Jillian Chantal

This week’s word prompt is hook. We’re still in my murder mystery story but this is probably the last week of that since I need to save something for when it’s published.

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“So spill it on what you and Drusilla did for a business.” Jacob tapped the table with his index finger. “I’m beginning to think you just want someone to keep you company.”

“Now, now, Detective, you’re getting testy with me like your partner.”

“You have to admit, you’ve been trying to delay giving us what we came for. I have to tell you, we have another person in lockup that we need to speak to. Since you’re going to be here awhile, we may should go chat with that person first.”

“Suit yourself.” Linus shrugged. “Is it a man or a woman?”

“Does it matter?”

“Sure. Depending on who it is, I probably have more to offer.”

“That’s probably true, Linus, but my partner and I need to decide where best to spend our time and even though I’m enjoying your banter, it seems that all we’re accomplishing here is to give you an audience.” Jacob closed his notepad and stood

“It was gemstones,” Linus said, as if he were afraid Jacob was headed out of the room.

Jacob sat and opened his pad. “Gems?”

“Yeah. I have a source where I can get them at a good cost. She had some wealthy friends and we were going to try our hands at selling gems to them. She’d even looked into renting a store and hiring a stone setter to work in the back so we could sell some as already made jewelry for people in a hurry for birthday or anniversary gifts. But most of it was going to be unset stones. Cheaper for us and less chance of customer complaints.”

“In what way?” Jacob asked.

“If they bought loose stones and had to take them elsewhere to have them set, we wouldn’t be on the hook if a clasp broke or something like that.”

“What happened? I presume you and she never opened that store?”

‘Na. Bitch betrayed me. I brought her the gems and, at first, she was selling them on the side and giving me my part as well as the cost of the product. Before too long, she started saying she hadn’t had a sale in a while and maybe we needed more variety.”

“Did you find out she was stealing from you?”

“She sure was. Never did stop selling. She hid the money and the gems. Did you find them?”

Maggie didn’t want Jacob to tell Linus they had the gems but he did. “Yeah, we found them. We also found some gold.”

“That’s my property. Where’d you find it? I tried to look for it.”

“When you murdered her?” Maggie asked.

Linus shot her a look then turned back to Jacob. He jerked his hands off the table, rattling his chains. “Is that chick for real? What’d she think I was going to say? That’d I suddenly confess all since you people have my property?”