The Pearls

“I remember one day…” Mrs. McCallum stroked her cat with a wrinkled hand. “Father sat with me at his side and I listened to him play while Mother danced… We’d lost so much, but we still clung onto those pearls.”

Victoria Burton sighed. “Please try to remain focused. No extraneous details.”

“They were stolen.”

Victoria raised an eyebrow. “When?”

“I don’t know. I took them to an expert because they’d never been valued…” Mrs. McCallum looked at Victoria with deer-in-the-headlights eyes. “The pearls had been replaced with fakes. Cheap glass.”

“Who had access to them?”

“Only I knew the combination.” Mrs. McCallum looked distant for a moment, then nodded her ancient, bird-like chin. “And Todd, of course. He looks after things now that I…”

“Then there is a clear answer.”

“Not Todd!” McCallum gasped. “He’s like a–”

“No. The peals were never in the safe. Your mother sold them.”

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Word Count: 149

This is for Flash Fiction for Aspiring Writers. Thanks to Priceless Joy for running the challenge and Louise for providing the prompt photo!