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Brandon's lips. “I have a proposition for you.”
    Jess nearly rolled her eyes at the word. “I
thought you wanted information about the theft.”
    He shrugged. “Just hear me out.”
    Brandon and his lawyer, Smythe, the
much-celebrated counsel of celebrity drug addicts and professional sports
paternity suits, sat. Leon held out a chair for her and she took it.
    Smythe handed a stack of papers across the table
to Leon. “My client, as always, wishes to settle the disagreement amicably. He
is willing to acknowledge that the marriage between one Jessica Hughes and the
late Charles Kingsbury was indeed, legal and binding, and thus you do have some
small legitimate claim to his estate.”
    Jessica pursed her lips and tried to calm the
sudden clench of her heart. The core of Brandon's lawsuit involved contesting
her marriage. If he was conceding that now, he must have something far worse up
his sleeve.
    “The agreement in these papers details what my
client feels is a fair and equitable settlement given the brevity of your
marriage.”
    She wanted to grab the papers and cram into
Brandon's Cheshire-cat grin. She breathed in slowly, counting to three, and
then out. Inner calm. Equilibrium. Let Leon do the talking.
    Her lawyer studied each page, making small “mmm”
sounds every now and then. Smythe relaxed backwards in his chair. Brandon
shifted in his, making the wheels creek.
    Jessica just breathed.
    Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Leon
pushed himself back up from the table and put the documents into his briefcase.
“I believe we are done here gentlemen.”
    Smythe jumped to his feet and held out a hand.
“Then it’s a deal.”
    “No.” Leon motioned for Jessica to follow him. She
tried to give him a quizzical look, but his eyes were as unreadable as ever.
“You clearly went to considerable effort, but I recommend that my client not
sign these forms.”
    Brandon shoved himself backwards and stood up
blustering. “She didn't even read it. Jessica, don't listen to this clown--”
    “Any lawyer who advised his client to sign this
should be disbarred. She could sooner promise you flying monkeys and dancing
mermaids as agree to the ridiculous terms in these papers. Now if you will
excuse me, I have other work to attend to.”
    Jessica hurried after him, down the hall, and into
another small conference room where he shut the door behind them. “What just
happened back there? What is in that agreement?”
    He almost smiled at her and pulled the stack out
and handed it to her. “Whatever you do, don't so much as doodle on these pages.
His terms were, as he suggested, quite reasonable. He offered you the Hollywood
home, several million in investments and cash. In short, to honor most of
Charles' will.”
    She shook her head in disbelief. “Wow. What is the
catch?”
    “In exchange, he wanted the Hearst diamonds. Not
the set that was just stolen, but the originals.”
    Jess opened her mouth and then shut it again.
Leon, of course, understood the significance of that request. Charles had kept
him on retainer for over thirty years, and he came from the old school of
lawyers who would keep their client's secret life closer than any priest. A
priest, after all, was still beholden to God.
    “Don't worry, Jess. The judge cannot possibly
order them handed over, either. Charles left them out of his will on purpose.”
    She sank down into a faded mauve chair and focused
on breathing. Even that seemed hard right now. The robbery this week. The FBI
search. And now this. “They don't believe me, do they? They think I still have
that necklace?”
    “It would seem so, yes. I suggest you keep those
guards of yours close by until they can be convinced otherwise.”
     

Chapter 3
     
    “Are you ready?”
    Jess's hands shook as she smoothed the same lock
of hair for the fifth time. “Do I have a choice?”
    “Not really. Your cue is coming.” Lindsay pulled a
robe off the hook on the back of the door.
    Jess took a