‘I’d like to take a look, if I may?’

‘Sure … do you know much about jewellery then?’ she asked, remembering what Larry had said.

‘Well, I’m no expert; art is my thing. But I did spend some time covering for a colleague a few years back in the Fine and Antique Jewel department.’

‘Oh, does that mean you have a contact who might be able to help us with the jewellery too?’

‘Yep. It sure does,’ he nodded enthusiastically, and then quickly drained the last of his coffee. ‘So I think it’s about time we finished up here and headed back … because the mystery of unit 28 just got a whole lot more intriguing.’

Chapter 10

‘So, tell me again what happened?’ Jamie handed Grace a mug of tea before sitting in an armchair opposite her.

‘Thank you,’ she said, her voice wobbly as she took the mug and cupped her hands around it, drawing comfort from the heat. She glanced up at the ceiling above them where Cora was watching a game show on the TV with the volume at such a deafening level that Jamie had heard it through the adjoining wall and had come round to see what was going on. She had told him about Phil and the spa weekend and how she had broached the subject with Cora, who had flatly refused to even consider it before launching into a long tirade about how selfish Grace was. How she always had been and so, ‘It’s no surprise you’d be wanting to go off gallivanting with that poor man of yours and abandon me without so much as a backward glance to fend for myself for a whole weekend.’ When Grace had tried to point out that it had been Cora who had said she must make more effort with this one or risk being all alone, Cora had screeched, ‘Dropping your knickers in a cheap hotel like a common slut isn’t making an effort. Sure it isn’t.’

Grace took another sip of the tea.

‘Do you mind if we don’t go over it all again?’ She glanced at Jamie, her cheeks still flaming with the humiliation of what her mother had called her.

‘Of course not, love.’ He glanced up at the ceiling before adding, ‘Hang on a moment,’ and after going out to the hallway he yelled, ‘Cora, that’s enough. Turn it down now. Please.’ And as if by magic, she did. ‘Right, that’s better. I can actually hear what you are saying now,’ Jamie continued, turning his attention back to Grace. ‘I just thought it might help to let it all out. You looked pretty shaken up when you answered the door to let me in; your face was ashen,’ he said, coming over to sit next to her on the sofa. He placed a reassuring hand on her arm.