“You want to know why?” Patience asked, speaking for the first time.
“Yes. I don’t understand,” Fiona said.
Bergen’s expression was gloating, but he remained silent and allowed his partner to respond.
Patience smiled. “Love.”
Fiona looked stunned. “What?”
Patience laughed. “Well, that, and money.”
She exchanged a glance with Bergen that spoke volumes.
“They’re fucking,” I said crudely.
“We’re inlove,” Patience snapped. “We’ve been together for years.”
“Years?” Fiona’s tone was strained, but I kept my gaze on our enemies instead of checking on her, waiting for a moment of weakness.
“Who do you think gave him an alibi four years ago?” she asked, her voice full of glee. “It was perfect. We made you out to be a jealous ex-girlfriend who was trying to pin her crime on poor, innocent Bergen, and everyone believed it.”
“You were together then?” Fiona no longer sounded crushed. Just defeated.
“We were, and you never noticed.” Bergen tsked. “You really are so naive. Sneaking around behind your back was almost too easy.”
I made sure my watch was positioned in the best place to record their words. They hadn’t actually confessed to either crime yet, but hopefully they would soon.
“When they didn’t charge you with anything the first time around, we were worried,” Bergen continued. “But after a while, we realized it was a blessing. It meant we could use you as a patsy again, but this time, we wanted to make sure it was worthwhile. Selling a Monet will set us up for life.”
“So, you admit you stole it?” I prompted, for the benefit of the recording.
Bergen rolled his eyes. “What does it look like?”
Damn, that wasn’t confirmation.
“So, what’s the plan here?” I asked. “Why the extra forgery? You already used one as a decoy for the theft.”
This time, it was Patience who replied. “The other forgery wasn’t intended to do more than delay the discovery of the theft. We wanted people to notice, and to blame Fiona. We worked on this forgery together for months. We started as soon as we found out thatDaisieswould be coming to the gallery. The copy is perfect. If we call in an anonymous tip and Fiona is found with it in her possession, she’ll be arrested and everyone will believe the original painting has been returned to its owner. There will be no need for anyone to look deeper. Meanwhile, we’ll sell off the original and start a new life somewhere tropical and without an extradition treaty.”
Perfect. That was exactly the confession we needed.
“What will you do when Bergen double-crosses you?” Fiona asked.
“He won’t.” Patience sounded smug. “You were a means to an end for him. I’m his soul mate.”
I watched for Bergen’s reaction. A twitch of his mouth gave him away. I knew beyond a doubt that if it came down to him or Patience, he’d drop her so fast she’d get ground shock.
Fiona laughed bitterly. “You think you have it all worked out, but you’re forgetting something. I’m not the only one here. Zeke won’t let you pin the theft on me.”
A sliver of warmth unfurled within me at the certainty in her voice.
Bergen’s smirk widened into a lopsided grin. “You’re forgetting something, darling. Dead men don’t talk.”
My watch vibrated again. Our conversation must be making Kade nervous. I took a moment to evaluate whether Bergen would shoot me here and now. The Monet and its copy were uncovered behind me. Surely he wouldn’t riskdamaging them. I tapped out another message for him to wait.
“You can’t do that!” Fiona cried. She moved in front of me, putting herself between us. My heart ka-thunked. What a sweet, beautiful fool. I wouldn’t let her risk herself for me. “People will notice if Zeke disappears. People know we’re here.”
Bergen just shrugged. “It’s a dangerous neighborhood. He was mugged, and it went wrong.”
She scoffed. “No one will believe that.”
I couldn’t help grimacing. There were enough people who wanted me gone that, if not for Kade and his team listening in, they probably would be able to sweep it under the rug. I nudged Fiona to the side and took her hand.
“Just breathe,” I murmured. “I’m going to get us out of this. Trust me.”
Bergen must have heard me because he barked a laugh. He raised the gun and pointed it at my head. “I’m afraid that’s a promise you won’t be able to keep.”
