Chapter 5 - The Pawnshop Trap
I kissed Emily's forehead one more time and told her I would be right back.
I ran out of the hospital, my mind completely consumed by a blinding fury.
That antique necklace was the only physical memory Emily had left of her grandmother.
I knew exactly which pawnshop Brittany used because she constantly sold stolen electronics there.
It was a shady storefront on the edge of the city, run by a man who never asked questions.
I kicked the glass door open, setting off a loud chiming bell that echoed through the dusty shop.
Brittany was standing at the counter, smiling greedily as the owner counted out stacks of hundred-dollar bills.
I marched up behind her and snatched the money right out of the owner's hands.
“Hey!” Brittany shrieked, spinning around to face me.
“You have absolutely no right to touch my money, Ethan!”
I ignored her and grabbed the antique necklace from the glass display case.
The pawnshop owner reached under the counter, likely grabbing a weapon.
“I have the receipt proving this is my wife's stolen property,” I told the owner firmly.
“If you try to buy this, I will have the police shut down your entire illegal operation by noon.”
The owner slowly raised his empty hands and backed away from the register.
Brittany lunged at me, trying to claw my face, but I easily pushed her aside.
“You are going to regret this, Ethan,” she spat viciously.
The owner cleared his throat and looked at me with a strange expression.
“If you are looking for stolen family items, you should probably see what your mother sold me last month.”
He walked into the back room and returned carrying a familiar gold pocket watch.
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It was the priceless heirloom watch that belonged to my late father.
Teresa had sworn to me for years that it was stolen during a violent burglary when I was a child.
