Wild Weekend (13 page)

“I am, too.”

She looked away and saw Faye and Bonnie walking back to the exit. “Could you excuse me for a second? I need to check on a customer.”

“I’ll be right here.”

But only for a little while,
Christine reminded herself as she walked out of her office. Travis was leaving. There was nothing here to tempt him to stay.

Christine dabbed her fingertip against the corner of her eye. She would not cry. She was not going to cause a scene. She’d been through this before. One would think breaking up would get easier.

She knew she wasn’t exciting enough for someone like Travis. He had been looking for her alter ego in Vegas and got the Cedar Valley version instead. She’d opened up and shown him her dreams and fears. She’d pushed past her comfort zone, but it still wasn’t enough to intrigue Travis. He couldn’t get away fast enough.

“Was there anything else you needed, Mrs. Lamb?” Christine asked hoarsely.

“No, we just needed to pick up one thing,” Bonnie said. She gave Christine a curious look. “Are you feeling all right, sweetheart?”

“I’m fine, thank you for asking,” Christine lied. She wondered what she looked like. Were the tears shimmering in her eyes? Was her face blotchy as she tried to keep her emotions in check? Right now she felt as though the light inside her had been snuffed out without warning.

“Is that man from Vegas keeping you up all night?” Faye asked. She looked past Christine and waved at Travis, who stood in the doorway of her office.

Bonnie’s face turned bright red. “Mom!”

“I remember what it was like with my sweet Stanley,” Faye said with a wistful smile. “Sometimes he bought me jewelry after an especially wild night.”

Bonnie groaned with embarrassment and clapped her hand over her eyes. “Mom, I don’t think Christine wants the details. I certainly don’t.”

“I don’t think I’ve heard these stories,” Christine teased, although she wasn’t sure if she wanted to know about them. Right now hearing stories about another person’s love life was like pouring salt on an open wound. “What did he give you? Have you shown me those pieces of jewelry?”

“Maybe I should show them to your man,” Faye said with a wink. “Give him a few ideas.”

“Okay, Mom.” Bonnie decided to intervene. She placed her hand on her mother’s back and directed her to the door. “You got the brooch you wanted. We need to leave now if we want to make it to your dentist’s appointment. Sorry, Christine.”

“No need to apologize. Her stories are the highlight of my day,” Christine said. She smiled and felt her bottom lip tremble. Travis wasn’t her man. He wouldn’t commemorate their wild night with a memento because it didn’t mean anything to him.

Christine watched the women leave. She was reluctant to return to her office. To Travis. She wasn’t ready to say goodbye.

Faye shuffled to a stop and raised her hand. “Bonnie. Where is my bracelet?”

“On your wrist, Mom.”

“No, see.” She waved her hand and the stack of bracelets jingled. “Where is the gold chain one?”

“It’s right...” Bonnie’s voice faded. She stopped and looked at the floor. “Where did it go?”

Faye turned around. The worry lined her forehead as her eyes clouded with confusion. “I was just wearing it a moment ago.”

Bonnie held out her hands as she scanned the floor. “Nobody move.”

Christine saw Harold walk over to them but Travis was already at her side. “Is there a problem?” he asked Bonnie.

“My mother’s gold bracelet is missing.”

Christine sensed the tension in Travis’s body. She didn’t need to look at him to feel his gaze on her. “Really?” he said in a strange tone.

“Travis, this is not your concern,” she said as she started to retrace the path Faye and Bonnie took. “I know you have to leave.”

“Change of plans, Christine,” he said as he walked alongside her. “I think I’m needed here.”

13

“I’
LL
GO
CHECK
OUTSIDE
, Mrs. Lamb,” one of the tellers offered as she hurried through the glass doors. “Maybe it fell off on your way here.”

“I’ll go check around the safe-deposit box,” Bonnie said.

Travis watched the women spread out in different directions, but he stayed with Christine. It couldn’t be coincidence that an emerald and a piece of jewelry were missing when she was around. Travis glanced at Christine as she looked around the marble floor. She seemed genuinely concerned.

