“So probably an outrider,” Tidwell said. “A lookout.”
“That’s the feeling I got, too,” Theodosia said. “So there were four people in this gang? But no motorcycle has been recovered? No bikes reported stolen or found stashed in a back alley somewhere?”
“Not yet.”
Drayton, who’d been listening the entire time, turned and placed a teacup in front of Tidwell and poured him a cup of tea. “We might have a small problem,” he said.
Tidwell picked up his teacup and inhaled the aroma. “This is an oolong?”
Drayton nodded. “A fancy Formosan oolong.”
“Ah yes. I’m picking up a slight oxidation now.” Tidwell gazed over his teacup, his eyes slightly bulging. “And what exactly is your problem, Mr. Conneley?”
“The thing is,” Drayton said, “the Heritage Society’s Rare Antiquities Show kicks off this Saturday night.”
“I see your concern and can easily put your mind at ease,” Tidwell said. “I shall be happy to assign additional officers for added security.”
“I’d appreciate that,” Drayton said. “Since we have some particularly valuable items coming in for the show.”
Tidwell didn’t seem all that worried. “And those items would be . . . ?”
“Well,” Drayton said, looking suddenly thoughtful as his brows pinched together. “There is the matter of the Fabergé egg.”
4
Theodosia had been reaching for a tin of Japanese green tea. She stopped, mid-reach, still balancing on her tiptoes and said, “What?” Had she heard Drayton correctly? The Heritage Society was going to put a priceless treasure on display? “You’re putting a Fabergé egg on display?” she asked, her voice rising in alarm. She didn’t know what the going price of jeweled eggs was these days, but she figured they weren’t cheaper by the dozen and probably sold for a pretty penny. Especially since there weren’t many reigning czars around anymore to wave their scepter and commission one.
“A genuine Fabergé egg?” Tidwell asked. Now he seemed startled by Drayton’s announcement as well.
Drayton looked suddenly proud of the Heritage Society’s big coup. “Oh yes. We managed to obtain an honest-to-goodness Peter the Great egg on loan from Virginia’s Thuringer Museum.”
“When is it supposed to arrive?” Theodosia asked.
“We’re expecting it any day now,” Drayton said.
“And what is the egg’s value?” Tidwell asked.
Drayton fidgeted with his bow tie. “Oh, I don’t know exactly.”
“I’ll bet you could make a good guesstimate,” Theodosia said. “Come on, stun us with a ballpark figure.”
Drayton looked around quickly, as if fearing he might be overheard. “By recent auction estimates, this particular Fabergé egg is worth somewhere in the neighborhood of twenty to thirty million dollars.”
Theodosia’s eyes went wide. “It’s worth millions? Dear Lord. That must be some fancy egg.”
“And some fancy neighborhood,” Tidwell said.
“Well, yes,” Drayton said. “The egg is practically priceless. So you can see why I might be worried.”
Theodosia thought for a moment and decided they’d probably have ample security guards. “You know, you probably shouldn’t sweat it.”
Tidwell shook his head vigorously. “Oh no, he definitely should.”
“What?” Theodosia said. “Seriously?” Now she put herself smack-dab in Tidwell’s face. “But you’re the one who’s hard at work on this Heart’s Desire mess, and the FBI has also been called in. I was assuming the robbery would be solved in a matter of days. That the jewels would all be returned to their rightful owners, and the robbers apprehended and cooling their heels in a nice dank jail cell.”
“It doesn’t work that way,” Tidwell said.
Theodosia was sticking to her guns. “Well, it should.”
“How does it work?” Drayton asked.
Tidwell grimaced. “Unfortunately, there are hundreds of major jewel heists that are never solved.”
“Never?” Theodosia squeaked. This didn’t sound good.
“Gems and jewelry,” Tidwell said, “diamonds in particular, are the most concentrated form of wealth. They’re small, portable, and easy to convert into cash. They’re the one form of currency that’s pretty much accepted anywhere in the world. From Zaire to Zagreb. Moscow to Monaco.”
“You’re talking as if we’re all playing parts in some grand caper movie,” Drayton said. “To Catch a Thief with Cary Grant. Where jewels are stolen and everybody sits around on the Riviera drinking cappuccinos.”
“I wish that were the case,” Tidwell told him. “Unfortunately, in the U.S. alone, the jewelry industry loses more than one hundred million dollars a year to theft.”