Chapter 13 - The Blue Necklace
Thomas Cole lived twenty minutes from the city in a stone house surrounded by old trees.
Ortiz obtained a warrant before dawn.
Adrian insisted on going.
"You stay behind us," she said.
"I want to hear him explain."
"You may not get that."
They found Thomas in his kitchen drinking coffee.
He looked almost amused when police entered.
"This is dramatic."
Ortiz placed the warrant on the table.
"We're looking for property belonging to Claire Cole."
Thomas glanced at Adrian.
"You brought police into family business?"
"My wife's death isn't family business."
Thomas's expression cooled.
Police searched upstairs.
Ten minutes later, an officer returned.
Blue velvet box.
Inside was Claire's necklace.
Thomas sighed.
"She gave it to me."
"No."
"You weren't there."
"She hated you."
Thomas smiled.
"She hated everyone near the end."
Adrian stepped forward.
"Stop calling her unstable."
Thomas shrugged.
"Truth hurts."
Ortiz laid the recovered messages on the table.
Thomas finally looked worried.
"You think a phone number proves murder?"
"No," Adrian said. "The necklace does."
Thomas laughed.
"That proves nothing."
From the doorway came another voice.
"It proves you were at the crash."
Everyone turned.
Nolan stood there with his arm in a sling, escorted by an officer.
Thomas's face emptied.
Nolan swallowed.
"I followed Claire that night."
Adrian stared at him.
"Why?"
"Graham paid me."
"To do what?"
"Make sure she didn't get help."
Adrian lunged.
Ortiz caught him.
"Adrian!"
Nolan flinched but kept talking.
"The crash happened near the old quarry road. Graham and Thomas were already there."
Thomas snapped, "He's lying."
Nolan looked at Adrian.
"Claire was alive after the crash."
The room tilted.
Adrian stopped fighting Ortiz.
"What?"
"She was conscious."
His voice broke.
"I heard her calling your name."
Adrian could barely breathe.
"What did they do?"
Nolan looked at Thomas.
"I left."
"You left her?"
"I was scared."
Thomas stood.
"This is garbage."
Nolan pointed at him.
"He took the necklace."
Thomas's face twisted.
Ortiz moved forward.
"You are under arrest."
Thomas backed toward the counter.
Then every light in the house went out.
A smoke alarm screamed.
May you like
From the basement came an explosion.
And when emergency lights came on, Thomas was gone.
