“There are signs of civilization here and there.” Brad smiled at her over the rim of his coffee cup, as distractingly hot in his sport jacket and open-necked dress shirt as he was in his uniform.
Cara took a sip of her ice water.
Didn’t help her cool down.
Maybe discussing a serious topic would do the trick.
“So what’s the news you said you’d share about the case after dinner?”
“Do you really want to talk business in this romantic spot?”He waggled his eyebrows, the flickering votive candle in the center of the table casting a golden glow over his handsome face.
No, she didnotwant to talk business.
What she wanted to do was claim another one of the incredible kisses he’d been offering on a regular basis for the past two weeks.
But this wasn’t the place for that.
“To tell you the truth, I can think of another activity I’d enjoy more—but in the interest of decorum, a business discussion would be more prudent.”
“We’ll move on to the other activity later.” At his intimate wink, a delicious tingle of anticipation zipped through her. “I heard from the FBI this morning.”
She forced herself to refocus. “They located the owners of the jewels and the paintings?”
“Yes. The family was ecstatic to get the paintings back. Turns out the two small canvases are a Vermeer and a Rembrandt. Worth a fortune—though not on the black market. They were listed on two international databases for stolen collectibles. No reputable dealer would touch them, and buyers of less stellar character would have paid only a fraction of their value. Steven wouldn’t have profited much from them. Certainly not enough to cover all his debts.”
“So I guess he was going to rely on the jewels, probably broken down into loose stones. I doubt he could sell them intact if they were listed in the databases too.”
“They weren’t.”
Cara stopped eating her mousse, spoon poised halfway to her mouth. “Why not?”
“Here’s where the story gets interesting—and ironic. After the war started, the owners knew the family jewels would be a target if their land was ever occupied by enemy soldiers. They were afraid that hiding them wouldn’t be sufficient, becauseanyone looting the premises would expect to find jewels in such a magnificent setting. If they didn’t, they’d tear the place apart searching for them, causing major damage to the ancestral home. So the family had paste copies made, which they kept in a very visible cabinet in the master suite. That’s what Natalie’s uncle stole.”
Cara stared at him. Set her spoon down. “You mean Steven spent all those nights searching—and killed a man—for jewelry that was worth nothing?”
“Yes.”
“Wow.”
“I had the same reaction.”
“Have you told Natalie?”
“No. She’s had enough trauma planning Steven’s funeral and sorting out his affairs. I decided to wait a couple of weeks to pass on this news.”
“I concur with that decision.” Cara nodded her thanks at the waiter who topped off her coffee. Stirred in a dash of cream to cut the blackness. “On a happier note, she’s decided to proceed with plans to expand the guest cottage. Paul’s been helping her get that rolling. With the election over and his son bound for Washington, he’s had more time to spend with her. I’m glad she has such a staunch friend.”
“Speaking of friends...” Brad reached across the table and captured her hand, his fingers warm and strong, his touch ratcheting up her pulse. “I don’t want to rush you, but I’m hoping the two of us are on the road to a much more serious relationship.”
“I’m hoping the same thing. And you’re not rushing me.”
One side of his mouth rose. “I’m glad to hear that. Because I talked with a realtor today about putting my house on the market.”
Cara blinked.
That had come out of nowhere—and it was a bit nerve-rackingthis early in their relationship. Hoping for a happy ending was fine, but not all such hopes came to fruition.
“Um ... do you think that’s premature? I mean, what if we fizzle?”
