“I’ve already tried,” Sebastian replied mournfully. “But his phone is out of reception, or service, or battery or something. I got a garbled message from him that he was having car trouble before the call cut out. Honestly, this is what happens when you buy a shitty Android, even though working to a joint iCalendar would make so much more sense for both of us.”
“Sebastian, focus,” Ari snapped. “Car trouble? So, they’re probably stopped on a road somewhere? Right. I’m going to go and find them.”
“Ari—”
“Sebastian, there is only one road that leads to this massive house, and Luis and Reine are bound to be on it. I’m going to find them. I have to find them. I can’t let Reine walk into this... this situation.”
“Ari—”
“She’s mydaughter, Sebastian,” Ari said. “My daughter. I have to protect her.”
Slowly, Sebastian nodded. “All right, fine. Take the car. Drive carefully. But first, something to eat and a drop of coffee.”
Ari stared at him. “Breakfast? Really? Now?”
Sebastian stared right back at her. “Yes, really, now. Look, we’re jetlagged, we’re tired, we’ve been up for less than half an hour and it’s already been a busy day. We’ve arranged a wedding photographer, looked at some nice art, found the ex-lover who fathered your child and then went missing for eight years... you need fuel, Ari. It would be irresponsible of me to let you drive on an empty stomach.” He paused. “And irresponsible of me to keep giving advice without caffeine.”
Ari frowned, but she heard some sense in her brother’s words all the same. “Fine,” she agreed. “But as soon as I’ve eaten, I’m out the door.”
“Okay. And while you’re gone, I’ll—”
“You’re going to find out if this Tom Somerset is really my Tom Miller,” Ari told him firmly.
“Right,” Sebastian said. “I’m going to stay here and find out if Tom Somerset is Tom Miller. Um... how?”
“However you can,” Ari replied.
“However I can,” Sebastian repeated, parrot-like. “Ari,” he suddenly turned to her, one hand on her arm. “What if he is?”
A sharp stab of something that resembled pain, longing, betrayal and anticipation ran through Ari.
“I don’t know,” she replied honestly. “I just don’t know.”
“Don’t worry about it for now. Worry about Reine. I’ll do the dirty work here. I’m good at dirty work.”
“You’re the cleanest man I know,” Ari said flatly.
“The cleaner I am, the dirtier I can become,” Sebastian offered with a mock salute. “I’ll think of some way to catch him, don’t you fret.”
Ari nodded, turning back to the painting in the corner. “Ask him about this,” she said softly. “Ask him how this painting ended up here.”
“I would, but I think I already know the answer to that.”
Ari looked at Sebastian quizzically, and he sighed.
“Ari, you told Luis and I that Tom always said your work would hang next to the greats, and justlookat this gallery. Look at it. Holbein, Picasso, Dali... and you. Tom Miller might have broken one promise to you, Ari, but he kept this one. You are hanging next to the greats.Hehung you next to the greats.”
Ari closed her eyes, remembering once again the softness of Tom’s face as he gazed at her. She remembered the feel of a brush in her hand as she caught the pink and orange glow ofa sunset. She remembered Tom’s pride in her work, his fierce belief that she would be an artist, and a great one at that. She remembered those golden flecks in his brown eyes, which shone even more brightly when settled in her direction.
When she opened her eyes again though, all she could see was Reine, and the golden flecks inherbrown eyes. The eyes she’d inherited from her father.
Ari swallowed hard. She had to go and get her daughter. She had to find her.
Chapter 10: Fertile Specimen
Tom’s mind was working overtime — every muscle in his body was tight and on edge. Nausea had settled in his stomach, causing waves of sick nervousness to wash over him, a sheen of sweat sticking to his skin.
An egg is always an adventure,he thought worriedly, hearing the words over and over and over in his mind, once again recalling the image of a girl with honey-coloured hair and his own brown eyes staring up at him.
