Chapter Two
Special Agent Daniel Wilson couldn't believe the mess he'd woken to. He'd just wanted a room to rent until he could find a permanent residence. He'd thought renting a place here would be nicer than a one-bedroom apartment because he'd have roommates and someone to hang with.
Now, he was wondering what in the hell he'd walked into. This was insane. And here he thought living in a small country town would be quiet and less stressful.
Boy, was he wrong.
He had half a mind to pack his stuff and go back to the apartment he'd been renting from Chester. Granted, that had been a just a temporary place, and he'd still have to find another place to live, but it might be worth it.
"You think Keith stole from you?" Dan asked after Terry hung up the phone.
"I know he did," Terry replied. "Not only did he try that shit with you, but several pieces of my mother's jewelry are missing."
Fuck!
He was DEA. He didn't usually get involved in robbery cases, but… "Can you show me?"
Terry nodded and headed for the stairs. Dan followed him up to a room on the second floor, just a few doors down from his own. Once inside, he got a clear picture of what had happened to all of Terry's possessions. They were stacked right in the middle of the room.
"I kept Mom's jewelry in here," Terry said as he walked over to a dresser against the wall. He gestured to several open jewelry cases, all empty. "Most of it was simple costume jewelry and not worth much, but Mom's pearls and a few of her other items were worth quite a bit."
"Are you insured?"
"Yes, but that's not the point." Terry swallowed hard. "These were my mother's. Replacing them just isn't possible."
Dan's heart ached for the sadness in Terry's eyes. "How long ago did you lose her?"
"Almost five years ago," Terry said as he turned to gaze at the empty jewelry boxes. "She died of cancer. Dad died within a month of her. I'm pretty sure he passed away from a broken heart."
"I'm sorry." Dan knew some of what Terry felt. His own mother had died in a car accident when he was seven, and he'd been raised by his father, an emotionless man who expected his son to be just as hard and unemotional as he was.
Dan hated the bastard.
"I haven't been here very long," he said. He wanted to offer Terry some hope even if there probably wasn't any. "But the Cade Creek Sheriff's Department seems fairly competent. I'm sure they can catch Keith and get your stolen items recovered."
"If anyone can find Keith, it's Sheriff Riley. The man is like a dog with a lost bone. He doesn't stop until he has his prize in his teeth."
Dan was pretty sure that was a recommendation, but he wasn't positive. "Is that a good thing?"
Terry chuckled. "Yes."
Okay then.
"Once the sheriff has Keith's particulars, I'll send out an APB over the wire and get my people to keep an eye out for him. I know there are always surveillance teams staking out the pawn shops in the city. If Keith tries to sell your stuff, they might catch him."
He didn't know if it would do much good, but it was something.
"Thank you. I'd appreciate it. I don't care much what happens to Keith and his buddies, but I want my mother's jewelry back."
Dan could understand that. "I don't suppose you have any pictures of the missing items, do you?"
"Actually, yes. My insurance agent made me get pictures of everything I had insured. It was also appraised by Mr. Jenkins from Cade Creek Jewelers."
"I wish everyone would do that," Dan admitted. "It would make it so much easier for the authorities to track missing items. Descriptions are nice, but pictures are better."
The sound of the doorbell had them both turning.
"That's probably the sheriff," Terry said as he headed for the door.
