The Family Jewels (3 page)

The sleeve of his dress shirt rode up a little, exposing his wrist. Clasped around it was the watch. The Tiffany watch Loudene's mother had been given for her 18
th
birthday. I pointed it out to Bayles.

"Not too smart," Bayles said, as he removed the watch and prepared to replace it with a pair of standard issue handcuffs. He placed the wristwatch in an evidence bag, along with the rest of the jewelry he'd recovered from Nouveau Riches.

"I couldn't sell Mamaw's watch," Jamie said sadly. "I was her only grandchild. The last of the line. She used to call me her family jewel."

Bayles laughed harshly. "Junk jewelry, more like."