Prologue

 

“Are you there, Morgan?”

“I’m here, Boss.” Morgan’s eyes glittered eerily in the moonlight as he turned to face the man behind him.

There was an agitated pause. “Well? It’s been all of five months, and I’m just now hearing from you? A man can’t wait forever you know!”

“Hold your horses.” Morgan lifted his pointed chin and smiled arrogantly. “I got it.”

“You mean you’ve got it with you?” Boss’ voice went up at least two octaves with excitement.

“No, I mean I got everything under control.”

“You sang the same tune four months ago,” Boss snarled. “And, you still don’t have it with you.”

“I seriously have things under control, this time.” Morgan’s tone changed to a gentler one, not wanting to arouse Boss’ anger further. “I can get it to you within the next two weeks.”

A skeptical look found its way onto Boss’ face. “Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

Boss’ face relaxed. “Good job, man.”

Morgan suddenly smirked. “I have some other news I know will catch your interest.” He paused dramatically, before continuing. “I’ve found Crest.”

“What?” The word exploded from the other man’s mouth.

“Hush!” Morgan peered anxiously around the ally in case someone had heard them. “Yeah, I found the dude in this little poke of a town. It took me a really long time before I recognized him. He’s changed quite a bit since we last saw him. I’m surprised he decided to settle down in the very place you wanted to send him, years ago. He was so against the idea, then. I wonder what made him change his mind?”

Boss stroked his chin thoughtfully, before smiling meanly. “We can use him for our cause.”

Morgan laughed softly. “You bet we can!”

“Are you sure you’ll be able to pull this off without anyone spoiling our plans?”

“Pfft!” Morgan rolled his eyes in disgust. “C’mon, the people in this town aren’t that determined to get their stuff back when someone takes it from them.”

Chapter I

Gone!

“Give me my book back before I pummel you!” I pinned my eight-year-old sister to the floor. Actually, she’s more of a pain in the caboose, than a sister. She squirmed as I tried to grab my book out of her chubby hands. I’d been wrestling with her for nearly five minutes, trying to get my beloved novel back, and I was more than ready to turn her into a throw rug. “If you don’t want a flat nose, you’d better let go of my book,” I warned her.

“Play dolls with me and I’ll give you your stupid book back,” Emerald retorted, twisting to the left to evade my grasp.

Emerald, we call her Emma for short, is obsessed with dolls. All she ever does anymore is play with the darn things. Sometimes I wish she were a doll. That way, I wouldn’t have to put up with her babyish antics and childish hissy fits. I sat up a little and dropped all of my ninety-eight pounds on her stomach as hard as I could.

“Pu-oh,” she groaned, as the air whooshed out of her body.

Ha-ha! Triumphant at last! I managed to get my book out of her clutches, and tore like a maniac for the tree house outside.

I knew Emma would be on her feet in an instant, more than ready to grab my book from me. I reached the rope ladder and scrambled up it faster than a monkey climbing a tree. Just as I finished pulling the rope ladder up, Emma arrived at the base of the tree. She reminded me of a wolf cornering its prey. Her rusty red hair looked like a rooster’s comb from where I was perched. Her emerald green eyes, which were the source of her name, snapped angrily up at me. “Crystal Elizabeth O’Mally, let me up there right now, or else I’ll get you in trouble!” she shrilled.

Lord have mercy. She has the biggest set of lungs ever known to mankind, and could put the wildest and noisiest banshee in all of Ireland to shame. I poked my head out of the window. “Baloney. Like I’m going to fall for it.” I pulled my head in, plopped on the floor, and opened my book.

I’d been reading a good mystery novel when Emma had so rudely interrupted me, five minutes ago. Without taking my eyes off the page, I fumbled around for the bowl of candy I kept in the tree house for just such an occasion. I found some and munched on the soft chocolate, as the detective and his chief assistant started to discuss the information they’d just been given. “Quit discussing and just go investigate!” I cried, spitting chocolate on the page.

“Yow! What the heck?” Something hard walloped me right across the noggin. I flipped to the left and saw Emma standing at the window with a long, stout stick in her hand. “Why’d you hit me?” I almost asked how she got up here without the ladder, but then I remembered how well she could climb… and this tree was a piece of cake.

“Let me in,” she ordered.

“No. Let me finish reading.”

“You’re always reading and never playing with me.”

“Not true. I play baseball and Clue with you. I’m not always reading.”

“But we always play what you want to play and never what I want to play,” she whined.

What my sister said was partially true. I avoided playing with those dolls as much as I could… especially after the humiliation I received at my last birthday party.

