Angora Alibi Read Online Free PDF Page B

world.
    Across from her, Nell and Ben listened with interest to the happenings since Saturday
     night when Birdie’s necklace went missing. Laura and Elliot Danvers had taken her
     to Sunday brunch and filled her in on all the details.
    “Franklin honored his bid—even though he didn’t get the necklace. He assured Tamara
     he’d find something equally as beautiful for her. On my end, I’ll funnel the insurance
     payment back to the community center fund, so nothing is lost, everyone wins nicely.”
    “Even the thief,” Ben said.
    Birdie laughed. “Yes, even the thief. Although whoever that may be is doomed to having
     a sore neck should he or she ever try to wear it.
    “Franklin Danvers was adamant Laura and Willow call the police, but Laura held her
     ground, as I’d asked. Not an easy task, standing up to that man.” Birdie tossed a
     crumb of croissant to a waiting gull.
    “It would have been a shame to end that lovely evening with flashing blue lights,”
     Nell said.
    “On the other hand, Franklin’s right—someone committed a crime,” Ben said.
    “I suppose,” Birdie said. “And I believe people should accept the consequences of
     their actions. But last night simply didn’t seem the time or place. And perhaps the
     person truly was needy. How do fines and jail time help such an individual?”
    Ben covered Birdie’s hand, his large one causing hers to disappear. “Just one reason
     why we love you, Birdie. But what if the guy is buying drugs with money he makes off
     the jewels? We don’t know that, now, do we?”
    Birdie shushed him and suggested he forget he once had gone to law school.
    “Does Laura have any idea who might have done it?” Nell asked.
    “Not really, and she was reluctant to guess. There were hundreds of guests, lots of
     college kids helping out, people in the kitchen, catering, bartenders.”
    Nell thought over the evening. The tables were always crowded—so crowded it wouldn’t
     have been too difficult to sweep the necklace off into a pocket. “It happened late
     in the evening or someone would have noticed the piece missing earlier.”
    Ben nodded. “It was a valuable necklace.” He looked at Birdie over the rim of his
     coffee mug.
    “That’s all relative, now, isn’t it? Valuable to whom? It dawned on me recently that
     things sitting idly in a locked box could be put to much better use—like Lily Virgilio’s
     free health program.”
    “You’re right, as always.” Ben pushed out his chair, then leaned over and patted Birdie’s
     hand. “And with your wisdom ringing in my ears, I’m off to a morning meeting with
     the yacht club directors. I’ll leave you and Nell to figure out the world’s problems.”
    “And solve them,” Birdie said sweetly.
    Ben laughed as he walked off down the street, his long legs taking him quickly out
     of sight.
    “Ben wears retirement well,” Birdie mused. “Though that’s a bit of a misnomer. He’s
     as busy as anyone I know.”
    “But he can pick and choose now; that’s the secret. He only has to attend a few family
     business meetings a year. That’s the stress that was wearing down that heart of his.
     He finally could see what his brothers had already agreed to—that the nephews and
     nieces could handle things just fine. Let new blood take over.”
    A shadow fell across the table and their words.
    Mary Pisano stood at Nell’s elbow. The bed-and-breakfast owner wore her customary
     hospitable smile, one that also served her well in drawing out information for the
     local newspaper column she delighted in writing. “It was a perfectly lovely party,
     but it would have been better without someone stealing your jewels, Birdie,” she said.
     “Theft. It’s everywhere.”
    Birdie just shook her head. “Mary, you amaze me. You know the unknown. I imagine you
     know the Sox score before the game is played. Surely you know who took that necklace.”
    No, she said. She didn’t know that. But she wished she