“Ernie… oh, wait… The statue?”
“Yes. Inside it was a treasure map.”
“A treasure map?” Excitement lifted Alex’s voice. “What kind of treasure map?”
“That’s what I need you to find out.”
He put her on speaker, took a quick picture of the map, and sent it.
“This is all I’ve got. I have no idea where it is, though it seems vaguely familiar.”
“I’m looking now,” she murmured, her voice now echoey, as if she’d put him on speaker. “There are no words describing anything, no real reference points. Is that a fountain at one end?”
“Looks like it to me. And then maybe a statue or two?”
Silence stretched for several seconds.
“You’re right,” she said slowly. “It does seem familiar. But I don’t know what it is or where. The initials don’t help. Neither do the symbols. And there’s no way to decipher the scale either. Whoever made this wasn’t leaving any breadcrumbs.”
Enzo grunted his agreement. “We need to find out who exactly is behind this. Maybe they can shed light.”
“Leave it with me,” Alex said. “I’ll see what I can do.”
“I need you to find the basics, Alex. Just the basics. Don’t draw attention to it.”
“I won’t. But Enzo, what’s going on?”
His turn to hesitate. “Not yet. Soon. I need to do a couple things first. Then I’ll explain everything.”
“All right. But be careful.”
“I will.”
They disconnected.
Enzo stared at the phone he’d dropped on his desk, jaw tight. He trusted Alex. He knew she’d be discreet. He just didn’t want anyone else dragged into this. His thoughts flicked to Kathleen. He needed to get her out of here. Away from all this. He couldn’t have her anywhere near Vitale. If Vitale knew or even suspected that Kathleen was in any way important to Enzo, he’d have her killed out of spite if he could manage it. And knowing Alessandro Vitale? As Enzo left his office, he was forced to admit that Kathleen’s demise was a very real possibility.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Kathleen got out of the shower and toweled her hair dry. She was exhausted, and the shower only made her sleepier. She wrapped herself in another fluffy white towel and went into her bedroom.
“Ah!” she yelped as she put a hand on her chest. “Enzo, you could have warned me you were here.” She stared at him accusingly. Suddenly, it occurred to her that she was standing there wearing only a towel, and heat filled her cheeks.
His gaze danced over her skin, and her body reacted as if he were touching her. Her nerves tingled, an insistent pulse struck up between her thighs. She drew a shaky breath and clutched the towel tucked between her breasts.
A small smile tugged at the corners of his lips as he finally brought his gaze up to meet hers again. “And where’s the fun in that?” he drawled as he slouched in the armchair near the windows, his legs out in front of him, crossed at the ankles.
At least he was a few feet away. Any closer and she was sure he would hear the pounding of her heart.
“I could have come out naked,” she continued as she glanced around for something more to cover her. She had left her sleepshorts and tank top in the bathroom and wasn’t going to start rummaging around for a robe or anything while he was watching her. Somehow, that seemed like giving in, and she wasn’t about to give him that satisfaction. Instead, she wrapped her arms around herself. The towel gaped on her chest, and she moved one hand to press the folds back into place.
“I would have enjoyed that.” He grinned unabashedly.
She shook her head and tried to will the heat out of her cheeks. “Why are you here?” she demanded, still flustered.
His face lost its smile. “There have been developments.”
“Developments?” she frowned. That didn’t sound good. Enzo looked serious, too serious. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
