Daniel was silent.
Michael continued.
"I've requested the original inventory from the auction company. They're cooperating, but it may take several days."
"Keep pushing."
"There's something else."
"What?"
"Westbridge has identified a second buyer who purchased several items from the same collection. One of those items is a small silver jewelry case."
Daniel frowned.
"Do they have a photograph?"
"Not yet."
"Get one."
"Already requested."
Daniel ended the call and looked again at the report.
For four years, he had believed that the missing jewelry was a closed chapter in his family's history.
Now it appeared that the story had only just begun.
At Maison Laurent, Margaret Ellis was facing a different problem.
The store had received an unexpected visit from a man named Victor Hale.
Victor was the regional operations director for Laurent Holdings and had been overseeing the company's transition since the acquisition by Brooks Capital.
He was in his early fifties, wore expensive tailored suits, and had a reputation for being demanding.
He arrived at the store shortly after ten in the morning.
Margaret greeted him near the entrance.
"Victor. I wasn't expecting you today."
"That's why I came."
He looked around the showroom.
"How are things?"
"Improving."
"I've read your report."
"Good."
Victor removed a tablet from his briefcase.
"I have some questions."
Margaret led him toward her office.
Once the door closed, Victor placed the tablet on the desk.
"I understand you've been changing the sales procedures."
"Yes."
"And that you've introduced additional customer service training."
"Correct."
"How much has it cost?"
Margaret gave him the figure.
Victor raised his eyebrows.
"That's considerably more than I expected."
"It was necessary."
"Was it?"
Margaret folded her hands.
"Yes."
Victor leaned back.
"Margaret, we operate a luxury retail business. Our sales associates are expected to identify serious buyers and allocate their time accordingly."
"There's a difference between identifying a customer's needs and making assumptions about their financial position."
Victor smiled faintly.
"That sounds like something Daniel Brooks would say."
"Perhaps because it's true."
Victor's expression hardened.
"Be careful. We cannot afford to turn every store into a social experiment."
Margaret looked at him steadily.
"This isn't a social experiment. It's basic customer service."
Victor tapped the tablet.
"Your sales numbers have been stable, but your average consultation time has increased. That affects productivity."
"Customers are receiving better service."
"Better service doesn't necessarily mean more profit."
Margaret remained silent for a moment.
Then she spoke.
"Victor, do you remember the customer who came in wearing a black jacket and asked to see the Aurora necklace?"
Victor nodded.
"I read the report."
"Do you know what happened after that?"
"He turned out to be the new owner."
"That wasn't the important part."
Victor looked at her.
Margaret continued.
"The important part was that an employee decided a customer was unworthy of assistance based entirely on his appearance. If that man had been a construction worker, a delivery driver, or someone saving for years to purchase a wedding ring, the behavior would still have been unacceptable."
Victor sighed.
"I understand the point."
"Do you?"
He closed the tablet.
"I have another meeting."
He stood.
"Just remember that you're managing a business, Margaret. Not a charity."
After he left, Margaret sat quietly at her desk.
She had expected resistance.
But she had not expected Victor to dismiss the entire issue so casually.
She looked at the photograph of the store's original founder, Arthur Laurent, hanging on the wall.
Arthur had built the company from a small workshop.
He had once written that the finest jewelry should make people feel special, not insignificant.
Margaret wondered whether the people now managing the company still remembered those words.
That afternoon, Daniel received a call from an unfamiliar number.
"Mr. Brooks?"
"Speaking."
"My name is Helen Parker. I'm calling from Westbridge Heritage Auctions."
Daniel straightened.
"Yes?"
"We've located the original documentation associated with the Aurora necklace."
"That's good news."
"There is something else we believe you should know."
Daniel waited.
"The storage-unit inventory included a second item that may have belonged to your late wife's family."
"What item?"
"A small silver jewelry case with an engraved floral pattern. It was purchased by a private collector approximately eight months ago."
Daniel closed his eyes briefly.
"Do you have the buyer's name?"
"We do. However, we're not authorized to disclose the information without consulting our legal department."
"Then consult them."
"Of course."
"Ms. Parker, I want to make something clear. I'm not asking you to give me private information unlawfully. I simply want to establish whether the item belongs to my family."
"I understand."
"Please send the photographs and all available documentation to my attorney."
"We will."
The call ended.
Daniel remained seated for several minutes.
He remembered the silver jewelry case.
Elizabeth had kept it on her dressing table. It was small, with a floral pattern engraved across the lid and a tiny brass key.
Inside, she used to store earrings, old photographs, and handwritten notes from her grandmother.
After her death, Daniel had searched the house for it.
It had disappeared.
He had assumed that it had been misplaced during the hospital move.
Now it seemed that it might have been in the same storage unit as the necklace.
Daniel called Michael again.
"We may have found the silver case."
Michael sounded surprised.
"Are you certain?"
"Not yet. Westbridge has a photograph."
"Send it to me as soon as you receive it."
"I will."
That evening, Daniel returned home later than usual.
Olivia was sitting at the kitchen table doing homework.
She looked up.
"Dad, you're late."
"Long day."
"Did you eat?"
"Not yet."
She pointed toward the stove.
"Aunt Rachel left dinner."
Daniel smiled.
"Thank you."
He placed his briefcase on the counter.
Olivia looked at him.
"Are you thinking about Mom again?"
Daniel paused.