Chapter 5
Chapter 5
Dale and Skye investigate the diamonds found in the commode. Dale discovers they are the stolen proceeds from a century-old unsolved crime. He turns them over to the authorities, receiving a $200,000 reward. He surprises Skye with a check for $50,000, wanting her to have financial breathing room. Dale learns he is now the legal owner of the commode. Skye takes time off to help him restore it, and they become 50/50 partners in the restoration. Their relationship deepens as they work together, moving to a new level of intimacy and trust.
The morning after they documented the hidden compartment, Dale woke with a plan. He had spent half the night online, searching for any history of the commode, but found nothing. The piece itself was exquisite—late Victorian, possibly by a lesser-known maker—but its provenance was a blank slate. The diamonds, however, were another matter. He had taken one of the smaller stones to a jeweler he knew in town, a reclusive man named Henry who had a reputation for discretion. Henry had examined the diamond under a loupe for a long time, then set it down and looked at Dale with worried eyes.
“Where did you get this?” Henry asked.
“It’s part of an antique piece I’m restoring,” Dale said carefully.
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