Page 30 of One Wrong Move
Tad waited.
“Watch your back with these two.” He glanced back at Andi. “Bye, Miranda.”
She gave a clipped nod, and the burn of adrenaline releasing its hold sizzled through her as the lightning had the sky on their way into town.
She swallowed, an ounce of relief loosening her rock-hard shoulders. But the mortification remained. The reminder of Jeremy’s betrayal. And the brutal fact he had married another on their wedding day. It was the blade that cut to the marrow despite her lack of any loving feelings for him for months.
“What was that all about?” Tad asked as the young lady, whom she could only assume was his assistant, came to stand beside him. “Is there something I should know”—he pinned his gaze on Christian—“other than the fact that your fancy security system failed again?”
“You’ll recall,” Christian said, “that you rejected my recommendations and left several points of entry vulnerable. So I’m going to take a wild guess and say the thieves used one of the weaknesses to break in.”
Tad shifted his stance, planting his hands on his hips—his genie-style purple pants crimped beneath his hold. “We’ll see about that, but first we’re going to go over the items taken.” He gestured to Andi, his multipatterned silk shirt sleeve sliding down his arm, along with his bangles.
“Can I go now, Mr. Gaiman?” the young woman asked beside him.
“Actually,” Christian said, “it would be helpful if we could ask you a few questions.”
“More?” the woman said, little color in her face.
Andi studied her. Had the FBI raked her over the coals? Adam doing so would hardly surprise her.
“Excuse me,” Tad said. “I’m the one who had close to a million stolen. I think the focus should be on me.”
Andi tried not to roll her eyes. Of course he did. “Why don’t we divide and conquer,” Andi said to Christian, “and then we can compare notes.” They were already many hours out from the discovery of the heist, so for the sake of time, it made sense for Christian to talk with Tad’s assistant while she got to the heart of things with Tad.
“Sounds good,” Christian said, looking at the young woman. “Cara, how about we head to your break room?”
Cara nodded, and the two headed down the back corridor, the high-pitched call of monkeys echoing around them as a fresh waft of fog poured forth.
“Don’t be long,” Tad called after them, then turned his attention to Andi. “What did the agents mean about watching my back with you two?”
“It was old business between me and Adam,” she said, praying he’d leave it there, but most people wouldn’t.
“Fine.” Tad waved it off. “Let’s get to what matters—the fact that my second gallery has been robbed.”
“Let’s go over what was taken,” she said.
He exhaled. “Finally. This way...” Tad power-walked to a series of six open glass cases—all staggered in height—then he gestured to the dozen hollows carved into the stone surrounding them, allwith empty cases nestled inside. “They...” He swallowed a sob and tried again. “They took my rarest and most expensive items.”
“Which ones, specifically?” she asked, moving around the cases, a pencil over her ear, a notebook in hand.
“Where to start.” Tad held his balled-up hand to his mouth, pacing from one case to the next. “Let’s start here,” he said, indicating the smallest case in one of the hollows of the wall.
She struggled to focus on Tad’s words, her mind drifting to the young woman with Christian. The news about a sign of a struggle at Alex’s rattled her, and she prayed Cara wasn’t in any danger.
FIFTEEN
CHRISTIAN HELD THE BREAK ROOM DOORopen for Cara. She moved past him into the sterile white galley-style kitchen and took a seat at one of the white plastic chairs.
Not Tad’s style at all. Had his ex-wife, Veronica, decorated this room? The galleries had been half hers at one time, or at least that’s how she always saw it and was never shy to let folks know.
Cara kicked one ballet flat over her opposite knee, her arms wrapped snug against her chest. “I had nothing to do with this, and that’s not going to change if you bully me. Got it?”
Christian held up his hands. “Got it.” He pulled a chair out, spun it around, and straddled it. “Is that what the Feds did?”
“And the local police, and Tad. He was the worst of it.”
“Lovely.” Christian shook his head, and Cara cocked hers.
