Page 79 of Pursued By My Grumpy Fiancé
“You’re having twins?” she says, tears welling up in her eyes.
I nod. She giggles and claps excitedly.
“Oh my god, this is so exciting! Have you thought of a nursery theme yet? I have the perfect idea for the pregnancy announcement! Have you heard that bubble bubble rhyme? Toil and trouble or something? Oh my gosh, so many grandbabies in such a short amount of time!”
Laughter bubbles up within me at her excitement. Looking around, I feel happy and overwhelmed by the love and family that surround me. My babies, no matter who they are or what their names will be, will always be surrounded by loving and caring people. They will always have someone to rely on, to take care of them. My heart swells at the realization that my babies will never have to face the difficulties and hardships that I’ve faced in my life.
What more could a mother want for her children than a better life than she had?
Chapter Thirty-Four
Bonus Chapter — Bruce
Itakeanotherglanceat the reference picture Mr. Gould texted me as I study the brooches under the glass at Priscilla’s Pawn Emporium. The jewelry counter is huge, but the brooch section is small, fortunately for me. After a moment of scanning the display, there is clearly no hummingbird brooch within it.
“Can I help you find something, sugar?” A woman saunters up behind the counter.
She’s around my age, with a lot of white hair piled up on her head, teased so much that it’s hard to believe there’s any hair left. Her bright blue eye shadow has settled into the wrinkles of her eyelids, framed by the solid, dark lines she considers eyebrows. Bright pink lipstick has been messily spread across her thin and wrinkled lips. The name tag pinned to her shirt reads ‘Priscilla'.
“Actually, yes. Have you had anything like this come in here? Sold by a young woman with red hair?” I hold out my phone and she leans forward to study the picture.
I’m overwhelmed by the swirling scents of florals and citrus, the perfume she’s wearing attacking my nostrils.
“Hmm…don’t think I’ve seen anything like that. Is she your daughter or something? Sell a priceless family heirloom for drug money?” She snaps her gum and looks up at me, studying my expression.
My face gives nothing away. Many years of practice have contributed to perfecting my neutral expressions. Poker is my favorite game for a very good reason.
“Nothing of the sort.”
She looks at me expectantly, but I give her nothing else. She sighs and shakes her head as she turns to walk away. I nod my goodbye and head back out on the street.
Bringing out my notebook, I cross out Priscilla’s Pawn Emporium. That was the last one in the same neighborhood as Hailey. If it didn’t sell, then she must have pawned somewhere else. But where? There’s hundreds of pawn shops in San Francisco.
Suddenly, a light bulb goes on in my head. Perhaps near the hospital where her mom is? If her mom gave it to her, it’s quite likely that she would have sold it near the hospital. It’s a better area, too, with more money running through it. She would have gotten a pretty penny for a piece like that.
Stepping into my car, I mull over my detective skills. Truthfully, they’re quite good, and I reckon that I could open my own detective agency if I wanted. I could never leave Mr. Gould, though. He’s a great employer, and I’m the best of the best for him too. He would be lost without me. Plus, I do adore Ms. Hailey. She’s quite sweet, and in a way, I see her as the daughter I will never have.
The drive to the other side of town is short. I park in a public lot and pull out my phone, gathering a list of pawn shops in the area. I’ll start with the one closest to the hospital, since it’s likely that she would have gone there first.
As I walk, I tug at the collar of my shirt. It’s a hot and sunny day, and not for the first time, I realize that I probably should not have worn a suit for an excursion such as this. The first pawn shop is in front of me before I know it: Pawn on Twenty-First, located on Twenty-First street—very aptly named, I mentally noted.
As I walk in, the bell above the door jingles, announcing my entrance. I walk up to the jewelry counter, and quickly begin to scan the pieces underneath the glass case. A man steps out of a door behind the counter and approaches me.
“Howdy, fella. What can I do you for?”
The man’s mustache moves with every word. It’s thick and long, eerily reminiscent of Yosemite Sam. His beige cowboy hat sinks onto his bald head, a couple sizes too big.
“I’m looking for this exact piece. It has an engraving on it. A young woman with red hair would have pawned it a while ago, maybe six or seven months ago?” I hold out my phone and the man studies the picture.
“Hmm, now I don’t remember anyone with that description coming in to sell anything, but if Bert had bought it, and it was valuable, then he would probably have it stored in the back, waiting for the collectors to come look at it. Let me check for you.”
The cowboy disappears back beyond the door. I turn and look around the pawn shop while I wait. It’s less ‘valuables used as collateral’ and more expensive antiques. Really, calling it a pawn shop is almost doing it a disservice. Signed acoustic guitars decorate the walls, with autographed celebrity portraits displayed prominently in glass cases.
“Unfortunately, I didn’t find anything like that in the collection. If Bert bought anything like that, it’s more than likely sold since then. Sorry to break the news to you, pal.” He gives me a frown.
I nod and leave the pawn shop, crossing it off my list. I hope this pays off, I don’t really care for being on a wild goose chase all day long. Not that I wouldn’t do anything for Mr. Gould, or his family.
The next one on my list is called Annie’s Bits and Pieces, and it’s just around the block. The walk is short, and soon I find myself in front of a tiny store that seems less of a pawn shop and more of a fancy second-hand store.
