an anonymous donor who is giving it to a local museum.
When it reaches Mr. Gentry, he carefully studies the ring with his loop. He weighs it on a portable scale and takes measurements to compare with the gemology report. We all watch, anxiously awaiting his determination.
After noting his findings, he nods, saying, “I certify that this is indeed the Edgar diamond bracelet.” He replaces the ring in its box and signs the prepared certificate.
“Now for the pièce de résistance: the Gertrude diamond necklace,” I say.
The guard hands the open, satin-lined box with the glimmering necklace to Jason. “It’s so beautiful. It almost looks real,” Jason teases with a hearty chuckle.
“It better be real, or we’re all in trouble,” I say jovially, watching the reactions of the others. A few are shifting awkwardly in their seats.
Minutes later, Mr. Gentry receives the Gertrude diamond to evaluate. He goes through his measurements, taking his time. He repeats the process a second time and then replaces the necklace in the box.
“Are you ready to sign the paperwork so this necklace can be sent out to its new owners?” I ask.
“I’m sorry, Lord Sandridge. There’s a problem with it.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s a fake.”
“How can that be?”
“I have no idea, but these are lab-grown diamonds—not real ones.”
“Are you absolutely certain?” I ask.
“One hundred percent.” He nods.
“Hmm. Hold on for a minute. If you don’t mind, I’d like you to look at one more necklace before we jump to any conclusions.”
“I’d be happy to.”
“Guard, please hand Mr. Gentry the remaining box.”
The guard steps forward with a blue velvet box, containing a similar diamond necklace. He hands it to Mr. Gentry, who immediately begins evaluating it.