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Linc cleared his throat, and Piper looked up Jaeger took a seat as far away frohed at his nonverbal slap

Yeah, I get it, Ballantyne You want nothing to do with me

Linc tapped his pen on the table, and Piper told herself to concentrate What was about to be discussed would i tiame

“Thank you for sending us copies of the relevant pages of the diary, Piper,” Linc said, his deep voice ruitimate owner of the stones We’ve matched the description of the sapphires with some of the stonesfive stones froinal fifteen”

“I knohere they are” Piper pulled in a deep breath “May I have your assurance that whatever we discuss here will not leave the confines of this room?”

“You have it,” Linc replied

Piper nodded her thanks “Jaeger knows this already, but Michael Shuttle was ive him the capital to start his business”

Linc exchanged a long look with Jaeger, and Piper turned her head to look at Beckett and Sage Beckett looked surprised and Sage sympathetic

“Oh, honey Nobody knows?” Sage asked

Piper lifted one shoulder in a tiny shrug “Mick never acknowledged hter”

Sage frowned “In a way, I can sort of understand why he wouldn’t want that to be public You would’ve grown up with a million cameras on you and your life”

Ah, Sage, you are so far off base

Piper didn’t give any further explanations; she didn’t need empty platitudes and false sympathy Beckett’s measured voice pulled her attention back to the business at hand “Okay, so that’s twelve stones Where are thethree?”