“Okay,” Karlotta said, although doubt filled her voice. “Let me know if you need any help.”
“Will do!”
I waited a few seconds to make sure she wasn’t going to poke her head inside the office, then slung the briefcase down onto my desk. To my surprise, it wasn’t even locked, so I flipped up the metal flaps and slowly cracked the lid open to reveal…
Diamonds—lotsof diamonds.
The briefcase was lined with black velvet compartments fitted with tiny clear plastic doors, and each section was filled with diamonds. White, pink, blue, black. The colors were dazzling, as was the way the stones caught and reflected the light.
I let out a low, appreciative whistle. “Hello, gorgeous girls.”
I wasn’t an expert like Mallory, but even I could tell that I was looking at several million dollars in diamonds. No wonder Clyde had been so desperate to get his hands on my shipping yard. A score like this would have solved all his rumored money problems.
A bit dazed by my discovery, I plopped down into my chair. My mind started whirring, wondering what to do next. I couldn’t keep the diamonds in my office. Sure, Clyde O’Neal was dead, but someone in his organization might know that the gemstones were here and come after them—and me.
I rocked back in my chair and weighed my options. I could take the diamonds to First Trust bank. Mosley would be happy to put them in a safety-deposit box until I figured out what to do with them, and Finnegan Lane would be more than willing to help me turn the stones into cash that I could add to my bank accounts. But I hadn’t stolen the diamonds myself, so it didn’t feel right to just keep them. I might be a criminal, but I still earned my money, just like everyone else did—
An idea popped into my mind. Suddenly, I knewexactlywhat to do with the diamonds. I shut the briefcase and hit a button on my phone.
“Hey, Lorelei,” Karlotta’s voice flooded my office. “Do you need something?”
“Please get a messenger over here. I have a package that needs to be delivered.”
ChapterTwelve
Karlotta helpedme box up the briefcase. She didn’t ask what was inside it, although she did do a double take when I revealed whom I wanted it sent to.
Karlotta frowned. “Are you sure?”
A grin spread across my face. “Absolutely.”
She gave me another confused look, but she summoned the messenger, and we shipped out the box.
I spent the rest of the afternoon interviewing one person after another. Several of the folks were capable, all were supremely confident, and a few were already plotting against me. But none of them was quite right, so I sent them all on their way with empty promises to call as soon as I’d made a decision.
By the time four o’clock rolled around, I was sick of padded résumés, rehearsed answers, and fake smiles. I set the last folder on the discard pile with all the others and resisted the urge to sweep them all off my desk and into the trash can waiting below. It truly was so hard to find good help, especially good criminal help.
I sighed and cracked my neck from side to side, trying to relieve some of the tension that had gathered in my body.
Karlotta knocked on the open door and stepped into my office. “Hey, Lorelei. I’ve got one more person for you to see.”
I gestured at the stack of folders. “But I thought that last woman was the final interview of the day.”
“We have a surprise applicant,” she replied, a strange note in her voice. “They just…showed up and asked about the job, so I thought I would see if you felt like doing one more interview.”
I bit back a groan, but I might as well get it over with. “Sure. Send them in.”
Karlotta nodded and moved away from the door. She murmured something, and then the faint scuff of footsteps sounded, heading in this direction. I stood up and plastered a polite smile on my face, trying to ignore the ache in my cheeks—
Hugh Tucker stepped into my office.
His visit wasn’t entirely unexpected, but the sight of him still made my heart race. “What are you doing here?”
“I got your message.” He strode over and placed a familiar black leather briefcase on top of my desk. “I have to admit that I was quite surprised by the contents. No one has ever sent me millions of dollars in diamonds before.”
“What can I say? I’m original that way.”
A grin spread across his lips. “Yes, you are.”
