Bess was a tall woman and she knew plenty of men close to her in height. However, it was rare for one to be several inches shorter than she was, and she always felt like a giant when in the company of Aslan Koç. It was a strange sensation and she had yet to become accustomed to it. What he lacked in stature, he made up for in productivity. He had found more stolen jewelry than the last detective who had worked for the St. Clairs. Aslan was also not old and set in his ways like the previous one.

Bess had hoped he had news about some of the unresolved thefts, but instead he wanted to sell some gold. Although they crafted most of their own jewelry, they did buy pieces and either resell them or use their components to create something new. William had started buying jewelry long before he met Bess, mainly because so many Whitby residents needed money but were too proud to accept donations.

Was Aslan desperate for money, she wondered? “Always,” she replied. “Did you bring it with you?”