The next morning was Valentine’s Day, and Patch woke up early. Unlike the others, he hadn’t been drinking champagne the night before, since he was working, at least until the necklace debacle. He had been excited about the DJ gig, and even though Claire had been a complete pill, he was disappointed he hadn’t been given the chance to finish off his set list. He’d also wanted to impress Lia with his taste and skill.
Patch padded into the kitchen, and as usual, Genie was already up, doing the Sunday Times crossword puzzle.
“I hear you had quite a night,” she said.
“How do you know that?”
She held up a copy of the Daily News. “Freddy downstairs gave me his,” she said, referring to the doorman on the early Sunday morning shift.
The headline on the cover read: “Oh, Goddess! Ancient Jewels Heisted at Socialite Ball.” Inside, the story recounted all the facts that Patch already knew from having been there himself. There hadn’t been much time for actual analysis; that would come online and in the later editions of the paper.
In the Daily News spread, there was a close-up of the original necklace, a file photo provided by the museum.
“I think you should see this,” Genie said. She held up an old, yellowed news clipping from W magazine, one Patch hadn’t seen before. It was similar to the photo that had been in the Times nearly twenty years ago, of his mother at the last Dendur Ball, but this one was a close-up.
His mother was wearing a necklace that looked like the Scarab of Isis. The caption noted that she was wearing a rare replica of the necklace. The original had been on loan to the museum and was being shown in New York for the very first time.
“They made replicas for everyone twenty years ago as well?” Patch asked.
“No, no, that wasn’t it,” Genie said. “Far be it from Esme to do something that wasn’t unique. She’s wearing something that someone gave to me. Well, I suppose you can know. She’s wearing something that Palmer gave to me.”
“Palmer Bell?”
“Yes, while we were engaged. He had been on a trip to Cairo, and he was very taken with the necklace when he viewed it at the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities. He had a copy made, based on photographs. He gave it to me on the night of our engagement. It may have been a copy, but it was one of a kind.”
“And you gave it to my mom?”
“Yes. I had no attachment to it anymore.”
Patch wanted to learn more, but he knew better than to pry. Genie would sometimes clam up completely if she thought he was getting too nosy about the past.
“Where is the copy now?” Patch didn’t even know why he was asking this, but somehow it seemed important to know about something that belonged, ever so briefly, to his mother.
“Esme smashed it during one of her fits. She said she dumped it in the park.”
“Genie, why are you showing this to me? I’m not sure I understand.”
She frowned. “There’s something suspicious about all of this. All you kids serving on that committee. They make replicas for the girls to wear. And then it’s stolen?”
“Are you sure you’re not drawing too many conclusions?”
“Do you know anything about that necklace? Do you know what they say about the goddess Isis?”
Patch shook his head.
“She was one of the most important Egyptian goddesses, the goddess of magic, motherhood, and fertility. The ancient Egyptians believed the Nile flooded each year with tears of sorrow for her husband who died, the god Osiris.”
“What does this have to do with the necklace?”
“Only that it’s a terribly important artifact. It would be a shame if it were never recovered.” She paused. “And that, to me, the necklace is a symbol of grief.”
Patch nodded. “Do you think the Society has anything to do with this? I mean, the event last night was overrun with Society members.”
“I can’t say.” She glanced down at her newspaper. “I really should be getting back to my puzzle. If I don’t finish it in one go, I never get it done.”
Leave it to his grandmother to muddle up his Valentine’s Day with a mystery. And Isis? Osiris? Tears of sorrow? What did that have to do with anything?
His phone buzzed with a joking text from Lia:
HAPPY V-DAY, SEXY. IF YOU’RE GIVING ME THAT NECKLACE TONIGHT, YOU KNOW I DON’T REALLY LIKE JEWELRY.
Patch smiled. He had a big evening planned for the two of them, but first he wanted to try to figure out what had happened last night at the Met.