Page 147 of Hidden Tide
“Two months ago.”
Willow goes still.
“The same time Elliot came to my restaurant and asked about Grandpa’s watch.”
Ivy looks at her. “You think he went to the studio first?”
“Or someone working with him did.”
Marquez types something into her phone.
“I’m having officers locate Naomi and your gallery manager.”
“I want to call Naomi,” Ivy says.
“Not yet.”
“She could be in danger.”
“That’s why officers will approach her without alerting anyone who may be watching her phone.”
Ivy doesn’t like it, but she nods.
A Coast Guard officer enters the conference room carrying a secure phone.
“Agent Marquez, the inspector general’s attorney is ready for you.”
Marquez takes it.
Before leaving, she looks at Thomas.
“I want a list of every person who knew James divided the film.”
“No one knew.”
“Someone did.”
She closes the door behind her.
Thomas stares at the old camera on the monitor.
“James never told me what he put inside the girls’ gifts.”
“But you knew there were five blue prisms,” I say.
“Yes.”
“Who else saw the boxes?”
“No one.”
I think of Grandpa’s workshop.
Thomas’s boathouse.
The afternoons we spent watching them repair marine equipment and argue over which one of them had lost a tool.
“You said Grandpa showed you the five boxes before he gave them to us.”
