The Missing Ring

Written by Susanne Shaphren

Looking like he'd just stepped off the pages of a glossy men's magazine feature on the World's Most Successful Executives, Cameron Carlyle got out of the cab and retrieved his credit card from the driver.

He strode into the tiny office of Joe's Garage. Joe wiped his hands on the rag hanging out of his pocket and extended his hand.

Instead of shaking Joe's hand, Cameron Carlyle just handed him his platinum card. "Am I buying you a dinghy or a yacht today?"

"Neither. We couldn't find anything wrong with your Beamer."

"I come here instead of the dealership because you usually keep that Beamer purring like a kitten, Joe."

"Fingers Ferguson is my best mechanic, but the kind of problem you described often occurs only on a cold start. Why don't you leave the Beamer overnight so we can check it again first thing in the morning before anybody's driven it?"

"I've got special plans tonight. Meghan thinks we're just going out to celebrate her birthday, but I'm going to propose."

"My wife's birthday was last week. I used her birthstone for her engagement ring too." Joe reached into his deep overall pocket to retrieve the keys and handed them to Cameron Carlyle.

Moments later, Cameron Carlyle charged back into the office. His face was as red as the rag Joe took out of his overall pocket to wipe peanut butter and jelly off his hands.

"Meghan's ring is missing! I forgot it was in the glove compartment when I dropped off the car this morning."

"I always try to check vehicles for valuables before anybody starts working on them, but we were pretty busy this morning. Let's call the police so they can file a report for your insurance company."

Detective Riley Burke walked into the tiny garage office and smiled when he noticed a familiar smell he remembered from all those years of walking a beat in this neighborhood before earning his gold shield. "You guys obviously celebrated pay day with ribs from Eli's."

"Some of us did," Fingers replied pointing to the partially eaten peanut butter and jelly sandwich on Joe's cluttered desk.

"Since when do you eat peanut butter and jelly, Joe?"

"Since my youngest's ex walked out on him and Molly and I wound up raising three grandsons."

"The dispatcher says you reported a stolen engagement ring. Don't you still put valuables you find in the safe?"

"I always try to check cars for valuables but we were so busy this morning that I might not have gotten around to it."

"Mr. Carlyle. Could you please describe the ring for me?"

"The ring is a designer original four carat emerald cut amethyst with diamonds set into the platinum band."

"Insured?"

"Of course it's insured, Detective. That's not going to help me propose on Meghan's birthday tonight!"

"Please have one of your assistants bring over a copy of the insurance appraisal and a photo as soon as possible."

"Certainly." Cameron Carlyle pulled out his cell phone, but almost got toppled over when the office door burst open.

"Sorry! I was in such a hurry to get to my second job that I didn't look to see if there was anybody in the way.”

Joe Morgan reached for one of the sets of keys on the pegboard and handed them to the flustered schoolteacher. "You can pay the bill next month, Mr. Bridges."

"Thanks for understanding, Joe. And thanks for keeping my bucket of bolts running until I can afford to buy something better."

"Quick question before you go, Mr. Bridges. Did you happen to notice the Beamer when you dropped your car off this morning?"

"Kind of hard not to notice a vehicle that costs more than my condo, Detective. If it had been unlocked, I must confess I probably would have taken advantage of the opportunity to see what it feels like to sit a poor teacher's thrift store suit on the finest leather money can buy."

Detective Burke walked over to where Fingers Ferguson was leaning against the wall. "A ring like that must have been pretty tempting to somebody with your special talents."

"Never laid eyes on it, Detective. Wouldn't have mattered if it had fallen into my lap. Check the records downtown. I haven't gotten so much as a parking ticket since I met my wife." Fingers Ferguson, who'd earned his nickname picking the pockets of high rollers in Vegas before coming back to his hometown and settling down to marry the minister's daughter, grumbled under his breath that his boss might have been tempted to pocket the ring since too many of the garage customers were paying on the installment plan or not paying at all lately.

The other mechanic shared his theory too. "Maybe the high and mighty CEO of Carlyle Industries never left that ring in the car at all. He was probably trying to pull a fast one on his insurance company to help make up for the dismal quarterly report that showed profits were down almost 75%." When he started working at the garage, Manuel Garcia could barely read enough English to find the right oil filters and air filters for the cars he worked on. Now, he was eagerly reading the Wall Street Journals he found in the trash when he cleaned offices at night to help support his family.

"Son, that quarterly report is just snapshot of what was happening at a specific moment. It can't possibly show the whole picture like how my recent cost cutting moves and diversification of the product line are really beginning to pay off. You'll see a huge positive change next quarter." Cameron Carlyle handed Manuel a card. "You might want to touch base with our Human Resources Manager. I'm sure we could find a spot for a smart young man like you."

Detective Burke smiled when Manuel handed the card back. "I heard you've been accepted for the next class at the Police Academy."

"Yessir. I want to reach out to the kids like me who could wind up joining a gang if they don't get lucky enough to have somebody steer them in a better direction."

"Rookie cops don't earn much. Might be nice to come into a windfall to tuck away for a rainy day."

"I spent the whole day working on the teacher's jalopy and a pool guy's pickup. Never touched the Beamer."

"Sounds like everybody here is as innocent as a newborn infant. This could be a long night. Wish I'd gotten here in time to share some of Eli's ribs."

Cameron Carlyle suddenly smiled. "Detective, I just remembered something that might solve this mystery."