Bitter Truth by Janet Sketchley

Author:Janet Sketchley [Janet Sketchley]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Janet Sketchley
Published: 2022-02-24T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 16

Monday

“THERE’S NO NEED to drag Bobby into this. I can drop you at the hospital this afternoon.”

“It’s already arranged, Zander.” Landon’s ribs were shaking, but she refused to back down.

They sat with Anna at the inn’s kitchen table, comforting steam rising from bowls of green lentil soup swimming with carrot chunks and pale shrimp. Rain streamed down the windowpane. Since she’d expressed her fear that Ciara’s break-in was retaliation for her investigating, Zander had become extra-protective—a knight in shining armour turned prison guard.

Landon scooped a spoonful of the savoury soup, grateful for the warmth. The rain fed her growing sense of claustrophobia. She tore a warm crusty roll in two and slathered it with butter. “This soup is fantastic. Zander, we worked so hard on cleanup this morning that I didn’t want to add anything else to your day.”

His spoon clinked the rim of his bowl. “I can still run circles around you twentysomethings.”

Chewing a hefty bite of roll gave her time to regroup. “Have you seen any updates about that gallery theft in Halifax?”

“No.”

News had broken too late for the morning paper—Anna kept a print subscription for her guests—but it had popped up in Zander’s feeds. A ruby pendant had vanished overnight. No alarms. No sign of an intruder. No pendant. The gallery site described it as a Burmese pigeon’s blood ruby, so named because of its deep red shade. Worth millions and on loan from a private European collector. Stolen on the exhibit’s final night. Online, the large red teardrop glowed with an inner fire. Bobby might call it a dragon’s heart.

“Orran told Ciara and me about the pendant last week. He was going to take her to see it, but then she got readmitted. I wonder if the thief’s the same guy who’s been taking collectibles here. It makes sense he’d be hitting targets all around the province.”

“It wasn’t Orran’s security company, was it?” asked Anna.

“I don’t think so. But I’m sure they hired top of the line.”

Since the apartment break-in, they’d been assuming Ciara’s enemy was behind the other local thefts. If he wasn’t local, it’d be even more challenging to track him down. Spoon to her lips, Landon glanced at Zander. “With everything yesterday, I forgot to ask—did you learn anything from Ciara’s coworkers?”

Was it only yesterday Zander had missed church to interview the store employees before their day got too busy?

“They don’t think much of her, but they couldn’t see her having an enemy who’d try to kill her.”

Anna took a drink and set her water glass on the glossy pine table. “You might catch the manager if you went on a weekday.”

“Her stepfather too.” Landon caught his gaze. “Even if I hadn’t stopped asking questions, he’s too polished and intimidating for me one-on-one. Could you cover that angle too?”

He folded his arms. “She’s been here for months. Why wait this long to attack her—an attack that’s allegedly a mistake—and why steal from her?”

Anna propped an arm on the table. “If this is

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