Mini Mystery
Detective Kristine Kay motioned to her partner, Sergeant Bill Morgan, as she spoke into the phone. “We’re on our way.”
“Where’re we going?” Sergeant Morgan asked as they headed for the car.
“Emma Wilson’s at 850 Elm Street. Someone broke into her home while she was on vacation.”
Ten minutes later, the pair pulled into the Wilson driveway behind a wellpolished Cadillac. They were greeted by a visibly shaken redhead waiting for them in the yard.
Sergeant Morgan examined the entrance. “Looks like the work of an amateur.”
Detective Kay nodded. “Someone obviously took a hammer and simply smashed through the lock. No finesse.” She turned to the homeowner.
“You said you just got home. What time did you leave?”
The woman sighed. “Actually, I just spent two weeks at my cabin in the woods. I go there to relax. It’s pure solitude. I finally decided to come back home, and now I have this to deal with!”
Detective Kay pulled the door open with a gloved hand. “Let’s go inside. But be careful not to touch anything.”
As they entered the living room, Detective Kay carefully took in the topsy-turvy area.
Lush green plants stood against one corner of the room next to an overturned armchair. A small oak table was lying on its side, its contents strewn on the floor. An armoire containing glass figurines remained unscathed, but the same couldn’t be said of the crystal lamp that had been smashed on the floor. Beautifully framed pictures graced the walls. All the furnishings spoke of wealth and good taste.
Emma walked carefully over the broken crystal to a small wooden box on a pedestal. The lid was open. She peered inside. “Oh, no, he found the coin collection! It’s priceless!” Detective Kay jumped on the words. “He?” The woman nodded. “I think my ex-husband, Arnold, did this. He lost almost everything to me in the divorce and vowed he’d get revenge. I got the collection in the settlement, and it was the one thing he wanted more than the house. He knows I always go to the cabin at this time of year, and he’s smart enough to wear gloves. I bet you won’t find his fingerprints.”
Sergeant Morgan motioned to the displaced items. “It does look like an amateur trying to create a robbery.”
Detective Kay frowned. “Did anyone else know about the coins?”
The victim tipped her head. “Well, yes, there’s my cousin Jane. She was over here about a month ago, and I had shown them to her. Come to think of it, after that, she started phoning me, asking to borrow large sums of cash. She even suggested that I sell or pawn the coins to help her out, but I refused. She has a bit of a gambling problem, you see, and I knew I would never see the money again if I gave it to her. You don’t suppose . . .”
Sergeant Morgan held up a hand. “We’ll have to trace the whereabouts of your ex-husband and cousin for the past two weeks. I’m sorry, but it will probably be a long time before we discover where the coins are, if ever. Do you have insurance on them?”
“Well, yes. It’s just that I hate to think of anyone getting away with a crime.”
Detective Kay spoke up. “Don’t worry, that isn’t going to happen.” She pulled a set of silver handcuffs from her back pocket. “You’re under arrest for attempted insurance fraud, Ms. Wilson. Now where did you hide the coins?”