Deadly Collection, page 17
Randall watched the tears flow down her face and kept silent.
Finally, Molly said, “At least I know you don’t think she is either.” When Randall didn’t answer, Molly’s face paled. “Tell me you don’t!”
Randall rose, picked his cup up from the table and carried it to the kitchen. Molly held her breath until he returned. She wiped her tears and watched him head for the door, and almost died when he said, “I don’t know what to think. I’ll put some feelers out in the city and see if we can track her down.”
“Wait. There’s more you should probably know.”
Randall stopped and shook his head. “Are we gonna play this game again? ‘Oh, by the way, Randall, I almost forgot to tell you…’? Jesus, Molly. Do I have to scream and yell at you all the time before you’ll come clean with me? Contrary to popular belief, I’m not a freakin’ ogre.”
“You haven’t yelled or screamed. I know you’re not an ogre. I tell people that all the time.”
Settling near her on the sofa, his grin was weary. “That’s one of my lines.”
“I know.” She reached for a cigarette on the coffee table and then hesitated. Her hand hovered over the pack. When she finally took one, she said, “I keep thinking Emma can see through walls.” She changed her mind and threw it on the table, then told him about her conversation with Davis Wood. For once Randall didn’t interrupt. Finally she said, “I don’t know if any of that helps, but maybe it’s tied in somewhere.”
“I’ll think about it. Good work, Molly. That’s twice now your pals have helped. I promise not to badmouth dealers again, okay?”
“I’ll hold you to that. I might even buy a recorder in case you compliment me again. I’d like to have it for the next time you’re pissed at me, or get snarky.” She watched one of his better smiles fill his face, then suddenly felt awkward. “I’m wondering if this is about blackmail and that Jason figured Frances knew about it and he was afraid she was going to continue it. Could that be what he meant by ‘It’s been going on too long and now it’s all over’?”
Randall didn’t answer. He had a good idea what Jason Lerner had been yelling about, but he wasn’t sure where Frances fit in. He wanted to kick himself now. He should have talked it over with Daria after the Lerners showed up. But according to what Molly had told him, Jason Lerner claimed he wasn’t up here for her.
“But I’ll bet it’s more than Frances’s father getting paid for work he didn’t do,” Molly said. “I think it’s tied in to that skeleton, and somehow Jason and Steffi knew about it.” She grabbed the cigarette and played with it. “I still don’t know where Daria fits in. Maybe if you question Marius Lerner, you’ll get some answers.” Molly threw the cigarette on the table again and reached for her coffee. “What am I thinking? The poor man will be devastated when he learns about his son and daughter.”
Randall was on his feet again. “I don’t think so. He died in his sleep last night.”
Molly was speechless as he headed for the door.
“Get some sleep,” Randall said, “and stop worrying about Daria.” He opened the door, then turned back, “Oh, I hired a new homicide detective. Her name is Maili Montgomery. She’ll do just fine. So stay the hell out of this one, okay? I’ll need you to stop by the station tomorrow and give her a statement.”
“No,” Molly said.
Randall’s neck almost snapped off his shoulders. “No?”
Molly shook her head. “That’s what I said.”
“Excuse me, but it doesn’t work that way. You just gave me vital information about a homicide, and if I were the hotshot cop I’m supposed to be, I’d run you over there right now and make you do it, okay? I’m being a nice guy for a change. So don’t press me.”
As he moved away from the door and headed toward her, Molly folded her arms and looked him straight in the eye. “I won’t do it. If you force me, I’ll still refuse. And even if you sic Lucero on me, I’ll say I made it up, and that I’m a vindictive bitch who’s just trying to make trouble for Frances because she’s a condescending snob. I won’t do a damn thing until I’ve had a chance to talk to Daria. I’ve already said too much, and I won’t betray her further, understand? She’s been more than a friend.” Molly wiped her eyes again. “Daria is the sister I wish I’d had. I owe her.”
