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“I informed Miss Evans, but no one else. If anyone else knew, I didn’t hear about it. And I hear most things,” she added reluctantly. “When Devon told me, it was in the privacy of my office, so no one could have overheard. When I told Miss Evans, it was the same. Door was closed, we spoke quietly, and no one could have overheard there, either. Devon is honest, Detective Goddard. She’d specially asked for the meeting with me. I absolutely refuse to believe she’s involved. Does she need an attorney, Sam?”
“Not yet. If she does, I’ll make sure she gets one.” He knew an excellent defense attorney, after all. His ex was a shark in the courtroom. And a cheater in the bedroom, but that was ancient history. Her infidelity didn’t detract from her legal acumen in the least.
“When did Devon tell you about the collection, Nurse Janice?” Goddard asked.
“Two months ago. I informed Miss Evans right away.”
Devon came around the corner at a fast walk, abruptly stopping when she saw them. Fear took over her expression and Sam wanted nothing more than to soothe her. But he couldn’t. Not yet.
“Devon,” he said quietly. “This is Detective Goddard from the robbery division. We need to ask you a few questions.”
Her eyes widened, her fear intensifying. “Robbery?” she whispered. “I didn’t steal anything.”
“They’re just asking questions,” Janice said, giving Sam and Goddard a sharp look.
Devon’s swallow was audible. “Can I take my break now, Janice?”
Janice squeezed Devon’s shoulder. “No, you can take your break when you’re finished. The interview with Detective Goddard isn’t to come from your dinner break. Whose room were you in? I’ll send someone in to cover for you.”
“Mrs. Dodson. She’s had a bad day.”
“I know,” Janice soothed, just like Sam wished he could. “Go talk to Dr. Reeves and the detective, and if you feel in any way uncomfortable, you call me. I will come and be your advocate. Okay?”
Devon nodded uncertainly. “Yes, ma’am.” Bracing her shoulders, she turned to Sam. “Where are we going?”
“Use my office,” Janice said. “It’s private.”
“Thank you,” Goddard said seriously, his previous charm gone.
Poor Devon was shaking when they closed the door to Janice’s office. She sat on a chair, twisting her hands together. “What’s happened, Dr. Sam?”
But he thought she knew. There was a resignation in her eyes that hurt his heart. “Mr. Benny’s coins were stolen.”
She exhaled quietly. “I didn’t do it. I didn’t steal anything.”
Sam sat in front of her, gently separating her hands so that she didn’t hurt herself. “Breathe, Devon. We just want to ask you a few questions.”
Tears filled her eyes as she pulled her hands free and turned to Goddard, her expression now resolute. “I knew about the coins, Detective. I told Nurse Janice because I was afraid that having something that valuable in his apartment would cause problems.”
“How did you know about the coins?” Goddard asked.
“He was…” She frowned. “Holding them when I came in one day.”
“Why did you hesitate?” Goddard asked.
“Because he wasn’t really holding them. He was touching them like this.” She lightly brushed her fingers over her arm. “It was a little creepy the first time I saw him doing it. It was like Gollum in Lord of the Rings. I half expected him to call the coins ‘his precious.’ But then I realized that he was remembering old times, so I asked him if he wanted to talk about them.”
“Them?” Goddard prodded.
“The people in his family. All the ones who are gone. That’s what most of the residents and patients want to talk about. You know, their husband or wife who’s already passed on, or their children.” She smiled sadly. “They remember when their kids were small and are sad that time has passed. Some of the people here are the only ones left in their whole family and they’re just…waiting. It breaks my heart. So I listen to them, and it seems to help. Makes them happy.”
Goddard cleared his throat. “When did you first see Mr. Dreyfus’s collection?”
Devon puffed out her cheeks. “A few months ago? He told me about his father and grandfather collecting the coins, how they’d smuggled them out of Germany before the war. He told me how his father had held him on his knee when he was a little boy and how he’d made him wear little gloves when he touched the coins. Mr. Benny was wearing gloves that day and every day I saw him touching the coins. He had trouble remembering to take his medicine every day and sometimes thought he was a professor again, but he never forgot to wear the gloves.”
“Did you ever see him open the safe?” Goddard asked.
“No, sir. But he told me it needed a fingerprint and a code.”
