Lily’s shoulders lowered a little.
Noah leaned against her, and she let him.
From inside the house came the muffled sound of a drawer shutting.
Then a voice rose.
Daniel’s.
“I said that stays here!”
A second later, something heavy thudded.
I stood so quickly my chair scraped the patio.
Mr. Meyers appeared at the side gate before I could move. “Mrs. Carter.”
“What happened?”
His expression was controlled, but his eyes were alert. “Mr. Carter attempted to remove a locked metal case from the office.”
My pulse jumped. “What metal case?”
“He claims it belongs to him.”
“Does it?”
Mr. Meyers hesitated. “The case was found in your aunt’s antique writing desk.”
I stared at him.
Aunt Margaret’s desk.
She had given it to me when I was twenty-two, back when Daniel and I were newly engaged. It had sat in our home office for years, mostly ignored, its dark mahogany surface stacked with school forms, bills, and birthday invitations.