And when he had mentioned the emerald to Christine, there had been no sign of guilt or discomfort. She wasn’t trying to hide anything. Instead she had rolled her eyes at his explanation. Either she was a very good actress or she had no knowledge of the emerald whatsoever.

He’d stopped believing she had stolen the emerald and he would have defended her honor to Aaron. But he couldn’t ignore that Faye Lamb’s bracelet was missing. Did Christine have something to do with the stolen item?

Travis walked over to the older woman. She was pacing while wringing her hands. “When was the last time you saw the bracelet, Mrs. Lamb?”

“Call me Faye,” the older woman said with a flirtatious smile. She patted her graying hair and gave him a thorough look.

“I’m Travis,” he introduced himself and gently took her offered hand. The woman liked her jewelry. She wore several rings on each hand. There was a diamond-encrusted watch on her left wrist and a stack of bracelets on her right. She wore a gray pearl necklace that he hadn’t noticed at first because it was almost hidden by her high-neck black dress. Matching pearl earrings peeked out from under her hair.

“I like to switch up my jewelry. My husband gave me a little bauble for special occasions or milestones. But I always wear this bracelet.” She rubbed her fingers along her wrist. “I rarely take it off because it has a tricky clasp.”

“What does it look like?” The bracelets she wore were an eclectic mix of styles and metals.

“Well...” Faye pursed her lips as she thought about it. “It’s like a chain.”

“It’s a knitted gold design,” Christine said as she approached them. “It is like a chain but with the volume turned up. It’s made from yellow gold and it was created by a famous French jeweler in the late sixties.”

“How do you know so much about the bracelet?” He hated being suspicious of Christine but it sounded as if she had been researching the piece of jewelry.

“Faye told me all about it. Her husband gave it to her when they found out she was pregnant with her first child. The chain is supposed to symbolize how the child will link them together forever.”

Travis noticed how Christine’s expression softened as she told the story. He should have known she was a secret romantic. Unfortunately, he was terrible at gift giving. He would never be able to give a thoughtful present like that.

“The clasp was loose,” Faye said. “I was going to have the jeweler fix it before I gave it to Todd.”

“It’s not there,” Bonnie said as she hurried back into the room. “I didn’t see anything.”

“I remember! I had it when I walked in,” Faye said. “The light hit the gold just so. And then Christine came to meet us.”

And that was the last Faye saw of it,
Travis silently added. He looked at Christine and wondered where she could have put it. She had gone back to her office. There could have been plenty of places she slipped the bracelet without it being detected.

“Do you remember seeing it?” Travis asked Christine.

She shook her head. “I wasn’t really looking,” she said as she crossed her arms. “I saw it yesterday. We were talking about it.”

“Oh, that bracelet was special to me,” Faye said as she started wringing her hands again. “I can’t believe I lost it.”

“We’re going to keep looking,” Christine promised.

Harold tapped Christine on the shoulder. “We should call the police.”

“Do you really think that’s necessary?” Christine asked. “I’m sure it will turn up.”

“Considering how much Mrs. Lamb’s jewelry costs, yes.”

Christine’s shoulders sagged with defeat. “You’re right, Harold. Please call them.”

“Oh, no, no, no.” Faye waved her hands to stop the security guard. “I don’t want to cause any trouble.”

“I’m sure we’ll find it,” Bonnie said.

“The bracelet is important to you and it’s worth a lot of money,” Christine said. “We should follow procedure. Why don’t you sit down and wait?”

“Let me get you some coffee,” Laurie volunteered as she guided Faye and Bonnie to the chairs next to the coffee machine.

“When was the last time you had to follow this procedure?” Travis asked.

“It hasn’t happened before.” She gave Travis a sharp look. “Why?”

He shrugged. “I wondered about its success rate. Do you think she was wearing the bracelet?”

“Yes.” Christine’s reply was instant. “She wore it every day.”

