handle this.”
Penny considered the suggestion.
“Here’s the thing, Penny. It’s an expensive piece of jewelry. If it’s been stolen, the police need to know that. There may be others. And besides, telling them is probably the only way you’ll get it back.”
Seeing the wisdom in that, Penny agreed and reached for her coat and then gave a little start.
“Oh, no,” she said. “I’ve just remembered something. Mrs. Lloyd and Florence came in for a chat. We were in the quiet room, and at one point, Florence excused herself to go the loo. If Rhian was away from her desk and Florence spotted the bag just sitting there, she might have…”
“Don’t jump to conclusions. Go home, and if it’s not there, call Bethan.” She started to leave and then turned back.
“And contact Jimmy. He’s got connections that might be useful.”
A few months ago, at a seniors’ home in Llandudno, Penny had met an elderly man who, in his younger days, had been one of the best break-and-enter artists in the area. If anyone could find out quickly who was trying to fence a stolen diamond brooch, it would be Jimmy.
Sixteen
Sergeant Bethan Morgan closed her notebook and leaned forward.
“All right, Penny. Have you told me everything that happened since you unpinned the brooch from your dress this morning? You’re sure you didn’t leave anything out? Even the smallest detail can be important.”
“Yep. That’s everything that happened.” Penny unclasped her hands. “As you can imagine, I’ve gone over and over it in my mind. I haven’t been able to think about anything else.” She took a moment to collect her thoughts while Bethan waited to see what she would say next.
“What about Florence? I guess you’ll have to speak to her,” Penny said.
“Yes, I will. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Florence may have seen someone when she was out in the hall.”
“I didn’t think of that. But, tell me, do you think she could have taken it?”
“Penny, I don’t think anything at this point. One of the first things you learn in this job is not to assume or make quick judgments. We’ll keep an open mind, investigate, and see what turns up. Now then, when Florence returned from the loo, did you notice any change in her demeanor? Was she fidgety? Seem uneasy? Anxious to leave?”
Penny thought for a moment. “No, I don’t think she was any different.”
Bethan wrote a few words in her notebook.
“And what about Gareth? Will you tell him?” Penny asked.
Bethan gave her a wry look. “You know I have to. He’d be very annoyed when he finds out later and he didn’t hear it from us. And of course, he will find out. There’ll be a report and he’ll read it. But for now, let’s see what happens, shall we?” She gave Penny a soft, reassuring look. “I can tell you he’ll be very understanding, not to mention extremely motivated to find the brooch and the person who took it.”
Bethan looked at her watch. “Right, well, I’d best get on it. But I’m really glad you told me. We’ve had a few incidents of theft reported and, you never know, this might tie in with those.”
“Thefts? What kind of thefts?”
“Little things taken from shops. Nothing nearly as valuable as this.”
She stood up. “Thefts like this are crimes of opportunity,” she explained. “Someone saw your unattended bag, unzipped it, saw the little box on top, and just snatched it. It was all over in seconds. The receptionist pops out for a moment, the coast is clear, the thief is in and out. And he counts on the theft not being discovered for a while, and in the meantime all kinds of people have come and gone. And you might have even forgotten the details of when you last had it.”
“Those other thefts,” said Penny, “I don’t suppose you could tell me about them. Or let me have a look at the file?”
“Have a look at a confidential police file? Absolutely not,” replied Bethan with a smile. “That would be completely against proper police procedure. But I don’t suppose anyone would notice if I happened to take a photocopy.”
She took the evaluation form Penny offered her, glanced at it, and then tucked her notebook in her pocket as they made their way to the front door.
“We’ve been that busy with the opening of the new spa that Christmas has completely slipped my mind,” said Penny. “But it’s almost upon us. We’d love to have you join us, if you can.”
“I thought you’d never ask! I’m on duty so I can’t get away to my parents in Porthmadog. I’d love to come.”
She stood in the doorway breathing the cold, clean air and then lifted her eyes toward the top of the hills that encircled the town. The dark clouds shrouding the tops of the hills had become more ominous.
“I’m off to have a word with Florence now. I’ll let you know how we get on. And try not to worry too much.”
“I hope you’re not suggesting that I took the brooch!” Florence’s eyes flashed with indignation. She met Bethan’s eyes and then gestured at Mrs. Lloyd, who was seated on the sofa. “Now, Evelyn, I’ve been here with you for weeks now and have you noticed anything missing?” Realizing what she had just said, Florence tried to backtrack. “Well, not the letter opener; I didn’t have anything to do with that, either.”
“No, I’m not suggesting you took the brooch. I’m asking if you took it. There’s a difference,” said Bethan calmly. “And suggesting that if you did take it, or if you know anything at all about its disappearance, that things will go better for you if you tell me everything you know. But you are not under caution or anything else. I’m investigating a missing piece of jewelry and I have to ask questions.”
“Well, I most certainly did not take it,” Florence replied in a softer tone, “and I guess I can see why you have to ask. You think I had the opportunity because I stepped out of the little room for a bit on my own.”
Bethan nodded. “That’s right. Now, if you didn’t take it, let me ask you if you saw anything while you were out in the hall that can help us get Penny’s brooch back.”
Florence pondered the question and then shook her head slowly.
“No, I didn’t see anything, but now that I think about it, I felt something. It was cooler, as if the door had just been opened and a blast of cold air had come in. But it didn’t really register at the time and I went back to that little room where Evelyn and Penny were.”
“OK,” said Bethan, offering Florence her business card. “Call me if you think of anything else, no matter how unimportant or trivial it might seem. Let me be the judge of what’s important.”
“Yes, Officer, I will.” Florence looked at the card and then gave Bethan an honest, level look. “I like that Penny Brannigan. I wish I could help. If I could help her get her brooch back, I would.”
“Well, I believe you, Florence,” said Bethan, adding, “Don’t get up. “I’ll show myself out.”
A few moments later, while the front door was quietly being opened and then closed, Mrs. Lloyd turned to Florence.
“Well, Florence, I expect you’ll have had enough of us here in Llanelen and you’ll be more than ready to take up that offer at the Adelphi Hotel in Liverpool. I’ve practically accused you of murder, and now the police are here suspecting you of stealing a valuable brooch.”
Florence almost smiled. “Leave? I haven’t seen so much excitement in years. How could I possibly leave until I see how all this turns out? It did seem a bit strange, though. I felt I was being grilled harder over the stolen brooch than I was over the murder.” She stood up and retied her apron. “Now, should we have a little chat about what we are going to do about Christmas? I expect we’ll be having a quiet little dinner here, just the two of us, unless you have some friends you’d like to invite. And I saw a poster in a shop window about a presentation of
