The Booster Club

  He returned to the gray sedan. Once he was clear of the parking lot, she got up from the Mazda. What a wild and crazy ride this life was. She slipped the business card in her purse’s side pocket.

  * * *

  Claudine trudged up the stairs to her apartment. Every step was an effort. Although it was barely mid-afternoon, she wanted to crawl into bed and pull the quilt over her head and not come out until morning. Petunia meowed for dinner. “All right, mister. Just a minute.”

  She threw her purse on an armchair, then froze. On her desk was a small package. It hadn’t been there before. Brown paper wrapping. No return address.

  She lifted the box and shook it lightly. It wasn’t heavy, but it held something substantial. She paused as exhaustion washed over her. Should she laugh—or cry? She unwrapped it. No note. Inside was a jewelry box. She lifted its lid. Lying on a velvet pad was the Cartier panther brooch, glittering with diamonds.

  Afterword

  Thank you to Eric Valentin, head of security at Macy’s in downtown Portland, for his insight on shoplifting. Thank you, too, to the experts at Shreve jewelers who explained the world of men’s luxury watches.

  As always, my writing group—Christine Finlayson, Doug Levin, Dave Lewis, Ann Littlewood, and Marilyn McFarlane—was immeasurably helpful, as was the Drink & Think group, including Lisa Alber, Cindy Brown, and Holly Franko. Jared Pierce and copy editor Raina Glazener upped the novel’s quality a thousand percent. The fabulous cover—don’t you want that necklace?—came from ebooklaunch.

  I hope you enjoyed reading The Booster Club as much as I did writing it! In the next in the series, Cat in a Bag, the Booster Club springs a young art forger from prison so she can right her wrongs. At the same time, Eleanor Whiteby vows to take down the Villa Saint Nicholas in revenge. Cat in a Bag will be available mid-January 2017.

  For information on my other series, the Joanna Hayworth Vintage Clothing mysteries, visit my website, https://www.angelamsanders.com . While you’re there, don’t forget to sign up for my monthly newsletter full of reviews of 1930s pulp detective novels, fashion tips from Edith Head, old cocktail recipes, Zsa Zsa Gabor’s dating advice, and more.

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