Garrett: (enters J. J. Jewelry and is approached by a young lady working there asking if she could help him find something, Garrett says) I would like to speak to the manager.
Lady: Alright, and may I ask what this is about?
Garrett: I'm investigating Lana Daltine purchasing a necklace here.
Lady: I gave a full statement to the police.
Garrett: Did you sell her the necklace?
Lady: Yes, I did.
Garrett: I still want to speak to the manager. It is proper procedure.
Lady: I am the manager. (Garrett nods as she continues) I know it may seem confusing with this being Jerome's Jewelry. Jerome was my dad. I am the third generation to own and operate this business. My grandfather, also named Jerome, started the business in 1939. That is why I am pushing the new name J. J. Jewelry because my name is Jade. Jade was my dad's favorite precious stone. He didn't know when he and Mother named me that I would have such big green eyes. They say all babies are born with dark blue eyes and the color changes. Oh, well what does this have to do with anything? Yes, I am the manager.
Garrett: Since giving your statement to the police have you thought of anything that seems strange or out of place during the transaction?
Jade: Not really. I have wondered about a couple of things but no one will ever know because she is dead.
Garrett: What are you wondering about?
Jade: I just wondered why she wanted to take a picture of the necklace while buying it. In fact, that is the actual picture used in the newspaper. I recognized it and called the police and told them she had bought the necklace here. She has been a customer for several months and had not ever wanted to take a picture before any of her other purchases.
Garrett: So she was a regular customer?
Jade: Well, yes and no. She only came in once a month. She started coming in about six months ago and she always bought an expensive piece of jewelry and she always paid in cash.
Garrett: How expensive?
Jade: Right at $20,000.
Garrett: And she paid cash?!!!
Jade: Yes, and all in one hundred dollar bills. When she came in we got the bank deposit bags ready and the minute she left I put the money in the bank deposit bags and dropped them off in the bank deposit drop box. It really made me nervous and a little paranoid handling that kind of cash. I can work with millions of dollars worth of jewelry here in the store everyday and I'm fine. But that amount of cash was something uneasy for me to do. I just don't want to have that kind of cash laying around even if it is locked in our own safe.
Garrett: I own a security company and lately we have been putting in a lot of directional lock systems as an added feature of protection. So you do have additional options if ever you are uneasy about something in the future. What did you think about her paying cash each time?
Jade: Truthfully, I just hoped it wasn't some sort of money laundering scheme. I didn't want to be involved or have any part in anything like that. When I saw all that money, two hundred, one hundred dollar bills all stacked up, I just felt like I was in a movie that I had seen about the mafia. I was really uneasy. (Jade turns and looks to see several customers waiting to be helped. Then she said) That's really all the time I want to give this. We are short staffed today and I need to help some customers. I can tell they are waiting for someone to help them. Just read my police statement. Everything is in there. I don't want to be rude but I really need to keep moving.
Garrett: Here's my card. Call me if you think of something else and thanks for your time. (Jade speedily rushes to assist a customer who is waiting nearby. Garrett goes to his car and writes things down in his small note pad and returns the note pad to his shirt pocket. As he drives away he is wondering how Lana Daltine had access to such a large amount of cash. Garrett drives to the apartment building where Lana Daltine lived at the time of her death.)
to be continued. Tomorrow
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