“I like to switch up my jewelry. My husband gave me a little bauble for special occasions or milestones. But I always wear this bracelet.” She rubbed her fingers along her wrist. “I rarely take it off because it has a tricky clasp.”
“What does it look like?” The bracelets she wore were an eclectic mix of styles and metals.
“Well...” Faye pursed her lips as she thought about it. “It’s like a chain.”
“It’s a knitted gold design,” Christine said as she approached them. “It is like a chain but with the volume turned up. It’s made from yellow gold and it was created by a famous French jeweler in the late sixties.”
“How do you know so much about the bracelet?” He hated being suspicious of Christine but it sounded as if she had been researching the piece of jewelry.
“Faye told me all about it. Her husband gave it to her when they found out she was pregnant with her first child. The chain is supposed to symbolize how the child will link them together forever.”
Travis noticed how Christine’s expression softened as she told the story. He should have known she was a secret romantic. Unfortunately, he was terrible at gift giving. He would never be able to give a thoughtful present like that.
“The clasp was loose,” Faye said. “I was going to have the jeweler fix it before I gave it to Todd.”
“It’s not there,” Bonnie said as she hurried back into the room. “I didn’t see anything.”
“I remember! I had it when I walked in,” Faye said. “The light hit the gold just so. And then Christine came to meet us.”
And that was the last Faye saw of it, Travis silently added. He looked at Christine and wondered where she could have put it. She had gone back to her office. There could have been plenty of places she slipped the bracelet without it being detected.
“Do you remember seeing it?” Travis asked Christine.
She shook her head. “I wasn’t really looking,” she said as she crossed her arms. “I saw it yesterday. We were talking about it.”
“Oh, that bracelet was special to me,” Faye said as she started wringing her hands again. “I can’t believe I lost it.”
“We’re going to keep looking,” Christine promised.
Harold tapped Christine on the shoulder. “We should call the police.”
“Do you really think that’s necessary?” Christine asked. “I’m sure it will turn up.”
“Considering how much Mrs. Lamb’s jewelry costs, yes.”
Christine’s shoulders sagged with defeat. “You’re right, Harold. Please call them.”
“Oh, no, no, no.” Faye waved her hands to stop the security guard. “I don’t want to cause any trouble.”
“I’m sure we’ll find it,” Bonnie said.
“The bracelet is important to you and it’s worth a lot of money,” Christine said. “We should follow procedure. Why don’t you sit down and wait?”
“Let me get you some coffee,” Laurie volunteered as she guided Faye and Bonnie to the chairs next to the coffee machine.
“When was the last time you had to follow this procedure?” Travis asked.
“It hasn’t happened before.” She gave Travis a sharp look. “Why?”
He shrugged. “I wondered about its success rate. Do you think she was wearing the bracelet?”
“Yes.” Christine’s reply was instant. “She wore it every day.”
“Do you think she forgot and took it off? Does she display any signs of forgetfulness?” Travis asked. There could be a logical explanation for the missing bracelet. Christine may not have any part in this.
“No, she’s in good health. She has a routine and that seems to help her. Bonnie also lives with her. If there were any signs of deterioration, she would know.”
“You said today was a change of routine.”
“Mrs. Lamb comes in on Monday,” Christine explained. “She goes to the safe-deposit box, where she keeps her jewelry because she’s uncomfortable keeping it at home. This afternoon, she said she changed her mind about the jewelry she was giving to her son, Todd.”
“Does she frequently give her jewelry to her children? Maybe she already sent it to Todd.” He didn’t know why he was determined to find a reasonable explanation. It was important to him that Christine had nothing to do with it.
“She hasn’t had an opportunity to part with her jewelry,” Christine said. “Todd doesn’t visit, and Bonnie would know if her mother had mailed it.”
Travis watched Faye and Bonnie as they waited for the police to arrive. They both looked upset. “What if she wasn’t giving it to Todd?” Travis whispered to Christine. “What if she’s selling it off?”