Alibi in High Heels by Gemma Halliday

files before I forgot them. While I couldn't remember the dates beside them, I did know they were all made in the last two months, with Ryan being the most recent, dated just two days before Gisella's murder. Which could mean nothing, but at least it was a place to start.
    I moved on to the piles of papers in the desk drawer. Most were receipts from taxicab rides, boutiques, restaurants. Almost all were written in French. And though I could clearly make out the amounts she spent, I was ashamed to admit, I didn't have my Euros to dollars calculations memorized and they meant little to me. But from what I could make out of the boutiques she shopped at, Gisella had expensive taste. There were several shops in Paris whose names I recognized, as well as three top tier Italian designers.
    "Hey," I called to Felix.
    He popped his head back out again.
    "Check the closet, would you?"
    "What am I looking for?" he asked, crossing the room and sliding back the mirrored doors.
    "A de la Renta coat."
    Felix paused, flipping through her wardrobe. "And a de le Renta would look like...?"
    "Fur."
    He rummaged around. "She has three furs."
    As much as I was against killing defenseless little animals for the sole purpose of looking cool, I felt my heart clench just a little. "Three?"
    He nodded.
    I couldn't help myself, I needed just one little look. I hobbled over to his side. Sure enough, one de la Renta, one Alta Moda, and one vintage Chanel. I ran my hand over the Chanel, making little moaning sounds that were strikingly like the ones I'd just heard on Gisella's camera. "You have any idea how much this is worth?'
    Felix was checking the pockets of the Alta Moda. He shook his head. "No. Tell me."
    I couldn't. It was priceless. Woman had given their first born for less.
    "I can tell you, however," he said, his face breaking into a smirk, "how much this one is worth."
    I raised an eyebrow at him. "Oh really? All right, Mr. Fashion Knowledge. What's it worth?"
    Felix pulled his hand out of the pocket, then held it open. In the middle of his palm glittered a necklace, three perfectly cut diamonds suspended from a thick gold chain. "Exactly five hundred and thirty-three thousand, three hundred and two dollars. Last time I had it appraised."
    I sucked in a breath. "Your necklace?"
    He nodded.
    "Do you know what this means?"
    "That I don't have to deal with the insurance company?"
    "That Gisella had the necklace all along. She really did misplace it."
    Felix stared down at the necklace, turning it over in his hands. "Or she'd planned on keeping it for herself."
    "You mean Gisella stole it?" I raised one eyebrow in his direction. Now there was something I hadn't thought of. I was just about to ask him what prompted that train of thought when a sound outside the door made us both freeze.
    "What was that?" I whispered.
    Felix shook his head, shoving the necklace in his pocket. "I think that's our cue to get out of h-"
    But he didn't get to finish, the sound of the door flying open cutting him off. Three policemen in blue uniforms came bursting into the room, practically filling it, guns drawn, arms straight out in front of them.
    The first one shouted something in French.
    "What?" I asked.
    He repeated his command.
    "I'm sorry, I don't speak French."
    He pointed his gun at me.
    Yikes! Okay, that I did speak. I put my hands up in a surrender motion.
    "Look, I can explain. This is Lord Ackerman and we were just here because he left a priceless family heirloom here last time he slept with Gisella."
    "I never said I slept with her," Felix protested, doing a mirror image of my hands-in-the-air thing.
    "Play along," I whispered out the side of my mouth.
    "Maddie, I don't think..."
    But again Felix was cut off as the second officer traded in his gun for a pair of handcuffs, which he promptly placed on Felix's wrists, clasping them together behind his back.
    "Wait, no, you're making a mistake," I protested. "Okay, fine we're not really here looking for a family