Chapter Twenty-Two
Jenna and Dan made their way up the staircase to the second floor where the senator kept a safe in his office. The room was large with a traditional, home-style safe behind one large painting on the wall across from the senator’s desk. One security guard, a huge and muscled man, stood with his back to the door once they were all in the room, and another man, equally as intimidating, positioned himself at the safe as the senator opened it to retrieve the necklace.
Jenna noticed immediately the safe was not the ordinary wall safe. In fact, it looked much more like what she used at her magazine, a commercial-grade safe. She held her breath as the senator punched in his code numbers and the door of the safe popped open.
For a few seconds, everyone stood looking at each other.
The senator sighed, reached for the blue velvet case, and handed it to his wife. “Let this please be the end of the necklace drama.”
Everyone walked behind Mrs. Roseland as she carried the leather case to the small round table by the windows. She opened the blue velvet bag inside the case, removed the necklace, and laid it on top of the leather case. “Here it is, the real one.”
The necklace was a stunning piece of jewelry, and Jenna knew immediately it was the real thing. She opened her mouth to say so.
Then Gail stepped forward and leaned down to inspect it. She looked at the fake around Marta’s neck and then back to the other one on the table, and then did so again.
Harper pushed forward and reached down to finger the necklace.
But Marta Roseland pushed away. “Do you mind?”
They all felt the tension in the room, and everyone looked at the senator to see what he would say or do now. Jenna saw Dan ease his way to get closer to Gail.
“Well, Gail, are you satisfied now?” Dan stepped up to the necklace to get a good look.
“I suppose so, it does seem real, but I think we should take them both over to the big table under the bigger lamp there and put them side by side to be sure.” Gail pointed toward the larger table and started walking toward it. “I do this for a living, you know. Part of my job is to find fakes. If what you said is true, Dan, then you shouldn’t mind me verifying it my way.”
“Your verification doesn’t impress me much, Gail,” Dan said.
The senator held up his hands and looked over at his wife. “Very well, enough, and if this will end this thing once and for all, fine. Come on, Marta, let’s do this and put an end to it. I’ll help you take the fake off,” he said, reaching up to unhook the necklace from around his wife’s neck. “Let’s look at them again, one more time, side by side for all of these many experts in the room.”
Marta rolled her eyes, but she let her husband proceed with removing the necklace. “How many more supposed experts do we need? I was happy with the ones we had.”
“Indeed,” Dan said, never taking his eyes off the necklaces.
“I guess it never hurts to have a second opinion.” Marta smiled at Dan. “Let’s put them down, side by side. The light can distort the colors if held at different angles, you know.”
“Yes, but it means nothing to a real expert who knows that and would verify the diamonds and gems other ways.” Jenna returned Harper’s stare.
Gail shrugged and watched as the senator laid the fake necklace down on the table next to one they knew as the real one.
Just as the senator stepped back to give Gail a clear view of both, a scream erupted from the back of the room as Harper tripped and fell over the ottoman, knocking off a glass bowl from a side table on her way down. Everyone turned to see what happened.
Dan, closest to her, helped her up. “You’re bleeding. I think a piece of broken glass got you. No real harm done.”
“Get away from me.” Harper slapped his hand and inspected the cut.
“Gladly,” Dan said.
Everyone turned back to the necklaces.
The necklaces lay there, looking deceptively the same. A real expert was needed to tell the difference when looking at them from this distance, Jenna thought. She walked up next to Gail who was still staring at them.
Dan shrugged and looked at Gail. “Just like we said.”
“Well, if everyone is happy, let’s put the necklaces back in their rightful places and get back to the guests,” the senator said.
Gail backed off, shrugged, and joined Harper who looked out the window and appeared to have lost interest in the necklace debate.
Dan turned and picked up the fake necklace. “Let me help you with the clasp, Marta.”
The senator lifted the other one and walked back to the safe. He instructed the security guard to stay in the room until he was relieved. They all shuffled out of the senator’s study and back down the stairs.
Jenna stole a glance at Harper, who was looking at Gail with an odd expression.
