“It’s okay,” I replied, stepping into the room with her. “We can sit at the table inhere.”
She set the mugs down and wrapped her arms around me in a bear hug. “It’s so good to see you,” she murmured, stroking my hair with one hand. She pulled back, forehead wrinkled with concern. “How are you feelingtoday?”
“Still pretty shocked, but I’mokay.”
“Did you hear anything new from the Royal Fallspolice?”
“No. Didyou?”
Her lips tightened. “Not yet. They’re really taking their time, aren’tthey?”
“It’s only been twenty hours since it happened,” Isaid.
“I know, but I bet you they’d care a lot more about the case if your home address said Royal Falls instead of Silvercreek. Or if your last name was Vanderbilt or Kensington.” She sighed and rubbed at her brow. “You know, I’m really starting to hate thattown.”
“I don’t blame you. It definitely has a dark side,” I said as I took a seat at the table. I put my phone down next to my coffee cup so that Hunter could hear everything clearly. “Anyway… there’s something I wanted to talk to youabout.”
Mom sat down across from me and wrapped her hands around her steaming mug. “What is it?” she asked, tilting herhead.
I reached into my coat pocket and pulled out Lindsay’s necklace. “I want to know where you got this,” I said, depositing it on the table betweenus.
Two lines appeared between her brows as she stared at it. “Your necklace?” she said. “You already know where I gotit.”
“Could you tell meagain?”
She shifted in her seat, hands tightening around the mug. “I found it at the pawn shop in town,remember?”
“Whichone?”
“There’s only one. It’s next to the hardwarestore.”
“And you’re absolutely sure you got itthere?”
“Yes.” She lifted her chin. “Why?”
“I was just at the pawn shop, and the owner said he’s never seen it before. He checked his files, too, and there was no record ofit.”
Mom’s eyes narrowed. “You’ve been checking up onme?”
I lifted a palm. “I know I seem horribly ungrateful for looking into it, and I’m sorry for that, but it’s really important that you tell me the truth about where this necklace camefrom.”
“I already told you. I got it at the pawn shop,” she said stubbornly. “The owner must’ve forgotten aboutit.”
I leaned forward. “Please, Mom. I know you didn’t get it there, and I really need to know thetruth.”
She let out a deep sigh and rubbed her eyes. “Fine,” she muttered in a defeated tone. “I’ll tell you. But you can’t tell anyoneelse.”
“Why?” I asked, heart racing. “Did you stealit?”
Her brows shot up and her cheeks flushed. “No! Of course not!” she said, voice heavy with indignation. “How could you even ask such athing?”
“Sorry,” I said meekly. “I just really need to know where it camefrom.”
She went quiet for a few seconds. “Someone gave it to me and asked me to give it to you,” she finally said. “They told me to make up a story about a pawn shop, or something like that, in case you or anyone else ever asked where I got it.” She paused and gestured toward the sparkling gems on the pendant. “I probably would’ve made up a story like that anyway, because I could never afford something likethis.”
My eyes widened. “Are you serious? Someone just handed it to you and asked you to lie, and you went ahead and didit?”
“I know it sounds ridiculous, but that person had a valid reason to ask me to lie. Trustme.”