Diamond Deceit (13 page)

Rachel hesitated only a moment before saying, “I guess I should. Will you go with me?”

Nancy was torn. She hated to leave Rachel alone, but she simply couldn't wait any longer to search Joanna Burton's house. “There's something I
must
do now. Why don't we meet back here?” Nancy looked at her watch. “At noon.”

Rachel reluctantly agreed. Finally Nancy was able to get into her car and leave.

As she drove, something Rachel had told her came back to Nancy. Rachel had said that Stephanie called her on Thursday night
from Los Angeles.
The drive to Carmel from L.A. had to be five or six hours long. Stephanie must have gotten up awfully early on Friday to arrive at ten
A.M.
—unless she had lied about when she arrived in Carmel. Nancy recalled the two coffee cups on Joanna Burton's terrace. Could Stephanie Cooke have been the actress's visitor? Also, how did Stephanie know Nancy was investigating?
Joanna Burton didn't know. Someone else must have told her. Another accomplice? A third person involved?

Nancy hoped to find some clues at Joanna Burton's. She drove to the overlook near the actress's house without any idea of how she was going to get inside the fence. Climbing over it with her sprained ankle would be impossible.

When Nancy got to the black iron gates, she was amazed to see that one of them was slightly ajar. Had the police been so careless as to forget to check it?

Nancy slipped through the narrow opening. As she walked down the drive she spotted the yellow police tape across the front door.

“What's this?” she murmured to herself. The garage doors were open!

Nancy's hair stood on end. Were the police there again? She didn't see any patrol cars. Peeking inside the garage, Nancy did a double-take. Stephanie Cooke's silver sports car was parked inside.

Of course! The agent was probably there searching for the diamonds!

Nancy darted forward and pressed her face against the car window. Immediately she spied a gold charm bracelet lying in the change bin between the two front seats. The bracelet was spread out, and it was easy to see there was a gap between two charms.

Nancy quickly took in the other charms—a lone cypress, a spouting whale, and several others. But there was no sea otter. Nancy let out a low whistle. So Stephanie had pushed Joanna Burton down the balcony stairs!

Nancy's mind raced, trying to fit together all the pieces of the case. Chances were that Stephanie was the person who'd been drinking coffee with Joanna Burton. That meant the agent had come up from L.A. earlier than she claimed.

Still, Nancy couldn't understand why Stephanie would kill Joanna when they were on the brink of closing a big deal. There was one person who could answer Nancy's questions, but Nancy had the feeling Stephanie wouldn't be cooperative.

“I can't leave without testing my theory about where the diamonds are,” Nancy whispered out loud.

The police seal on the door leading from the garage to the house was already broken, Nancy saw. Stephanie was probably still inside. If Nancy could sneak in undetected, she could call the police from inside
and
look for the diamonds.

Nancy held her breath, trying the doorknob. It turned easily. Slipping inside, she paused to listen. The only noise she heard was that of her own pounding heart.

She tiptoed down a long hall to the kitchen, which was just off the living room. Nancy immediately
spied a telephone hanging on the wall near the sink. She started toward it, then went to the refrigerator instead.

She closed her eyes for a moment, picturing Trish Tottenham's search for the diamond in
Diamond Deceit.
Nancy opened the freezer door and took out the single tray of ice, just as she'd watched Trish Tottenham do.

Carrying the tray to the sink, she turned on a thin stream of hot water and held the tray beneath it. She watched as the cubes slowly melted.

“Wow!” Nancy exclaimed softly. Her eyes opened wide as she stared down at a tray studded with a dozen sparkling diamonds.

N
ANCY
'
S HEART
was pounding as she carefully scooped the diamonds out of the tray. She could hardly believe it—she had found the gems! Joanna Burton had hidden them in the exact same place as the detective she had portrayed in the movie.

Keeping the diamonds carefully grasped in her hand, Nancy hurried to the kitchen phone. As soon as she lifted the receiver she heard Stephanie's voice on the line.

“I tried everywhere, but—” The agent broke off suddenly. “Someone's in the house. They picked up an extension,” Nancy heard Stephanie say.

“You know what to do,” a man's voice responded. It was Morgan Fowler! So there
was
another accomplice.

Adrenaline shot through Nancy as she realized she'd been found out. She slammed the phone down and searched frantically for the nearest way out. She headed for the terrace doors she and George had used the day before and frantically pulled on the doorknobs. They were locked.

She was just opening the lock when Stephanie's icy voice spoke up from behind her. “Ms. Drew, how nice of you to drop by!”

Nancy turned around slowly, holding the diamonds behind her. As inconspicuously as possible she eased the stones into the back pocket of her jeans. She didn't like the way Stephanie was looking at her—as if she were a trapped mouse.

“Have you finished your little investigation yet?” the agent asked pleasantly.

Nancy knew what Stephanie was getting at. She wanted to know if Nancy had found the diamonds.

“I was hoping that maybe I'd run across the diamonds,” Nancy replied just as pleasantly.

“Don't waste your time. I've scoured this place from top to bottom. They aren't here.” Stephanie eyed Nancy slyly. “Where were you thinking of looking?”

Nancy shrugged. “No place in particular.”

