Page 72 of Tangled Up In You

"Just relating what I know. I also spoke to Caroline's attorney. Caroline was going to give Charles the diamond and had told him about the gift, but then they had a fight and split up and she wanted to keep it. The ownership of the diamond was in dispute at the time of her death."

"What happens now—if we find the diamond? Who gets it?"

"Charles. Which doesn't give him a lot of motive to try to steal it back from Phoebe. He has the law on his side, which is why he sent his lawyer to your door."

"That sounds logical. The person who hired Mercer, and I'm assuming we think he was hired, can't have any right to the diamond. But remember what Mercer told Nina—that he wanted to get something back for the family. Which brings us back to the family."

"Yes. Caroline's step-siblings, Weatherly's two sons, her former husbands and their children."

"Can we narrow it down?"

"That's the next step. There is one other suspect—Rebecca Pierce."

"Who's that?"

"Caroline's housekeeper who worked for her for twenty years and packed the boxes that were going to Phoebe. She also received a cash inheritance from Caroline. I don’t know the amount, but I suspect it was similar to what Ray and Kim got. But here's the thing—her phone number doesn't work anymore. And I can't find her. I know she got on a plane to LA a few days after Caroline died, but after that, the trail ends. She lived with Caroline, so she had no other residence, but she hasn't shown up at any of Caroline's properties."

"What about the money? Can't you track her through her bank?"

"I haven't gotten that far yet. I'm also looking into some locals who worked at Caroline's house part-time. The attorney sent over contact information for a cleaner and a gardener. I left messages for both of them to call me back."

"You were busy today, Adam. You're really getting into this."

"It's a puzzle that needs to be solved."

"Maybe it doesn't. Maybe this is all over. Nothing has happened in the last six days. Whoever hired Mercer might have given up."

"That's an optimistic point of view," he said with a small smile.

"I'd rather be thinking of the glass half full than half empty. It makes life better."

"You can stay positive, but you also need to stay alert."

"I will."

"How did Drew do today?"

"He was amazing. He worked nonstop for eight hours. He barely took time for lunch. He's really a good kid, Adam. We talked a little after we closed. He said he was going to be at the festival tonight with Cassie, meeting some of her friends."

"I saw him before I came over here. He managed to get a couple of sentences out when I tried to talk to him."

"What did he say?" she asked curiously.

"Not much. But he did mention that he liked working for you and that he was coming to the festival."

"It's a start." She paused. "So, dessert?"

"Why don't we take a ride first?"

She looked at him in surprise. "You want to go on one of the rides? Really?"

"Yes."

"Like a pirate ship that goes almost upside down?" A grimace crossed his face, and she laughed. "No? But there's nothing better than turning your world upside down. It gives you a different perspective."

"Nothing better, huh? How about the Ferris wheel?"

"It's kind of slow, but I can live with that."

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