More Than Great Riches (12 page)

Were there any signs that someone had tampered with the car?

Tracy frowned, trying to remember. I didn’t notice anything unusual.

Abruptly Leif stood up. All right, let’s go.

The knot in Tracy’s stomach grew painfully tight as they drove to Henry’s garage. Leif was
silent, his jaw set firmly in concrete.

Henry greeted them as they walked into the garage through the open bay doors. I’ll bet you
thought you’d never see your car again, he joked.

Tracy smiled, but Leif was all business. Henry, I want you to listen to what I’m going to
say to Tracy.

Henry looked as surprised as Tracy felt. Sure, he agreed.

Miss Dixon, Leif said formally. Do I have your permission to search your car?

Search her car?
For what?
You have my permission, she murmured.

 She stood mesmerized, watching as Leif began a thorough search of the old Ford. He
started in the trunk, pulling up the carpeting and digging under the spare tire. He lifted
the hood and studied the engine. He pawed through the glove compartment and peered under
the front seat. And then he pulled out the back seat cushion. She heard his grunt of
triumph. He paused to pull on a pair of latex gloves, and then reached down to remove a
battered leather case. It looked like a smaller version of an attaché case. Tracy gaped at
Leif’s find.

He laid the case carefully on the hood of her car and tried to open it. The case was
locked. He turned to Tracy. Do you have the key?

 Tracy shook her head in bewilderment. Leif, I never saw that case before in my life. It
must belong to my mother, but I can’t imagine why she would put it under the seat.

 Do I have your permission to break the lock?

 Yes, of course. She hoped the contents weren’t fragile. Her mother would fall into a
dramatic swoon.

 Henry, I need a hammer and a screwdriver.

 Henry thrust the tools into Leif’s hands. Carefully Leif inserted the screwdriver into
the seam next to the lock. A few quick taps with the hammer and the case sprung open.

 All Tracy could see was what looked like rags inside the case, but Leif examined the
objects wrapped in the cloths. He looked up at Tracy with those stormy eyes. Miss Starr’s
jewelry, he said flatly.

 Tracy felt her heart hit the soles of her feet. What? Her head reeled. If she didn’t sit
down, she was going to black out. This was unreal. She had actually driven that car from
New York to Allerton with Ronda Starr’s priceless jewelry inside. Groping for a seat, she
found a pile of tires. Are you—are you going to arrest me?

Leif didn’t answer her question. He looked directly into her eyes as though he were trying
to read her thoughts. You didn’t know this jewelry was in your car?

Leif, I swear I had no idea. She dropped her head down into her hands to fight the waves
of dizziness.

I have to take this back to the station, he said without any trace of emotion. He placed
the case into an evidence bag and then aimed a fierce look at her. I don’t want anyone
else to know that the jewelry has been found. Not a word to anyone. Tracy, you don’t tell
Maggie. Henry, not even your wife. Do you understand?

I hear you, Henry responded.

Tracy nodded weakly.

Leif gave her one last glance. Tracy, I’ll be at your house in an hour. Henry, don’t let
her drive that car until she’s feeling better.

Tracy gazed helplessly after Leif as he strode from the garage holding Ronda Starr’s
treasure and her future in his hands.

Cradling the evidence bag in his arms, Leif entered the police station through the back
door. Lucille was on the phone, as usual. Impatiently he tapped his foot until she
finished.

Lucille, hold my calls. I don’t want to be disturbed unless the station is on fire or
there has been a murder.

His right-hand lady gaped at him in astonishment. It took a lot to surprise Lucille. She
had probably seen and heard everything in her day. Yes, Leland, she managed.

Locking the door behind him, Leif laid the bag on his desk. His pulse raced as he opened
the Timmons file and pulled out the fax with the list of Ronda Starr’s missing jewelry.

Pulling on his gloves again, he unwrapped the items in the case. One by one he matched
each piece to Diaz’s checklist. Diamond tennis bracelet, Vacheron Constantin watch,
antique brooch with rubies and emeralds, star sapphire ring, diamond earrings, twenty
carat diamond solitaire, gold choker, art deco bracelet. The eight pieces were all there.

With a groan, he wrapped the pieces again and placed them back in the leather case. The
case went into the evidence bag. He hoped the whole thing would fit into his small office
safe. He wouldn’t breathe easy until this small fortune was safely back in Miss Starr’s
hands.

Dialing the combination to the safe, he edged the bag inside. A close fit, but the
treasure was as secure as possible for now.

He dropped into his chair. Now he had to call Diaz, but he hesitated. Before he contacted
the detective, he had to know where Tracy fit into the picture. The stunned look on her
face when he found the jewelry seemed completely genuine. But her shock could be due to
fear of a prison term.

Still, he couldn’t make himself believe she was a criminal. The pieces of the puzzle
didn’t fit together. If she was involved, why would Timmons have to trick her into
revealing the location of her car? He would have no reason to break into Henry’s garage to
get the jewelry.

