Free Steamy Southern Nights by Nancy Warren Page B

John. Hi.”
    “Sorry to bother you but I saw your car out front of your place and you didn’t answer the door.” She glanced at Lucy, “I thought you might be here.”
    Claude also glanced at Lucy. “This isn’t a great time.”
    “It won’t take long. We need your help.”
    There was a short pause then Claude said, “Come on in.”
    Lucy watched him lead the officers into the very room where she’d found him with the jewels. He had balls, she’d give him that. She headed up the stairs to her room when Isabelle stopped her. “We’d like to talk to you, too.”
    “Me?” She looked at all three of them. Then shrugged. This was a nightmare. A pure nightmare. “Okay.”
    When they’d all sat down and the police officers had turned down her offer of iced tea, Isabelle spoke.
    “There’s been another robbery, Claude.”
    “Really?” His voice was leaden. He must be waiting for her to speak.
    “The Gimmels, Chuck and Rose, were at the party Friday night. Do you remember seeing them?”
    “Yes.”
    “What time was that?”
    “I don’t know. Early. Nine? Nine-thirty?”
    “Lucy, did you see them? The Gimmels are a wealthy couple she was wearing—“
    “I know who they are. Beatrice pointed them out to me. She was wearing the tiniest black dress I’ve ever seen.” She paused. “And a fabulous necklace.”
    “Right. So you definitely remember that necklace?”
    “Oh yes. An amazing piece. I’d know it anywhere.”
    “Can you describe it?”
    She looked at Claude as she spoke. “Three strings of fat pearls in a choker with a very large square emerald in the center. Claude would know more about sizes and so on. All I know is that it was stunning.”
    “Worth a fortune, too,” Isabelle said. “It was stolen the night of the historical society’s gala. Seems like it might be the same thief as the one who took the Guillotine diamonds. It went missing between two, when Mrs. Gimmel returned it to the safe and four a.m. when their dog started barking and they found the safe open. Same MO. Nothing else taken.”
    There was absolute silence in the room. Outside, Lucy heard a car drive by. In the house somewhere a clock chimed off the hour.
    “Have you heard any rumblings Claude?”
    Another pause.
    “No.”
    “Can you check with your network?”
    He nodded.
    “If you hear of anything Claude, or if a fence gets in touch with you…”
    “I’ll call you right away.”
    Isabelle looked for a second as though she’d say more, then with a nod she and her partner got up and left.
    Lucy heard the door shut behind them, and then Claude’s soft tread returning to where she still sat stone still.
    He didn’t come all the way in the room but stood leaning on the doorway. “You didn’t turn me in.”
    She felt his gaze on her but couldn’t look at him. “No.”
    “Why not?”
    Why not? Why hadn’t she told the police that she’d seen him with a fortune in jewels in his hand not ten minutes ago and that they were stashed right here in this room.
    Because in the moment she’d seen the police on the doorstep she’d known she was in love with her thieving cousin. “Because I’m an idiot,” she said savagely, kicking the leg of her chair so hard she bruised her heel.
    “Are you planning to tell them?”
    “I haven’t decid—“ She blew out a breath. “No. I’ve never done one single dishonest thing in my life until now. Not one. I don’t have an unpaid parking ticket, an overdue library fine. Nothing. And now I’m an accessory to jewel theft.”
    Claude came and squatted in front of her chair. The strained look was gone and she thought he looked smug. No, not smug, she realized. Happy.
    What the hell did he have to be happy about?
    “Lucy, I need your help.”
    “What you need is a good defense attorney.”
    “I want you to promise me you won’t tell my mother about this.”
    “Of course I’m not going to tell your mother. But Claude, what are you planning to do with that thing?”
    He