Emma had been pleading with me to play her stupid imaginary games with her. I had agreed to play dolls with her, on one condition… if she got me a fashion doll for my birthday. And, it couldn’t be just any fashion doll. No, it had to look just like my favorite female detective from the mystery novels I was always reading.

Well, at my birthday party a few weeks later, I had all my friends there, and I got the biggest humiliation ever! I was unwrapping the present from Emma, when I noticed a doll’s face underneath the wrapping. Before I could stop her, Emma reached over and yanked a big chunk of wrapping paper off my present.

My face heated up so fast, I was surprised the doll didn’t melt. I could hear my friends trying to hide their giggles. A fashion doll made up to look like my hero stared back at me with unblinking eyes. The doll had obviously been taken out of the package and put back in. Her straw blond hair was cut in the 1920’s bob. She was wearing a flapper outfit and she even had a tiny magnifying glass taped to her hand.

What fifteen-year-old gets a fashion doll for her birthday? Unfortunately, I was unlucky enough to get one. Emma crowed right in front of my guests, and reminded me of my agreement to play dolls with her when I got one who looked like my hero. Where was a toilet plunger when you needed one?

“Can’t you let me read in peace? Puh-leeze,” I begged.

“You play with me or I’ll tell Mama I saw you talking to Officer Snout, yesterday,” Emma challenged.

My heart jumped into my throat. The last thing on this earth that needed to happen was for Mom to know I’d disobeyed her. Going to the police station without permission from the parents was not only frowned upon by my mother, it was usually followed with a swift and unforgettable punishment. I tried to make it look like Emma’s threat didn’t affect me, as I shot back, “Oh yeah? Then, I’ll tell her how you took ten cookies out of the cookie jar and ate them in your room.” Another no-no in the house.

The threat helped me to get the upper hand. Emma’s eyes took on the puppy look and she tried to look angelic. “Could you please just play with me, Crystal? I don’t like playing by myself.”

I quietly blew out a frustrated breath, knowing the only way I was going to get any peace was if I promised to play with her. “Fine, I’ll play with you.” You’d of thought I just handed her a lottery ticket and told her she’d won, with how her face brightened up like a 100-watt light bulb.

“Really and for truly?” she squealed.

“Really and for truly.” I sighed.

“Pinky promise.” She crooked her little finger.

I groaned. If there was anything more childish in this world than playing with dolls, it was pinky promises. I crooked my pinky with her and gave it a half-hearted wiggle. “Pinky promise.”

“Thank you, Crystal! I’ll love you forever and ever,” she vowed, shimmying down the tree.

“Until the next time I refuse to play dolls with you,” I muttered under my breath, watching her ponytail bob up and down as she ran for the house.

* * * *

“Hey, Crystal, how’s it going?” Detective Stan Snout gave me a toothy grin.

“Ah, nothing much.” I shifted my backpack from one arm to the next. “Any new mind boggling cases come up, yet?”

“Let me see.” He began flipping through a stack of papers sitting on his desk.

I nibbled on my fingernail while waiting for him to find something. Oh please, find something worthwhile. Please, please, please, I silently begged. Please God. I wanted to be a detective so bad, it almost hurt. I adored Carolyn Keene’s mystery stories, and figured if her main character could start being a detective at eighteen, then I could start three years younger.

So far, there’d been nothing really big happening in the tiny town of Alamo, Texas. The only thing this town’s known for is the eighteen-carat diamond sitting on display in the Alamo museum in town. It’s the biggest diamond for miles around, and people come from as far away as Houston to see it. You’d think with at least a hundred or more tourists coming in and out of Alamo, there’d be plenty of crimes to keep trainees like me busy. Not!

“Mrs. Peters lost her cat, and Tony’s Auto Repair Store is offering a fifty-dollar reward for finding the vandal who scribbled all over the front window of his shop. Nothing else.” Officer Snout pushed the stack aside.

My shoulders slumped in dejection. Was anything exciting ever going to happen in this sleepy little town? No way.

As if he read my thoughts, Officer Snout gave me an encouraging wink with one of his odd green eyes. I thought of sandwich pickles whenever I looked at those eyes of his. “Don’t worry, hon, you’ll get your chance one day.”

I bit back an urge to snort in disgust. Officer Snout was trying to be helpful and I was grateful for it. He and his wife Terra, who worked for my dad, had lived in Alamo for about seven years. They had managed to establish themselves as well-dignified town members in the short time they’d been here.

“Why, I can remember the very first time I was a detective. I was in a small, one-horse town in Georgia.” He shook his head. “I was there for almost three months, before I got my first case… and then, it happened.”

