Chapter Nine
Jake focused on pictures of Native pots on Gabby’s computer screen as he and Gabby sat at the kitchen table in the cabin, relieved she’d seemed to have softened toward him a fraction.
She held up the shard. “The pattern on this piece and the type of clay tell all. New Mexico’s dirt has a different texture and hue. Even if I mistook the pattern, because it’s broken, the composition proves it’d never be found here. Dean had to have left it for me to find. Or, it could have fallen out of his bag when he grabbed for a tool, I suppose.”
He said, “Let’s go over the possibilities. Dean left the piece there to let you know he’d been there. But what good would that do? Could it be a clue for where they went? Possibly to reunite the statues if they have them both? Your father said he and Dean had a deal. What kind would they make?”
She shook her head. “I don’t know. I’ve tried to think of all the angles, but nothing is making sense.” Gabby turned and finally looked into his eyes. She’d been avoiding his gaze ever since he revealed he was a cop. Maybe it was progress.
He studied the rows of numbers and the diagrams on the screen again. “Then let’s start from the beginning. Where did these shards in your office come from? Did someone on your team find them? If so, was there something significant that happened at that particular dig?”
“No. Dean’s brother, Will, acquired them from a private collection. Will is wealthy and likes to dabble. He’d bought them and then donated them to our museum.”
Jake stood to pace. “Would Will be interested in the two statues for himself?”
“I don’t think so.” Gabby’s forehead crumpled. “The last time we had a date we went to dinner. Over dessert, he told me how much he hates that so many treasures are lost to the world in private collections.”
You have a boyfriend? Then why did you let that amazing kiss in the woods happen?
“How often do you see Will? And what happened after this dinner filled with sexy archaeology talk?”
“We’ve dated a few times in the past six months. And after the last one, I went home, and he went back to his hotel.” Her gaze quickly snapped from his to her computer screen. “Is that relevant, or are you just being nosy again?”
“Both.” Her cheeks were turning red. He loved how easy it was to make her blush. But that she’d dated the guy who was responsible for the shard had some possibilities. “Why did he stay at a hotel instead of his brother’s house? And did Will take you somewhere nice?”
I want to be the guy taking you to nice dinners.
“Yes. Will asked the concierge for the name of the nicest restaurant in Georgetown. Because he’s considerate that way.” She busied herself scrolling through pictures of pots. “And Will stayed at a hotel because he was attending a medical conference there. Dean was away in New York for business.”
He leaned his face in front of hers and whispered, “Will had to have known his brother was going to be out of town. I bet Will picked that conference as an excuse to have a fancy dinner with you. He even paid the huge bill, didn’t he?”
“I didn’t say he paid. That’s pure conjecture on your part.”
He stared deeply into her doe eyes. “Oh, he paid. And you like him. It’s written all over your face. Why didn’t you sleep with him?”
Please say because you like him only as a friend.
She rolled her eyes. “I told you. I’m not a one-night-stand kind of woman. And Will attended the conference because his hospital in Denver was thinking of getting a new piece of equipment the sponsors were selling. Any other questions, Detective?”
“More of an observation.” He leaned closer, so close her breath played across his lips. He wanted to kiss her, to wipe away any thoughts of Will, but she was still angry with him. “I think you want Will, but you’re going to make him court you, like a gentleman.”
Please say I’m wrong.
“A gentleman is something you’re clearly not.” She placed her hand on his cheek and slowly moved his face away from hers. “Don’t you need another beer or something?”
“Good idea.” He plastered on a fake smile as he headed for the fridge, a little hurt by her comment. He flirted a lot, but he was a gentleman, dammit. Maybe he should’ve just told her he’d like a chance to take her to nice dinners, too.
Then something rang a bell. “Did you say Lover Boy is from Denver?”
“He’s not—yes. Why?”
“Colorado is only a few hour’s drive away, that’s why.” Jake raced back to take his seat beside Gabby. “What if Dean told his brother where the statue was? Will could’ve driven here and dug it up before anyone else could get here. Maybe Will left the shard to clue you in that he had it? Maybe he didn’t like what his brother was up to, if he really believed what he told you at dinner.”
“Maybe. He and his brother are all the family either has. I get the impression Will loves Dean but doesn’t like him very much sometimes.”
Jake’s gut told him they were finally on the right track. “You said Dean took emergency leave a few days before the Father statue went missing from the museum. So, let’s make the assumption that Dean had agreed to steal the Father statue from your museum for your dad. Or helped your father steal it. Then Dean changed alliances for the Son statue buried here. What if the new buyer flew with Dean out here to look for the Son statue? Did you have more than one dig site in mind if the first wasn’t the right one?”
“Yes. Because Dean wasn’t convinced the cartographer could be that accurate and had lined out a few other possibilities. If we didn’t find the statue at the expected site, we needed to be ready with more funding to search multiple sites while we had permission to dig.” She tapped some keys on her laptop. “I have them all mapped out in red.” She pointed to three places, all within a five-mile radius.