“I can bring a charge against you for withholding information if I’ve a mind to.”
Molly laughed. “No you can’t because I’ll deny I told you anything. So how are going to make that stick?” When she saw his jaw tense, she said, “Go ahead. Arrest me.”
Randall turned away and headed for the door again. He was furious with Molly. But he had to admire her loyalty. He pulled the door open. “Do me a favor. Put a little less coffee in the filter next time. You could stand a spoon in what you gave me tonight.”
Molly held her breath as he left. He’d let her off too easy. That could only mean one thing. She was in big-time trouble with him now.
20
The two Excedrin PMs Molly took after Randall left made the alarm going off Wednesday morning sound like far off bells in a foreign land. She found it difficult to open her eyes. Her head felt like it belonged to someone else, and her arms were numb. With a full day ahead of unpacking boxes and setting up the showroom, Molly knew the only way she’d get a full night’s sleep was to drug herself. She was so groggy when she got out of bed she swayed all the way to the kitchen. A jolt of instant caffeine might clear the cobwebs and help her stay upright in the shower.
As much as it pained her, Molly knew she needed to put Daria on hold and take care of business. Whether there was anything she could do to help her remained moot. But Daria had been a staunch friend, and Molly was resolved to be no less. And now she and Randall were at odds again. She had mixed feelings about her bravado with him last night. On the one hand, she was proud of the way she’d stood up to him. On the other hand, she knew she was skating on thin ice. He’d totally surprised her. She hated it when he did that.
Routine, Molly decided, was the best way to calm the anxiety pinching her like a tight girdle. Breakfast at Tosca’s would be the first act of the day. It would be soothing to chat with the always good-natured Bennie. She and Emma could have their sugar fix, then roll up their sleeves and get to work. She wasn’t looking forward to the calls she had to make now that the sale was off. Eve was the first on her list. Thank God Max and Nicholas were still out of town. A small blessing, but a welcome one.
Bennie made a beeline for Molly and Emma. “Hey, what the hell is going on in this town lately? Did you see the news on TV this morning?”
Before Molly could reply, Bennie was called by a customer who wanted a few tables pushed together. Molly said to Emma, “Uh, before he gets back I need to tell you the latest. Steffi Lerner was killed the same night as her brother.”
“Holy cow. Was this some of the stuff I wasn’t supposed to hear last night?”
“Yes. Randall didn’t want you to be scared.”
“I know I’m just a kid, but I’m not scared. But, well, should we be worried? Do we need to keep the doors locked and the alarm on all the time again? And have the cell phone glued to us?”
Molly took Emma’s hand in hers. “No, honey. We’re okay. I think this is something that goes back a long way. Nothing at all to do with us.”
“But you’re going to help Randall again, aren’t you?”
Molly shook her head. “Not this time.”
“But what about Daria?”
Molly’s face blanched. “What about her?”
Emma gave her a frown. “Is this something else I’m not supposed to know? If she’s not in trouble of some kind, why are you so worried about her?”
“Oh, well, because she’s…well, I think she’s worn-out and needs a vacation. She’s gone to San Francisco for a few days.”
“How do you know if she wasn’t at home?”
“Her neighbor told me when I went over there last night.”
“You didn’t tell me that,” Emma said. “And I think you’re leaving stuff out.”
“Well, I forgot. I guess it was because—”
“You thought you were in trouble with Randall again?” Emma laughed now. “I love it when he does that thing with his eyes.” She pressed her eyes tight, then opened them slowly, leaving only a hint of her pupils. “Like this.”
Molly laughed. “Perfect. Just perfect.” As she took the last bite of her pastry, Bennie pulled out a chair and whistled, “A customer just came in and told me there were TV trucks parked all over Scenic Road by La Casa. Even CNN is there! Hell, the village is going to go national again. What a horrible thing to happen. Jason and Steffi, and now the old man too?”
“CNN?” Molly said. “Randall is going to be up the wall now.”
