The Locket Read online

She sat in the easy chair across from him. “Of course. Anything I can do to help the police.” Her wrinkled cheeks creased even more with her smile.

  “As I recall, when we talked about your daughter, you mentioned a necklace.” He pulled the golden chain and pendant from his pocket. “I wonder if it looked something like this one.”

  Martha Settle pushed herself up with the chair arm and waddled across to him. “My eyesight isn’t what it used to be.” She held the side of her glasses, bent and studied the heart-shaped necklace. She straightened, sadness reflecting in her gaze. “It’s identical to the one I donated when my Deb died. Where did you get it?”

  “It’s a long story and one I won’t bore you with, but you’ve been a great help.”

  Martha Settle took a hanky from her pocket and blotted away tears. “I’ve often wished I’d kept her locket. It was mine first, but I never wore it. I don’t suppose you’d be willing to part with it.”

  O’Day rolled his eyes. “Trust me, Mrs. Settle. You made the right decision getting rid of it. I’m sorry to dredge up painful memories, but I have to hold on to this.” He put the necklace back in his pocket. “It...it’s evidence.”

  A lie was much easier than the truth. He thanked her for her time, left and walked back to his car. His fingers locked on the door handle, he stared back at the house. Would Deborah Settle still be alive if not for this necklace? He almost believed she would.

  As he fired the engine to life and drove away, his dilemma became what to do with the so-called cursed pendant. He couldn’t just throw the piece away, and he certainly didn’t want anyone to risk owning something so vile. He knew the perfect hiding place: the evidence locker at work. They never got rid of anything, as the boxes lining the walls of the huge room attested. He’d simply slip the pendant into one of the closed-case cartons and be done with it.

  The Locket

  Boston, July 2003

  “I can’t believe we’re finally getting out of the old building and into a new one.” A young uniformed officer carried an armload of boxes into the break room. “How long has the department been housed here?”

  “Longer than I can remember,” his friend answered. He went through open boxes and sorted the various items inside into stacks on a second table. “According to the date on this box, this case was closed in 1942.”

  The younger one opened a box and pulled out the paperwork. “Hey, Tony, look at this one. The file inside says 1940, and someone named O’Day was the investigator.”

  “I remember that name. Isn’t he listed on the remembrance wall? He died years ago.”

  “They sure did things differently back then. Who needs to hold on to boxes of crap for sixty years?”

  “Careful what you call crap, Vin. The department yard sale we’re planning is going to make some great money off this stuff.”

  “Yeah, and where does that money go?” Vin pulled a wrinkled shirt splattered with blood from his box. “Who would want this?”

  Tony rolled his eyes. “That goes in the trash. We’re looking for anything in decent condition that isn’t gross that can earn us a few bucks. We’re donating the proceeds to charity.”

  “Hey, how about this?” Vin held up a thin golden chain. “Wait.” He reached along the side of the cardboard and produced a heart-shaped pendant. “I think these pieces go together, but there’s a break in the link. Too bad.”

  “Let me see.” Tony inspected the chain. “I can fix this.”

  He set the pieces aside. “After I make the repair, I’ll add the necklace to the other jewelry we’ve found. Some lady somewhere is going to love owning this pretty little neck ornament.”

  About the Author:

  Author Ginger Simpson lives in Tennessee with her husband, Kelly, and dotes on her grandson Spencer. She writes whenever the opportunity presents itself. Her first novel debuted in 2003, and since then she’s continued to listen to the voices in her head that seem to lead her in the right direction. Her hubby is her biggest fan and stakes claim to the inspiration behind any romance scenes.

  You can keep up with Ginger at her blog…a very active place, http://mizging.blogspot.com.

  She also loves emails from contented readers—she can be reached at [email protected].

  More of Ginger’s books from Eternal Press:

  Odessa

  White Heart, Lakota Spirit

  Prairie Peace

  Sparta Rose

  Sisters in Time

  Sarah’s Journey

  Amazing Grace

  Chastity’s Charm

  Forever Faith

  Hope Springs Eternal

  Paging Dr. Jones

  Virginia’s Miracle

  Also from Ginger Simpson:

  Odessa

  by Ginger Simpson

  eBook ISBN: 9781615722945

  Print ISBN: 9781615722952

  Western Romance

  Novel of 63,127 words

  When the wagon carrying Odessa Clay and her father overturns, he is killed. She is left alone in the middle of the desert to try to find her way to kin in Phoenix. Hot, dry and scared, Odessa is near death when Zach Johnson finds her. Squinting up into his tanned and handsome face, she imagines she’s died and gone to heaven.

  Would-be-outlaw, Zach comes across an unconscious woman alone in the middle of nowhere. Where did she come from? She appears young, but the curves beneath the dusty gingham say otherwise. He didn’t plan to become someone’s hero, but he cannot leave her helpless and stranded.

  Will the promise of Odessa’s sweet lips lure Zach from the secret mission that has his gut twisted into a knot? His father’s ranch isn’t the only thing at stake—now it’s his heart, too.

  Also from Eternal Press:

  If I Should Die

  by Sally Franklin Christie

  eBook ISBN: 9781615722112

  Print ISBN: 9781615722129

  Thriller Suspense

  Short Novel of 50,501 words

  Murder, embezzlement, betrayal, and silence…

  Peyton Farley, a southwest Montana newspaper researcher, awakens to find a man bleeding to death on her kitchen floor. The stranger draws one last gurgling breath. As Peyton awaits the arrival of the first responders, the man’s body disappears. Local authorities accuse Peyton of murder. No sooner is she released from custody on charges of murder and illegal disposal of a body, when she is abducted by a cab driver named Tater. If I Should Die is a nonstop page-turner involving murder, embezzlement, and the ultimate betrayal.