“Do you think she forgot and took it off? Does she display any signs of forgetfulness?” Travis asked. There could be a logical explanation for the missing bracelet. Christine may not have any part in this.

“No, she’s in good health. She has a routine and that seems to help her. Bonnie also lives with her. If there were any signs of deterioration, she would know.”

“You said today was a change of routine.”

“Mrs. Lamb comes in on Monday,” Christine explained. “She goes to the safe-deposit box, where she keeps her jewelry because she’s uncomfortable keeping it at home. This afternoon, she said she changed her mind about the jewelry she was giving to her son, Todd.”

“Does she frequently give her jewelry to her children? Maybe she already sent it to Todd.” He didn’t know why he was determined to find a reasonable explanation. It was important to him that Christine had nothing to do with it.

“She hasn’t had an opportunity to part with her jewelry,” Christine said. “Todd doesn’t visit, and Bonnie would know if her mother had mailed it.”

Travis watched Faye and Bonnie as they waited for the police to arrive. They both looked upset. “What if she wasn’t giving it to Todd?” Travis whispered to Christine. “What if she’s selling it off?”

“It’s possible that she says she’s handing it to the next generation when she’s really selling the pieces. But how would it help her to say it was lost?”

“Insurance money?” Travis suggested.

“She won’t get anything from us,” Christine said quietly. “A bank doesn’t have to pay for lost items from a safe-deposit box. Mrs. Lamb would have to see if it’s covered by her homeowner’s insurance, but that’s not always the case.”

He had run out of possible scenarios. The only explanation was that the bracelet had been stolen. “I don’t think it’s lost,” Travis murmured. “I think someone took it.”

“No.” Christine shook her head. “No way. I trust everyone in this bank.”

“Everyone?”

She met his gaze and abruptly looked away. “Yes, even you. You were nowhere near Faye Lamb and her daughter.”

But you were,
Travis thought as he watched the tension build inside Christine when she watched the police car enter the parking lot.
You were close enough to remove it from Faye. And you have an unusual habit of being around when jewels go missing.

* * *

“J
ILL
,
IT
WAS
AWFUL
,” Christine said as she took the last sip of her beer and looked around the bar later that evening. She was in the corner booth with her friend and Travis, but she felt as if she was in the harsh spotlight. She had caught the eye of more than one person. She saw the silent accusation. She heard the snatches of conversation.

Her neighbors believed she had something to do with the missing bracelet.

“We can’t find Mrs. Lamb’s bracelet anywhere,” Christine continued. “The police took a report, and I swear I felt as if I was being interrogated like a criminal.”

Jill nodded her head. “Yeah, I heard all about it.”

“I’m sure you did.” She leaned back and rested her head on Travis’s arm. It felt good to have him around. She wanted to curl into him and hold on tight. But she shouldn’t get used to the feeling. No doubt he was leaving soon and would be long gone before the case of the missing bracelet was solved.

“I heard Laurie made a big show of opening her purse and her desk to prove she didn’t have the bracelet. And then everyone followed her lead because they didn’t want to look as if they were hiding anything.” Jill rolled her eyes and took another sip of her drink. “Who needs a search warrant when you have Laurie around?”

It had felt strange to prove to her coworkers that she didn’t have the bracelet. Christine had always been considered trustworthy until today. Now the good citizens of Cedar Valley were starting to think her wild streak included stealing. “Maybe I’m paranoid, but I feel as if everyone has been giving me dirty looks all day.”

“I’m sure it’s your imagination,” Travis said.

“No,” Jill said matter-of-factly. “They think she had something to do with the missing bracelet.”

“Why?” he asked. “There’s no proof. She doesn’t have a history of stealing, does she? Why would they be quick to suspect Christine?”

Jill gave him a pointed look.

“You have to be kidding me,” Christine muttered. It was already happening. The people of Cedar Valley didn’t trust her, didn’t trust her judgment, because she was with Travis. Worse, she didn’t feel the need to hide it.