I wasn’t ready for one of Officer Snout’s three-hour tales. He could talk the ear off a blue-nosed mule in no time. I tried to appear interested as I studied the diplomas behind his head. I noticed one of the diplomas bore the name, ‘Harvard University’. I silently vowed to save up my money and go there when I was older. Unable to stand the story any longer, I politely thanked Officer Snout for his help and turned to leave. I wasn’t watching where I was going and bumped nose first into Todd Russell, the police station janitor.

“Oh, excuse me.” He stepped back.

I rubbed my smarting nose and skirted around the man. His olive green eyes, sandy hair, and missing side tooth, made me edgy. Okay, so maybe it wasn’t the missing tooth which made me edgy. There was something weird about him, and it made me want to stay as far away from him as possible. Maybe it was the fact he mostly kept to himself, and no one knew anything about him, except for two facts… one, he was married, and two, he worked at the police station. “Good day, Mr. Russell.”

“Good afternoon, Miss O’Mally.” He held the door open for me. “Tell your dad I said thank you for the sapphire. I gave it to my wife as a birthday present.”

Both Officer Snout and Mr. Russell had wanted this rare Aurora sapphire stone for their wives. Officer Snout had noticed it the day Dad first put it on display in the store. Mr. Russell not only noticed it about a day later, but he was the one who came in with the money first and purchased it. Officer Snout did come to buy it a day after Mr. Russell bought it, and the detective discovered much to his dismay, it had been sold. He was pretty sore about it for a while, because Terra had fallen in love with it the first day she saw it, however, Mr. Russell got to it first. Being a sport, Officer Snout put the past behind him, and was polite to Mr. Russell, once more.

“Yes, sir, I will.” I scooted passed him and hurried down the hall.

Once outside, I adjusted my backpack to where it was more comfortable on my back before heading down the asphalt to my dad’s store. Cars zoomed passed me as I jogged down the sidewalk and opened the door. A bell jingled musically above me as I entered the shop. Once inside I stopped, closed my eyes, and inhaled deeply. I loved how my dad’s jewelry store smelled of lemons from the freshly polished wood.

“Top of the afternoon, Crystal,” Dad called to me from behind his position at the counter. “How’s me little detective?”

“Hey, Dad.” I grinned as I went to join him behind the counter. Dad is positive I’m going to make the greatest detective in the world. If only I’m given a chance to prove myself, maybe my dream could finally come true. “I’m still waiting for something to come my way.”

“Just keep lookin’, lass,” he said in his slight Irish accent, and winked at me.

Granda was from Ireland, and Dad had never really lost his accent even though he was born in America. I liked his lilting accent. “Need any help today?”

“Would you like to help Terra arrange the rin’ display?”

I let my pack thump onto the oak floor, and moved to the center of the room where Terra was putting up a new ring display. “Hiya, Terra.”

She smiled at me, pushing her coke bottle glasses further up the bridge of her pug nose. “Good afternoon, Miss Crystal. Would you like to start helping me out by putting these amethyst rings in order?”

“Yes, ma’am.” I began putting the rings in their proper slots according to their size. Dad had been a jeweler for as long as I could remember.

“So, you want to be a detective instead of a jewelry store owner like your dad, eh?” Terra asked, looking at me through her thick lenses.

“Yeah. I mean, no offense, I like jewelry and everything. I just find solving mysteries more entertaining, as well as more up my alley.”

“Maybe you can solve the mystery of Todd Russell.”

I was instantly on the alert. My notepad was in my backpack, but being a good detective, I always carried a mental notepad around with me. “Why? What’s wrong with him?”

“Oh, I don’t know… and you didn’t hear this from me.” Her tone turned low and I had to bend down a little to hear what she was saying. “Now, don’t quote me on this, but Stan told me Russell was in jail once for thievery. He said Russell stole over ten thousand dollars from a men’s clothing store, and also robbed a woman of all her jewelry.”

“Wait, wouldn’t he have gone to like federal prison or something? Wouldn’t he have been locked away for a really, really long time? Like eons? Or would he get life?”

“No, you get life if you murder someone. Stan told me the store turned softhearted on him, as did the lady victim, because Russell claimed he stole the money to help pay his wife’s medical bills. They didn’t press for the justice they deserved.”

“What’s wrong with his wife?”

Terra shrugged. “I don’t know. The few times I’ve seen her, she’s looked as healthy as the next horse.”

“Looks can be deceiving. I would like to meet her someday. Perhaps, we can pay her a visit.”

“I see your mouths movin’, but why aren’t your fingers doin’ the same?” Dad called from across the room.