And Leif knew something about basic human nature. A jewel thief wouldn’t spend her free
time at church, singing like an angel and leading a handbell choir. She wouldn’t be
worrying about her family, visiting her brother and calling her mother. She wouldn’t be
soothing a frightened baby or a seven-year-old boy. She would be in Boston looking for a
place to fence those jewels. There was only one way to prove her innocence.

He picked up the phone and punched in Diaz’s number. The familiar raspy voice answered.
Detective Diaz.

Chief Ericson here. I have Ronda Starr’s jewelry.

You what? Diaz’s voice shot up a full octave.

I have Miss Starr’s jewelry here in my office. Send someone to get it, pronto. My safe
isn’t exactly a bank vault.

Diaz seemed to be having trouble catching his breath. You’ve got the jewelry? Did you get
Timmons too?

No, not yet, but he’s definitely somewhere here in the neighborhood.

Diaz grunted. I don’t know if you got the word. Ronda Starr’s butler didn’t survive the
beating. Now we’re looking for a murderer. If you didn’t nab Timmons, how did you get the
jewelry?

Leif forced the words out of his mouth. It was hidden under the back seat of Tracy Dixon’s
car.

Diaz whooped in triumph. I knew that little con artist was in on the theft.

I’m not so sure, Leif protested. I don’t think she knew it was there. How could he
convince the detective? I have a theory. I think Timmons stashed the jewelry in Tracy’s
car that same night it was stolen. He figured that if you caught up with him, you couldn’t
find anything in his possession to connect him to the theft. If you did find the jewelry,
all the suspicion would fall on Tracy. Timmons must have decided to wait a day or two to
let things cool down before he went back to get the jewelry, but by the time he got there,
Tracy and the car were gone.

Go on, Diaz said, his voice heavy with skepticism.

The day after Tracy arrived here in Allerton, her car threw a rod. It was towed to the
shop for repairs. A week later her house was broken into and ransacked, but nothing was
taken. We couldn’t figure out what the burglar might have been looking for.

Hmm, Diaz muttered. He didn’t sound impressed.

Leif hurried on. Then a stranger came sniffing around, wanting to look at the car. He said
he was interested in buying it. Tracy told him it was in the shop for repairs. This
morning we picked up the man who asked about the car. He claimed some guy gave him a
hundred bucks to find out where it was. Why would anyone pay a stranger a hundred bucks to
locate a ’74 Galaxie?

Go on, said Diaz.

Leif hoped the detective was buying his theory. It took me a while to put the pieces
together. The guy with the money had to be Timmons. He was trying to find the car, but he
couldn’t ask the questions himself because Tracy would recognize him. Once Timmons found
out that the car was in the repair shop, he took the next step. There was an attempted
break-in at the shop, but the alarms scared the burglar away. When I put all the pieces
together, I got Tracy’s consent to search her car.

Diaz snorted. Well, consent or not, you have grounds to get a warrant and take Miss Dixon
into custody.

Hold on, Diaz, Leif argued. Think about it. You can’t announce to the world that the
jewelry has been recovered. That will blow any chance we have to catch Timmons. As long as
he doesn’t know we’ve already found it, he’s going to keep trying to retrieve it. If I
arrest Tracy, he’ll know the party is over. He’ll drop quietly off the face of the earth.
No one will see or hear from him again. Even if Tracy is involved, she’s small fry. We’ve
got to nail the big fish.

But if you leave her on the loose, she can get word to Timmons—head him off. He’ll
disappear and let her take the rap alone.

We’ve got to take that chance, Leif argued. It’s the only way to trap him.

All right, Ericson. You’re making sense. We’ll do it your way. I’ll send an officer for
the jewelry, but we’ll keep it out of the news. But if your scheme doesn’t net the big
fish, I’m coming after your lady friend.

 
****

 
Tracy stared at the sandwich on her plate, but her stomach protested. She couldn’t make
herself swallow a bite. Leif was coming and she knew he didn’t believe her. She tried to
imagine what it would be like to be locked in a cell.

Thor chased a ball around the kitchen, his big feet slipping and sliding on the tiles, but
she couldn’t even smile at his antics. She hoped that Leif could see through Keith’s
rumors about her dishonesty, but once again a man had let her down. The new life she was
trying to build was crumbling around her.

Leif had to believe she was guilty with that incriminating evidence staring him in the
face. She had no way to prove that she had never laid eyes on that jewelry.

She froze as she heard his knock. It took all her will power to get up and open the door
to Leif. Come in, she managed.

His face was still set in that impassive expression—his mouth a grim straight line. It
looked as though his features had been chiseled out of solid rock. Silently she waved him
to a chair. Would he use handcuffs to arrest her or let her surrender peacefully?

He sat down in the living room as though this were a social call. Tracy, I’m going to need
your help.

My help? His words were so unexpected, she could barely speak.

I believe that you did not know that jewelry was stashed in your car. That means Timmons
hid it there and now he’s trying to get it back.

Tracy was torn between elation that Leif believed her and confusion about the situation.
But why…why would he put it in my car?

Can you think of a better place?

She could see Leif’s logic. Her car had been parked in a convenient location for Timmons.
If the police found the jewelry, she would be the goat.

But how? she puzzled. I mean, there’s an attendant at the parking lot gate all the time.

