Miller answered, spoke in quiet tones for a minute, and looked up at Hannah with a troubled expression. “That was the liquidator from the estate sale,” he said, setting the receiver down. “Word travels fast in the trade. They know we sent a piece out for certified grading.”
The liquidation company claimed they had received a frantic call from the deceased homeowner’s daughter. She alleged that several personal items had been tagged for sale by mistake during the house clearance, including a velvet pouch containing her late mother’s jewelry.
“I bought it fair and square,” Hannah said, reaching into her purse and pulling out the yellow paper receipt. “It says ‘Costume Ring – $13.00’ right here. I have the paper trail.” Miller winced. “Legally, yes. But the daughter is threatening a legal injunction to freeze any sale.”