“Your father said Dean only got on the flight to London this morning. If his brother has the statue, what have Dean and his bad buddies been doing the past few days?”
She shook her head. “I don’t know, because surely Dean would dig in the most likely spot first.”
Jake held up a finger. “If he wanted to find it. Maybe he’s buying time for something. Like making a better deal now if he has both statues. What if Dean and whoever was with him found the hole empty, just like we did, because Will got to it first? Meanwhile, Dean’s shopping for the highest bidder, while keeping the people he’s with on the fence until he figures it all out. Dean switched alliances once with your father. He’d surely do it again. If he’s a greedy bastard.”
“This is starting to finally make sense, Jake.” Anticipation and joy shone in her eyes, replacing the anger at him they’d held before.
But then her face fell. “Wait. What if all of this is true? What if they found the empty hole and decided they don’t need Dean anymore?”
That had crossed his mind as soon as she’d mentioned the deal going south with her dad.
He rubbed the back of his neck as he ran everything around in his head. Dean was playing a dangerous game.
Gabby said, “Wait. Maybe Will isn’t involved. What if Dean dug up the statue but left the shard so I’d help him. Because he’s figured out he’s in over his head? And if that’s true, it’d be my fault if I don’t help him and he’s killed, Jake.”
“Hang on.” He held up a hand. “We’re just throwing around possibilities here. We still don’t know what we’re dealing with yet. What we do know is that your father told you to stay out of his war, so that would imply it’s ongoing. Dean might have one or both statues. Otherwise, what war would there be?”
Gabby’s stomach ached as she sat at the kitchen table, still pondering all the angles. Jake went to the fridge and grabbed a soda. Evidently, he was done playing the laid-back beer-drinking guy on vacation and decided to take things seriously for a change. He said, “Any way I look at this, Dean’s probably in trouble. You should e-mail your dad. Get more information.”
Even though she didn’t care for Dean, she had to do the decent thing by him. He could die if he crossed the wrong people. “Okay. I’ll talk to my father.”
Jake sat beside her again. “Will he tell you the truth?”
“Hopefully.” She picked up her laptop and moved to the living room so Jake wouldn’t see her log-in password. She’d agreed to trust him but not to make it easy for him to arrest her father.
Hey, Dad. I need you to promise me you’ll do all you can to be sure Dean doesn’t get hurt, okay?
While she waited for his reply, she glanced over the lid of her laptop and found Jake studying her intently. Where had the fun, flirty Jake suddenly gone? The one who’d made her knees weak when he’d kissed her. She met his gaze and asked, “Was our kiss in the woods real? Or was that a cop doing his job, to see what my motives were?”
He blinked at her for a moment, as if taken aback. “Of course it was real. No one could fake something that great.”
Yeah, it’d been a whopper of a kiss.
Her father finally replied.
The only way I’d agree to that is if you get your butt home!
Would he keep his word if she returned home?
Do you know how Dean is involved?
Gabby chewed her bottom lip as she waited for her father’s reply.
Dean’s big mouth got the attention of the wrong people. That’s why I don’t want you in the middle of this, sweetheart.
“Jake. Come see this, please.” When he flopped beside her, she turned the screen so he could see it. “What should I write back?”
As Jake recited, she typed.
Dean left me a clue so I’d help him.
Her father quickly replied.
What kind of clue?
Jake said, “Tell him it’s something you recognized from the lab. Then ask who your father had planned to sell the statue to in London.”
She sent him a sideways glare. “So you can have someone there to arrest him? Not happening.” But she typed in the first part about the clue.
Jake gave her shoulder a soft bump with his. “A guy has to try, right?” His usual smile was back. It made her stomach do that annoying flip.
Her father wrote back:
You’re in no position to help him now. He’s dug his own grave by dealing out of both sides of his mouth. Let me handle this my own way.
His own way? That didn’t sound like it could be anything good. She hated to pull out the guilt card, but she had to protect Dean. She’d never forgive herself if he got hurt because of his dealings with her father.
You promised me you were done with this lifestyle after we lost Mom and Bobby. And that you’d never lie to me again. I trusted you. So please do the right thing now. Don’t let Dean get hurt. And return the Father statue to my desk, please. Love and miss you.
She quickly slapped her laptop closed.
Jake, whose shoulder was still warming hers, whispered, “You really do love him, don’t you? Even though you think he stole the thing closest to your heart?”
“Can’t help it.” Standing, because sitting so close to him was stirring things up that had no business being stirred, she went back to the kitchen table and sat down. “What do we do now?”
He joined her at the table. “Call Dean’s brother. Lie. Scare the crap out of him. Do whatever it takes to get him to reveal Dean’s plan.”
