James Paddock

Bound by Secrets James Paddock

Two men lie dead at the entrance to the Polverini Museum; the robber, whose intent was to pull off the perfect heist, and the homeowner, whose intent, it seems, was to pull off the perfect insurance fabrication. A botched robbery, the police conclude; case closed except for the unknown identity of the robber, John Doe. What they don't know is that John Doe had a partner and she is quite alive and in deep mourning over the death of the man she loved, while trying to decide what to do with her life and the Cerise la Grâce Diamant (Cherry Grace Diamond) with which she walked away. The only other person who knows of her existence is the homeowner's widow, and the widow wants the woman found, her motive other than what you might be thinking. Don't tell the police, she instructs Monti who is faced with his first case as a newly licensed private investigator. She insists that he keep it a secret. As Monti steps through his investigation, he begins uncovering other secrets that have been buried for decades, secrets that maybe should or should not remain buried, depending on your point of view.