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The Castro Diamonds, Part 2

Death By Chocolate

By Daniel McShanePublished 3 years ago Updated 3 years ago 5 min read
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The Castro Diamonds, Part 2
Photo by Umesh Soni on Unsplash

(...continued from The Castro Diamonds: Old Barn)

"I don't really understand what they could be after," said Will.

"The diamonds, of course," replied Davis through a mouthful of delicious cake.

He and Davis were sitting at the Reedy kitchen table taking turns scooping forkfuls of chocolate cake into their mouths. Davis' wife Stella was a lawyer, but she was an excellent baker as well. It was her hobby, away from the stresses of legal debate and courtroom decisions. The guys were always grateful, even if their waistlines suffered a little.

"But they can't possibly think I have them, or even knew about them. I live in a trailer for heaven's sake." Will shoved a heaping mound of chocolate frosting into his mouth and continued, "I APPLIED for the FBI, too. I mean, they wouldn't look at me twice if I had some stolen diamonds laying around..." He swallowed the frosting.

"They didn't look at you three times, so... there's that."

"Uuhh! Still not helpful."

"Look Will, don't get worked up just yet. We'll ask Stella to go to the field office with us in the morning, and that Conrad fella can make his case to her. There's gotta be, like, a statute of limitations or something that can be applied. Or something legal." They both attempted to stab the same piece of cake. Davis won.

As Will grabbed for an alternate piece of the quickly disappearing confection, they heard a car door shutting outside. Then another.

"There she is now with Sam," said Davis. "I'll go talk to her first, but you know she'll help in any way she can."

"I know," said Will. "Thank you, D. And thank Stella, too. In advance. I'd be a mess without you guys."

"You're a mess with us," Davis said, standing up from the table and moving to the swinging door between the kitchen and the front room. He turned back to Will at the door. "So...there's that." They both chuckled a little, and Davis went through the door to greet his wife and daughter just as they entered the front of the house. Will listened from the kitchen table and shoved another piece of cake in his mouth.

"Hey babe. How was your day?"

Will observed the pause, picturing the ever-gentleman Davis leaning in to kiss his wife's cheek.

"Kind of boring actually," said Stella. "I put the finishing touches on all my casework a couple of days ago, and it appears the good people of Salinas are observing law and order at the moment, so I'm primed and ready for my couple of days off...NOT so fast, young lady. Phone!"

Will heard Davis and Stella's thirteen year old daughter Samantha sigh. "Yes ma'am," she said. He meekly stabbed at the dwindling cake, slightly embarrassed that he might be overhearing family affairs.

"What's going on there?" asked Davis.

"Your daughter got in a fight today at school," Stella replied in flat tones. Will pictured her giving Samantha the eye-of-doom perfected by every parent ever.

"She made fun of my teeth," Samantha said defensively.

Will chuckled and pictured the young teenager's over-large adult teeth and braces. He had known Samantha since she was born and had witnessed every stage of her dental progression. As he speared the last verifiable bite of cake from the plate littered with crumbs, he knew Sam had won the lottery in smarts and looks. Still, thirteen is a sensitive age for everyone.

"Did you win?" her father asked.

"Davis Reedy!" Stella said sternly. "Mind it!"

"Oh...yes, Dear," Davis sheepishly replied. "Sam, you best get on up to your room. We'll talk about this later."

"Yes Sir," she said dolefully.

Will heard the footsteps on the stairs leading to the second floor.

"And no television either!" her mother yelled up after her.

"Yes ma'am," Samantha replied, slightly defeated. A beat or two after her bedroom door closed, Will heard Samantha's parents chuckling in the front room.

"She didn't hurt anyone, did she?" asked Davis.

"Too late to regret the taekwondo lessons now, Mr. Reedy. But no. She punched another girl in the arm. Maybe a bruise."

"Welp, definitely her mother's daughter."

"Watch it there buster. I'll bruise you," Stella said through a giggle.

"Listen, we had a bit of a curious thing take place at the barn today. The FBI came by to talk to Will."

"Whaaat? Don't tell me they came to offer him a place in training," she said surprised.

"Okay. I won't." Davis said.

"Wait, what?" Stella sounded confused. Rightfully so thought Will, shaking his head and stifling a small chocolate belch.

"They came looking for information on some stolen stuff that may have been taken by old man Pratchett."

"Will's granddad?" asked Stella.

"Yep."

"What kind of stolen stuff? Old bank money?"

"Diamonds."

"Diamonds? I thought Old Wilson was a bank robber. Was he a jewel thief too?"

"Well, the FBI seem to think so," replied Davis. "They got a warrant ordering Will over to Monterey tomorrow morning to make a statement on his family property."

"What? It's a good thing I have some days off. I'm going to go with him. This sounds fishy."

"Thank you, Honey. That's just what I was going to ask."

"We'll make sure this inquest is all above board. Where's Will now?"

"In the kitchen."

"Oh. Hello Will," Stella shouted in the direction of the kitchen.

"Hi Stella," Will shouted back.

"You been listening?" asked Stella.

"Yes Ma'am."

"Eavesdropping is usually illegal, hon." she teased.

"...Yes Ma'am."

"Okay, bright and early!" she ordered.

"Yes Ma'am," he responded, remaining in the kitchen.

"Too many delinquents," she joked, just loud enough for Will to hear through the door. "Let me go take care of the other one," she said, making her way up the stairs.

"About that," said Davis, "Do we need to go to the school, talk to the principal or something?"

"Yep, tomorrow afternoon. Samantha will have to apologize to the other girl, or risk being expelled."

"I hope the girl accepts the apology," shrugged Davis.

"Oh, I think she will. But I made her a chocolate cake, just to be sure." Stella continued up the stairs to talk to her daughter.

The silence was deafening.

A moment later, the stillness was broken by the slight creak of the kitchen door. Will turned slowly to see Davis' head peek in.

"Will," he said. "We have a problem."

To Be Continued...

Short Story
1

About the Creator

Daniel McShane

Pirate by day, writer by night. Arr!

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