Trama

Former detective Jeff Jackson teams up with Dr. Zee Madieras to track down their friend's missing emerald brooch, a thief, and also - a murderer.

Jeff Jackson, formerly a Boston PD detective now retired on Martha's Vineyard following a career ending injury, is hired by his friend, Chief Madieras of the Vineyard PD, for a one time only security stint at the Pendray Inn, owned and operated by Britt Prajna, the best friend of Dr. Zee Madieras, the island's acting M.E. who happens to be the Chief's daughter and Jeff's childhood friend. The Lakshmi Emeralds, mounted on a sole broach worth $5 million, are being returned to Britt having been stolen from her family over sixty years ago and having circulated on the black market ever since. Gemologist Victor Gaines of Gaines and Associates Auction House in Boston recognized the emeralds after they were brought in by their unsuspecting owners, Regina and Freddy Fields, who were having them appraised. While Britt's godfather, lawyer Willard Gilford, and Gaines personally handled the transfer of the emeralds back to Britt in conjunction with Thornbury Securities, headed by Jeff's former Boston PD associate Mike Vinson, Mike and his team in conjunction with Vineyard PD are handling the event at the Pendray when Britt will be displaying the emeralds for the first time to the Who's Who of the island. One of the more professionally attuned attendees at the event is Rebecca Lane of the Vineyard Art Museum, while reporter AJ Sharma of the Culture of India Magazine is on the island doing a story of the emeralds. One somewhat unwelcome attendee is Britt's cousin, Lloyd Prajna, who plans to contest Britt as the rightful owner, she who plans to display the emeralds by wearing the broach for a week before signing them over to the Smithsonian for the world to enjoy. Shortly after the event, Britt is attacked in her home and seriously injured, while the emeralds end up being stolen from the inn's safe. This incident follows an attempted theft of the emeralds outside the auction house when the transfer was being made. With an occasional lead from Jackie Shawl, an investigative reporter with the Vineyard Gazette who is also writing about the emeralds, Jeff, Zee and the Captain investigate the theft and assault with all of the above as possible suspects. The case takes on a new urgency when Zee has to take on her usual professional role of M.E. as one of the players is found murdered, the signs being that it was associated to the theft of the emeralds.—Huggo

Injury-retired Boston PD star detective Jeff Jackson happily accepts a well-paid short security job mediated by his youth friend and doc Zee's father, Martha's Vineyard police chief Duncan Madieras, at the festive return of the famous heirloom Lakshmi Emeralds, mounted in gold as a broach worth $5 million, to Pendray Inn, stolen from hotel owner Britt Prajna's family sixty years ago. Among the guests are Culture of India Magazine reporter AJ Sharma, and Associates Auction House gemologist Victor Gaines of Gaines who recognized the emeralds when brought to Boston for appraisal by latest owners Freddy and Regina Fields, also present, with Britt's cousin, Lloyd Prajna, who plans to contest ownership, and Rebecca Lane of the Vineyard Art Museum. Furthermore, Vineyard Gazette investigative reporter Jackie Shawl and Britt's godfather, lawyer Willard Gilford, who personally receives the jewel after transport by Thornbury Securities, whose boss Mike Vinson repeats in vain an offer to recruit Jeff as fine former Boston PD colleague, having dealt with an attempted robbery on the way. The night after the flawless gala, Britt is seriously injured by a masked intruder in her home and the emeralds end up being stolen from the inn's safe, which only she and her trusted inn manager. While team Jeff investigates everyone, a murder follows.—KGF Vissers