I made sure my calendar was cleared for the rest of the week, and Troy, Alyssa, and Callie have things under control.
I really hate being away from Callie, and I also hate lying to my mother.
But I have an appointment this morning that needs to be kept.
Now, I stand outside a small jewelry store in the city. It’s low-key and far from ostentatious, but inside is one of the best resources for precious stones in the nation, Drew Campbell. He’s about my dad’s age, and Uncle Bryce found him years ago when he needed to have some rare yellow diamonds appraised. Since then, he’s been the jeweler to the Steels.
Drew, gray-haired with a beer belly but wearing a designer suit, meets my gaze from behind the glass as he moves his sign from closed to open. Then he opens the door.
“You’re early.”
“Only a few minutes.”
“Sorry to keep you waiting. Come on in.”
“I suppose it’s too much to ask you to close the shop for the next half hour. I’ll make it worth your while.”
Drew rubs at his goatee. “Nah. Almost no one comes in until noon. I use this time to work on repairs and do research. We’ll be fine.”
I nod. This is why I like Drew. He just turned down money to close up shop for a half hour when he probably won’t sell anything until after noon anyway. He’s a man of character and a man of class.
He’ll give it to me straight.
“What can I do for you, Don?” he asks, stepping behind his counter.
I pull the ring—the one from the safe-deposit box—out of my pocket. “I need you to take a look at this. Let me know, first of all, what it is and how much it’s worth, and second, if you can figure out who it belongs to.”
“Possession is nine-tenths of the law,” Drew says. “You’re a lawyer. You ought to know that.”
“It was left in a safe-deposit box.”
“Your safe-deposit box?”
“Yes.” I don’t need to tell him I have no clue who left it or who even opened the safe-deposit box in the first place. “I need this to be on the down low.”
“Not a problem.” He takes the ring from me and examines it. “This is quite a piece. Extraordinary color.”
“A little lighter than my girlfriend’s eyes.” I’m not sure why I said that. It kind of popped out.
“Lucky man.” He pulls out a jeweler’s loupe. “Let’s take a look.”
He picks up the ring and first examines it with the naked eye and then with the loupe. He looks at all angles—of the stone itself, the surrounding white stones, and even more white gold. This man literally leaves no stone unturned.
I drop my gaze to the glass counter and the pieces on display. Drew deals mainly in antique jewelry. I don’t know if my ring is an antique, but Drew knows more about stones and metals than anyone I know. He will at least be able to tell me what this ring is made of.
He also traces his pieces back to last known ownership.
That’s where I’m really hoping he can help me.
Drew clears his throat. “Don, I need to take this in the back for a few minutes, run a few tests. Help yourself to some coffee.” He nods to the pot sitting in a corner.
“Thanks.”
I won’t take any coffee, of course. Everyone else’s coffee sucks compared to my mother’s.
I do, however, continue looking at the few pieces he has on display. One is an old Rolex. It’s just the watch itself with no band. A gorgeous piece, but I can’t do it. I may have all the money in the world, but spending fifty grand on a watch? Nope.
He also has a diamond tiara.