SIREN'S TEARS (ALTON RHODE MYSTERIES Book 3) by Lawrence de Maria

headed toward the dining room, where I could see some displays already set up on a table. I looked around for the bar. It turned out there were two of them, one in the living room and one in an enclosed sun porch. And you couldn’t turn around without bumping into a waiter or waitress holding a tray of canapés. The evening did have some possibilities after all. Nancy was soon enveloped in conversations with a variety of people. I nodded, smiled and bounced between the bars. I was talking to a Supreme Court judge I knew when I heard Norma D’Elcio shout for everyone’s attention.
    “We’re going to start the jewelry sale. Please come into the dining room.”
    We gathered around a very attractive Hispanic woman who was standing in front of the dining room table, on which were trays of jewelry. Behind the trays were several of the felt-covered display boards with more jewelry.
    “My name is Rosa,” the woman said. “If you have any questions, please ask me or Carmel.” She pointed at another woman standing at the other end of the table. “All the jewelry is clearly marked, and severely discounted, but perhaps I can do better on certain items, or for multiple items.”
    A woman asked, “Are they knockoffs?”
    “No, no,” Rosa said vehemently. “This is all original Tiffany, and new, not resale. You can see the markings.”
    Norma chimed in, “It’s part of a new Tiffany promotion to generate business at the stores, right, Rosa?”
    “That’s right. None of this jewelry is really high-end. Tiffany wants people to know that they have something for everyone, in all price ranges. I shouldn’t be telling you this, but you will be getting much of this jewelry near cost. Tiffany is not looking to make money with this program, only generate future business and customer loyalty.”
    She was really good.
    Everyone started picking through the jewelry. It was mostly silver, and priced between $25 and $500. The most expensive items were some pearl necklaces. I knew something about Tiffany prices, and I estimated that everything was at least 70% discounted. Not surprisingly, the women hit the table like bluefish hitting a school of menhaden. Even the men went a little nuts. I saw the Civil Court judge flip a coin with a Criminal Court counterpart over a flask they both spotted at the same time.
    Nancy bought some hoop earrings. I bought a keychain for $25, one of those horseshoe things with a ball at one end that unscrewed. I wouldn’t use it, having never found anything better to hold a set of keys than the little plastic crampons they sell at novelty stores. I spotted a silver compact that I thought Alice might like. I didn’t have enough cash on me, but that didn’t matter. Checks were readily accepted and Rosa and her helper also had hand-held credit card readers.
    There was a lot of “oohing and ahhing,” and in a half hour most of the merchandise was gone. I met Nancy back at the sun porch bar.
    “Do me a small favor,” I said. “Go over to that Rosa woman and ask her how you can contact her. Tell her you’d like to host a party like this.”
    “Why?”
    “I’m curious.”
    “I could just ask Norma.”
    “Maybe we’ll have to. But I’d like to see what Rosa says.”
    She looked at me.
    “And for some reason you don’t want to ask her yourself. Because it would make her suspicious. What’s up?”
    “I’ll tell you later. I’ve just deputized you. So mosey on over there. I have to check something outside.”
    “Mosey?”
    “Isn’t that what Wyatt Earp would say?”
    “I sincerely doubt it.”
    I wandered out the front door and walked to the van. The two workmen were leaning against it, smoking.
    “How you guys doing? Can I bring you out something to eat, or some coffee?”
    “No, thank you,” one of them said. He had a gold earring. I wondered if it was from Tiffany.
    “It’s a madhouse in there,” I said. “I got between some broad and some necklace and almost got knocked over.”
    They