Dead Men's Tales (Olivia Grant Mysteries Book 2) by Phyllis A. Humphrey
Authors: Phyllis A. Humphrey
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would have come to accept Powell as his son-in-law.
But he didn't say it.
Next, I heard Novotny again. "Everyone knew that Hammond hated that whole operation. You see, a long time ago Hammond and Kevin McDonald had been partners in the jewelry business."
Kevin McDonald? Good grief, the list of people I'd never heard of was growing like Pinocchio's nose.
"When they split, McDonald went to L.A. and developed his own line of jewelry stores, but then he opened one in the same mall up here."
"How did Hammond react to that?" Brad asked.
"Made his blood boil. And then rumors started that his daughter, Debra, had a thing going with the manager, Powell."
"Did Hammond ever threaten Powell or say anything about what he'd do if his daughter became involved with him?"
"Not to me personally," Novotny admitted. "He probably said something to Amanda. She knew everything."
A short silence followed, and I paced the room for a moment. When I reached the other end of the small cubicle, I suddenly noticed a briefcase made of dark brown leather sitting on the floor between the two chairs. I picked it up and read the initials stamped in gold on the top: HDH. Harry's missing briefcase. Brad had found it already. I walked behind my desk and put it inside the credenza for safekeeping, then turned my attention back to the conversation in the next room.
Brad said, "Thanks for the tip. I think the idea is out in left field, but I'll look into it. Anything else?"
I didn't hear his reply, but soon Novotny came through the open doorway. He came over to me, smiling, and reached across my desk with his free hand to shake mine. "Thanks very much."
Since I'd barely said two sentences to the man, I wondered why he thanked me, but I smiled back, and he left.
Brad came out of his office a few moments later, grinning, and dropped a tape on the desk. "Here, in case you missed anything."
"I didn't miss him accusing Debra of killing her father. First, Amanda hints at it, now Novotny. And I don't believe it."
"You have to admit it seems everyone else does. You may have to revise your opinion." He headed for the connecting door, then turned back toward me again. "By the way, did you ask Rose if she has Harry's briefcase?"
My mind did a double take. "I beg your pardon?"
"I said, 'did you ask her about the briefcase?'"
"That's what I thought you said, but I don't understand why you said it. You already found the briefcase."
"No, I didn't."
"Then what's this?" I slid open the door of the credenza, pulled it out, and set it on top of the desk, handle up.
Brad looked almost as surprised as he did at twelve when he found out I already knew he'd been riding cable cars in San Francisco instead of attending school. "Where did you find it?"
"Right over there." I pointed toward the visitors' chairs against the opposite wall.
After a quick glance at the chairs, he fingered the initials on the top of the case. "How did it get there?"
"I assumed you put it there. I certainly didn't."
"I couldn't. I spent another hour looking for it this morning and came up empty."
We looked at each other again, and then our next word came out simultaneously: "Novotny."
CHAPTER SEVEN
Brad and I continued to look at each other for a few minutes, but I didn't really see him. In my mind's eye, I saw Carl Novotny walking out of my office with a briefcase in his left hand.
"I thought he took his." I skirted around Brad to peer through the open door into his office. "Whoops! No, he didn't. He took yours."
Brad came up behind me and stared at the place on the floor next to his desk where he always left his. "Son of a gun. Amanda said they looked alike."
I stated the obvious. "He must have forgotten he left his out here and took yours by mistake. Too bad."
"Whaddayamean, bad? That's good news. Because it isn't his. It's Hammond's. Now I can return it to Amanda. She asked me to find it, and it walked right into my office."
I returned to the desk and glanced again at
But he didn't say it.
Next, I heard Novotny again. "Everyone knew that Hammond hated that whole operation. You see, a long time ago Hammond and Kevin McDonald had been partners in the jewelry business."
Kevin McDonald? Good grief, the list of people I'd never heard of was growing like Pinocchio's nose.
"When they split, McDonald went to L.A. and developed his own line of jewelry stores, but then he opened one in the same mall up here."
"How did Hammond react to that?" Brad asked.
"Made his blood boil. And then rumors started that his daughter, Debra, had a thing going with the manager, Powell."
"Did Hammond ever threaten Powell or say anything about what he'd do if his daughter became involved with him?"
"Not to me personally," Novotny admitted. "He probably said something to Amanda. She knew everything."
A short silence followed, and I paced the room for a moment. When I reached the other end of the small cubicle, I suddenly noticed a briefcase made of dark brown leather sitting on the floor between the two chairs. I picked it up and read the initials stamped in gold on the top: HDH. Harry's missing briefcase. Brad had found it already. I walked behind my desk and put it inside the credenza for safekeeping, then turned my attention back to the conversation in the next room.
Brad said, "Thanks for the tip. I think the idea is out in left field, but I'll look into it. Anything else?"
I didn't hear his reply, but soon Novotny came through the open doorway. He came over to me, smiling, and reached across my desk with his free hand to shake mine. "Thanks very much."
Since I'd barely said two sentences to the man, I wondered why he thanked me, but I smiled back, and he left.
Brad came out of his office a few moments later, grinning, and dropped a tape on the desk. "Here, in case you missed anything."
"I didn't miss him accusing Debra of killing her father. First, Amanda hints at it, now Novotny. And I don't believe it."
"You have to admit it seems everyone else does. You may have to revise your opinion." He headed for the connecting door, then turned back toward me again. "By the way, did you ask Rose if she has Harry's briefcase?"
My mind did a double take. "I beg your pardon?"
"I said, 'did you ask her about the briefcase?'"
"That's what I thought you said, but I don't understand why you said it. You already found the briefcase."
"No, I didn't."
"Then what's this?" I slid open the door of the credenza, pulled it out, and set it on top of the desk, handle up.
Brad looked almost as surprised as he did at twelve when he found out I already knew he'd been riding cable cars in San Francisco instead of attending school. "Where did you find it?"
"Right over there." I pointed toward the visitors' chairs against the opposite wall.
After a quick glance at the chairs, he fingered the initials on the top of the case. "How did it get there?"
"I assumed you put it there. I certainly didn't."
"I couldn't. I spent another hour looking for it this morning and came up empty."
We looked at each other again, and then our next word came out simultaneously: "Novotny."
CHAPTER SEVEN
Brad and I continued to look at each other for a few minutes, but I didn't really see him. In my mind's eye, I saw Carl Novotny walking out of my office with a briefcase in his left hand.
"I thought he took his." I skirted around Brad to peer through the open door into his office. "Whoops! No, he didn't. He took yours."
Brad came up behind me and stared at the place on the floor next to his desk where he always left his. "Son of a gun. Amanda said they looked alike."
I stated the obvious. "He must have forgotten he left his out here and took yours by mistake. Too bad."
"Whaddayamean, bad? That's good news. Because it isn't his. It's Hammond's. Now I can return it to Amanda. She asked me to find it, and it walked right into my office."
I returned to the desk and glanced again at
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