“He’s gonna go ape shit, is what he’s gonna do,” Bennie agreed. “What do you hear about Frances? Been able to see her yet? I hear they have a police guard on her door. What’s going on, Molly?”
“I haven’t a clue,” Molly lied. She gave Emma a warning look, then said, “All I know is what I saw on the news.”
“Too bad about the house too. Guess there won’t be much of a sale now, huh?”
Molly sipped her coffee. “Guess not.”
Bennie rose, then patted Molly on the shoulder. “Hey, I’m sorry and all that, but I’m glad you weren’t in the house when it happened. Life around here would be pretty dull without you.”
Touched, Molly blew him a kiss. “Thanks, Bennie.”
Back in the shop, Molly said to Emma, “Okay, here’s the plan. We’ll get the rest of the new furniture in place, then get cracking on those boxes. We’ll just load up every surface with whatever Max sent down, then figure out what we’ve got and start making decisions.”
“Don’t you want to go over to La Casa and see what it looks like?”
Molly shuddered. “No way. I’m never going back there again.”
“Well, I was thinking last night…when you and Randall were talking about the stuff I’m not supposed to hear, that maybe everything didn’t burn. So maybe you should take a look?”
Molly was beginning to think Emma was not a twelve-year-old girl, but an alien in disguise. “Why didn’t I think of that?”
“Because you’ve been worried about Daria?”
“That’s true, but even if there is stuff to salvage, I don’t think there will be a sale for some time. The house is a crime scene now and Randall won’t let me in.”
“I still think you should go over and see what it looks like.”
Molly shook her head. “No way. Not with all those TV people around. I’d never get through anyway.”
“You could go around the block and come in from the other street. There’s a little alley that goes to the beach and there’s a door in the wall. It’s kind of hidden, but if you go along the ivy wall and look real close, you’ll see an old wood door. It’s kind of stuck, but it goes into the back garden of La Casa. I found it when I was chasing the lizard.”
Molly stared at her. “So that’s why I couldn’t find you that day. You were exploring, huh?”
“Yeah. Kids do that, you know.”
“Well, this kid is staying put. I’m not going over there and running into Randall. Maybe later. Right now we’ve got a shop to put together.”
Molly hauled several boxes to the center of the showroom and began unpacking. The excitement of discovering what Max had sent was a welcome break from her worries. Emma’s eyes lit up when a large pair of Chinese vases were pulled from the first box. “Are they real?” she asked.
“Sure. Just not old enough to be important. But they’ll make gorgeous lamps. I’ll check that big box of carved stands we found at that garage sale last month. There should be a matching pair we can use for bases.” Admiring the vases, Molly said, “These will look stunning in the front window. I might even use them for night-lights. What do you think, most honorable assistant number one?”
Emma giggled. “I like that. It’s better than squirt.” Pretending to ponder this most important question, she pursed her lips, folded her arms, and said, “Yes. Make it so.”
Molly saluted. “Aye aye, Captain.”
“I like the way the Chinese made these vases with all the little family figures painted on them. Since these have a pinkish background, I guess they’re famille rose?” Emma asked as she carefully took them from Molly to set on a nearby table.
Molly smiled, pleased with how quickly she had picked up so many terms. “Right. And they’re made with several different background colors. There’s jaune for yellow, and noire for black, which is very rare. Enamel was applied directly to the biscuit porcelain, then a translucent green enamel is added and then it becomes a dense black. I’ve only seen one since I’ve been in the biz.”
“What about the green one we had last month? Don’t they just put green on?”
“Aha, good question, number one. Nope, verte, the green one, becomes green when yellow, blue, purple, and an iron red is laid over the biscuit porcelain. Very tricky work and not as simple as you might think. The Chinese were exquisite artisans, and still are.”
“Too bad we don’t have a sample of all of the colors. That would be a cool display, huh?”
“Very cool. We’ll have to work on that.”