No one speaking, they all filed back downstairs to the main living area where someone was playing the piano. As Jenna looked around, she thought she saw Brock walking out on the patio. Dan was sticking close to Gail and Harper, because like herself, he knew there was a purpose for the charade Gail and Harper had put them through with the necklace comparison. They now knew for sure Mrs. Roseland was wearing a fake, and she couldn’t see why they would want it if their plan was to take steal the real necklace from Marta’s neck. It didn’t make sense. No one would dare try getting into the room or safe with the giant guard on duty. Something wasn’t adding up.
Jenna made her way toward the patio, but Brock was not there. Her brain was working overtime figuring out what Harper and Gail were up to, and she could come up with no logical answer. As she saw it, limited possibilities existed. They could either give up or try to open the safe. But it would mean getting past the guard. Not a great plan.
Jenna wished she could talk to Dan, but he was sticking close to Harper now, who was sticking all too close to Marta. But why would Harper risk going for a fake necklace? The same question and no answer.
The senator and Marta relaxed as the evening wore on and only their close personal friends were left. Everyone wanted to talk to Mrs. Roseland and look at the necklace. Unfortunately, this made it more difficult to keep an eye on Marta and the necklace.
Jenna’s thoughts were interrupted when a tall, good-looking man who introduced himself as the senator’s attorney, Roy Wakefield, handed her a glass of champagne and asked her to join him on the patio. She said yes so she wouldn’t look so odd standing alone staring at people. She made her way toward the patio with Roy as the house lights began to flicker and then all the lights dimmed.
Inside, the piano player stopped playing.
“A storm must be coming in. The wind is picking up.” Roy looked at the sky. “The electricity is the first thing to go out here on the island.”
Hearing nothing alarming coming from inside, Jenna listened to Roy’s view of the senator’s chances for re-election.
Soon, he focused on her with all of the usual questions. Eventually, he went inside to refill their drinks.
Jenna heard someone cough below her. Something or someone was down there just below and out of her sight. The sound was coming from a small patio off their basement level where Marta kept all of her gardening tools. She heard some scuffling and a grunt and then nothing. She wondered if a couple was having a fight or a romantic liaison down there.
Just when she thought she might go down to investigate, she saw Roy return with the drinks. Though distracted by what she just heard below, she tried to make civil conversation. Her gut was telling her something was wrong. She was primed for disaster, all of her nerves on edge, but she could only wait for something to happen. The thoughts whirled through her mind so fast she almost got dizzy. What would Harper do? When would she do it? What did she have in store for her and Dan? What were they waiting for?
When she could stand it no longer, Jenna excused herself as she finished her drink, telling Roy good-bye, and made her way to the ladies’ room. As she got closer, she saw Harper look her way and begin to walk in the same direction. Jenna stopped in her tracks because no good could come from her and Harper in the same small room alone tonight. In fact, she didn’t want to be alone with her anywhere, and now was a good time to try to talk to Dan. She didn’t see any sign of Gail. About a dozen people were left, besides the staff.
The senator and Marta were saying their final good-byes.
Jenna turned to walk toward Dan, and that is when it hit her. She knew what they had done, and what they would do, and she knew how to fix it. She needed to talk to Marta Roseland in private and to get back into the room with the safe and the necklaces. Now. After her meeting with Marta, Jenna found Dan and grabbed his arm. “Can we talk for one minute?”
“Sure.” He started down the hallway.
“Brock said he was going back to the hotel, but I’ve seen him twice since then. I think I know what is going on.”
Dan shrugged. “Oh, not Brock again. Maybe Mr. GQ had a change of heart and wanted to skulk around and spy on you, or maybe Harper enlisted his help for whatever she has planned for tonight. Those are the two things that come to mind. Or maybe it wasn’t him at all, is that possible?”
“Yeah, yeah, I know, but I have this sinking feeling Brock, the man I thought I knew for almost a year, is not who I thought he was.”
“Welcome to the boy-can-I-pick-’em-club, Miss Myers. But go ahead. You have a theory.”
