Winters & Somers by Glenys O'Connell Page B

when I did that year's exchange in the States? Anyway, they
won’t let him take more time off, so it’s either go home, or resign at the end
of the year. And he loves that job too much to quit.”
                Cíara
was silent, wondering at that funny tight feeling in her stomach, a feeling she
didn't want to examine. Of course she wanted Winters out of her life. But
knowing he was going brought up all sorts of complications for the business, if
he won their bet and stayed at Somers Agency. She swallowed hard. Winters &
Somers had such a ring to it. Maybe she could keep the name after he was gone…
                “So
that’s why you won’t have any photographs taken? You don’t want to give away
your police identity!” Realization dawned.
                “That’s
right – can you imagine the problems that would cause, both in investigations
and in dealing with the tough guys?”
                “To
say nothing of the way his mates would josh him!” Bill added with a sly grin.
Winters shot him a look of loathing. Then the conversation drifted off to other
things, finally alighting on the Diamond Darling and the thefts that Bill was
involved in with his detective team.
                “We’ve
hardly any leads,” he confided. “This guy’s a pro. Uses gloves, probably some
kind of disposable coveralls because he leaves nothing behind. But he – or she
– does know his stuff. Only the best for our thief, I can tell you. We figure
he must be someone with some experience in the jewelry industry. We even sent a
guy down to a jewelers’ convention in Waterford last weekend, just to see if he
could pick up any clues.”
                At
the mention of the jewelry convention, Cíara tried very hard not to meet
Winters' eye. She was certain now that he was her erstwhile rescuer, and her
cheeks still flushed when she thought of the names Wallace had called her.
      To say nothing of the hefty thwack of Grace
Muldoon’s umbrella on the side of his head, for his troubles.
    The bruise was still livid – and she imagined
he’d be livid, too, if he recognized her!
                To
her horror, when she looked up from her meal, he eyeing her speculatively. But
as soon as he caught her glance he looked away.
      Jeez, don’t let him figure that out!
                “But we got nothing.
It looks as though he’s smuggling the goods out of the country, 'cos none of
them have surfaced here and believe me, we’ve leaned pretty heavily on all the
likely fences who would deal in this kind of thing,” Bill continued.
                “Maybe
he’s breaking them down,” Winters suggested.
                “Even
so, precious gems of this quality, I mean we really are talking the best stuff
here, they’d be noticed. Besides which, some of the stuff he's taken would be
more valuable whole, because of historical provenance.”
    As their coffee arrived, Bill leaned down to the
briefcase beside his chair and pulled out a sheaf of photocopies. “Maybe you
could take a look at these – I shouldn’t really, but Jon is a police officer
and I had the go-ahead to ask him to consult.”
                “Darling,
our first job,” Winters murmured in her ear, his breath tickling the delicate
skin and making her shiver.
                “Yeah,
whatever,” she snapped.
                Several
minutes later, she commented: “The only thing that seems to be in common here
is that all these victims say they held dinner parties just a few days before
they were robbed.”
                “Yeah,
that’s true. But you should see the guest lists, all wealthy beyond our wildest
dreams – except maybe you, Jon.” Bill grinned as the other man scowled.
                “J.V.Winters
as a suspect, how delectable!” Cíara exclaimed.
                “Sorry,
to disappoint you, love, but he’s too