He was flooded with relief, as if a picture hanging crooked on the wall had been set nearly straight again. Rodney Underwood called on Monday afternoon. “I’ve just read an in’erestin’ article, says a ring of English antique dealers has been shippin’ jewels over here in holler table legs and secret desk drawers. Says, ah, let’s see, says three English dealers are currently under suspicion of shippin’ rare stolen gems and antique jewelry in furniture transported by ship in sealed containers. So far, authorities have not been able to seize a shipment, as those destined recently for America were diverted to other, unknown ports. “You don’t reckon your jewels could have anything to do with this, do you?” Please don’t call them my jewels! he thought. “I don’t think so. Fact is, I just searched the church, thinking that . . . well, in any case, I didn’t find anything. Nothing but a lone candy wrapper, to tell the truth.”
