Have and Hold: (A Geeks and Things Cozy Mystery Novella #4) (Geeks and Things Cozy Mysteries) by Sarah Biglow Read Free Book Online Page B

talking with Mr. Hempstead.
    “I’ll go in first and see what I can find out. You should just stay here.”
    She said nothing to his directive to stay in the car. They both knew it wasn’t going to happen. But she waited while he climbed out of the car and headed for the only entrance to the small shop. With his back turned to her, Kalina ducked out of the car and inched up the sidewalk so she could try to catch snippets of the conversation.
    “I told you, I’m done having this conversation,” a woman’s voice said.
    “Is everything all right?” Chris’s voice came through the partially opened front door.
    “Fine. This is a private matter.” Mr. Hempstead’s tone was harsh.
    “Are you sure you’re OK, miss?”
    No response but Kalina caught the woman’s head bob up and down slightly.
    “I was just going.” The woman’s voice filtered out into the open air. Kalina watched as Chris held the door open for her. She rushed out the front door and exhaled a long, clouded breath in the winter air. Kalina searched her coat pockets and found an unused tissue.
    “Here.” She offered it to the woman.
    “Thanks.”
    Without a word, Kalina guided the woman out of view of the front door of the shop. The woman gave a hiccup and blew her nose loudly.
    “I don’t mean to pry but that didn’t sound very good in there.”
    “Oh, that. It’s nothing really. Just a little disagreement.”
    “Mr. Hempstead seemed pretty upset.”
    “He gets very passionate about things. Really, I’ll be fine. Just if you wouldn’t mind not telling him where I’m going. We both need some time to cool off.”
    “Sure thing.” She fished for another tissue. “Just in case…”
    “Fiona.”
    “Well then, just in case, Fiona.”
    After taking the proffered tissue, Fiona pulled out car keys, along with a hotel key card with a tree logo—which she promptly shoved back into her pocket—and the headlights flashed on the other car in the lot. Kalina waved her off before heading in to join Chris. She prayed he was having some luck questioning Mr. Hempstead.
    The warmth of the shop greeted her as she walked in. Mr. Hempstead was nowhere to be seen but Chris waited at the counter, hands clasped in front of him.
    “Hey. How’s it going in here?”
    “I’m taking a look at his books.”
    Kalina pointed to the display case of engagement rings, still with three empty spots. At least he hadn’t sold any more since she’d last been in. “That’s what I was talking about with the missing ring.”
    “I see.” He glanced over his shoulder at the now empty parking lot. “Did you get anything out of the woman?”
    “Her name is Fiona. I didn’t get a last name. I think she and the owner are a couple. She seemed upset. But I think she’s just going to cool off.”
    “I get kind of an odd vibe from this guy,” Chris said in a whisper.
    Mr. Hempstead appeared with the ledger in hand and stopped short when he spotted Kalina. “You’re back.”
    She smiled at him. “Yeah, I realized I wanted to ask you for information on insurance for the purchase I made the other day. But I see you’re busy.”
    Mr. Hempstead waved his hand dismissively in Chris’s direction. “It’s fine. I’m sure the officer can wait.”
    “It’s Captain, actually. And, no, I can’t wait.”
    Kalina stepped back with her hands held up in a gesture of surrender. She was a little curious to see how Chris handled the jeweler with an audience again. And not someone he could push around. Color flooded the man’s cheeks and he shoved the ledger across the counter to Chris. “Here’s what you asked for. I still don’t know what this has to do with that article in the paper.”
    Chris flipped through the pages and slid his finger down the item line on one page in particular. “I see you’ve got two individuals who purchased diamond engagement rings but I notice that there’s a third one missing from the display.”
    “Is there a question in there