Page 84 of Stolen for Keeps
I stared at her. “And you knew this…how?”
She shrugged. “Prison.”
I dragged a hand down my face. “That’s comforting.”
She grinned. “Told you I was good.”
Good? The woman had taken out an entire surveillance system with a repurposed gadget and nerves of steel.
I raked a hand through my hair. “So once you were inside?”
Her throat bobbed. “The necklace wasn’t where it used to be. I nearly panicked.” She paused, her fingers drifting across her collarbone. “There’s something I haven’t told you. About Annamaria.”
“What did she do?”
“She’s the one who really wanted the necklace right from the start, despite my mother begging,begging, for it to be returned. When the necklace wasn’t in the vault where it was supposed to be, I shifted gears and started thinking like her. That’s when I searched her massive closet. Not the obvious places. Not the jewelry drawer. It was on the top shelf, tucked behind everything, like even she’d forgotten about it. But I hadn’t. I found it. And I got out.”
I sat back, letting it all sink in.
The sheer skill. The planning. The risk.
“Tell me you’re done,” I said. “Tell me you don’t have another job waiting.”
Her throat worked.
A beat passed.
“I’m done,” she said.
Then another beat.
“For good.”
I believed her.
“And what about that Napoleon guy? What was his deal?” I asked.
She sighed, and I felt something coil inside me.
“When he found me on that cliff, I honestly thought he was just scouting venues. Harmless. And maybe a little pissed that I threw his phone down the ravine.”
I stared.
She met my stare head-on. “He was taking pictures of me!”
“Okay. Then he earned it.”
“Anyway, turns out, he’s Annamaria’s wedding planner.”
“What?”
“She sent him to Buffaloberry, or Bitterroot Valley in general, but I don’t think it was about the necklace. He didn’t recognize me. I’m sure of that. My theory? Annamaria’s a hawk on socials. She probably saw Sheryn’s wedding posts and decided she could top it.”
“Okay. So for now, you’re in the clear?”
She shrugged. “Looks that way. If Annamaria realizes it’s missing, she’s not the type to stay quiet.”
“I’m on your side, Maya. I don’t care what anyone else thinks.” I shifted closer to her, putting my arm around her. “And that’s enough confession for tonight.”
