Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 53862 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 269(@200wpm)___ 215(@250wpm)___ 180(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 53862 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 269(@200wpm)___ 215(@250wpm)___ 180(@300wpm)
Magnus lowered himself to the floor and picked up one of the items she had discovered. “I think these are diamonds, Lyra. They’re not yours?”
“No. I don’t wear jewelry. It gets in my way.”
“This was the vial?” he asked, holding it up. “It looks like the top is missing. Your fingers are smaller than mine. Can you check back where you found this and see if there are more?”
“I can see what I feel.”
Joining him on the floor, Lyra glided her fingers along the lining. “There’s something hard in here.”
Carefully, she pulled out the plastic stopper for the vial. “I think there are more of those stones in there, too.”
“See what you can pull out. If we need to, we can use a small vacuum to pull out anything that’s left.”
She worked hard to pull out two more and then said, “I think that’s it.”
Magnus counted the items resting on the blue felt. There were eight in various shapes and sizes. “I think we need to check the rest of the case. Is it okay for me to run my fingers over the lining?”
“Of course. I felt a few places that were thinning or rough scattered along the body of the case.”
“Show me,” he requested.
“There was one here,” she said, running her fingers where the scroll at the top of the cello was carved into the wood. Freezing, she looked up at Magnus.
“Can you feel another vial?” he asked.
“I think so. But the fabric is together. I don’t feel a rip.”
Magnus grabbed his phone from his back pocket and shone the flashlight into that small area. “Does that look like it was repaired?”
“It doesn’t look like the untouched velvet.” She frowned. “We’re going to have to cut it, aren’t we?”
“I’m afraid so.” Magnus reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, folding knife. “Do you want to do it, or shall I?”
“Please. You do it. My hands are shaking too much,” Lyra said, holding out one hand to show him.
She held her breath as he cut a small opening. Lyra watched him stop and return the knife to his pocket.
“Lyra, I need a small, thin cloth. Like a handkerchief.”
“How about a thin sock?” she asked, standing and racing to the dresser to pull out a black dress sock.
“That’s perfect. Go grab me a plastic bag from the kitchen as well.”
“Fingerprints,” she said on an exhale.
“If we’re lucky.”
When she returned, Magnus had encased his hand in the sock. He carefully maneuvered another vial out from under the crushed velvet. Lyra held the bag out for him to drop it inside. He took it and sealed the zip top before dropping it inside next to the loose gems.
“Where else did you feel anything rough on the lining?” he asked.
“Let’s both check everywhere. Look, here’s one.” Her fingers traced that spot. “I would never have noticed this, but I don’t think there’s anything here. I can feel a notch where something was. But it’s an empty space there now.”
“Let’s count those suspicious spots.”
They were just finishing when Phoenix burst into the room. “Lyra? You’re okay?”
“I’m fine. Shattered but fine,” she said, sitting back on her heels as she exchanged looks with Magnus.
“It looks like someone was using Lyra’s cello case to smuggle gems,” Magnus said, indicating the plastic bag. “I would guess those are diamonds.”
“What? How?”
“I found blue fuzz on my tail spike. When I investigated, I found that vial open. Several gems were still in it, but some had spilled out. We found another vial at the top,” Lyra shared with Phoenix and roughly brushed her hair out of her face in exasperation.
“There were fourteen other spots in the lining where it appears other vials were hidden,” Magnus added. “I’d guess whoever is doing this hides two a trip.”
“That’s eight times he’s used me to smuggle diamonds. When I get my hands on Boyd, he’s a dead man,” Lyra hissed.
“Do you have proof that it was Boyd?” Phoenix asked.
“Not yet. The vial we found up here, we pulled out with a sock and put that vial in that bag. I’ll take it downstairs to use Celeste’s microscopes to see if there are any prints. Then, we’ll try to match him to the vial,” Magnus proposed.
“Is that why he’s so adamant about me going to Japan? The diamonds were supposed to go there?” Lyra asked.
“No one knows but Boyd,” Magnus said.
“Don’t I remember reading somewhere that diamonds are etched with a registration number?” Phoenix asked.
Magnus nodded. “That was in my mind, too. I think after a certain date, that is the current practice. That’s on my list to look at in Celeste’s lab. She’s going to love helping us solve a crime as well as medical mysteries,” Magnus said with a chuckle.
“Are you okay, Little girl?” Phoenix asked as he lowered himself to sit on the floor next to Lyra.