“All part of the service,” he quipped.
Ugh. I rubbed my temple, not wanting to let him see how much it frustrated me when he brushed off the chance for a real connection. For the first time, I wondered why he did it. Was it just the way he was, or had he learned the habit from someone in his past?
I could ask. What would he say if I did? Would he deflect the question like he did everything else, or would I shock him into dropping the act? Because the more time I spent with him, the more I realized that the cavalier attitude I found so jarring wasn’t the real him. It was a role he played.
I opened my mouth, ready to ask about his shady past since he knew all about mine, but then I closed it again. Whatever his past was, it was darker than a couple of accusations of theft, and deep down, I wasn’t sure I wanted to know.
Coward.
ZEKE
Fiona was oddly subduedas we finished our lunch. After the waiter took our plates away, I suggested we return to the office to touch base with Ronan and Kade, who’d both said they’d be in even though it was the weekend.
“Sure,” was all she said.
We drove to the office, where she insisted on taking the stairs. I usually did anyway, but it amazed me how someone who never wore a heel less than two inches high could be so eager to walk more than necessary. Of course, I took full advantage of the opportunity to stroll behind her and appreciate her pert ass and sleek legs. She worked hard at them. It would be disrespectful of me not to notice. I didn’t say anything though, because I was being a good boy.
As soon as we got there, Willow rushed out of Ronan’s office.
“Are you okay?” She opened her arms wide, and Fiona stepped into her embrace. “Ronan told me a little about what’s going on. Is there anything you need?”
Fiona didn’t seem to know how to respond. For a long moment, she didn’t say anything. But then, perhaps having support wasn’t something she was used to. Her apartment certainly hadn’t given the impression that she had company over much.
“Thank you,” she said eventually. “I’m okay. Obviously the situation isn’t ideal, but the guys are being amazing about helping me.”
“Of course they are.” Willow drew back and scanned Fiona’s face as if to double-check she really was all right. “You’re part of the family.”
Fiona’s eyes grew suspiciously shiny. I was tempted to tease her about it but I didn’t want to ruin the mood.
“Will you tell me more?” Willow asked her. “Ronan wouldn’t go into much detail.”
“I suppose so.” Fiona sounded flustered, but she allowed Willow to take her hand and draw her into a meeting room.
When they were gone, Ronan beckoned me into his office.
“What’s up?” I asked as I closed the door behind myself.
“Debrief.” Ronan dropped into the chair behind his massive desk. “Give me a rundown on how your interviews went this morning.”
I gave him an overview of the people we’d visited and my impressions of them, then waited to hear his thoughts.
“None of them are obvious suspects,” he said. “Although it sounds as though at least a couple have the potential to turn to something like theft under the right circumstances. Without knowing more about their personal backgrounds, it’s hard to say who might have the contacts necessary to fence a painting likeDaisies.”He sighed. “It would have been much easier if the janitor had been a wanted con man or if one of the artists were deep in debt.”
I smirked. “Nothing is ever that easy.”
“True.” He leaned back and gazed at me evenly. “Who do you like for it?”
“Honestly?” I shrugged. “I can’t be sure yet. It’s possible Fiona is right about her ex. Like you said, no one else we’ve spoken to is an obvious candidate.”
“What about the gallery manager herself?” he asked.
“Her record is cleaner than a nun’s conscience.” I paused to consider the idea more fully. “She would have access to the painting and no one would think anything of her being there out of hours. It’s also possible she’s come into contact with black market dealers or fences over the course of her career. But it seems unlikely she’d be involved. She’s the one whose neck is on the line if the gallery owner decides she didn’t do enough to protect the painting.”
“Good point.” Ronan rubbed his chin in thought. “I wasable to confirm that the painting was replaced by a forgery.” He hesitated, then added, “Glen Boomer’s key card was used to access the gallery early on Thursday morning. When the police checked, it was in his possession, but he has a rock solid alibi for the time the card was used. He was across town in a spin class with more than twenty witnesses.”
“Huh.” That was an interesting tidbit. Either someone had swiped the card and returned it to him before he noticed it was gone, or they’d cloned it.
“The police checked and it didn’t appear to have been tampered with,” Ronan said, as if reading my mind.
