Chương 12
“Why was the jewelry hidden outside?”
“Because your mom snoops through his room.”
That sounded believable.
Almost disappointingly believable.
“And Sabrina?”
“She owns some of the inventory.”
“Why is her shoe there?”
“She came by Thursday.”
“At my parents’ house?”
“Yeah.”
“For business?”
Evan hesitated.
“I guess.”
“You guess?”
“I wasn’t there.”
“Then how do you know she came?”
“Kyle told me.”
“Why?”
“Because he needed me to pick up the box after they left.”
I crossed my arms.
“Why couldn’t he take the box?”
“He didn’t want it on the ship.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s expensive.”
“How expensive?”
Evan looked away.
“Very.”
I felt something cold move through my stomach.
“How expensive?”
“Maybe thirty grand.”
I stared at him.
“Thirty thousand dollars in jewelry was hidden in my parents’ patio bench?”
“It’s insured.”
“That is not the part I’m struggling with.”
“He didn’t want your parents finding it.”
“And now you have it?”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
“That’s not your problem.”
“It became my problem when you entered the property while I was responsible for it.”
“You’re responsible for the dog.”
“Apparently everyone is very committed to that distinction.”
Evan pushed away from the counter.
“I shouldn’t have come.”
“No.”
“You should just give me the shoe.”
“I’ll give it to Sabrina.”
His face tightened.
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because she doesn’t know Kyle moved the box.”
That changed the room.
“What?”
Evan closed his eyes briefly.
“She thinks it’s still there.”
“Why did Kyle move it?”
“It’s complicated.”
I almost laughed.
Of course it was.
“Try me.”
“He owes her money.”
“How much?”
“I don’t know.”
“Evan.”
“Maybe ten.”
“Ten thousand?”
“Maybe.”
“For what?”
“He sold one of her pieces and used the money.”
“For what?”
“I don’t know.”
I did not believe him.
He saw that.
“Seriously, I don’t know.”
“Does Sabrina know?”
“No.”
“So Kyle moved thirty thousand dollars of her jewelry while leaving the country.”
“He was going to fix it.”
“How?”
Evan stood.
“I’m done.”
“No, you’re not.”
“You’re not a cop.”
“Correct.”
“You’re not even involved.”
“Then why are you here?”
He had no answer.
I lowered my voice.
“Does Kyle still have Sabrina’s money?”
“I don’t know.”
“Does he still have all the jewelry?”
“Yes.”
“You’re sure?”
Evan paused.
That pause was too long.
“No.”
He looked toward the door.
“I need to go.”
“What is missing?”
He picked up his keys.
“Evan.”
He stopped with his back to me.
“One watch.”
“What kind?”
“I don’t know.”
“How much?”
He turned.
“About eighteen thousand.”
I stared at him.
“So the box is worth thirty without it?”
“Something like that.”
“And Kyle already sold an eighteen-thousand-dollar watch?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You didn’t have to.”
Evan’s jaw tightened.
“Give me the shoe.”
“No.”
“Daniel.”
“No.”
He took a breath.
Then his shoulders dropped.
“Fine.”
He headed for the door.
I followed.
Before leaving, he turned.
“If Sabrina contacts you, don’t tell her anything.”
“Why would Sabrina contact me?”
His eyes flicked toward Buddy.
Then toward the floor.
“Because she knows where your parents live.”
He stepped into the hall.
I shut the door and locked it.
Buddy stood beside me.
For several seconds, I listened to Evan’s footsteps disappear.
Then I picked up my phone.
Kyle answered on the fourth ring.
“What now?”
“What did you do with Sabrina’s watch?”
Silence.
Not confusion.
Not surprise.
Silence.
Then Kyle said, very quietly, “Who told you?”
“Evan came to my apartment.”
Kyle swore under his breath.
“He wasn’t supposed to do that.”
“That seems to be a theme.”
“Did he give you the box?”
“No.”
“Then stay out of it.”
I walked into the kitchen and leaned both hands against the counter.
Buddy followed, then sat near my feet.
“Kyle, did you sell Sabrina’s watch?”
“I said stay out of it.”
“That isn’t an answer.”
“You’re not my dad.”
“No.”
“Then stop acting like him.”
That was almost funny considering Dad had spent most of our lives doing everything possible not to ask Kyle questions.
“I don’t care what you think I’m acting like.”
“Clearly.”
“Did you sell it?”
There was a long silence.
Voices moved behind him.
Somebody laughed.
Then I heard a door close and the background noise vanished.
When Kyle spoke again, he sounded farther away from everyone else.
“I had a buyer.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
“It was consignment.”
“Did Sabrina authorize the sale?”
Another pause.
“Sort of.”
I closed my eyes.
“That means no.”
“She knew I was looking for buyers.”
“For that watch?”
“She knew I had access to it.”
“That is a spectacularly different sentence.”
“You don’t understand how this works.”
“Then explain it.”
“It’s not a store, Dan.”
“I gathered that.”
“You connect collectors.”
“With items that belong to other people.”
“Yes.”
“And you take a commission.”
“Yes.”
“Normal enough so far.”
His breathing changed.
I heard him pacing.
“The buyer wanted the watch fast.”
“And?”
“And Sabrina was in Portland.”
“So you sold it without getting final approval.”
“She had already given me a floor.”
“How much?”
“Fourteen.”
“You sold it for eighteen?”
“Seventeen-five.”
“And kept?”
“I was supposed to keep the spread.”
“All of it?”
“That’s how we’d done other deals.”
“Then why do you owe her ten thousand dollars?”
Silence.
I looked out the kitchen window at the neighboring apartment building.
Someone on a balcony was watering a plant.
A bus groaned somewhere down the street.
Normal Sunday morning.
Normal people doing ordinary things while my brother apparently explained a five-figure financial mess from a cruise ship.
“Kyle.”
“I used some of it.”
“How much?”
“Does it matter?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because you moved the rest of her jewelry out of Mom and Dad’s house before leaving the state.”
“I didn’t move it.”
“Evan did.”
“Same difference.”
“No, actually.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose.
“Where is the watch money?”
“Mostly gone.”
The words came quietly.
I lowered my hand.
“Mostly?”
“I had expenses.”
“What expenses?”
“Business.”
“What business?”
May you like
“Ads, shipping, inventory advances.”
“You were using consignment proceeds as operating cash?”