“Sorry, Dad.” I resumed my work, my mind working a million times faster than my fingers. Mr. Russell, jailed for embezzlement? Or thievery, but embezzlement sounded more detective like, as well as grown up. And his wife? I’d only seen her a handful of times in the single year the Russells had lived in Alamo. She did look a little sick to me, but any good detective knew a person could use makeup to make them look however they wanted.

“How about some candy?” Terra reached into her pocket and pulled out two small packs of crunchy chocolate. She snuck a look at my dad whose back was to us, and then handed one of the packs to me.

I have braces and need to watch what kind of candy I can eat, however, I know crunchy chocolates are on the ‘okie-dokie’ list. I finished slipping a ring into its proper slot, and then eagerly snatched the candy. “Thanks, Terra. You’re awesome!”

She grinned sheepishly. “Just being me.”

“And you, are awesome.” I popped some of the pill-sized goodness into my mouth. “Oh, yeah. Dad?” I called to him. “Mr. Russell says thanks for the sapphire. You know, the one he bought for his wife a few months ago.”

“He’s already thanked me at least a million times.” Dad chuckled.

“You mean the sapphire your dad was selling, a while back?” Terra asked.

I nodded, my mouth full of chocolate.

“It was very lovely, and I must admit to being a little bummed not getting it. If Mrs. Russell’s happy, then I’m glad she got it… though, I do wish Stan would just let it go.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean he’s still throwing a fit about it, seven months later. Saying how I should have gotten it, and not some woman no one knows anything about.” She shook her head. “I wish he’d just forgive and forget.”

Why was Officer Snout still holding it against Mr. Russell for beating him to the sapphire? It didn’t make sense. I saw him shake the janitor’s hand and wish him luck with his wife’s present. The detective was even wearing a smile on his face when he did it. However, I did notice a look of skepticism on Mr. Russell’s face as he reluctantly thanked Officer Snout for his compliments. What had been up with that? I’d wondered then, and I still wondered now.

The door opened and the bell jingled merrily. A cowboy stepped in wearing a denim jacket, blue jeans, black boots and a white cowboy hat. He removed his sunglasses and looked around. Dad went over to help him while Terra and I finished working on the display.

Much to my surprise, the man didn’t buy anything. He just seemed to be asking Dad a lot of questions. Dad, in turn, did a lot of pointing out the window, as if he was giving the man directions. The man tipped his hat to Dad and left.

“Who was he and what’d he want?” I looked at Dad.

“He said his name was Joshua Lesler, and he was lookin’ for some land to buy. Apparently he’s a rancher and wants to build a ranch out here,” Dad replied.

“Why’d he come to you and ask where the land is? You don’t sell land.”

“He’s new in town and obviously got a little lost.”

Odd, a newcomer would come to the jewelry store and ask directions. Usually they go somewhere else, I thought. My mind was in a whirl two hours later, as I watched Dad lock the store.

A warm March wind blew across the open plain and I lifted my face to let the wind brush over me. My brick red curls bounced around my face like slinkies, and I tried in vain to brush them behind my ear. I watched the white, neon lights shaped in the words ‘Brian’s Treasures’ blink, and then go off.

“Ready to go home, lass?” Dad pocketed the keys to the shop.

“See you tomorrow, girl.” Terra gave me a loving squeeze, then nodded in farewell to Dad.

“Dad, what do you know about Mr. Russell?” I blurted out as soon as she was gone.

“Very little, I’m afraid. It seems no one knows a whole lot about him.”

“Why do you think he takes great pains to keep himself such a loner?” Hermit sounded like a more apt description for the man. I could almost see him eating stale bread, drinking water out of a medieval silver goblet, and doing whatever else hermits do.

“It all has to do with choice, Crystal. God didn’t make people to be lonely. They, as human bein’s, choose to do it.” Dad stopped in front of the Santa Anna Museum. “I want to speak to Mr. Wington, before we go home. See if he still wants me to polish the diamond. Speakin’ of jewels…” He looked at me. “A certain ‘jewel’s’ birthday is comin’ up, very soon.” He lovingly tweaked my ear. “What do you want for your birthday, honey?”

My birthday’s on April 30th. I had no idea what I wanted, at the moment. “I’ll think about it and let you know,” I promised.

“All right. You have a few weeks to decide.”

I followed Dad through the glass double doors and into a hallway containing things pertaining to the Alamo… the fort, not the town. Such as a six by eight portrait of Davy Crocket, a sword Santa Anna had supposedly used in the infamous Alamo battle, and an old-fashioned rifle resting on the wall.

My footsteps echoed weirdly on the spit and polish marble floor in which I could see my reflection. I nodded to the security guards, who smiled back at me. Since it was five minutes to closing time, there weren’t a lot of people there.

