Chapter 4: No Report On File

The older of the two officers looked from my father to me.

"What did the lady steal, Mr. Thaxton?"

"An emerald necklace," my father said.

"It belonged to my wife's mother."

"When?"

"Five years ago."

"Do you have the report number?"

My father's mouth tightened.

"We handled it privately."

The officer turned to the younger one, who was holding a tablet.

"Check the address," he said.

The younger officer typed for a moment.

"Nothing on this address, sir," he said.

"No theft, no break-in, no missing property. Not this year, not any year back to the nineties."

"The family didn't want a scandal," my mother said.

"There wasn't one," I said.

"I was out of the house by noon."

"You were out because we asked you to go," my mother said.

"It was a kindness."

"You gave me an hour to pack."

"Enough," my father said.

He turned to the officers.

"I'm reporting it now. Arrest her."

"Sir, I can take a report," the older officer said.

"Then there's an investigation. We'd start with who had access to the necklace, who found it and who has the camera footage from that night."

My father stopped.

I watched it land on his face.

"Camera footage," he said.

"If you've got a safe in the house," the officer said, "there's usually a camera on it."

"I don't need that," my father said.

"I want her removed."

"For what, sir?"

"For being here."

"Ms. Wren was invited to dinner, Mr. Thaxton," the officer said.

"By your own son, I'm told."

Edgar looked at the floor.

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