Part 19 (1/2)
”Jose really said that it was okay to break in? Let me talk to him. I don't think he's a rogue cop.” Annie Mae pulled out her cell phone and tapped on it.
”Put that away.” I took Annie Mae's phone and put it back in her purse. ”Trust me. I know what I'm doing. We have to find the vase. I think it may be the key to something.”
”Got you. You think that the vase may be evidence.”
”Yes. At least I hope so. Let's catch a killer.” The words stuck in my throat. I nervously twisted my dad's ring on my thumb.
”How?”
I jiggled Scarlett's office door handle. ”First we need to get in.”
”Do we have to break in?” Annie Mae folded her arms on her chest.
”Are you sure Jose said it was okay even after the whole deputizing thing?”
I gave a weak nod. A little white lie should be okay if it helped solve Lucy's death. ”Any ideas on getting this door open?”
”In one of the plays I directed, we had to have an actor break into a locked door. So I did research on lock picking to make it look authentic,” Annie Mae said. ”I might be able to get us in.”
Annie Mae pulled a credit card and paper clip from her purse. She straightened the paper clip into a long piece of metal. She slid the credit card down the crack in the door next to the lock as she used her other hand to poke the metal into the lock. ”We're in.”
We entered the office. Luckily, no one was there.
Three sealed boxes sat on the table.
Annie Mae shrugged. ”Now what?”
Quickly glancing around, I pointed to the boxes on the table. ”We need to open them.”
Annie Mae whispered, ”What if we get caught? Sooner or later, someone is going to come back here. Zachary may wonder where we are. And what happens if Scarlett walks in?”
”If she sees us back here, we could just say we lost something earlier today when we were in her office.”
”And we can tell her that the door was open already.” Annie Mae gave thumbs-up. ”I'm getting good at this stealth investigating. Did you notice how I fibbed to Bert earlier, too, about the pictures on Lucy's cell phone?”
I heard a man's voice. I looked at my cell. It was seven fifty-five.
The man said, ”Is it ready? I wired the first half of your money. The second half will arrive once I inspect it.”
I put a finger to my lips and turned to Annie Mae. She nodded. My head began to spin. ”I'm getting scared now,” I whispered.
”I'm right with you. It'll be okay.” Annie Mae grabbed my hand and gave it a firm, quick grab. ”Let's find that vase.”
On my key chain, I had a pocketknife. I slid the knife along the seam and opened the first box. It contained a windup alarm and a red teakettle.
”Hey, this is the clock I wanted to buy. They didn't even call me first.” Annie Mae held it.
”Focus. We are losing time.” Opening the next box, I found an item padded in Bubble Wrap and newspaper. Pulling it out, I slowly took off the layers of padding, revealing a blue and white porcelain oriental vase.
”Whoa. Now that would've looked way better in Lucy's house.” Annie Mae ran a finger over the vase. ”Definitely old, but in pretty good shape.”
My heart pounded so hard I was afraid that it was audible three blocks away. I felt Annie Mae's breath on my shoulder.
”I think this is Lucy's vase.”
I set the vase on the table and pulled out Lucy's phone.
Scrolling through the photos stored on her phone, I found the one of her sitting room with the vase. Enlarging the picture, I held it next to the vase on the table.
”You're right.” Annie Mae eyes widened. ”How did it get from her sitting room to here?”
”And replaced in her house?”
Outside the office, voices sounded like they were getting closer.
”Ms. Scarlett, I have to say, that vase is one of a kind,” a deep, male voice said.
”Yes.” A woman let out a half laugh. ”I was lucky, and now you are. Let's get your package, and you can be on your way.”
”Let's find something right now to handcuff her.” Annie Mae looked around and picked up packing tape from a worktable. ”This will work.”
”We can't do that. We still don't know what happened.” I took it from Annie Mae and set it back on the table. ”Although, I think we need a serious talk with Scarlett. Is your recorder on?”
Annie Mae dug in her purse and held up her cell. She punched a b.u.t.ton. ”Secret spyware is on.”
Chapter Twenty-Two.
Footsteps came nearer. I jumped at the sound of the curtain's grommets sliding on the metal rod. Heavy thuds were followed by the sound of clicking heels.
Annie Mae and I exchanged a glance.
My hands shook. ”It's Cowboy and Scarlett.”
I grabbed my keys with my pocketknife. Annie Mae s.n.a.t.c.hed the packing tape dispenser.
Scarlett walked into the office, followed by Cowboy.
Scarlett's eyes darted around, landing on the opened boxes. ”How did you get back here?”
”You didn't see us? We walked right past you. You were busy talking.” Annie Mae bit her lip.
She was getting good at lying, and so was I. Did all detectives have this talent to fib?
”Howdy, ladies. Nice to see you again.” Cowboy smiled and tucked his hands in his jeans pockets.
”These two do not belong back here.” Scarlett wagged a finger at Annie Mae and me.