Page 141 of Always Be an Us

Amelia nods. "All possible. But, that doesn’t matter anyway. What matters is that I think Emma is right, because, at some point, V gives up on the plan to use Madam T. He stops asking about the Pink Pearl entirely and they just keep being romantic and mushy. Plus, it’s implied that they hung out a few times. How come your grandfather never saw them together, Emma?"

"I don't think they hung out in public, at least not while at the hotel," I say. "Whenever Madam T spoke about their outings, it was somewhere far from the hotel, like at the Angel Oak Tree, or it was in her room when all the other guests had left for one activity or another. Grandpa probably never saw them together."

"There’s still one thing I haven’t figured out." Declan suddenly speaks up.

"Which is?" I ask.

"Why on earth did the thieves want the Pink Pearl in the first place." He looks from Amelia to me. "I thought you said Rainbow Pearls weren't particularly valuable."

I shrug. "I don’t think they were, but the Pink Pearl is different. At that time, I think it was pretty much the only naturally occurring pearl of its kind. An extremely rare gem. I'm sure they could have gotten a lot of money from it, from collectors or in the underground art world or something."

"Yes, but whoever bought the Pink Pearl wouldn’t be able to display it. Because then they would be exposing that they were dealing in stolen merchandise."

"Good point," Amelia says.

I shrug because I don't have an answer for that.

Amelia claps her hands together and takes a bow. "Anyway, I solved a major part of the mystery behind the Pink Pearl and finished all my homework. Now I want to go get ice cream."

"You certainly deserve it." I stare at Declan. "Did you know your daughter was such a genius?" I can’t believe a thirteen-year-old figured all that out on her own from having the journal for a few weeks. I had that book for years and I didn't know half that stuff.

"I know," Declan says, beaming with pride. "She gets it from her dad."

Amelia rolls her eyes, but I notice the blush staining her cheek.

But suddenly, Declan's gaze grows dark.

"Rainbow Pearls," he murmurs. "Wouldn't they be considered rare now?"

"I suppose," I say. "Most of the younger people in town have never even seen one."

"So, if your theory is correct about why the thieves wanted the Pink Pearl, then that might apply to Rainbow Pearls now, right? They would probably fetch a lot of money on the black market. Correct?"

The realization hits me a second after he says it.

"The Rainbow Pearls we found in the hotel basement," he continues. "Do you think someone was collecting them?"

The image of the dry sack with the pearls flashes through my mind. The memory seems so long ago. "Maybe."

"And maybe they accidentally left it in the hotel basement. Maybe they're looking for it right now."

"Maybe."

His eyes darken and he mutters something under his breath. Amelia is looking between the two of us now, her eyes wide with curiosity.

"What? What's happening?" she says. "Somebody please talk to me."

"I think I know why my office was broken into," Declan says. "And I think I know who's behind this whole thing."

"Who?" Amelia and I echo.

But Declan watches me carefully and shakes his head. "I'll tell you later."

"Aww." Amelia pouts, but Declan glances at Monty.

"How about you take Amelia to get that ice cream?"

"Yay." The pout gives way to a grin. "Are you coming, Dad?"

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