The Mystery of the Velvet Gown

right now, I’m famished. How would you two feel about one of those big hot dogs and some fries?”
    “Miss Trask!” Honey exclaimed. “We’d love it, but it doesn’t sound like the type of lunch you’d normally choose. It doesn’t sound, well, sensible.”
    “Why not?” Miss Trask chuckled. “I enjoy a good hot dog just as much as the next person.”
    Honey laughed, too, and Trixie breathed a sigh of relief as she saw her friend relax and begin to forget about their sleuthing adventure, at least for the time being.
    They made their way to the restaurant and leisurely enjoyed their lunch. They still had forty-five minutes left before their train, so they walked down Fifth Avenue, looking in the windows at Tiffany’s and Cartier’s.
    “Look at that diamond,” Honey said in awe. “It’s immense! I bet Mother would love that.”
    “I don’t understand why people buy so much expensive jewelry and then don’t wear it,” Trixie said. “They keep it locked up in safe-deposit boxes!”
    Honey shrugged. “I suppose they consider it a good investment,” she said. “My mother often wears her jewelry, though.”
    Miss Trask stopped at a newsstand just outside the station and bought a copy of The New York Times. “Reading matter for the trip home,” she said, neatly folding the paper and tucking it under her arm. “I left my magazines for my sister to read. We’d better get to our track,” she said. “It’s almost time for the two o’clock train. Sorry it had to be such a short day for you two. Next time we’ll plan a whole day of shopping and sight-seeing.”
    Trixie cringed at the word shopping, one of her least favorite activities, but she nodded.
    Miss Trask had caught her look, and she laughed. “I promise I won’t drag you around, making you try on dresses. It will mostly be a day of sight-seeing.”
    As they arrived at the track, their train pulled in on the Hudson River line, and they boarded. The seats in the car they chose were all double and faced each other, like bookends placed back to back in a row. Miss Trask sat in one, and Honey and Trixie sat in the other, facing her.
    Good, Trixie thought. This is just what I need—some quiet time to piece all of this together.
    Miss Trask unfolded her paper and began to read, while Honey gazed dreamily out the train window, watching the buildings recede and finally disappear.
    Suddenly Miss Trask gave a startled gasp, and her eyes widened as Honey and Trixie met her gaze.
    “What is it?” Honey asked anxiously, leaning forward. Miss Trask’s face had paled. “Do you feel all right?”
    “It’s... this article,” Miss Trask answered slowly. “It’s about Eileen Darcy’s fiancé, Peter Ashbury....”

More Pieces of the Puzzle ● 9

    “WHAT DOES IT SAY?” Trixie asked breathlessly.
    “Look,” Miss Trask answered shakily, and she handed the paper to Trixie.
    Trixie’s eyes widened as she read the article aloud to Honey:

“Peter Ashbury, the prominent gemologist who was dismissed from the prestigious Park Avenue Jewelers last month, will face a grand jury indictment early next week.
“Ashbury allegedly procured diamonds and other precious gems under the Park Avenue name, had paste imitations made, and sold the fake gems to Park Avenue customers, representing them as genuine. The fraud was discovered by one of the jewelry store’s owners, B. Alfred Kelman.”

    Trixie looked up from the page and saw her own shocked amazement reflected in Honey’s eyes.
    “Go on,” Honey urged.

“When asked to comment on the allegations, Ashbury denied any involvement. ‘They have no proof,’ he claimed. ‘What would I do with the real gems? Stones and settings from Park Avenue Jewelers would be recognized by other dealers.’ ”

    I know what he did with those gems! Trixie thought fiercely as she continued to read. Oh, poor Miss Darcy!

“Kelman refuted Ashbury’s statement, saying that the jewels could be easily removed from their original settings. ‘Unfortunately,’ Kelman added, ‘there is a big market in this city for stolen gems.’
“The owners of Park Avenue Jewelers are contacting all customers who, within the last six months, have purchased jewelry set with precious gems, and are asking them to bring the stones in for evaluation.
“ ‘Ashbury was with us for six months,’ Kelman said. ‘He came to us with the highest recommendations, and a great many valuable stones have passed through his hands. We just hope that