Carmen Green - The Perfect Solitaire

“He protested. The men in the store got louder. I saw the man who had the O’Sullivan jewels. Suddenly, all the men left going in different directions. I took off after the man with the jewelry.”

“Show me the safe and where you were standing,” Ben said.

Ireland took him to the floor safe. Both she and Zoe entered their security codes and the doors opened. The tiara sat on its head in three feet of velvet. Zoe donned gloves to lift it out. She examined it. “It’s perfect. No harm done.”

Ireland’s sigh was audible.

“Why did it take both of you to get it out?”

“It’s designed as a last effort to save whatever is in your hands or the most valuable merchandise in the store. I didn’t want a criminal to be able to bring me back to the store and think they could take everything. If Ireland needed to open it herself, she could activate the doors after twenty-four hours.”

“Were you involved with the robbery?” Ben asked Ireland.

“Me?” she exclaimed. “No! Zoe knows I’m devoted to this store and I’d never do anything to hurt her. I wouldn’t steal from her.”

“In light of the circumstances, you did the right thing. Thank you for protecting the store, Ireland. But everything here can be replaced. Please don’t put your life in danger again,” Zoe said.

Ben’s warning look said he wanted to handle the interrogation, but Zoe had to weigh in. Everything in her said Ireland was telling the truth.

“We need better security, Zoe, that’s obvious. Nobody else is getting hit. I talk to the other managers on a daily basis.”

“I know. That’s why Ben is here. Big changes are in the works.”

“Are we going to open today?” Ireland wanted to know.

“Yes,” Ben said. “I’ve got some guys coming over to refit this store with different sensors for the cases. I’d like you to be here as an advisor, Ireland. Can you stand by? You’d be compensated, of course.”

A grateful expression crossed her face. “I appreciate that. As long as you find out who’s ruining my paycheck, I won’t chase bad guys anymore.”

“You’ve got my word on that. I’m trying to keep a low profile,” Ben told her.

“Fine with me. I just work here. But you will want to talk to Faye separately from Charletta and Debrena. She’s got issues with Zoe and you don’t want the other girls hearing. If you choose to keep her on, I don’t want her working my shift ever again,” she said, and walked through the stockroom door.

Ben held Zoe’s arm, stopping her. “I don’t believe Ireland’s involved, but if what she said is true, this is a personal attack against you.”

“I feel the same way. Do you think my sister’s involved?” The words hurt worse coming out than when she’d just thought them.

“It sounds like it. Can you deal with having your sister questioned and possibly arrested?”

The other ladies had been questioned and released and Zoe stood facing her sister in the stockroom.

“Why would I want to sabotage Zoe’s business? For your information, I believe she’s wasting her money hiring you, and if I had any say, you’d be fired.”

Faye hurled the words at Ben. To him, she sounded like a woman who had something to hide.

Watching Faye closely, Ben figured that Zoe had been the reasonable child and Faye the drama queen. They’d been there three hours and the other staff members were gone, their statements supporting Ireland’s.

“You’re being passive-aggressive again.” Faye bit into her sister like a barracuda. “Why don’t you just come out and call me a thief?”

“Are you?” He didn’t care for Faye the way Zoe did. If she was behind the thefts, this would be the fastest ten thousand dollars Hood I.N.V. had ever earned, and the shortest opportunity he’d ever get at a second chance.

“I’d be stealing from myself if I did. I gave you five thousand dollars to start this business.”

“You loaned me the money, and I paid you back thirty days after I opened the doors, Faye.”

“So you’re the big-shot owner, now. I knew this would go to your head,” Faye retorted.

“I didn’t say that, Faye. We just got robbed. Someone could have been seriously hurt.”

“Including me. Nobody asked if I was all right.”

Her false indignation was laughable. “Do you need a ride to the hospital?” Ben offered to entertain her nonsense for a moment. “It’s only five minutes away. In fact, if it’s critical we don’t even have to wait for an ambulance, I can drive you there myself.”

“I said I could have been hurt. All you’re worried about is your precious jewelry.” She’d directed the last comment to Zoe, shifting away from Ben’s scrutiny. Zoe started to speak, but Ben held up his hand. “Where do you work, Faye?”

“First Bank of Greenville in South Carolina. Why?”

“How long have you been there?”

“Twelve years.”

“Vice president?” Ben asked.

“Assistant vice president,” she sniffed, her chin elevated.

“Ever heard of Rodrigo Martinez?”

“No.”

“Not in all your years with the bank? Wow, I wish I had your memory.”

“I can’t recall meeting anyone with that name. I may have. Those are two common names. I mean, I don’t know.” She backpedaled, looking as unsure as she sounded.

“That’s odd.” Ben knew he had her.

“What’s so odd about me not knowing every Martinez in the south?” She tried to laugh but couldn’t pull it off so she folded her hands, wiped them together and refolded them.

“I bet once I complete my investigation Rodrigo Martinez will be from Greenville, South Carolina, just like you. I’ll bet when I pull the video on this incident, his expression will probably show that he’s surprised to see you when he walked in the store. Wasn’t he?”

“No. I mean, I might have said hello. I greeted everyone. We want people to feel at home at Zoe’s.”

“Oh, please,” Zoe groaned.

“I’ve worked in this store before, and Zoe can Oh, please if she wants to, but I stayed today as a favor to her.”

“That’s right, Ben.” Zoe rose from her chair and Ben and Faye watched her. “Faye didn’t want to be here. You wanted to come with me, but I told you no, twice. I insisted you stay here and help Ireland.”

Ben kept his focus on Faye. “You didn’t want to be anywhere close to the robbery you planned. So when the crowd got thick, you slipped outside. Nobody could connect you to the theft. You were here, but you weren’t.”

“I didn’t steal anything!”

“You left the case open, didn’t you?” Ben felt her confession coming.

“No.”

“You sure? The video will show you leaving the doors open, looking left then right, sliding them open a little more and then slipping out the door. Your friend preoccupied Ireland so that one of the look-alikes could stick his arm in and grab what he wanted. All the time, Ireland is calling you. You heard her, didn’t you? How do you think a judge will interpret your role in this little heist?”

“I didn’t do anything. I was outside,” she said desperately. “A man was interested in me.”

“What was his name?”

“Uh. Um…Ricky.”

“Martin?” Ben offered.

“What?” Faye blinked rapidly. “Yes. No! I don’t know his last name.”

“That’s the first thing a woman finds out about a man, right, Zoe? His name? Where he works? What’s his phone number, Faye? His e-mail? Let’s call him now and set up your first date. Who is he, Faye?”

“I don’t have to answer you.”

“Oh, my God. You really stole from me!” Zoe screamed at her sister.

Tears ran from Faye’s eyes. “Are you going to let this happen? I’m your blood.”