The next morning, Kate padded down the stairs, opened the back door for Oliver, and plugged in Sam’s coffeemaker. It was an old-fashioned model from the nineties that the baker had probably bought new. Black plastic, with a glass carafe, it made up to twelve cups at a time. And she was grateful for every single caffeinated drop.
As Oliver galloped down the stairs and slipped quietly out the door, she pulled Muriel’s bracelet out of her robe pocket and placed it carefully on the kitchen table.
As the coffeemaker burbled and gurgled, she stared at the bracelet, finally picking it up and feeling its weight in her hand. She turned it, fingering each of the charms. The plastic discs were modern and cheery. But next to the antique silver they looked cheap and awkward.
Muriel purchased the bracelet. But Stewart Lord ended up with it. So which one added the new charms? And why?
Kate recalled the antique dealer’s anger when she noticed the colorful baubles. She half-expected Rosie to rip them from the bracelet on the spot.
Oliver trotted through the back door and made a quick circle of the kitchen. He disappeared into the shop and came back with his bright red Kong. The toy had been a gift from Barb Showalter, and the puppy loved it.
Kate filled her coffee cup and splashed in some cream. As she sat down, Oliver dropped the conical toy gently next to her chair and gazed up into her eyes.
Before presenting it to Oliver, Barb had revealed that the Kong wasn’t just a toy. It was also a game. “A smart dog like Oliver needs mental stimulation,” the bookseller had explained.
And this rubber toy concealed a secret: a little niche inside to place a dollop of peanut butter, cheese, or liverwurst. It was a puzzle, treat, and toy all in one.
Unfortunately, Oliver was good at puzzles. He located and consumed the hidden treats in no time flat. Kate suspected he felt the same way about peanut butter as she did about chocolate.
“Time for a refill?” she asked the eager pup. “Already? I’m going to put a stopwatch on you one of these days,” she said softly, petting his silky head. “I think you’re setting a new record.”
She reached into the fridge and pulled out a jar of peanut butter. She smeared some onto a paper towel and then worked it into the hollow space in the toy. Then she offered the toy to Oliver.
“OK, this should keep that crafty brain of yours occupied for a few minutes. Seriously, I think it takes longer for me to put the peanut butter in than for you to get it out, you know that?”
Oliver dropped to the floor, rolled onto his back, and held the Kong with his two front paws, wrestling it energetically.
Too bad he couldn’t solve the puzzle in front of her. The puzzle of the mismatched charm bracelet. Maybe if she smeared peanut butter on it—
Suddenly Kate snatched the bracelet off the table. She carefully turned it to the dark blue plastic charm and tried to remove it from the bracelet. When that didn’t work, she grabbed a small fork from the cutlery drawer. She slid one tine gently through the charm’s metal connecting loop. When she’d pried it far enough open, she lifted it gently off of the bracelet.
The charm was heavy. Heavier than she expected, considering that it was made of plastic and chrome. She flipped it in her hand. Perfectly round, slightly larger than a quarter, and about half an inch thick. Edged all the way around with a shiny chrome band.
She grabbed the top and tugged. Nothing. She put her thumb and forefinger on the front and back of the charm, squeezed hard, and gave the link on top a quick yank. It came apart in her hand.
The two parts fit together so seamlessly, they’d looked like one. The first piece was most of the charm. Two thin round plastic discs along with almost all of the chrome band. It was hollow. The second piece was smaller. Just the metal connecting link that had fastened the charm to the bracelet, the remaining bit of the chrome band, and—protruding from that—a short USB stick.