“If Lander Knox gets to him first, there won’tbean auction. He’ll murder the dealer the way he did Webber and take the notebook.”
“I realize that we’re in a time crunch here. Which is why I wouldprefer to work without someone looking over my shoulder. But since you have interrupted me, I’m going to the kitchen to get some coffee.”
She walked toward Elias. Newton sprang to his feet and padded after her. Faced with the oncoming woman and dog, Elias reluctantly fell back into the hall. Abby slipped past him, Newton at her heels, and headed for the kitchen. Elias stalked after them.
“What did you mean by ‘maybe’?” he demanded.
“I meant maybe, as in maybe I have a couple of leads.” Abby walked into the kitchen. “You need to understand that I don’t usually work with dealers like Milton. I know how to contact him, thanks to Thaddeus and my friend Nick, but I don’t know anything else about him.”
“Thaddeus is gone, but what about this Nick you mentioned? Does he deal with Milton?”
“Yes, but I can’t ask him for more information.”
“Why not?”
“Because currently he’s my competition. He’s after the lab book, too. Knowing Nick, by now he’ll have lined up a client.”
“Knox.”
“It’s possible, but I think it’s unlikely,” Abby said.
“Why?”
“The clients in the deep end are more dangerous than the ones I usually work with, but Nick is not stupid. He takes precautions. Lander Knox is an unknown in the underground market. He’s not a regular collector. Nick wouldn’t want to take him on as a client, especially if he’s got options.”
“Hah. Options like Hank Barrett or his son.”
“The owners of Helicon Stone?” Abby picked up the coffeepot. “That’s a much more likely possibility. Can I pour you a cup?”
“Yeah, sure.”
“You’re so very welcome,” she murmured, going for excruciatingly gracious.
Elias was oblivious to the sarcasm. He started to pace the kitchen. “Maybe I’ve been too focused on Lander Knox. No question that he’s after the lab book. But if Hank Barrett has heard the rumors, he or his son will be trying to find it as well. They might be a bigger problem than Knox, if for no other reason than that they have the money to pay top dollar.”
Abby handed him a full mug as he stomped past her. “There are other problems with auctions like this. I think that Milton is reliable, but we have to allow for the possibility that the book he is going to auction off is a forgery.”
Elias’s face worked in outrage. “Are you telling me that someone might try to pass off a fake?”
“A shocking notion, isn’t it?” Abby smiled wryly. “I regret to tell you that forgeries are actually quite common in the rare-book business.”
“If someone thinks he can scam me, he’d better start running now.”
“Mmm.”
“What?” Elias stopped to glare at her. “You don’t think I know how to deal with con men and scammers?”
“I’m sure you would be a very dangerous man to cross, Mr. Coppersmith,” she said politely.
Elias finally appeared to notice that he was missing something in the conversation.
“Are you laughing at me?” he said with a growl.
“Wouldn’t dream of it. As I told your wife, I accept the fact that tolerating difficult, eccentric, obsessive clients is a necessary aspect of my work, but I should warn you that I have some limits.”
For a couple seconds, Elias looked bewildered. Then comprehensionlit his fierce eyes. “Are you calling me difficult, eccentric and obsessive?”
Sam appeared in the doorway. “Take it easy, Dad. You get used to her after a while.” He looked at Abby. “Bill, the lawyer, tracked downthe name and address of the psychiatric hospital where Grady Hastings is undergoing observation. We have to go into Seattle tonight for your father’s book-launch event. We’ll stay the night at your place and interview Hastings first thing in the morning.”
