“You could say that,” he said.

She didn’t say anything in response, her mind churning helplessly as she tried to think her way out of this horribly messy circus that Jane had dropped them into.

Finally, he asked, “What do you need from me?”

The question snapped her brain into sharp focus, even as the unexpected offer made a tiny part of her heart feel as tender as a bruise. “I’m not sure yet. Can I get back to you on that?”

“Anytime.”

“Thank you.” For the second time in a single conversation, she was thanking John Carmondy—and not sarcastically.

After she ended the call, she continued staring at her phone until Charlie demanded, “Well? What’d he say?”

Blinking, she looked at her sisters. “That was weird.”

“What was?” Cara asked.

“Carmondy was actually…nice.”

All four of her sisters exchanged amused looks.

“What?” Even as Molly asked, she knew she’d regret it.

Felicity snorted. “Please. He’s always nice to you. It’s ridiculous how nice that man is to you. You’re the only one who’s blind to it.”

Blind to what? This time, Molly knew better than to say the words out loud. Instead, she settled on a skeptical shake of her head and a subject change. “Mom’s out.”

“What? How?” Cara’s forehead crinkled with confusion. “Who gave her the bail money? Did they sell your car already?”

Wincing at the thought of her beloved car sold to some shady dealer, Molly shook her head and cringed for an entirely different reason. “Barney wrote her bond.”

“What?” her sisters chorused, and Molly couldn’t blame them for their incredulity. After all, she’d been just as shocked. All but the most desperate avoided working with Barney. He was an untrustworthy shark who’d sell anyone out in a second if he’d make a dime off it. Her mother knew better than to jump into metaphorical bed with Barney—at least she should have. Molly rubbed her right eye, which was starting to twitch. Would the day’s bad surprises ever stop?

“Did John say what she used as collateral?” Cara asked.

Kicking herself for not thinking to ask, Molly shook her head. “I didn’t check. Sorry. I was thrown by the whole Barney thing.”

Charlie huffed out a laugh that held no amusement. “Understandable. I mean…Barney? What was she thinking?”

Unable to give her sisters a satisfactory answer, Molly could only shrug and change the subject. “What’d you find out about Simone What’s-Her-Face’s necklace?”

Turning her laptop so that Molly could see the screen, Norah made a pained face. “Mom went big this time.”

Bracing herself, Molly scanned the photo on the screen. She’d never been very interested in jewelry—even before she’d started chasing and tackling people on a regular basis—so the picture didn’t make too much of an impression on her. The necklace looked intricate and extremely sparkly, set mostly with what appeared to be diamonds, interspersed with blue stones. A large, clear gem dangled from the lowest point of the collar. Even she knew, based on that rock alone, that the necklace had to have an exorbitant price tag.