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“That still doesn’t explain how Dad would have gotten his hands on such a valuable object,” said Mom.

“Probably got it from one of his whores,” said Gran judiciously. “As a gift,” she added.

The only extramarital affair Odelia’s grandfather Jack had ever engaged in was with Scarlett Canyon, and the latter could hardly be called a loose woman, nor was she likely to have come into the possession of this priceless work of art, Odelia thought.

She’d been busy taking a couple of pictures of the thing, to accompany the article she intended to write. Human interest articles like this, about treasures found in attics, or, as in this case, kitchen cupboards, always did really well.

“What are you doing?” suddenly snapped Gran.

“Taking a couple of pictures for my article,” she said. “Why?”

Immediately Gran snatched her phone away.“You can’t do that!”

“What are you talking about?”

“This thing is worth four million bucks or more. If you publish a story who knows what thieving scum will crawl out of the woodwork to steal it. Better not tell anyone.”

“I must admit that your grandmother makes a very valid point, Odelia,” said Dad. “Better to be discreet about a find like this. At least until it’s out of the house and safely set up in some museum somewhere, or an auction house, if that’s what you prefer,” he said, deferring to his wife.

“I’m not sure what I want to do with it,” said Mom as she picked up the little figurine and smiled. “I just might keep it. It’s so nice to look at.”

“Are you crazy?” Gran suddenly roared. “This thing is easily worth ten million or more! You can’t just keep it in the house where anyone can steal it. It belongs in a museum, or in the hands of one of those rich collectors you always read about.”

But Mom shrugged.“Nobody knows about this precious little goatherd,” she said. “And if we keep it that way, nobody ever will.”

Gran was almost apoplectic with indignation.“You’re seriously going to throw away maybe fifty million bucks just because you like the look of that thing? I’ll buy you a cheap knockoff if you like, and you can look at it all day, while you enjoy your millions.”

“We don’t really need the money,” said Mom. “We’re fine just the way we are. And who knows? Maybe it did belong to Dad, and if that’s the case he would have wanted us to keep it, and not sell it to some nameless, faceless bidder at an auction.”

Gran’s face had taken on a darker shade of puce, as she was waving her arms, and trying to find the words to express her disapproval. But before she could burst into a torrent of words, Dad had put his arm around his wife’s shoulder and said, “I think that’s a wonderful sentiment, darling, and one I wholeheartedly endorse. Let’s give it pride of place in our home, and promise each other not to breathe a word about this discovery.”

His eyes raked the visages of everyone present, and one by one they all nodded their approval. All but Gran, who was still wordlessly fuming. But finally even she had to relent.“Fine!” she exploded. “I think you’re all nuts but so be it!”

And with these words, she stalked off and left the house, slamming the kitchen door.

“Do you think she’ll talk?” asked Mom, with a touch of concern.

“Nah,” said Dad. “She might not agree, but your mother can keep a secret.”

“I’m not so sure,” said Odelia, earning her a worried look from her own mother. Gran was a loose cannon sometimes, and only listened to one voice: her own. Then, to wipe that look of concern off Mom’s face, she quickly added, “But I’m sure that in this case she will keep quiet.”

But it was with a touch of worry that she watched her mother pick up the priceless little trifle and return next door.

Chapter 5

That evening, the atmosphere at Casa Poole was a little chilly. Tex, Marge and Gran were all seated on the couch watching a movie, but apart from that, very little interaction was taking place.

Harriet, who had a penchant for being spoiled, didn’t mind the frostiness as much as the lack of attention being awarded her. Usually Gran was very generous with her caresses, her cuddles and her petting, but now there was not a single pat on the head to be had, or even a tickle under the chin or scratching behind the ears.

So Harriet had redirected her attention to Marge, but when she, too, didn’t even lift a finger in the Persian’s direction, she finally hopped on top of Tex’s lap, hoping to extract a modicum of TLC from the resident doctor. But Tex was too busy watching whatever silly movie was playing on TV, and didn’t so much as touch her. Worse, he bodily lifted her up and returned her to the floor when he felt she was interrupting his viewing experience too much.

Huffily Harriet hopped on top of the other couch and gave her three humans furious glances from beneath lowered brows.“What’s wrong with them?” she fumed.

“It’s that figurine,” Brutus said. “There was some kind of big hullabaloo over that thing before and now they’re not talking to each other. Max told me all about it.”

“Figurine? What figurine?” she asked.