“No, but I’m climbing the walls here.At least it’s something to do without leaving the building.”Bryn tossed the folder onto the counter.“Besides, aren’t you curious about a dagger heist?Especially one that has Giles running personal errands for his buddy?”
“It might be a little interesting,” Gunnar admitted, pulling Bryn close.“And watching Giles squirm when you called him out was a highlight of my morning, that’s for sure.”He grinned.“But if at any point you feel…”
“I’ll tap out, I promise.”Bryn gave Gunnar a quick kiss.
Thirty minutes later, they were heading down the stairs to the basement level of GCR headquarters.
“I hate having to wear these things,” Bryn said.“One day I’m gonna fall on my ass because I can’t see where I’m going.”
“They make you look mysterious,” Gunnar replied.
“They make me look like I’m trying too hard to be cool.”
“That too.”
“You aren’t supposed to agree.”
Giles was waiting for them outside one of the meeting rooms.“Glad you could tear yourselves away from the frosted flakes.The suspects are prepped and waiting.”
“You do remember this is us doing you a massive favor, right?”Bryn said.“How about some gratitude?”
“How about less attitude?There are three suspects.Marcus Fanshaw, curator of the Middle Eastern collection; Anton Cormino, head of museum security—he’s the sanguine; and Tom Redman, the evening shift guard who was on duty when the theft occurred.”
“And you said all three have alibis?”Gunnar said.
“Fanshaw claims he was in his office cataloging new acquisitions all evening; Cormino was at a security conference across town and has plenty of witnesses, but could have stepped out without being noticed; Redman maintains he never left his post except for scheduled breaks, during which the exhibition hall was covered by cameras.The footage is his alibi.”
“Any physical evidence pointing to one over the others?”Bryn asked.
“Nothing conclusive.The security cameras were bypassed.Not disabled, but looped.The display case shows signs of having been opened with a key rather than forced.”
“Who had access to the keys?”
“All three of them, plus the museum director and the head conservator.”
“And where were they at the time of the theft?”Gunnar asked.
“At a major donors’ dinner,” Giles replied without missing a beat.“With over a hundred witnesses.”
“Just checking,” Gunnar said with a shrug.
“Okay.Do these people know what I am?”Bryn asked.
“They do,” Giles confirmed.“They’ve agreed to the interviews.They weren’t in any position to decline.”
“Okay, so who’s first?”
“Fanshaw.I thought we’d start at the top.”
As the three of them entered the small meeting room, Fanshaw’s expression was a mixture of annoyance and concern.
“I don’t know what good this is going to do.I’ve told you everything I know already.”
“As I explained,” Giles said, “the quickest way to get through this is for you to talk to our augur.This is Bryn Ashton and his partner, Detective Ericson.”
Bryn approached the table Fanshaw was seated at.“Pleasure to meet you, despite the circumstances.”He took a seat.“I need skin-to-skin contact, okay?”
Fanshaw nodded and Bryn grasped his wrist.