While Dad went straight to the door marked ‘Alexander Wington, Manager’, I went to stand behind the thick, red velvet rope and stare at the diamond imprisoned in the glass case. It was the size of a small boulder and had never been under a jeweler’s laser. At first glance, the precious stone looked just like any other misshapen, glittery rock shaped object… almost like a larger version of the crystal rocks people buy at lawn and garden places. The only way people knew it was the famous Alamo diamond, was because of the sign right next to the display case.

According to legend, the artifact had been dug up about fifty-five years ago, by some old man who was trying to bring prospecting back into style… complete with the tobacco spitting and panning. He wasn’t very successful, until one day he was trying to dig a garden next to his house and unearthed the diamond… so the legend goes. If the story really was true, why didn’t they name the museum after the guy and have his picture next to the diamond, with a sign reading, ‘This is the dude who found this hunk of money in his backyard’?

An odd feeling crept over me, like I could sense someone was watching me. Turning one hundred and eighty degrees, I scanned the room. There were only two other people in here with me. One was a tall man wearing ranch hand clothes, and the other was a woman wearing tight fitting shorts with a baggy, brown leather jacket. If they were the only ones in here with me, why was I feeling like a vampire was hiding in the shadows waiting to get me?

Wait! I thought I saw something move toward the artificial tree, just beyond the marble pillar at the back of the room. Squinting, I began walking toward the tree. Yes! I did see something… or was it someone? I made out the form of a man crouching and staring back at me, but when I blinked, he was gone. Puzzled, I ran the remaining ten feet and pushed the tree away from the wall. There was no one there. I’m sure I saw something there. My eyes must have been playing tricks on me.

Shaking my head and feeling disgusted with myself for letting my imagination get the best of me, I walked back to the diamond display. As I moved a little closer to the case, I noticed three teenagers standing on the other side of the glass, staring at the diamond. They were also nudging one another and pointing to the rock.

A boy with shaggy, black hair reached out and started to touch the glass. His buddy, who was wearing a crystal earring in his left ear, caught sight of me. He elbowed his friend, and jerked his head in my direction. Shaggy Hair stared at me all startled like for a few seconds, before giving me a flirtatious grin. “Don’t worry. I was only going to touch the glass,” he informed me.

“Uh-huh. Well, just make sure you brought your own glass cleaner with you, ‘cause the guards would have made you clean your prints off,” I replied.

The boy let out a noise and I couldn’t tell if it was a laugh or a bark. “Oh, really, little girl?”

I automatically stood up as straight as I could. I’m five foot four and hate being called ‘little girl’. The third person in the group, a girl who was shorter than me and wearing spiked, orange hair, looked me over. “You’re the O’Mally girl, aren’t you? The one whose dad owns the jewelry store in town?” Her voice was low and rough.

“Yes, I am,” I said proudly.

She smirked. “Do you still think if I get my nose pierced, my brains are going to fall out?”

I immediately felt my face heat up with embarrassment. There was only one person in the universe who would say those kinds of things… Emma.

The teens hooted and hollered at me. I could see one of the museum employees coming toward us, to either tell the punks to pipe down or throw them out on their backsides. I personally preferred door number two.

I forced myself to smile. “Well, it really all depends.”

“On what?”

“If you’ve even got anything in there, to begin with.”

This time it was her face that turned a bright red, and her two friends laughed at her. The employee came over just then, and asked them politely to leave. The girl turned livid eyes on me. I wrinkled my nose when I saw her eyes were rimmed with too much mascara. “Just wait, I’ll get you! You’ll be sorry, fence face,” she hissed.

I bit my tongue to stop myself from calling her a nasty name. I’m really sensitive about my braces. I made myself grin, trying to make it look like her comment didn’t bother me, at all.

The guards started turning off the lights and dimming others, as a warning to lingering sightseers it was closing time. Dad came out of the office with Mr.Wington behind him. The man reminded me of a walking pork barrel. He’s short, kind of fat, and has as much hair on his head as the lid of a barrel. In other words, he’s bald.

“Crystal, nice to see you.” He shook my hand. “I was just telling your father to come tomorrow morning, thirty minutes before the museum opens, and take the diamond to the store and clean it.” He turned to Dad and lowered his voice, but since the room was empty, it still carried a little. “I’ll have a security guard go with you when you take it to your store. He won’t be wearing his uniform, so as not to cause suspicion.”

“All righty, then. It’ll be just fine, it will.” Dad nodded.

