Page 64 of Out of the Shadows
“I’m just—shocked,” John said. “I don’t know what to think.”
“Are we in danger?” Mrs. Thornton said.
“I don’t think so,” Margo said honestly. “But Aberdeen is wanted by the police for felony hit-and-run, and he’s still in town, so it’s best to be cautious.”
“I don’t want this if it’s going to bring something bad into my family,” John said.
“As your father’s heir, you and your sister would have been given the jewels in probate.”
“We have three children in the house. I can’t have these here. Would you take them?”
Margo blinked. “There’s the equivalent of two million dollars in that box. You don’t even know me.”
“I don’t have a safe place. Do you?”
Margo considered. She could take them home—she had a gun safe—but they would be safer at Angelhart offices. They had a literal vault in the building, from when it had first been built and was a bank for five minutes.
“Yes, we have a safe at our office.” Margo pulled out another card and wrote her mother’s name and cell phone. “Call my mom in the morning and she’ll help with whatever you need. She’s also a lawyer and if there are any sticky legal issues, she’ll know what to do about them. Then I would suggest you have the pieces appraised and talk to your sister about what you want to do with them.”
“This is all unbelievable,” he said.
Margo took the box and said, “Are you sure you want me to take this?”
“Yes.”
Luisa showed the Thorntons Aberdeen’s photo. “If you see him, call the police,” she said.
“If he threatens you, tell him I have the jewels,” Margo said.
“I wouldn’t do that to you if he’s dangerous,” John said.
“Call me if you see him and then I’ll be on alert.”
“Oh. Yes, of course. Okay.” John took his wife’s hand. “Is this the right thing to do?”
“I don’t want those pieces here,” she said. “They’re cursed. Your father may have been killed for them, John!”
“They’re not cursed,” he said, but agreed that he didn’t want them in the house. “I’ll call your mother and find out what our options are.”
Margo dreaded being in possession of the box, and handed it to Luisa to hold while she drove. “Call Jack and tell him what’s going on.”
Luisa put Jack on speaker, gave him a summary, and said, “Once we secure the box in the vault, we’ll get back there. About an hour.”
There was commotion and voices in the background, then Jack said, “Laura wants you to find Charlie.”
Margo said, “I’m not leaving you alone up there when Aberdeen could show up.”
“We’re all concerned that Charlie may do something foolish,” Jack said.
“More foolish that what he’s already done?”
“Margo, please talk to him. You already know everything about his life. You’ll find him.”
“Dammit Jack,” she muttered. “I’m sending Luisa back.”
“In what car?”
“Mom’s. An Uber. I don’t care, but you can’t be alone to protect four people. Logan’s still there, right?”