Studying her nails—badly in need of a manicure—so she wouldn’t have to look into Jake’s bluer than blue eyes, she said, “I like Will. He’s nothing like his brother. And I don’t want to lie and scare the crap out of him.”
Jake’s large hand gave hers a soft squeeze. “If he loves his brother like you do your father, and he knows anything, then he’ll spill to be sure Dean is safe. Or he’ll want to know if his brother is in danger. If it came down to it, your father would keep you safe at any cost, right?”
She sighed. “Yes.” Her father had done everything in his power to keep her safe. And he’d kept his word about giving up his old lifestyle, until the other day, as far as she’d known. She’d been so disheartened since the statue disappeared. It made it hard for her to believe a hundred percent that her dad would keep Dean safe. She hated doubting her father, but what choice did she have? “Okay. But maybe there won’t have to be any lying involved.”
Jake tilted her chin up with his index finger. Then his lips morphed into his signature naughty but cute smile again. “People’s lives might depend on a lie. And why I’d kept the part about me being a cop to myself until I knew everyone’s motives.”
While she stared into his earnest eyes, she nodded. He was right. As much as she hated to lie about anything, Dean’s life might depend on it. And, technically, Jake hadn’t been wrong to withhold his identity from her until he knew the truth about her situation. But in her rule book, once he’d found out who her father was, he should’ve come clean.
She dialed Will’s number and hit “Send.” It rang eight times before she got voice mail. “Hey, Will. It’s Gabby. Can you call me please at this new number? It’s important. Bye.” She hung up. “Hopefully, he’ll call back soon. Let me see if I can book a private plane to London tonight under your name.”
“Book a plane? Wait a minute.” Jake’s face scrunched into a frown.
“Don’t worry about the cost. I’ve never had to spend a dime of my paychecks, so it’s on me. I can’t go commercial, or my father will find out.”
“It’s not the plane. What do you propose we could do in London that a mobster with bad-guy friends can’t?”
“Haven’t figured it all out yet.” When he kept staring at her, as if waiting for something logical to come out of her mouth, she shrugged. “I have a rich former schoolmate there who loves Incan artifacts. He might be able to help us.” She wasn’t going to tell Jake about the idea she’d been toying with ever since her father had uttered the word “London.” She could disappear for good in Europe. It might be easier than trying to hide in the States. She’d lived in London for years and loved it.
“So we’re doing this purely for Dean’s safety?” He crossed his arms, his belief obviously wavering.
Damn him for being a suspicious cop.
“Please, Jake? It’s better than waiting for my bodyguards to find me and drag me back to DC. I just want to do this one last thing—find those statues and put them back where they belong—before I have to go back to my jail cell at home.” If her escape plan didn’t work and she had to go back home, that is.
He closed his eyes and ran a hand down his face. “Okay. But if I’m getting my ass on a plane for that long, then I’m calling Dani to see if we can borrow her mother’s plane. Because it’s really big. At least I know I can pace around on that one if I have to.”
Pace off nerves? “Are you afraid to fly?”
He shook his head. “Claustrophobic. I was under fire. Had to hide in a tiny cave for days until my buddies saved me. Don’t want to talk about it.”
Another off-topic subject. How many more did Jake have? “Okay, using Annalisa’s plane would be awesome. Let me send an e-mail to my friend, Charlie. Have him do some snooping to see if there’s any buzz about selling the statues.” She wouldn’t tell Jake that Charlie was a dealer in illegal artifacts, as well as legitimate ones. She hated that he did that, but they’d been best friends at university and were still e-mail buddies, so she’d told him to never discuss that part of his business with her.
She opened up her laptop, and another message in the draft box appeared on her screen. She hadn’t logged off the e-mail account, just closed her lid. Her father must’ve responded, so she tapped the box and the message appeared.
I didn’t steal anything. I saw on the news that the Father statue we’d just been discussing turned up missing from your museum, so I had one of my men ask around. Dean told my man he had two statues to sell, but you had just told me there was one still buried in New Mexico. My guy made an offer to buy them to force Dean’s hand. Then I sent a guy to check out the burial site. Word is, the matching Son statue wasn’t in the hole when Dean got there. Something else was buried there instead.
What did they find?
A box with a letter and a map of London showing where the Son statue is now. And who are the two most knowledgeable people when it comes to those damn statues? You and Dean. That’s why I got involved. It’s unclear if Dean has been kidnapped or just working with some dangerous black-market dealers. But you have knowledge they might want. Dean has dragged you into this mess, so if the dealers don’t kill him, I will if anything happens to you. Nobody hurts my daughter and lives to tell.
Her heart leaped in happiness as she reread the message, to be sure it said what she thought it did. “My dad didn’t steal the Father statue, Jake!”
He slid his chair closer and read the screen. “That’s good if he’s telling the truth. And he has a point about you being careful. But I don’t like that last part. Especially if it was Dean who organized the theft. We need to get those statues back and stop Dean from whatever plan he’s cooked up.”