I saw movement out of the corner of my eye, and saw Orange Hair still standing in the doorway. We made eye contact and she stuck her tongue out at me. Oh, grow up! I rolled my eyes, in disgust. A guard motioned for her to move along, and she obeyed.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw something slinking toward the exit. I turned my head as far as it would go, and made out the outline of a man in the dim light over the entryway. He looked like he had shoulder length hair and a weird looking hat on his head. He turned and looked at me, but I couldn’t be sure, for in the next instant he was gone. I decided against telling anyone what I’d seen, because I didn’t want them to think I was going crazy or anything. I didn’t think about the teenagers either, as Dad and I walked home.

As soon as we entered the house, we were hit by a torpedo. Really, it was Emma, but she threw herself at Dad with just about as much force as a torpedo. “Bring anything home for me?” she chirped, nuzzling his cheek.

“Not tonight, me little star.” He set her on the floor, just as Mom came to greet us.

“I don’t see my diamond with you,” she teased him, standing on tiptoe to kiss him. Mom’s all of about five foot two, red hair, soft nutmeg eyes and tan skin.

Dad’s hair is almost straw blond, and he has moss green eyes and fair skin. “She’ll be comin’ tomorrow, she will. Mr.Wington will have me brin’ it to the shop. I’ll clean it there, and then take it back.”

“Dad, may I go with you tomorrow before school?” I asked.

“Me, too,” Emma piped up. “It wouldn’t be fair if just Crystal went, would it, Daddy?”

I groaned. Please say no, Mom and Dad. Please say no. They’re obviously not mind readers, because they said yes. I wrinkled my nose at my little sister and she merely tossed her hair over her shoulder. “How soon ‘til supper?” I changed the subject.

“In about a half an hour,” Mom replied.

“Good, then Crystal can play with me. Remember, you promised.” Emma planted her hands on her hips and stared up at me.

“Maybe later.” I started to move passed her.

“Mom will find out,” Emma started to say.

“I have to put my things in my room, and then I’ll meet you in yours. Deal?” I cut her off.

“Deal.” She gave me a haughty, triumphant smile before waltzing off to her room.

“I’ll find out about what?” Mom turned to me.

“Oh, nothing of importance.” I gave her a quick peck on the cheek before bolting to my room. I dropped my pack in the closet, picked up my fashion doll… excuse me, the embarrassing piece of plastic… and went to Emma’s room. Sheesh! I thought, as I lowered myself onto the ugly brown carpet. The things I do just to keep my sister’s mouth shut.

* * * *

“Don’t be gettin’ too far ahead now, Emma,” Dad called after her as she skipped down the sidewalk.

“We should have brought Mayo’s leash with us,” I said. Mayo was our little Irish terrier. She was two when we got her, and lived with us for seven years before a car hit her. She’d earned her name because she was the exact color of mayonnaise. I still kept her leash in my room for sentimental reasons. Now, I think I’ve found another use for it… tying it around Emma’s neck so we can keep her close by.

“Crystal, are you bein’ nice?” Dad reproved me.

“No, sir,” I muttered. “But it’s true.”

“Oh, come now, girl. We’re all overly active at one age or another. Emma’s overly active stage just so happens to be right now, it does.”

“Unfortunately.” We stopped at a crosswalk, waiting for our turn to cross the street.

“Well, good morning, Brian.”

I looked over my shoulder to see Mr. Russell standing behind us. He was carrying a rather large black bag he kept close to his side.

“Good morning, sir,” I said politely, edging away from him a little.

“How you doin’, Todd?” Dad shook Mr. Russell’s hand.

“I see you’ve brought your beautiful girls with you.” Mr. Russell smiled at us.

For once, Emma was totally still. She stared up at him with her big eyes, and stuck close to Dad. She didn’t greet him in her usual cheery way. Instead, she stared at him like a child would stare at a dog, trying to make up their mind whether or not the animal’s going to bite them. “Hello,” she whispered.

“Quite the shy one.” He reached out as if to ruffle Emma’s hair and she quickly drew back. A hurt look came over his face, and he let his hand fall to his side.

The light gave us the okay to cross. Emma held tightly onto Dad’s hand as we crossed the street. I couldn’t help but feel a little jumpy with Mr. Russell only three feet behind me. Once we reached the opposite sidewalk, he bid us good day and disappeared into the morning fog in the direction of the police station.

“Emerald Grace O’Mally.” Dad frowned at her. “You weren’t nice to Mr. Russell.”

“He’s a bad guy, Daddy,” she said. “He stole lots and lots of money. He was probably gonna’ steal me, too!”

“Who told you he’s a thief?”

“Mrs. Tellers.”

I snorted a laugh and had to turn it into a cough. Mrs. Tellers was the town gossip. She did a way better job of informing people on the happenings around Alamo, than the local newspaper. Dad obviously knew I was trying not to laugh, and shot me ‘The Look’. I ducked my head and stared at the pavement.

