“We have to get some missing pieces before we can extrapolate some geo-location to track down Mom, considering that her signals are all lost,” Helen said.

“We need names. Names are connected to people, places, things. Can you think of anything or anyone in the art underground who might want those eggs—assuming they were why Mama Hu is in danger?”

“So we go the old-fashioned way.” Reuben smiled. It looked like he was trying to welcome them to his world.

“What’s your mom’s real name?” Leland asked, typing.

“Eleanora Hu nee Wu, also known as Mama Hu.”

As soon as Helen said it, Hugo broke out laughing.

“Shut up, Hugo.” Helen shot daggers with her eyes. It didn’t work.

“I see now why Mama Hu doesn’t use a hyphenated last name,” Hugo carried on. “It would end up being Mama Wu-Hu. Woo-hoo! Get it?”

Nobody laughed.

Then Leland said, “You’re so fired, Hugo.”

“I’m sorry you think of funny things when Mom’s life is on the line,” Helen said quietly. “It has been over twenty-four hours. No news from the FBI or INTERPOL. It’s up to our ragtag group here to find her. Have some decency.”

Dario didn’t wait for Hugo to apologize. “Molyneux.”

Leland nodded.

There seemed to be more that the two hadn’t said about Molyneux, but it wasn’t the time for Helen to ask questions. She simply made a mental note to look up Molyneux, the terrorist at large.

Was she really getting investment capital from art thieves?

When no one else said anything, Reuben spoke. “My father’s name was Frederico Costa. He has no nickname. His brother’s name was Javier Costa. He fell off a boat and drowned several years ago.”

“So sorry,” Helen said.

“I don’t feel any grief, really. He and my father had not spoken for years before my father died in prison under mysterious circumstances.”

“Interesting.” Leland continued typing. “Bad blood between the brothers?”

“No idea. Uncle Javier once loved a woman, but she died young.”

“Find out the woman’s name,” Helen instructed Leland. “And Ondrej’s last name. Mom kept mentioning him. He died suddenly last week. How all this began.”

“Got it.”

“What about your father’s rivals?” Helen asked Reuben. “Was Ondrej a rival?”

“A friend, I think. But rivals? There are many.” Reuben laughed. “Name any art thief, and he or she would be a Costa rival or enemy. Some have passed away, and some are still alive.”

“This could grow our database.” Leland rubbed her palms together. “Seed it with some more names, please.”

“The top two that come to mind are Manolas, Ioannidis…” Reuben paused. “There are more. Fairfield, Palmeiro.”

“Are they people who are looking for the Petros eggs?”

“Ah, that rules out the Ioannidis organization. They don’t care about eggs.” Reuben seemed to be deep in thought. “I would move Palmeiro to the top of the list.”

“Palmeiro? That sounds familiar. Wait a sec.” Leland raised her eyebrows. “Searching for upcoming events tells me that they’re hosting a ball this Friday.”

Helen snapped her fingers. “If the list of guests is like the who’s who of the art theft underworld, then some of them could have those last Petros eggs we want—or at least know of people who might.”

Leland nodded. “But it’s only three days away. Who shall we send?”

Slowly, Reuben raised his hand. “I’m the only one who will not raise suspicion.”

“You could be a problem with our communication system,” Helen said. “You’re a Luddite.”

“I can learn new tricks.”

“We’ll see.”

Dario swiped his own iPhone. “It’s a winner’s ball. Meaning you need to bring a prize. Something you acquired—stole—that is more valuable than anything else you have at the moment. It has to be a thing, not a person.”

“Ha.” Helen shook her head. “So it’s not going to be a kidnapping fest.”

“What would be a valuable thing?”

“Easy.” Helen leaned forward. “A Petros egg. What about museums out there? Do you think some of these might be displayed anywhere?”

“They haven’t been in museums for a long time,” Dario said. “But we have a master list of illegal private collections.”

“It could take forever for us to scour private collections for one egg to bring.”

“Seven years ago, Palmeiro had three,” Reuben said. “However, he was robbed all the time. He might not have any left.”

“And Mom had given up her three eggs so that INTERPOL can track them,” Helen said.

“So they’re starting to surface,” Reuben said.

“You’re suggesting…?” Helen asked.

“I go to the ball. Make a short list of people of interest.”

“I don’t think you should go alone,” Dario said and Hugo concurred.

“No offense.” Hugo saluted Reuben. “But we need a buddy system to protect the artifact.”

“Then I go with him,” Helen said.

Reuben smiled. “As my wife?”

“You wish.”