Chapter 2 - THE APPOINTMENT
Daniel called the jeweler the next morning.
His mother had indeed visited.
She brought the Bennett ring.
The jeweler, Samuel Price, remembered because Margaret was demanding.
“She wanted the center stone removed for independent valuation.”
“Why?”
“She said insurance.”
“Did you remove it?”
“No.”
Samuel explained he only examined the setting.
Margaret took the ring elsewhere after arguing about turnaround time.
Daniel asked:
“Did she tell you where?”
“No.”
Then Samuel said:
“She asked whether replacing the center stone with a lab-grown temporary stone would be detectable.”
Daniel froze.
“Why would she ask that?”
“She said she wanted to wear the ring while the original was insured off-site.”
Possible.
Strange.
Not illegal.
Claire listened from the couch.
She was home on doctor-ordered reduced activity and monitoring.
Not bed rest.
Not helpless.
Just careful.
Margaret had been told not to contact her directly.
Daniel asked:
“Did Mom ever mention this to you?”
“No.”
He rubbed his face.
Then police called.
Margaret had formally reported the diamond stolen.
She named Claire as suspected thief.
Claire laughed in disbelief.
“After she had the ring evaluated months before?”
“She says the stone was still there afterward.”
“Can she prove that?”
Daniel looked at her.
“That’s what they’re asking.”
Then the family jeweler sent photos from the consultation.
High-resolution.
The ring was visible.
The center stone was still present that day.
So the mystery remained.
But another detail appeared.
The setting had a tiny scratch near one prong.
Samuel said:
“Someone had worked on it before I saw it.”
“How recently?”
“Impossible to say exactly.”
Then he added:
“I told Margaret the prongs were unstable and she should stop wearing it until repaired.”
Daniel stared.
“Did she?”
May you like
Samuel laughed softly.
“She wore it out of the store.”
