Emma Was Blamed for a Missing Heirloom — Then Sarah Saw Its Tracker Inside Aunt Nicole’s Handbag
Chapter 1 — The Red Marker
Emma was sitting on the bedroom floor when Sarah found her.
The wooden jewelry box beside her was open.
Several velvet compartments had been pulled out.
Emma’s cheeks were wet with tears.
Sarah immediately knelt beside her.
“Sweetheart, what’s wrong?”
Before Emma could answer, footsteps rushed down the hallway.
Aunt Nicole appeared in the doorway.
“Where is it?”
Sarah looked up.
“Where is what?”
Nicole pointed toward the jewelry box.
“Mom’s emerald pendant.”
Sarah frowned.
The pendant had belonged to their late mother, Helen.
After Helen died, most of her jewelry was divided between Sarah and Nicole.
The emerald pendant was supposed to remain in the family collection.
“Why would it be in Emma’s room?” Sarah asked.
Nicole stared at the little girl.
“Because she was playing with this box.”
Emma shook her head violently.
“I wasn’t.”
Nicole sighed.
“Emma, this isn’t funny. That pendant is worth thousands.”
Emma began crying harder.
Sarah put an arm around her.
“Did you see her take it?”
Nicole hesitated.
“No.”
“Then don’t accuse her.”
Nicole’s black handbag was sitting on the floor near the dresser.
Sarah noticed it because Nicole kept glancing toward it.
“What?” Nicole asked.
Sarah reached down.
Nicole immediately stepped forward.
“What are you doing?”
Sarah ignored her.
But instead of opening the bag, she picked up her phone from the floor beside it.
The screen was still awake.
A location-tracking application was open.
Sarah remembered something.
After Helen’s jewelry had once gone missing during a house move, Sarah attached a tiny tracker to the pendant’s velvet pouch.
She opened the map.
A red marker appeared.
CURRENT LOCATION: 3 FEET AWAY.
Sarah stared at the screen.
Then at Nicole’s handbag.
Nicole’s face went pale.
Sarah pressed the sound button.
A faint electronic chirp came from inside the bag.
Emma stopped crying.
Sarah slowly looked at her sister.
“Nicole…”
The chirping continued.
“Why is Mom’s pendant inside your handbag?”