“Listen, Emma, don’t go around talkin’ bad about people unless you know it to be true.” Dad got on eye level with her. “How would you like it if someone started sayin’ thin’s about you and they weren’t true?”

She stared at her sparkly pink tennis shoes, and muttered, “I ‘pose I wouldn’t like it.”

“I’m sure Mr. Russell doesn’t like bein’ talked bad about, either.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good girl.” He ruffled her hair and stood up to his full six feet. “I’m goin’ inside to speak with Mr. Wington. Wait here and don’t go wanderin’ off into the car park.”

“Yes, sir.” We chorused.

Dad mounted the stone steps two at a time and knocked on the door, since it was before museum hours. The door opened and he disappeared inside. There wasn’t much to do except sit on the steps and wait. Emma sat down and rested her chin on her hand, while I sat down and let my arms rest on my knees.

A few people were out at seven thirty in the morning, including Mr. Graceland, the grocer, Papaw Greg, the newspaper editor, (everyone in town calls him Papaw), Miss Gopher, owner of the local Gopher’s Hole, (a popular after school hangout for the kids), Ms. Prool, the bank teller, and a few of our school-mates.

Another person we saw was Officer Snout. “Well, well, well. Will I have to write you up for being tardy?” he teased us, as he came over.

“No, sir. School doesn’t start for ‘nother hour,” Emma informed him.

“Half an hour,” I corrected her. I turned to the detective. “School starts at eight o’ clock sharp.”

“Are you ladies waiting for the bus to arrive?”

“No, we’re waiting for Daddy to come out. He went inside to get the diamond,” Emma announced.

“He’s not stealing it, is he?”

“Daddy never steals!” Emma cried indignantly. “He’s being trusted with it ‘cause he’s gonna’ clean it.”

“I forgot he’s the town jeweler. Tell him I said to make sure he doesn’t break it, or else he’ll have to pay for it.”

I thought I saw a funny look come across Officer Snout’s face… like a look of annoyance, and yet, fear at the same time… but the next instant, he was smiling. What was it with my eyes, lately?

Emma’s eyes grew big as saucers. “Gosh, I’ll be sure to tell him, Officer Snout.”

“Reminds me of the time I was in Nashville with Terra.” His eyes took on a faraway look.

“I hope you remembered to bring along enough snacks to last awhile,” Emma grumbled quietly, as Officer Snout plunged into a story of days gone by.

I silently agreed with her. It didn’t take much to get the man started on his tales. Ten minutes later, he finished his story and our ears were hurting.

“You ladies have a nice day.” He tipped his hat to his us and was getting ready to leave, when Dad came out with one of the security guards next to him. Officer Snout seemed to eye the slip of paper Dad was carrying.

Did I just see a gleam of interest in the detective’s eyes? I was most likely seeing things again, for Officer Snout smiled graciously at Dad and the guard, before hurrying down the street toward the office.

“Daddy, Officer Snout says not to break the diamond,” Emma reported, jumping up and grabbing Dad’s hand.

“Why did he say that?” Dad grinned down at her.

“‘Cause, he said if you break it, you’re gonna’ have to pay to get a whole new one.” Emma was totally serious.

I bit my lip to keep from laughing, though I couldn’t stop the grin. Dad chuckled and the guard snickered.

Emma wasn’t fazed. “You know what Mama always says. You break it, you buy it.”

“True. I promise to be careful.” Dad turned to the guard. “Are you thinkin’ we’ve given the others enough time to get the box in me car?”

“Most likely.” The guard nodded.

“Wait, if we walked here, how come your car’s here, too, Daddy?” Emma looked hopelessly confused.

“Someone came by earlier and drove it here,” Dad explained.

“Why?”

“To avoid suspicion.”

“Why?”

“You’ll understand when you’re older,” I impatiently interjected. My little sister gave me an annoyed look and I simply ignored it.

Dad had to look away to keep from laughing aloud again. When he’d composed himself, he turned to us. “Girls, would you mind walkin’ to school alone? I have to help the men transport the diamond to the shop, and I don’t want you two to be late for school.”

I didn’t want to miss out on seeing the diamond taken to the shop and was about to object, when Emma did it for me. “Aw, please Daddy, please.” She grabbed his hand again and swung it back and forth. “Pretty please.” She went so far as to give him puppy eyes.

“Not now. If you’d be wantin’ to come to the shop after school, it’ll be there,” Dad promised.

With such a prospect awaiting me, I didn’t want to be late for school. I could see Emma was forming another argument. I grabbed her hand and began pulling her down the sidewalk. “See you later, Dad.”

