Chapter 9 - NATHAN BENNETT’S LAST CUSTOMER
Police reopened Nathan Bennett’s death.
The truth was almost painfully ordinary.
Nathan had not been assassinated by Walter.
Not by Michael.
Not by James.
The man responsible was a private investigator hired by one of Dominic Moretti’s former associates.
He had gone to Nathan’s shop looking for the necklace.
Nathan refused to cooperate.
The investigator injected him with a drug intended to frighten and incapacitate him.
Nathan’s heart failed.
The man panicked.
He staged the death as natural.
He was arrested twelve months later.
Grace cried when the detective called.
Emma did not.
Not until closing time.
She sat at Nathan’s workbench and finally broke.
Anthony found her there.
He placed something on the table.
Her unfinished pendant.
Completed.
Emma stared.
“You finished it?”
“No.”
“Who did?”
“You.”
She frowned.
Anthony placed a box of professional tools beside it.
“I found Nathan’s old training notebooks.”
Emma opened them.
Every page contained diagrams.
Instructions.
Corrections.
Notes.
Nathan had been writing a jewelry course for Emma.
On the final page:
FOR EMMA — WHEN YOUR HANDS ARE READY.
She cried harder.
Anthony sat quietly.
After a while Emma asked:
“Why are you here?”
“I need a jeweler.”
“For what?”
He placed Eleanor’s pearl necklace on the bench.
“Repair it.”
Emma wiped her eyes.
“I’m twelve.”
“I can wait.”
“How long?”
“As long as it takes.”
Emma smiled.
“Grandpa would charge you a lot.”
“I assumed.”
For the first time since Nathan died, the workshop no longer felt empty.
It felt unfinished.
May you like
There was a difference.
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