Page 6 of Sleigh Bells and Snowstorms
“He’s aware.”
Holding the pillow in place, I walked up the street and found my ride—a black SUV. I got in and nodded to my driver. He had Christmas music playing on the radio.
“Santa,” he said with a hint of amusement.
I tugged off the hat and beard as the car pulled into traffic and started to drive away.
“That’s better,” I said to Maple. “The beard was awful.”
She laughed. “Good work, Mr. Lakes.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Exton.”
“The car will take you to the rendezvous point. You’re meeting Mr. Darrin to transfer the item.”
“Understood.”
I took off the rest of the costume and set the pillow aside. Then I drew out the figurine and carefully unwrapped it, ensuring it hadn’t sustained any damage. It was aged and worn, but my rescue hadn’t hurt it.
Another job in the books.
“Do I have a flight back to Seattle?” I asked.
“You do.”
“Good. I’m quite looking forward to a holiday after this little adventure. I owe my sister and her family a visit.”
“It is almost Christmas,” Maple said. “But I have an alternative.”
“What’s that?”
“A new job has come in.”
“I just finished one moments ago, and you want to put me to work again?”
Maple laughed. “I know. But it makes sense to send you. It’s not far from Seattle.”
“Well, that’s something. What’s the job?”
“Client is the Beaufort family. They have an old estate outside London. Their line goes way back in the aristocracy.”
“They sound stuffy.”
She ignored my comment. “Someone stole one of their family heirlooms. It’s a jeweled necklace known as the Emerald Crown. The Beaufort family puts it on display for the Christmas season each year, hence the urgency to recover it. We’ve tracked the culprit, and we think he’s hiding in or around Tilikum, a small town in the mountains a couple hours’ drive from Seattle.”
“Odd location. Is the thief someone we know?”
“No. But it appears to have been a solo job.”
I paused, pondering. I’d been looking forward to some time off, but it made sense to accept. I was already headed for Seattle. Spending a week or so in the mountains wouldn’t be a hardship. And another payday was never a bad thing.
“All right, I’m in. Send me the details.”
“Already on it. I’ll make the necessary local arrangements.”
“You’re such a gem, Maple. Whatever would I do without you?”
“Find yourself in endless amounts of trouble, no doubt.”
