“Do you think Victoria or Tom has the entire set?” June asked. “The necklace, the earrings, the ring?”
Holt leaned back slightly and looked at the drawing as if it had appeared on the paper without his permission.
“I don’t know.” He blew out a breath. “I’m still a little shocked we found it again.”
June understood that, too. Objects could carry memory in a way people never quite prepared for. A ring, a photograph, a cracked mug, a bracelet. They could turn years inside out in seconds.
“There’s so much around this jewelry set and the theft that’s still unanswered,” Holt said.
“Like what?” June frowned, watching him.
He set the pen down and rested his elbows on the desk.
“What you said earlier. About my mother and my uncle not wanting to press charges or report it missing.” A deeper line formed between his brows. “Why would they do that over an expensive family heirloom?”
June tapped the pen lightly against her page, thinking it through.
“Maybe they sold it to Tom’s parents. Or even Victoria’s father. If it was insured, maybe they thought they could take the insurance money and keep it quiet.” She tried to offer a logical explanation. “It was around the time of all your sister’s medical expenses.”
Holt considered that.
“It was insured, as far as I remember.” His eyes landed on the sketch once again, staring at it as if it held all the answers.
“But if they’d claimed it,” June said, “they’d have had to open a case. Paperwork. Questions. Statements.”
“Exactly.” Holt nodded slowly.
“Then you need to ask your mother.” June’s eyes met his.
Holt looked up at the ceiling as if he might find an easier answer there, then dragged a hand down his face. “I could do that.” He caught her eyes again.
“No,” June said firmly. “You have to do that.”
Especially now that the bracelet had reappeared and there was a real possibility the Morrisons had the entire set, June didn’t see a way around the conversation. Mina might hate it. Holt might hate it more. That didn’t change the fact that they needed answers.
“You know I’m right,” June persisted.
“I know,” Holt admitted. “It’s just not a conversation I’m looking forward to.”
“The sooner you have it, the better.” June gave him an encouraging smile.
He gave a quiet huff that might have been a reluctant agreement.
She capped her pen and slipped the notepad halfway back into her purse.
“You can take the car if you want. I need to get over to the vet’s office anyway and help Lucy. She’s on duty there today.” June moved forward on the seat and sat holding her purse, ready to go.
“Thank you, I’ll take you up on that offer.” He pushed his seat back.
“Good,” June said. “The more information we have for the meeting this afternoon, the better.”
“I need to go check on my mother, anyway,” Holt told June. “She had a migraine this morning.”
June’s concern rose at once.
“Did she have two glasses of wine with dinner?” June looked at Holt inquiringly.
“No.” Holt shook his head. “Ice cream.”
