“Why, that’s pretty,” Becca said as she moved up the diner counter and refilled Alice’s coffee cup. “Where did you get it?”
“Someone must have dropped it.”
In fact, that was the conclusion she’d come to over lunch at the diner. But she thought it better not to mention where she’d found it.
Becca leaned forward and dropped her voice to a whisper. “You found it in the bookstore, didn’t you?”
Alice hesitated. Who could she trust—and who couldn’t she? Becca was the one who’d nudged her into investigating. She’d given her the key to the bookstore. She could be an important ally in tracking down the killer.
“You’re right,” Alice said. “I found it where Vince died. Do you recognize it?”
Becca took the necklace and held it up to the light.
“Simple gold chain. The rings are small, which might be more typical of a woman’s necklace, but honestly, this could’ve been worn by a man, too.” She raised an eyebrow at Alice. “You think the killer dropped this?”
“It’s possible.”
She told Becca about finding it dangling from a beam, and Becca nodded. “Maybe Vince struggled with his attacker and tore this off.”
“Exactly. The chain falls off, but when the killer searches the floor, they can’t find it—because it’s caught on the scaffolding.”
“It makes sense,” Becca said. Then, with a sigh, she handed Alice the necklace again. “But it’s speculation. It doesn’t confirm that there was a killer, let alone who the killer was. Though I suppose the killer might worry they’d left behind some evidence.”
“And they’d come back,” Alice said, nodding.
At first, Becca seemed to have doubted that Alice saw someone run from the bookstore when Vince died. But her doubts had clearly vanished, and it convinced Alice to take her further into her confidence. She shared what she’d witnessed in the bookstore—the deal between Bunce and Darrell.
Becca gave a low whistle. “Things are moving fast. The Oriels have barely walked away from the deal and Darrell’s already swooped in. But honestly, I don’t know why I should be surprised. That man usually gets what he wants.”
“And if he doesn’t?”
“Oh, he makes sure that he does.”
Alice sipped her coffee, considering what she’d learned so far. Her best lead was the necklace.
“Where would someone buy a necklace like this?”
Becca shrugged. “Love Again carries jewelry. You might want to check with the owner, Esther.”
Becca looked at the chain again. “Like a gold string. In Barnaby Rudge, Dickens wrote, ‘There are strings in the human heart that had better not be vibrated.’” She gave Alice a meaningful look. “You’d better be careful.”