Any smart crook could have found a way in. Maybe there was a new attendant on duty. Maybe
he followed another tenant through the gate, acting as though they were together. It
doesn’t matter.

But the security cameras? She always thought the cameras were all the protection anyone
needed.

Timmons was no dummy. He broke into your car on the side away from the cameras. With an
old car like yours, he timed the sweep of the cameras and popped the locks in seconds.

So how did he find me here in Allerton?

Did you warn your roommate not to tell anyone where you were going?

Tracy bristled. No, of course not. I knew the police would call, and I wanted them to know
I wasn’t trying to run away.

And Timmons knew your phone number?

Tracy hesitated. Did she give Rick her number? She nodded slowly. Yes, I gave it to him
that night—the night of the party.

So when Timmons realized your car was gone, he made a quick phone call to your roommate
and found out you were in Allerton. But when he arrived here, he discovered another
problem. The Ford was still missing.

Instantly Tracy knew what Leif was thinking. So he broke into my house. And when he didn’t
find the jewelry, he sent that weird man to find out where my car was.

Leif nodded solemnly. Right. And Timmons isn’t going to rest until he gets his hands on
that jewelry.

She felt ice water trickle down her spine. You mean he’s going to keep trying to break
into my car.

That’s what we’re dealing with, Leif said flatly. His voice contained no more emotion than
if they were discussing the weather. It’s our best chance to catch him. He might lie low
for a while after failing to get into Henry’s garage, or he might try again any time.

But what can we do? She wanted to fight back, but they were playing hide and seek with a
phantom.

We’ll have to keep the car under surveillance. I’m going to have my men patrolling past
your house as much as possible. And I’ll tip off the security guard at the Landing to be
on alert when you’re at work. But most of the burden of keeping watch is going to fall on
you.

Tracy tried to imagine how to live a normal life while she kept one eye on her car 24/7. I
wish the Ford had an alarm system.

Keep the car locked at all times. It won’t stop Timmons from getting in, but it may slow
him down enough to give us a chance to get him.

She nodded.

Now this is important. I don’t want you to put yourself in any danger. Don’t try to
confront him. If you see someone hanging around your car, call me. Day or night. I don’t
care if it turns out to be a false alarm. I want to nail this guy.

Oh, Leif, so do I. Timmons had caused her enough grief to last a lifetime. I’ll do
everything I can.

I’ve put several pieces of tape against the seat cushion so we can tell if it has been
moved. Leif stood up, his expression still stern and solemn. There’s just one last thing.
If Timmons manages to get into your car without being seen and finds out his loot is gone,
I will have to take you into custody for your own protection. He’ll assume you have found
the jewelry, and then he’ll come after you.

Long after Leif left, she stood staring out the window. She felt trapped in a never-ending
nightmare.

 
****

The handbell rehearsal was going beautifully. Tracy found joy in focusing on something
besides her car. She had parked in the most visible space in the church parking lot. A
church member would be bound to notice if someone tampered with the old Ford.

Her ringers now played Amazing Grace like pros. Of course, it was an easy arrangement, but
they were also making progress on another easy song, Rock of Ages. Maybe they were ready
to try something more difficult. The arrangement of In My Heart There Rings A Melody
called for the use of mallets. Maybe her ringers were ready to juggle mallets along with
their bells.

She gazed around at her faithful crew. They all loved music, and she felt that they loved
her too, with a couple of notable exceptions. Sheila Dunn despised her, but at least she
attended practices faithfully and did her best to learn.

But Tracy’s spirits sank as she glanced at Leif. This wasn’t the man who held her while
she cried outside her brother’s hospital room. This wasn’t the man who gave her that
melting kiss on her birthday. He said he believed in her innocence, but his actions
out-shouted his words. Ever since the night he pulled Ronda Starr’s jewelry out of her
car, he wore a mask, concealing his emotions. Like Sheila, he never missed a rehearsal,
but he concentrated on his bells, rarely speaking, avoiding meeting her eyes. An unbiased
observer would think they were total strangers.

She blinked away a tear and lifted her chin. Let him disguise himself as a stone wall. She
would not let another man hurt her. She would carry on as though Leif Ericson was the
least important thing in her life.

There’s no worship choir rehearsal tonight, she reminded her ringers, so we can take a few
extra minutes. Let’s run through ‘Amazing Grace’ one more time.

As they rang the last chord, she heard a round of applause coming from the hall outside
the bell room. Rev. Jim strolled in, his face beaming. That sounded great, he enthused. I
love it. Are you ready to play for the congregation?

Tracy turned to the group. Most of them nodded enthusiastically, but several of them
looked a little panicky. Give us one more week, Tracy decided.

Good enough. You’re on the program for a week from Sunday.

Can everyone be here then? Tracy asked. If someone is missing, we’ve got a problem.

They all assured her they would be there for the service. It cheered her to hear them
chatting and laughing as they polished their bells and put them away in the proper cases.

Tracy caught sight of Mark and Luke in the hall waiting for Leif. She waved to the boys
and they rewarded her with their shy smiles. We’re just about finished, she called.