This Fearless Girl (St. Clary's University #2) - E. M. Moore Page 0,72

in, then.”

I glance at Stone, but he doesn’t look back. Another good move using a made-up name. If he used his own, everyone would know what this is about.

The jeweler seems a little stiff, but I guess that would be warranted with four strangers showing up, wanting you to inspect an old piece of jewelry with discretion and an iron-clad contract.

He takes us to a back office, walking past antiques on the way. The house itself has a museum feel on the inside, which matches the guy’s dry personality. “As you can see, there are no cameras here. I’m complying one hundred percent.”

Stone nods, then looks at me. I take that as my cue to take the velvet bag out and hand it over to the jeweler. This is where the man comes alive. He tugs gloves on and reaches his hand inside the drawstring bag, looking like a little kid on his birthday. His dull eyes brighten; he’s practically teeming with energy.

When he pulls the ring out, I watch his face. His lips tug a little, but the moment of awe is quickly replaced with concentration. We stay silent as he checks every detail of the ring. He even takes out a handheld microscope. “This is a monocular,” he explains. “It allows me to see finer detail in the settings and gems.” He stares at the stone through the lens. “It’s clearly a sapphire. High quality. Few inclusions.”

“What’s that?” I ask.

“It’s a good thing,” he clarifies, still looking at the gem. “It means it’s a natural sapphire, not manmade. It’s one and a half karat. Oval.” He squints. “The cuts are uneven, most likely because they were done by hand and not by machine.” He brings out another microscope and sets it down before moving the lens over top of it. “Most likely silver. 1700’s or before. I can’t be sure unless I take a sample and do some further testing to give you an exact date.”

I squirm at that. Stone speaks up. “We’d rather not compromise the ring. Anything you can tell us about the setting that might point to where it originated from?”

“It’s definitely European.”

I try to hide a giddy smile. I always wondered who’d left such a treasure in the caves. It didn’t seem like it would’ve come from the US. I don’t know why I’d always thought that, maybe it seemed much more magical to have it come from another country.

“I’d like to do some more research before giving you a definitive answer.” He frowns. “I don’t suppose you’d let me keep the ring?”

“No,” I snap.

When he looks up at me, startled, I soften my stance. “It’s important to me.”

He nods. “And I can’t take pictures?”

Stone shakes his head. “I hope you have a good memory.”

“I guess I’ll have to.”

He studies the ring for a little while longer, and I wonder if he’s trying to burn its picture in his mind. He makes a few notes, asking Stone for permission first. In under an hour, we’re walking out of his house and down the front steps to Stone’s car again.

“You look like you’re walking on air,” Lucas says.

I shrug. “I don’t know. I always kind of hoped it was from some place big. Like, maybe it’s a queen’s treasure or who knows, really. It’s not like just anyone would’ve had a treasure like that, you know?”

Lucas starts to follow me into the backseat, but Wyatt bumps him out of the way. “No way, man. My turn to sit next to the girl who’s going to find the biggest treasure this century.”

Even though it’s a corny ass line, I glow from it. That would be something, wouldn’t it?

Dakota Wilder. Finder of the largest treasure haul this century.

Yes, please.

25

We go out to dinner, the four of us. I think it’s a ploy. If Stone can tell his father we’re discussing treasure things, which we do, then he won’t have to run home right away and play fiancé to Rissa. Or act like a doting son.

When he drops us back at the Audi still parked at the college, he looks tired. “I’ll let you know as soon as the jeweler gets back to me.”

Despite worrying about Stone and getting in trouble with Meghan, it’s been a fantastic day. The treasure in the Superstition Mountains isn’t from here. It’s been widely speculated as to who the original depositors were, and maybe with this guy researching the ring, we’ll finally know.

Lucas gets into the driver’s seat after we tell Stone