As they continued to unpack, Molly was surprised at how many Oriental smalls Max had sent. She was particularly pleased, since she was overloaded with English and European style vases and figures. The addition of these exotic and well-made pieces gave the shop a more international appearance. Oriental objets d’art were always present in the finer homes, and it was a look she strived to maintain. As each new piece was unpacked, Molly gave Emma a quick course in Orientalia. When she unpacked a cloisonné censer with a domed cover, she said, “Oh, this is really nice. Look at the elephant head handles. And the colors are beautiful. Bet you don’t know how they make cloisonné.”
Emma shoved a big pile of bubble wrap into a plastic bag, then sat cross-legged on the floor next to Molly. “Missed that in my studies. Fire away.”
“Okay, first thing that’s done is copper wire is applied in a pattern to a vase, or a box, or whatever, with vegetable glue, then it’s fired in a kiln and polished. The wired fields, or cloisons, become tiny lakes ready to hold several layers of enamel.”
“Are they rare?”
“Not really. Thousands were exported to the West in the early nineteenth century after they’d been exhibited at international shows. But they’re very popular with collectors and interior decorators. We’ll get a nice price for this one. It’s in great shape.”
Like two kids in a candy shop, they continued to unpack, examine, and admire each new piece. When Molly came upon a carved spinach jade brush pot, she got so excited she almost dropped it. “Oh, wow, Em! This is fantastic! I can’t believe Max didn’t keep this scholars brush pot for his shop!”
Emma inched closer to Molly. “It’s beautiful. Funny name, but the colors do kinda look like spinach. Is it worth a lot?”
“You bet! Spinach jade is hard to find. It comes from Siberia. See these black flecks? It’s graphite. Oh, this baby is gonna be one of our stars. I’ve got to find a good spot for this. Somewhere it can’t be handled.” Giving it to Emma, she said, “Scholars used these pots to store their brushes.”
Emma laughed. “Duh?”
“Okay, smarty. Give me a rundown on jade if you know so much.”
“Uh, well, I haven’t done much reading on it yet. I’ve been working on European furniture, remember? I just know there’s different kinds.”
“And colors. But first you have to know the difference between jade, which here in the States and in Europe is described as nephrite and jadeite.”
“Whoa. Why the two names? Aren’t they the same?”
“Nope. Nephrite is a silicate of calcium and magnesium, and jadeite is a silicate of aluminum and sodium. Jadeite is harder than nephrite, and it’s often a pure green color and used a lot in jewelry. It’s heavier too, and it’s cold to the touch, besides being very brittle. But you can’t scratch it, even with a steel knife, though jadeite can scratch nephrite.”
“You’ve got a good memory. Whew. I’m glad I’ve got that recall part of my brain working. I wouldn’t be able to remember all this stuff.”
“Well, it’s my job, and I’ve had a lot of years to learn it.” Molly turned the brush pot in her hands and admired the exquisite carving. “And I still don’t know half of what I should. Anyway, we’ll want to keep our eyes open for this stuff. It’s very popular again.”
“One more question. If the spinach jade comes from Siberia, does jade—or whatever you wanna call it—come from China?”
“Jade is found all over the world, even down by Big Sur. That’s called California jade. But the pure green jade the Chinese used early on came from Burma.”
“Uh, it’s called Myanmar now.”
Molly rolled her eyes. “Okay, I stand corrected. Jeeze, what a pain you are sometimes. Enough with the lessons, let’s get a few more boxes unpacked, okay?”
After the sixth box, Molly pulled some money out of her jeans and said to Emma, “How about taking a break and running over to Bruno’s for some sandwiches while I start on my calls?”
Her first call was to Eve Jensen. As she waited for Eve to answer, Molly remembered she hadn’t been feeling well last Sunday night when she’d given her the consignment papers for the artwork. It took five rings before Eve answered. “Hi, Eve. Hope you’re feeling better,” Molly quickly offered.
