Day One - The Stanhope Mansion, Savannah, Georgia.  Mid-morning.

Johnny Earthquake stood just inside the parlor door. Mrs. Stanhope was sitting on the settee. Her son, Jason, beside her. The maid, Penelope, was standing to the left, inside the curve of the big bay windows. 

"Does she need to be here?" Mrs. Stanhope asked, referring to the maid.

"You accused her of theft and fired her. Yeah, she needs to hear this."

Mrs. Stanhope sniffed, "Have you been able to find my diamonds?"

"Oh, I found 'em alright. And it wasn't Miss Penelope that took 'em." Johnny caught a look that went between the maid and the son but there was no time to consider the implications of that. He had bad news to deliver and the sooner he could do it, get paid, and get out of there, the happier he would be.

Stanhope was saying, "I don't understand. You said this was an inside job. Where are my diamonds and who took them?"

"They are at the Second City Pawn shop. Here are the tickets. You can buy 'em back." Johnny relished the look of distaste on the haughty woman's face as he dropped several pawn tickets on the coffee table.

"I coulda got them back for ya but that woulda involved the police and I didn't think you'd want that."

"Well, why on earth not?"

"Those pawn tickets trace back to your son, Jason. He's been stealing from you for the last two years. He's got paper all over town. Ya hired me to find your diamonds but you might wanna check on the emeralds and other stuff."

Johnny dropped an envelope on the table next to the pawn tickets. "Here's my bill. I'll see myself out."

He walked out of the room and got to the front door before the butler, who he suspected had been listening to the whole thing from the hall. "Rich people," he thought, "are no better than the crooks. They think the world exists to benefit them."

"But they pay better than catching crooks.," Johnny added as he sped out of the driveway in his '57 'Vette Roadster. Twin rooster tails of gravel marking his departure.

                                                                                        ~~~     

"Leave us," Lydia Stanhope said to the maid.

She leaned forward to pour tea. "What a disagreeable man. I consider all of this your fault." She turned to look at her son. "You will get my diamonds back and you will take care of that." She indicated the envelope laying on the table. "You will use your own money. I am done bailing you out of trouble, Jason."

She handed him a cup of tea. "Two lumps; just the way you like it."

Jason Stanhope kept his face impassive. "Yes, mummy," he said. Inside he was seething. That damn detective could spoil everything. Jason vowed to do anything he could to make sure that didn't happen.