Chapter 81 I Saw Her

“Alpha, Richard has succeeded in locating the target. We are on track with the mission. They should be back in two hours with the detailed report.”

Samuel was going through the planned route to Papeno with us and concluding his report with the latest update from Group B.

“Good. Samuel, take your team to chart out the route to their base as well. Then go back to Mirage directly to update Talon.”

“Yes, Alpha,” Samuel replied.

“Group C, prepare for action. Rendevouz with Group B in two hours at 14:00.”

“Yes, Alpha!” The rest of my men replied.

“Dismissed.”

After they dispersed in small groups, I checked in with Talon over the phone and confirmed that everything back in the Capital was under control.

I looked at my watch–I had a couple hours to spare.

O

I knew what I wanted to do.

The piece of paper Talon had given me with the address of the jewelry store was burning a hole in my pocket. I had memorized how to get there from our rental before I even arrived in Avondale.

It wasn‘t far, and I got there within thirty minutes. However, now that I was already in the jewelry shop, I was hesitant

A middle–aged woman was working behind the counter, talking to another customer. I hung back, waiting for her to finish.

I looked around. It wasn‘t a high–end jewelry store, though they had some nice pieces. This was good news Rosalie‘s necklace should be memorable to these people.

The woman had finally finished with the other customer. “Can I help you, sir?” tshe asked, peering over the top of her spectacles at me.

“Yes..” I began, my breath catching in my throat as I imagined how she might answer my question. All of a sudden, I wondered whether it might have been better not to come here, that way, at least, I could still keep that faint hope in my heart.

“Sir?” she asked again,

I cleared my throat and took a deep breath. “Have you seen this necklace before?”

I pulled it out of my pocket and set it on the counter, but didn‘t let go of it.

I couldn‘t let go of it.

Oh, yes!” she exclaimed right away. “I remember that piece. Isn‘t it gorgeous? When I first saw it, I thought the gemstones had to be fake, they‘re so beautiful. But they‘re real. Every single one of them.”

I nodded, not really caring about the necklace itself. “Do you remember where it came from?”

“Where it came from?”

Bracing myself, I clarified, “Yes, do you remember who sold this necklace to your shop?”

The woman looked a bit nervous, glancing away from me. I realized that my intense tone might seem out of place for a supposed casual inquiry.

To make her cooperate, I laid down a few paper notes and softened my tone. “The owner of the necklace is very important to me.’

Money talked. The woman probably came to the conclusion that answering my question really wouldn‘t cost her anything, so after thinking for a few seconds, she spoke.

“Oh, well, we bought it from one of our regular suppliers–Bernie. He brought it over in one of his weekly runs.”

My heart crumbled in my chest. The necklace hadn‘t originally been sold here.

“But I asked Bernie the same question. ‘Who in the world sold you that?‘ I asked him. Who would want to part with something so beautiful?”

She was clearly trying to give me as many details as she could, and I was grateful for it.

She continued, “He told me some young lady brought it into his pawnshop. She seemed eager to get rid of it, he said.copy right hot novel pub