“Come on, Nancy. You're a better detective than that.”

“I'm good enough to have figured out your little scheme,” Nancy said, stalling. With Bess at
the restaurant and George playing golf, it could be hours before they got the note saying where Nancy had gone!

“Is that right? Do tell,” the agent said sarcastically.

“The reason the diamonds were replaced with fakes was to get insurance money to finance the movie that would give Joanna Burton her big comeback break,” Nancy began.

“Very good,” Stephanie said, impressed. “The only way Joanna could get a part was to buy her way in. Since she didn't have any money, I convinced her that we could sell her jewelry. The sentimental old fool didn't want to get rid of the diamonds her dear, departed husband had given her. I had to figure out a way we could get the money and still keep the diamonds. Not a bad plan, eh?” Stephanie said proudly.

“What I can't understand is why you murdered her,” Nancy said.

For a brief moment Stephanie's eyes showed a flicker of sadness. “That wasn't part of the plan,” she said quickly. “Joanna was going to back out of the scam when she heard that Marcia might be arrested for theft. She said she didn't realize that someone else might be hurt. Even though it was the middle of the night, I got in my car and drove up from L.A. I didn't get here until after two in the morning. I tried all night to talk some sense into her. I told her I'd take care of it, but she fired me!”

“So you pushed her?” Nancy guessed, keeping her voice calm.

“I didn't mean to,” Stephanie said, “but I was tired and angry. As Joanna was walking away from me, I took her by the shoulders and tried to shake some sense into her.” Stephanie pointed out the French doors. “She was standing there at the top of the steps.”

The agent's voice took on a faraway tone. Nancy could tell that she was reliving the awful moment. “When I let go, Joanna swayed for a moment. I reached out to try to catch her,” Stephanie went on, her voice rising. “I caught hold of her beach wrap, but the seam tore. She grabbed at my arm but missed and tumbled down the steps.”

“Then what happened?” Nancy asked gently.

Stephanie's eyes flitted wildly around the room. “I—I panicked. I ran out to my car and drove away. Then I remembered that the diamonds were still in the house. I wanted those stones. I turned around and drove back, but you were already here.”

Nancy felt fear rise as Stephanie glared at her. While the agent was talking, Nancy stood with her back to the terrace doors. With her hand behind her back she was trying to find the catch to unlock the doors. She knew she had to keep Stephanie's attention focused elsewhere until she had the lock open.

“What about your new client, Morgan Fowler? What does he have to do with this?” Nancy asked.

“Morgan. I'll use part of the money from the sale of the diamonds to help his movie career. He's shown me just how loyal and helpful he can be,” Stephanie said.

Suddenly the last pieces of the puzzle fell into place. “He must have left that picture for Rachel. He could have sneaked in there. And he must have pushed that rock at me on the beach yesterday.”

“Right again,” Stephanie said, smiling. She didn't seem at all nervous that Nancy had pieced it all together. “He's wanted to make it as an actor for so long. He knows I can help him, so he's willing to do almost anything for me.”

“You certainly had me fooled. You practically ignored him when you arrived here yesterday,” Nancy said, still trying to turn the lock.

“I couldn't have people thinking that I had time for an unknown like him,” Stephanie said.

“He must have given you the security code to Miss Burton's gate so you could get in today,” Nancy said.

Stephanie nodded. She tapped her lips with one finger, studying Nancy. “What am I going to do with you?”

Nancy took a quick breath. She didn't know how much longer she could distract Stephanie.
“Rachel is at the police station right now, telling them everything she knows,” Nancy lied. She had to try anything.

“That's a laugh!” Stephanie said. “The police will end up putting her in jail once Morgan and I are through with her.”

Nancy shot the agent a nervous glance. “Why? What have you done?”

“It's what we're
going
to do that's important,” Stephanie said. “Rachel will be the one who gets blamed for the diamond theft, Joanna's murder—everything. You see, the police will find out that she has a history of stealing jewels that don't belong to her. They'll find the old setting for Joanna's diamonds hidden in Rachel's apartment. Morgan will find a good spot for it. I'm sure the police will assume she killed Joanna, too.”

“I'm sure,” Nancy said sarcastically.

“But enough about Rachel,” Stephanie said, her expression hardening.

As the agent started toward her, Nancy knew her time was up. She twisted the lock one last time, and it turned!

Stephanie slipped in a small puddle of water left by the dripping diamonds. Nancy didn't waste a second. Yanking open the terrace doors, she tore outside.

She tried to run but was slowed by the pain in her ankle. The stairs leading to the beach were
right in front of her, and Nancy started down them.

She gasped when she felt hands shove against her back. She swayed slightly, then plunged forward.

“No!” Nancy screamed. The last thing she felt was a blinding pain as her head struck the stairs. Then everything went black.

N
ANCY COULDN
'
T
figure out why she had her clothes on in the bathtub or why she'd let the water get so cold. She didn't want to open her eyes to find out, because her head was throbbing.

At last she managed to open one eye, but all she saw was swirling gray. Perhaps her dream wasn't over yet. Nancy opened both eyes, then slowly sat up. If she was dreaming, her head and ankle wouldn't hurt so much.