Frederick said.
“Actually, we can,” Mac said. “Gnarly tracked down the smell of the rifle that was recently fired to the grandfather clock in the hallway at the top of the stairs. Since you haven’t have time to change your clothes, I’m sure a test of your hands and clothes will show that you fired that rifle.”
“Frederick,” Millicent sobbed. “Why? We all trusted you.”
“You have no idea how much all those jewels and paintings, all of them real—that are scattered all over this mansion are really worth,” Frederick said. “But I do. I’ve had plenty of time over the years while cleaning them to find out for myself. Over three hundred million—and all Celeste left me was a lousy five million dollars as a gift for my loyalty all those years.”
“So you decided to invest your inheritance in Celeste’s treasures and cut out competition in the bidding by bribing the assessor into declaring them as fakes and copies,” Mac said. “But when Catherine discovered they were real, your plan went south. You went into survival mode and killed your partners.”
“I would have gotten away with it,” Frederick said, “if it weren’t for you and your stupid bird dog.”
Mac and Archie came in from the front porch after watching the police drive off with Frederick. Reginald Patterson was hurrying back to the city in a race to beat Millicent’s auditors. At least he didn’t have the three hundred million dollars’ worth of stolen treasures.
“Well, that was some auction,” Catherine said.
They looked up the stairs to see Eli Harris descending with the Renoir in his hands.
Ben jumped into lawyer mode. “What are you doing? The statute of limitations—”
“I’m giving it back to the museum,” Millicent announced from the top of the stairs before following Eli down. “That’s where it belongs. We’ve already called the museum and they’re sending over two armed guards to escort Eli and the painting back. He is going to present it to the museum personally.”
“In front of reporters,” Eli said with a smile.
“Looks like you’ve redeemed yourself,” Mac said.
“Couldn’t have done it without your help, Mac.” Eli gripped Mac’s hand.
“You were the one who didn’t give up the trail when it got cold,” Mac said. “It was fresh again when I picked it up.”
“Are you giving back everything your mother stole?” Catherine asked Millicent.
“Only the famous pieces of art that she had stolen from museums,” Millicent said. “As for the jewels, she had broken all of them down. So I’m going to lend the gowns to the Smithsonian.”
“Those gowns are pieces of art.” Catherine turned to Mac, “Too bad that you don’t get to keep the diamond gown.”
“It isn’t my color,” Mac said.
“Did you notice how heavy that thing was?” Archie said. “It has to weigh at least twenty-five pounds.”
“All in precious stones,” Catherine gushed. “Now that is a dress to die for.”
The End
C OUNTDOWN TO M URDER
A Lovers in Crime Mystery Short
What did people do before ATMs were invented? Same thing they did before God invented credit cards. They only bought what they had the money to buy …
Cameron grimaced at her reflection in her SUV’s rearview mirror. Her greenish-brown eyes narrowed to accentuate the laugh lines in the corner of her eyes.
I sound like my mother. Am I really that old? Isn’t forty supposed to be the new thirty, which used to be middle-aged? Not anymore. If I’m so young, why do I sound like my mother?
Ordering herself to get on with it, Cameron climbed out of her car and went into the ATM booth next to the shopping center in Robinson Township, outside Pittsburgh. She slipped her card into the slot and punched in the PIN number.
Quick cash? Then I’ll be back here in a couple of days. But then, I don’t like carrying lots of cash. Ah, just go for the whole hundred bucks.
She hit the button for a hundred dollars.
The booth’s door opened
“Actually, we can,” Mac said. “Gnarly tracked down the smell of the rifle that was recently fired to the grandfather clock in the hallway at the top of the stairs. Since you haven’t have time to change your clothes, I’m sure a test of your hands and clothes will show that you fired that rifle.”
“Frederick,” Millicent sobbed. “Why? We all trusted you.”
“You have no idea how much all those jewels and paintings, all of them real—that are scattered all over this mansion are really worth,” Frederick said. “But I do. I’ve had plenty of time over the years while cleaning them to find out for myself. Over three hundred million—and all Celeste left me was a lousy five million dollars as a gift for my loyalty all those years.”
“So you decided to invest your inheritance in Celeste’s treasures and cut out competition in the bidding by bribing the assessor into declaring them as fakes and copies,” Mac said. “But when Catherine discovered they were real, your plan went south. You went into survival mode and killed your partners.”
“I would have gotten away with it,” Frederick said, “if it weren’t for you and your stupid bird dog.”
Mac and Archie came in from the front porch after watching the police drive off with Frederick. Reginald Patterson was hurrying back to the city in a race to beat Millicent’s auditors. At least he didn’t have the three hundred million dollars’ worth of stolen treasures.
“Well, that was some auction,” Catherine said.
They looked up the stairs to see Eli Harris descending with the Renoir in his hands.
Ben jumped into lawyer mode. “What are you doing? The statute of limitations—”
“I’m giving it back to the museum,” Millicent announced from the top of the stairs before following Eli down. “That’s where it belongs. We’ve already called the museum and they’re sending over two armed guards to escort Eli and the painting back. He is going to present it to the museum personally.”
“In front of reporters,” Eli said with a smile.
“Looks like you’ve redeemed yourself,” Mac said.
“Couldn’t have done it without your help, Mac.” Eli gripped Mac’s hand.
“You were the one who didn’t give up the trail when it got cold,” Mac said. “It was fresh again when I picked it up.”
“Are you giving back everything your mother stole?” Catherine asked Millicent.
“Only the famous pieces of art that she had stolen from museums,” Millicent said. “As for the jewels, she had broken all of them down. So I’m going to lend the gowns to the Smithsonian.”
“Those gowns are pieces of art.” Catherine turned to Mac, “Too bad that you don’t get to keep the diamond gown.”
“It isn’t my color,” Mac said.
“Did you notice how heavy that thing was?” Archie said. “It has to weigh at least twenty-five pounds.”
“All in precious stones,” Catherine gushed. “Now that is a dress to die for.”
The End
C OUNTDOWN TO M URDER
A Lovers in Crime Mystery Short
What did people do before ATMs were invented? Same thing they did before God invented credit cards. They only bought what they had the money to buy …
Cameron grimaced at her reflection in her SUV’s rearview mirror. Her greenish-brown eyes narrowed to accentuate the laugh lines in the corner of her eyes.
I sound like my mother. Am I really that old? Isn’t forty supposed to be the new thirty, which used to be middle-aged? Not anymore. If I’m so young, why do I sound like my mother?
Ordering herself to get on with it, Cameron climbed out of her car and went into the ATM booth next to the shopping center in Robinson Township, outside Pittsburgh. She slipped her card into the slot and punched in the PIN number.
Quick cash? Then I’ll be back here in a couple of days. But then, I don’t like carrying lots of cash. Ah, just go for the whole hundred bucks.
She hit the button for a hundred dollars.
The booth’s door opened
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