George was standing in the security room doorway, gripping a small box. “The gems?” I asked, expelling a sigh of relief that she was okay. George snorted. “Better.” “Better than the gems?” Bess said, squinting at her cousin. “What could be better?” “Videotape!” George cheered. “Right,” Bess said. “I think you are sleep deprived.” “No, no,” George said. “I mean, yes, I am sleep deprived, but this is our most important clue yet.” I was listening. “Nancy, there are some gaping holes in my theory here, but try this,” George started. “What if . . .” Her eyes lit up in the darkened room. “What if, after Smallwood left the shop, there was someone else already there? Maybe someone who knew Smallwood, like a partner, or maybe someone else. At this point it doesn’t matter.” She shook her head as if to clear it. “Let’s just say, once the shop was officially closed, if a person broke into the security room, they’d have had access to the entire system.
