Diamond Deceit by Carolyn Keene Page B

“Unless she planned on coming into some big money soon—money from the sale of some diamonds!”
    â€œWhat are you talking about?” George asked, crinkling up her nose.
    Nancy sat forward excitedly. “George, I have a feeling that the person who stole Joanna Burton’s diamonds was Joanna herself!”

Chapter

Thirteen
    G EORGE WAS STARING at Nancy as if she’d lost her mind. “Will you please speak English?” she said. “Nothing you just said makes sense.”
    â€œOkay. Let’s say Joanna Burton replaced the diamonds with cubic zirconia herself,” Nancy began. “Then she pretended that someone else made the switch so she could collect on her insurance for the missing diamonds.”
    Understanding lit up George’s brown eyes. “That would be an ideal way for her to raise money,” she agreed. “Then she’d have the insurance money and the diamonds, in case she needed to sell them to raise more money.”
    Nancy frowned as another thought occurred to her. “Wait a minute. If Joanna Burton did steal her own diamonds, then who killed her? And why?”
    â€œMaybe she caught someone trying to take the diamonds from her, and that person got scared and killed her,” George suggested, shrugging.
    â€œThat makes sense,” Nancy agreed. “Or maybe the guilty person is someone who might profit from her death. I don’t see what reason Cy Baxter would have, or his assistant. Joanna Burton’s agent, Stephanie, would only lose money if she murdered the actress.”
    Nancy paused, snapping her fingers. “The only person who’s come out ahead in this scheme is Morgan Fowler. He has a role in a movie and a new agent!”
    Bess pulled the car up to the curb and honked. After climbing in, Nancy and George quickly filled Bess in on what they had been discussing.
    â€œWhat?” Bess exclaimed, her mouth hanging open. “Do you really think she’d steal her own diamonds and let someone else take the blame?”
    â€œMaybe if she wanted to make a film comeback badly enough,” Nancy answered. “I wish I could go out to Joanna Burton’s house and look around, but I’m sure the police have it sealed off. Maybe I could find something out there to help me figure this out.”
    â€œLike the diamonds?” Bess asked.
    Nancy nodded. “Or some clue as to who Miss Burton’s killer was.”
    Within minutes the girls had arrived at the Provence Inn. As soon as they got to Nancy andGeorge’s room Bess went for Ted’s videocassette recorder, and George unpacked their dinner.
    â€œDon’t think about doing anything but resting tonight,” Bess told Nancy. “You’re getting into bed and staying there.”
    Nancy didn’t protest. Her ankle was throbbing painfully, and she didn’t think she could have made it to Joanna Burton’s house even if there was a way for her to get in. When Bess brought her two of her pills for pain, Nancy took them gratefully.
    â€œLet’s eat and watch the movie at the same time,” Bess suggested, slipping the videocassette into the VCR.
    When Bess turned off the lights, Nancy set her half-eaten roast beef sandwich aside and tried to get comfortable. She wasn’t sure she’d seen this movie before. It opened with Trish attending a formal dinner. There were lots of people Nancy knew she should be able to name but couldn’t. About halfway through the dinner one of the guests discovered that her diamond ring was missing.
    Nancy blinked, trying to stay awake. “Boy, this medicine is really making me sleepy,” she murmured.
    â€œMmm,” Bess said vaguely, her attention focused on the screen.
    Nancy’s lids were growing heavier and heavier. She decided to rest her eyes for just a minute.
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    In the back of her mind Nancy heard a squeaking noise she couldn’t quite identify.