“I’m lost,” Travis admitted. “What are you talking about?”

“Christine has been in Vegas recently,” Jill said, checking off her list with her fingers. “Jumped out of a building. Gambled. Hooked up with a stranger. There’s no telling what she would do next.”

“These people know me,” Christine insisted. “I’ve never given them cause for concern.”

“They thought they knew you. But you’re changing. Right before our eyes,” Jill said with a proud smile.

Christine smacked her hand on the table. “I didn’t take the bracelet.”

“I know that,” her friend assured her. “Travis knows that. Let the dust settle and everyone will say they knew it, too.”

She shook her head. “What if they don’t find the bracelet?” The possibility made her sick. “People are going to blame me. They aren’t going to trust me or trust the bank.”

“They’ll find the bracelet,” Travis said.

Christine wasn’t so sure. They’d searched the bank and she had a bad feeling that someone she worked with had stolen the bracelet. One of her coworkers was going to let her take the fall. The idea made her stomach churn. “I need to leave,” she said as she grabbed her purse. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Jill said. “Get some sleep. Things will look better tomorrow.”

Christine seriously doubted it, but she forced a smile. “Thanks, Jill.”

“And it was good meeting you, Travis,” her friend said as Travis got up and helped Christine out of the booth. “Drop by my store anytime for a chat.”

Travis nodded and walked alongside Christine. He had his hand on the small of her back as he escorted her to the door. No one blocked her exit with Travis at her side. He made her feel safe and protected. If only he could make this whole mess go away.

“I’ve never been accused of anything like this before,” Christine said as they walked down the block to her home. “The people of Cedar Valley know me. How else would I have become bank manager?”

“This is my fault,” Travis said quietly. “My being here is causing a dent in your reputation.”

She glanced at him. The sidewalk was dark with a lone streetlamp, but she could tell the responsibility he felt weighed heavily on him. His head was bent and his shoulders hunched as he shoved his fists into his jacket pockets.

“I refuse to believe that,” she declared. “Someone is going to find that bracelet and everyone will feel guilty for blaming me. But tomorrow it’s going to be so hard to walk into the bank.”

“Then skip it,” Travis suggested. “Take the day off.”

Christine’s eyes widened. That was the last thing she should do. “I can’t miss work. I already had a three-day weekend.”

“I’m sure you have plenty of sick days. Use one of those.”

“The day after there was a missing piece of jewelry in the bank? Which most people think I’m responsible for? If I miss work, everyone will automatically think I’m guilty.”

“And if you go into work, you will have to deal with curious and angry customers. The bank is going to be a three-ring circus. That’s more reason for us to leave Cedar Valley for the day.”

Christine couldn’t shake the feeling that Travis wanted to escape Cedar Valley more than she did. He seemed restless and uneasy since he had walked into the bank earlier today.

“What would you like to do?” he asked. “I think we can find something on that bucket list of yours.”

“Travis, no.” She stopped walking. “I can’t leave. Especially not now.”

“This is the perfect time,” he argued. “Aren’t you feeling as if you’re under a microscope? That everyone is watching you?”

“Are you?” she countered.

“Yes.”

She shouldn’t have been surprised by his blunt answer. Travis obviously felt small-town living too confining. “What do you usually do when you feel this way?”

“I find another challenge. An adventure. There has to be something around here that we can do. It might take up a day or two.”

“Travis, I’m going to stay. I don’t expect you to.” Her throat tightened as she spoke. She didn’t want him to leave, but she knew she couldn’t keep him here. “You were already planning to leave before the bracelet went missing.”

He crossed his arms. “I said I’m staying here.”

“You say it as if it’s some form of punishment.” After what he’d said about his childhood, she understood his need to keep moving. Travis didn’t want to settle down and risk being like his grandmother. “I’m sorry that Cedar Valley isn’t exciting enough for you.”

He sighed. “That’s not true.”

Christine started walking again. “Oh, and that whole story about how your friend lost an emerald? You need to come up with a better excuse.”