“Let me go, Crystal.” Emma jerked her hand loose. “I wanna’ go with Daddy and see the diamond unveiled.”

“You will get to see it unveiled,” I told her, still hurrying down the street. “But, if we miss school, your teacher will make sure you don’t get to see it at all.”

“How can she?” Emma demanded, still standing where I’d left her. “She’s not my mother.”

“No, but she can send you to detention and send a note to Mom and Dad.”

If you thought the Road Runner on cartoons runs fast, Emma would have beat him in a race hands down with how much speed she put on in order to catch up to me. It seemed like I just blinked and she was next to me, her mouth running a mile a minute… babbling on about how she was going to have Dad take a picture of her holding the diamond, then she was going to send a picture to Granda. I chuckled as I thought of Emma trying to lift the diamond. It probably weighed more than she did.

As we paused at the crosswalk directly across from school, I was looking both ways when I suddenly felt Emma press up against me. I looked down at her and saw her staring at something, or someone, coming our way from the direction of the museum. It turned out to be Mr. Russell, still carrying his black bag. I noticed the look of agitation on his face. “He’s come to get me,” she whispered.

“Hey, remember what Dad said about being nice,” I reminded her.

“Hi,” Mr. Russell said softly as he stood next to us. “Ready for school?”

“Just about,” I answered.

“What’s in your bag, Mr. Russell?” Emma reached out to touch it.

“Don’t!” Mr. Russell quickly put the bag out of my sister’s reach, his shout startling both of us. In all the time we’d known him, we’d never heard him shout. Emma looked ready to cry as she stared up at him. He seemed to be fighting back some emotion, as he dug into his pocket and pulled out a small sucker. “Here, I’m sorry for startling you. Want some candy? Want to call it a truce?”

At first, Emma looked like she wasn’t going to accept his peace offering. After eyeing him for a few seconds, she slowly reached up and took the sucker out of his hand. “Thank you,” she whispered. She unwrapped it and stuffed the blue sucker into her mouth. I shook my head. Her mouth and lips were going to be as blue as if she’d just stepped out a freezer.

“Where’s your dad?” asked Mr. Russell

“He’s helping move the diamond to his shop,” Emma blurted out.

“Emerald!” I jabbed her with my elbow. “Would you be quiet?”

I saw Orange Hair had appeared out of the fog and came to stand beside us. She was wearing an extra heavy dose of mascara, making her eyelashes long like a spider’s legs. She was pretending to ignore me, yet I knew she’d overheard the comment.

Emma’s announcement seemed to interest Mr. Russell greatly, and he seemed to calm down for a second. “Did he purchase it or something?”

“He’s just cleaning it.” I saw we were clear to cross. Not wanting to be impolite, I said, “Have a great day, Mr. Russell.”

“You, too.” He nodded and crossed in the opposite direction, clutching his bag close to his side. A second later, he broke into a run and disappeared into the fog.

“I wonder what he’s got in there?”

“Maybe a dead body,” Emma whispered dramatically.

“One more mean comment out of you and I’m telling Dad.” She stuck her tongue out at me and I sighed in exasperation.

As we jogged up the concrete steps, I saw Orange Hair glaring at me from the bicycle rack. I simply tossed my hair over my shoulder and ignored her. I dropped Emma off at her class, made sure my cell phone was on mute, performed my usual school routine, and ran to my class just as the first bell rang.

Seven hours later, Emma and I were flying down the sidewalk toward Dad’s shop. It was a race. I won, obviously, since I have much longer legs than she does. We arrived at the shop out of breath and overly excited.

“I hope Daddy remembered to bring the digital camera,” Emma said, smoothing her wrinkled shirt and smiling up at me.

I found myself smiling back. Her excitement was catching. I pushed the door and to my surprise, it was locked. “Huh, strange.” I looked at the hours, ‘Open from 9-5’. It was only three o’ clock. What was going on?

We hurried around to the rear of the store, hoping the back door was open. We were totally unprepared for what greeted us. The back door was hanging on two of its three hinges, and it looked like it’d been hit by an angry bull.

Stunned, Emma and I quietly stepped inside the sagging door. Four or five police officers, including Officer Snout, were standing in the room. Dad’s face was tense and white, and Terra’s eyes were so big, I was surprised they were still in her head.

“What’s going on?” Emma whispered to me.

“I have no idea.” I did have a hunch, though. Something wasn’t right, and that’s all I knew.

Dad came over to us, jaw clenched tight. The look on his face sent my heart into my green and blue striped gym shoes. “Dad, what’s wrong?”

“I’ve been robbed,” he said, in a strained voice. “The diamond’s gone!”