The Case of the Scarlet Brooch

Chapter 9

Jeff got back to the office at six forty-five and gave Kookie the car to park, then went straight to Dino's. Stu wasn't there yet but Jeff didn't want to wait; he ordered a scotch and soda. Just a few minutes later his partner walked in, and Larry sent him back to their regular booth. Stu pointed at the scotch and asked, "That kind of a day?"

Jeff didn't even look up. "You bet it was."

"Was it . . . ?"

"No," Jeff answered quickly. "You first."

"Roscoe had a wonderful time."

"And you?"

"Oh, it wasn't bad, I guess," Stu replied. "Jamison and James own a racehorse and he was running in the fifth race. They also have a box and invited us to join them for the races. Roscoe was so excited I couldn't say no. It was interesting talking to Jamison. I found out quite a bit about Iris and her life before and after her husband."

Stu signaled for a waiter and Jack came over. "I'll have a vodka gimlet, Jack, and Jeff will have another scotch and soda?" Jeff nodded yes. "Another scotch and soda. And bring us two shrimp cocktails, would you?"

"Shrimp cocktails?"

"Well, I have to have something to eat, and I didn't know if you'd feel like eating or not," Stu answered.

"It wasn't Nola and Spencer," Jeff answered. "We're supposed to go see their mother together, remember?"

"Of course."

Jeff got so quiet that Stu had to ask him to repeat himself. "I said, Lilith Quince has cancer."

"Oh."

"I promised we'd be as gentle as possible."

"That won't be a problem, Jeff."

Jack brought their drinks and shrimp cocktails. "We'll order in a few minutes, Jack."

"Yes, sir, Mr. Bailey."

"Alright, finish telling me what the Huntington's told you about Iris."

Stu picked up his story where he'd left off and by the time he was finished Jeff looked more like himself. And he'd eaten his shrimp cocktail. "You alright, Jeff?"

"I am now."

"Your dad?"

"Yes."

"You want dinner?"

Jeff nodded. Stu waved Jack over. "I'll have the New York strip, Jack, medium, with roasted potatoes and a salad with Italian dressing on the side. And bring me another gimlet, would you? And my partner will have . . . "

"I'll have the pork chop, with a loaded baked potato and dinner rolls. And coffee, please."

"Alright," Stu nudged Jeff. "Tell me about Nola and Spencer."

Jeff recapped his day to Stu, including the strange change of Christmas venue and Lilith Quince's children's reaction to it, and his promise that they would go easy on Spencer and Nola's mother. Dinner arrived as Jeff finished the story, and the partners ate in silence. "I'll give Mrs. Quince a call in the morning and make sure it's alright for us to come down and talk to her. Anything else you want me to ask her?" Stuart checked with Jeff.

"No. I don't think there's much chance the brooch is there, but we have to be sure. I have the feeling we're going to have a handful with Prudence Simington. I think we should see her together. You know, we're running out of places to check. What do we do then?"

"I don't know, Jeff, but let's worry about that bridge when we come to it."

XXXXXXXX

"Yes, ma'am, we can be there by eleven o'clock. That would be lovely, Mrs. Quince, but you don't have to go to all that trouble. Yes, ma'am, I understand. We look forward to it. Alright, we'll see you then. Thank you." Stu hung up the phone and looked across his desk at Jeff. "She would like us to be there by eleven o'clock so we can have lunch with her. She heard such nice things about you from Nola and Spencer that she actually looks forward to having company." Jeff gave his partner an odd look and Stu responded. "What? She sounds like a lovely lady who's lonely. Obviously, you made a big impression on her children."

"It wasn't hard," Jeff responded. "All I had to do was be polite. They're decent people. Most of the relatives we've interviewed have been. Still, for her to go to all that trouble . . . "

"Jefferson, you're not thinking clearly. We both know it won't be any trouble for Mrs. Quince. Her staff is another matter. If she wants to entertain us, let her. It sounded like it made her happy to do so."

"I suppose I can't argue with you about that. Let me know when you want to leave." Jeff went back to his office. Stu could tell that he was still bothered by the information that Nola and Spencer had shared with him yesterday. Jeff had never said much about his father, just that he was dead. After his reaction to the news about Lilith Quince, Stu had to assume that cancer was involved. It was still a painful subject to Jeff, that much was obvious.

Stu called the lab; their report about the red sliver of gem he'd found in the jewelry box at Jillian Simington's was ready. He got up and stuck his head in Jeff's office. "Remember that small piece of ruby I found at Jillian's?"

Jeff looked up from the paper in his hands. "Sure."

"It wasn't a real ruby. It was a piece of very fine red glass."

Spencer thought for just a moment. "Which means the last time the brooch was put in there by Iris it wasn't the real brooch. Somebody had a duplicate made. And I don't believe it was Iris."

"Neither do I," Stu answered. "I wonder how many copies of the brooch there are? That would certainly explain the multiple sightings on New Year's Eve."

"Who had them made? And why?" Jeff wondered.

Stu looked at his watch. "It's time to go. Maybe Lilith Quince will be able to help us with our questions."