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He’d seen the pictures often enough, one of him and Denise, the other of his parents.
“Don’t worry. I’ll call the airlines. I’ll offer a reward for whoever finds it. You’ll get it back.”
Two hours later, the Lost and Found manager returned his call. They’d searched everywhere, interrogated the cleaning crew, and promised the reward, but to no avail.
Arlene considered it a bad omen. This was the first day of her new life in this new house.
By the end of the evening, her long face and sad sighs managed to convince Rick that the locket’s loss was the prelude to an upcoming catastrophe.
Chapter Two
The next morning, Rick called the airline again, demanding a more thorough investigation into the lost pendant. Unable to cope with his mother’s mournful face, he’d headed to his new office located in an all-glass building, a twenty-minute drive from his house.
“Welcome back, Mr. Lambert. I hope you had an easy flight.” The receptionist offered him a megawatt smile.
“A very good flight. Thank you, Lexy.” He nodded with a trademark smile of his own.
“I forwarded your recent messages to your answering machine,” Lexy continued in a professional tone.
Settling into his spacious office, he barely glanced at the cheerful sight of the many boats gliding along the calm water of the Intracoastal and the serene blue expanse of ocean visible beyond the residences along the opposite shore.
Pressing the button on his answering machine, he listened to the messages, many of them from new clients who hoped he would return their calls. The last one caught his attention.
Mr. Lambert, a Madison Howell, flight attendant for American Airlines called. She found a golden locket and chain that she believes belong to your mother. She’ll bring them to your office tomorrow after she returns from her flight assignment.
He wished he’d received this message yesterday. It would have saved his mother several hours of anguish. He called home right away.
“Good news, Mom. You’ll get your pendant back soon.”
“I’m so happy the cleaners found it.”
“No, it wasn’t them. It was the flight attendant who helped you on the plane. She’ll bring it to my office today.”
“Rick, invite her for dinner. I want to thank her personally.”
“Don’t worry; she’ll get the reward. You don’t have to go out of your way.”
“But I want to have her over for dinner. You don’t need to be present. Just let me talk to her when she gives you the pendant.”
Sometimes his mother could be so stubborn. “All right.”
At noon, as he ignored his stomach rumbling, Lexy called. “Mr. Lambert, Ms. Howell is here.”
“Bring her to my office.”
A knock on his door announced his visitor. “Come in.” He stood and walked to the door to greet the young woman.
Madison stepped into his office, still wearing the blue uniform with its blue and red scarf she’d worn on the plane. A professional smile on her lips, she held out her hand. “Good afternoon, Mr. Lambert.”
He shook her hand, returned her greeting, and smiled. “Pleased to see you again, Ms. Howell. Have a seat.” He indicated the leather sofa and sat in the chair, subtly watching her for anything suspicious in her behavior.
Her long, golden-brown hair floated on her shoulders and back, freed from the barrette that had held it in a bun at the base of her neck during the flight. A touch of makeup contoured her hazel eyes, giving them a seductive almond shape under sweeping lashes.
“As I told your secretary, I found a locket under the seat your mother occupied. It probably fell off when she was collecting her bags or putting on her jacket.” Madison’s confident tone and poised attitude impressed him. This young woman was used to going straight to her subject and not wasting time in useless introductions.
“Most likely.”
“I remember her fingering the locket when she joined us in the galley. Anyhow, here it is.” She opened her handbag andhanded him a zip lock bag containing the locket and chain.
