“Channels?”Sophie raised an eyebrow.
Pierre’s mouth quirked in what passed for a smile with him.“Paula at the office might have mentioned where you were heading this morning.And given my background with art theft cases in Paris ...”
“The more eyes the better on this one,” Marcus said.“Especially since this is the third theft of Hawaiian artifacts and we’re no closer to catching these guys than we were after the first.”
“Check what I’ve found so far.”Sophie handed Pierre the signal interceptor.He examined it; his years as an investigator showed in quick assessment as he turned the device in his hands.
“Sophisticated,” he murmured.“And expensive.Your thief has resources.”
“Thieves, plural,” Sophie said.“The physical entry would require at least two people, maybe three.One to handle the security system, one to cut the glass of the case, and one to watch for interference or drive a getaway vehicle.”
“I heard there were two other thefts besides this one.What were the targets?”Pierre asked.
Marcus pulled out his phone, scrolling through case notes.“Third was this one, aleiomanowar club belonging to King Kalakaua himself.That was stolen here, as you see, from the Bishop’s collection.Second was a royalkahilistandard, stolen from Iolani Palace.The first was a feather cape worn only byali‘i, owned by a private collector.All were uniquely rare, one-of-a-kind items, significant to Hawaiian culture.”
“And the thieves left a plumeria behind at each burglary,” Sophie added.
“A plumeria?”Pierre glanced at her, concern in his dark brown eyes.He’d been at her side and helped her through some of the darkest days after Jake’s death; he knew plumerias were one of Jake’s affectionate gestures toward her.But he said no more, maintaining her privacy with the discretion she’d come to value in their friendship.“This pattern suggests the thieves might be building a collection,” Pierre said.“I doubt these items are random grabs for resale.Too difficult a market.Someone’s targeting specific items connected to Hawaiian royalty for a reason.”
“That tracks,” Marcus said.
Sophie’s phone vibrated.She glanced at the screen—a text from Bill, the chief of her home security team.All clear.Kids awake.Armita has breakfast handled.
The familiar morning chaos was starting without her today: Momi would be demanding to help cook breakfast, while Sean, now an adventurous two-year-old, would be manhandling whatever food her dear nanny Armita tried to put in front of him.
A pang of missing the children was sharp but brief.Sophie would be home soon enough, and the kids were safe with Armita, their dogs, and their beefed-up security team.
That increase had become necessary six months ago when Connor had returned to Thailand, leaving a void that made her uneasy.Not to mention the strain their long-distance relationship was under.
Connor had made his choice—duty to the mysterious Yam Khûmk?n over their life together in Hawaii.
She couldn’t really blame him.How could domestic life with her and two small children compare to the challenges and intrigue of running a clandestine ninja stronghold and a powerful organization with fingers in all the world’s political and economic pies?
Still, she didn’t have to like it.“Son of a goiter-riddled swine,”she muttered aloud in Thai.
“Sophie?”Marcus glanced at her, frowning.“You okay?”
“Fine.”Sophie refocused on the situation at hand.“We need to figure out the thieves’ next target.If they’re collecting items connected toali‘i,there’s a finite number of possibilities.”
“I can help with that,” a new voice said from the doorway.A young woman in a neat navy blazer stepped forward, her long hair pinned back in a bun.“I’m Dr.Catherine Yoshimura, the museum’s senior curator for Pacific cultures.I’ve been compiling a list of potential targets based on the pattern so far.”
Sophie studied the curator: mid-thirties, nervous but trying to hide it, ink stains on her fingers suggesting handwritten notes—someone who cared deeply about the artifacts in her care.
“Show me what you have,” Sophie said, after briefly introducing herself and the others.
Dr.Yoshimura led them to a conference room where she’d spread out photographs, catalog entries, and a handwritten analysis.“If they’re specifically targeting items that belonged to or were used by theali‘i, there are seventeen possibilities in our collection.But if we narrow it to items of the highest cultural significance ...”
She pointed to three photographs.“The feather standard of Kaumuali‘i, last king of Kaua‘i.The ivory fishhooks of Chief Ka?eo.And this—” She tapped the final photo almost reverently.“Thekiha pu, the sacred conch shell trumpet rumored to have announced the arrival of Kamehameha the Great.”
“Where are these items kept?”Sophie asked.
“Different areas of the museum.We’ve increased security on all of them, but ...”Dr.Yoshimura’s voice trailed off.
“But your security didn’t stop the first theft,” Pierre finished gently.
Sophie studied the photos of the different burglary sites, mentally working through the logistics.The thieves knew exactly what they wanted, where it was located, and how to get it.Each theft had been perfectly executed, suggesting inside knowledge.
“I need full access to your security protocols,” she told Dr.Yoshimura.“And a list of everyone who has access to those protocols.Staff, contractors, anyone who might know the system well enough to defeat it.”
