A Brilliant Plan

Accused of murder, a cunning artisan jeweler must navigate a labyrinth of suspicion, family secrets, and a relentless insurance detective convinced she's a master thief. Can 'Calendar' clear her name and uncover the real killer, or will her past finally catch up to her?

FOR TWENTY-TWO minutes, my mother deliberately omitted the fact that the police were waiting for me in the den with some questions regarding a murder.

After a long drive from L.A. down to San Diego, in Thanksgiving traffic hell, I parked my little red Mazda Miata in front of the House of the Moon. I angled the rear mirror and gave my face a quick check. Arranging my shoulder length blonde hair to look suitably timid, I smacked my lips several times to give them more blood and applied a gentle finger massage to the overnight pouches under my sapphire blue eyes.

Before I was able to knock, Mom opened the door and gave me a hug. "Honey, you look terrible," she said, pulling me in. "Let me pour you a tea, Calendar girl."

I threw my stuff on the big bench that in a former life had been part of a jury bench in a courtroom and leaned against the big interior live oak tree that was living partly inside the kitchen, partly outside.

Mom busied herself in the kitchen, her usual self. "Traffic! I sat for so long I forgot what my legs are for," I moaned.

Mom stirred in her own tea. "Any current companionship, my dear?" Change of subject, how subtle.

I gave Mom a hug from behind, she patted my hand and delivered her masterpiece. "By the way, honey, there are two detectives waiting for you in the den. It's about a murder."

A Brilliant Plan

Female Protagonist Art Theft Crime Mystery Family Secrets