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The two of us dickered for a bit, Romero occasionally flicking his cool quick smile in my direction, and finally we agreed to what Rita had said we would. A simple speculation contract, no retainer, no per diem, ten percent to be paid to the Mondragón agency upon recovery. We both signed the contract, I slipped my copy into the inside pocket of my jacket, Romero folded his and put it into his desk drawer.
    I took out my notebook and my Erasermate. “Suppose you tell me,” I said, “how the necklace got stolen.”
    His elbows on the arms of the chair, Romero sat back and locked his fingers together atop his vest. “It happened in October of last year. On the sixteenth, a Friday. Mr. and Mrs. Leighton had gone to Albuquerque and stayed overnight. Mrs. Leighton returned on Saturday morning and discovered that the house had been burgled, the necklace taken. She notified the police, and, later that day, our claims office.”
    â€œThe husband didn’t come back to town with her?”
    â€œNo. Mr. Leighton was planning to play golf later that day and then fly back.”
    â€œHis own plane?” There are no commercial flights between Albuquerque and Santa Fe.
    â€œThe plane of his host in Albuquerque, a Mr. John Dupree. As I recall, the plan was for Mr. Dupree and Mr. Leighton to golf that afternoon, and then for Mr. Dupree to fly Mr. Leighton back to Santa Fe.”
    â€œIs that what happened?”
    He shook his head. “Mrs. Leighton called the Dupree house at eleven and informed Mr. Leighton of the theft. Mr. Dupree flew Mr. Leighton to Santa Fe. They both arrived at the Leighton house at two.”
    â€œThat’s three hours later. The trip only takes an hour by car, and a lot less in a private plane. Did they slip in a quick nine holes before they left?”
    Romero shrugged. “Something to do with the plane. A preflight check of some sort.”
    â€œAnd when did you people get involved?”
    â€œThat day. Saturday. We have an emergency claims number, and this was the number that Mrs. Leighton called. The agent who took the call notified me immediately.”
    â€œIs that standard procedure?”
    â€œIn the case of claims exceeding a certain amount, yes.”
    â€œWhat amount?”
    He frowned slightly, to make it clear the answer wasn’t really any of my business, then said, “Twenty thousand dollars.”
    â€œAnd what time did you arrive at the house?”
    â€œA little after two, shortly after Mr. Leighton and Mr. Dupree arrived.”
    â€œWhat time did Mrs. Leighton call the emergency number?”
    â€œOne-thirty.”
    â€œWhy did she wait so long to call?”
    â€œShe had been dealing with the police for several hours. It was on their advice, very properly given, that she called us.”
    â€œThe police were still there when you arrived?”
    â€œNo. I spoke with Detective Sergeant Nolan later, at his office.”
    â€œWere you and Nolan both satisfied that this was a genuine burglary?”
    â€œOf course.” He showed me his eyebrow trick again. “You’re not suggesting, I hope, that the Leightons themselves were somehow responsible?”
    â€œThe thought never crossed my mind.”
    â€œWe’ve been handling the Leightons’ account for nearly twenty years.”
    I nodded. “Was the necklace included in a general policy, or did it have its own?”
    â€œAll of Mrs. Leighton’s jewelry was on a rider attached to their general homeowner’s policy.”
    â€œWhat kind of premiums were they paying?”
    Another quick frown. “Twelve thousand.”
    â€œWhat part of that represented coverage on the necklace?”
    â€œFive thousand.”
    â€œFor a total coverage of one hundred thousand.”
    He nodded.
    I said, “I thought that whenever something that valuable was being insured, the insurance company usually farmed out part of the coverage to other