“Oh, well yes, I do, Dan. More than a theory, I think. So, our problem—as I see it—we need to figure out their plan. Gail switched the necklaces while Harper did the big fall and screaming distraction when we were in the senator’s office. They think Mrs. Roseland is now wearing the real necklace because Gail did the switch. They don’t have to get into the senator’s office or the safe. They just have to get to Marta Roseland.”
Dan held up his hands, “Wait, what—you saw her do it?”
“No, I didn’t see her do it, but it makes sense, right?”
“Strange bedfellows in a way, though. But yes, I’m with you on the theory. I’m sure they set up that scene to make the switch. Now, the interesting part begins. So, if you are right—we are right, they intend to take the necklace right off Marta’s neck tonight because they think it’s the real thing. So, that means we need to watch for another diversion.”
“Well, yes and no,” Jenna said.
Frowning, Dan stared. “Yes and no, what does that mean?
Jenna put her hands on her hips. “They won’t get out of here, even if I have to tackle them myself.”
Dan ran his hands through his hair. “How can you be so sure they won’t get the necklace and escape? Did you join MI6 since we parted five years ago?”
Jenna smiled and leaned in to whisper in Dan’s ear. “She might get out of here with a necklace, but it won’t be the real one.”
“But you said…what are you talking about? I’m confused,” Dan said.
“I switched the necklaces back. Marta is indeed wearing the fake, just like we planned, Dan,” Jenna whispered.
“You are a genius! But wait, how did you manage it?”
“Women power. Marta Roseland and I went back into the safe minutes ago, and we did the switch because with no time to spare, we didn’t tell anyone,” Jenna said.
“Nice work. Uh oh, here comes Harper. Go, go, go. We don’t want to give them any ammunition for a distraction.”
Jenna walked off in the opposite direction and then back around to the bathroom. She still didn’t trust Harper only had the necklace on her mind tonight. She wanted to stay out of her reach as long as she could. She didn’t know what Harper was capable of and didn’t want to find out.
As the final hour of the party ticked on, the few remaining guests were down to the senator’s brother and his wife and Marta’s best friend and her husband.
Jenna stepped out onto the patio to see if she could see Brock again. No luck. Thinking maybe her imagination was over-active after all, she went back inside.
Harper seemed to be having a good time in the bar area with two remaining men.
Dan was watching her, but Gail was nowhere to be seen.
“It has to be any minute now,” Jenna whispered to herself as she walked toward Dan, who was now talking to the Roselands. She heard her name called and stopped, turning to see one of the servers walking toward her with something in their hand.
“Miss Jenna Myers?”
“Yes, I’m Jenna Myers.”
“This note is for you.” He handed her a folded piece of paper and walked off before she could ask him any questions.
The note was short and printed in block style:
I have something urgent to tell you. Meet me at the gazebo at the back of the house right away. I’ll wait. Brock.
Dan turned around and saw her, excused himself from his conversation with the senator and Marta, and joined her. “What’s wrong?”
She was about to tell him about the note when Harper walked past them, giving Jenna a look that said it all. Jenna handed the note to Dan. “Read this. So, it was Brock I saw. Maybe he found out something, or maybe he was approached by Harper and opted out, and now he wants to confess.”
Dan read the note and put it in his pocket as the senator and Mrs. Roseland walked over to join them.
Jenna excused herself saying she needed to do something before Dan could say anything about the note and stop her from meeting Brock.
She made her way through the kitchen and down the back stairs into yard. The backyard was ablaze with colored lights strung in the trees and on the gazebo, lighting her way. A few sprinkles of rain were evident, but the storm passed them by. She could smell the raindrops resting on the overhanging tree branches as she walked. Another scent was in the air she had smelled before, but she couldn’t put a name to it. She looked around but saw no one else.
She walked down the well-worn path toward the gazebo. She slowed her pace as parts of the path narrowed, and the leaves were wet from the earlier rain shower. High heels were not the best footwear for walking in the rain-slick yard. She walked on toward the partially lit gazebo, more in semi-darkness, wishing she let Dan know what she was doing. The absolute quiet set her nerves on edge, and the hairs on the back of her neck rose. She knew then she was walking into trouble but realized it too late.