—“and the Harpers,” Harry continued, “will be informed about this situation. Is that clear?”
“Very clear,” Sophy said. “But you’re forgetting that someone outside the families already knows that your vault is vulnerable. The thief.”
An acute silence followed that observation. It took her a beat to register what had been left unsaid. Anger set fire to her senses.
“If any one of you dares to so much as hint that a member of my family broke into your stupid vault, I swear I will spend the rest of my life taking revenge,” she vowed. “The current feud between the Harpers and the Wellses will look like a picnic in the park compared to what will come afterward.”
Luke took charge with a speed that she could not help but admire.
“Obviously, we’re dealing with a thief who had access to some very sophisticated lockpicking equipment,” he said. “Possibly someone in-house. It wouldn’t be the first time the employee background checks failed to catch a rogue.”
There was another short, tense silence. Sophy’s intuition pinged. This time the part left unsaid was not aimed at her or herfamily. She was pretty sure Luke was blaming himself for whatever had happened when a background check had failed.
“No need to get paranoid,” she said briskly. “There are a lot of people around who are good with locks. What we all should keep in mind is that whoever broke into the Wells family vault knew about Kaleidoscope and where to find the weapons. We’re talking about someone deep in the paranormal community, possibly someone with a long-standing connection to Bluestone. That should narrow the suspect list.”
Angela sighed. “She’s right.”
“Thank you, Angela,” Sophy said.
Harry cleared his throat before Angela could respond. “There are other questions,” he said. “For instance, where do Deke and Bea Harper fit into this? And why was that man murdered in Deke’s cabin?”
“Good questions,” Sophy said. She opened her phone and pulled up the app she had been using to make notes. “I’ve been researching the Fool’s Gold Canyon Art Colony. One of my sources, a little book titledAn Investigation intothe Fool’s Gold Canyon Vortex,has a couple of interesting facts. We already knew that the first art colony was abandoned a few years after it was established. But what we didn’t know was that the man who founded it is said to have been driven mad by the strong vortex forces in the area. He died there. Over the years a number of conspiracy theories about the site have circulated, most of which involve extraterrestrials and alien abductions.”
Harry grunted. “Anything else?”
“Not much.” Sophy looked up from her notes. “I checked out the bio of the author. He died a few months after he self-published the book, so we can’t contact him.”
“Probably abducted by aliens,” Angela muttered.
Sophy ignored her. “Newer sources note that the site wasabandoned for decades. Then, about eighteen months ago, the current art colony was founded by a tech bro named Trent Hatch. He’s got an advanced degree in physics. His area of expertise is photonics.”
“The science of light,” Harry mused. “That’s pretty sophisticated stuff.”
“Hatch is a billionaire who made his fortune with an invention that proved to be a game changer in the field of medical imagery,” she continued. “The device allows doctors to see deeper into the brain. It’s used as both a diagnostic and treatment tool. He holds the patent, so he’s going to remain very rich for a long time.”
“I’ve heard of him,” Luke said. “But that’s all I can say. After developing the imaging tool he disappeared from the tech scene.”
Sophy scrolled through her notes. “That’s because he announced that he was going to retire at thirty and turn his attention to what he calls ‘the art of light.’ He rebuilt the Fool’s Gold Canyon Art Colony and now invites artists who are exploring the use of light in their work to apply for a one-month residency at the colony. A maximum of eight artists are in residence at any time. There is a small inn on the grounds.”
“Can anyone stay at the inn?” Harry asked.
“No,” Sophy said. “It operates like a private club. Invitation only.”
“And Deke had a booking for two people?” Angela asked, her voice rising.
“Not under his own name,” Luke said. “The booking is for a Mr. and Ms. Ainsley.”
“A cover, probably,” Harry offered.
“That sounds likely,” Luke said.
“I knew it—he’s a spy,” Sophy said.
The others ignored her.
“Are you and Ms. Harper planning to check in under thosenames?” Angela said. She did not attempt to conceal her disapproval.
“Don’t worry, Angela,” Sophy said. “Separate beds. It will be like camping out. Luke’s virtue is safe with me.”
