Page 67 of Gem Warfare

“A rental house in West Montgomery.”

“Right. Yes, I doubt she’d see a problem with telling a white lie for that.”

“Could we speak to her?” I asked.

“Unfortunately not. She passed two years ago.”

“I’m very sorry.”

“Us too,” he said and the dog yapped and thumped its tail. “It’s like all the warmth went out of the house with her.”

“May her memory be a blessing,” said Lily.

“Very kind of you, young lady,” he said to her as he returned my phone.

“You have a good memory to recognize Joe from so long ago,” I said.

He nodded. “I haven’t thought a single thing about him in years but that photo brought it all back. I remember how very charming everyone thought he was, so erudite. Not me though. I thought he was loathsome. There was something veryunpleasant and oily behind his charm. I was glad when he seemed to disappear.”

“Disappear?”

“He stopped coming around my wife and her friends. There was a rumor of something stolen, I think. I’m not sure whether that was hearts or jewelry or something else, but he became persona non grata with our crowd.”

“Do you remember who was involved? Whom he stole from?”

“I’m afraid not. Even if I did, I doubt anyone would talk about it. They all like gossip but not if it’s about themselves,” he added with a wry smile. “Dare I ask what Joe has done?”

“We’re not sure yet,” I said.

“That’s what we’re trying to find out,” added Lily.

“Well, whatever it is, it can’t be good,” said the man. From the ground, the dog lifted his head and whined.

“I wonder what he stole,” said Lily as we headed back to the car. “Like father, like son, right? I bet he tried to make off with jewelry and someone’s wife.”

“In terms of people, you can’t steal someone who doesn’t want to be stolen,” I said.

“Did you get that off a fridge magnet?”

“No!”

“Motivational quote of the day?”

“No.”

“Fortune teller?”

“No!”

“We’re having a fortune teller afternoon next week at the bar. You should come.”

“Ooh, okay.”

“I knew you’d say that so I already put you on the list. What now?”

I paused to think. “Now I tell Garrett we enact Plan B. It’s time to draw anyone who knows Joe out of the woodwork.”

“Can’t wait to find out what mayhem that causes,” said Lily.

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