Chapter 4 - THE NECKLACE HAD NEVER GONE TO THE JEWELER
The jeweler opened Monday morning at ten.
I was standing outside at 9:55.
The owner, Mr. Feldman, remembered the necklace immediately.
But not for the reason I expected.
“No, Mrs. Carter. We haven’t serviced that piece recently.”
I stared at him.
“My husband brought it in three weeks ago.”
He shook his head.
“Not here.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’ve worked on that necklace twice. I remember the setting.”
He pulled up the service history after verifying my identity.
Nothing.
No clasp repair.
No inspection.
No drop-off.
No Mark.
I felt oddly embarrassed.
As though I had walked into the store carrying my husband’s lie and expected a stranger to help me pretend it was true.
“Could someone else have brought it in?”
“Not under your account.”
I thanked him.
Then sat in my car for nearly fifteen minutes.
Mark began calling while I was still in the parking lot.
I ignored the first three.
Answered the fourth.
“Where are you?”
His tone was already irritated.
“With Noah.”
“You left a party without saying anything.”
“I said we were leaving.”
“What did he tell you?”
There it was.
Not what happened?
Not why are you upset?
What did he tell you?
I let silence sit between us.
Mark changed tactics.
“Claire, he’s five. Kids misunderstand things.”
“I didn’t tell you what he said.”
Another silence.
Then:
“Come home.”
“No.”
“We need to talk.”
“Eventually.”
“Is this about Vanessa’s necklace?”
I closed my eyes.
Vanessa’s necklace.
He had just claimed it without me asking.
“What necklace?”
Mark realized his mistake.
He recovered quickly.
“The one you were staring at.”
“Oh.”
“She bought it recently.”
“Interesting.”
“Claire.”
“I have to go.”
“Don’t hang up.”
I did.
Then I called Rebecca.
Her response was immediate.
“Write down exactly what he said.”
“Already doing it.”
“Good.”
“What now?”
“Now we figure out whether he only stole jewelry or whether the jewelry is the smallest thing he took.”
May you like
I hated that sentence.
Because some part of me already knew the answer.
