Take My Breath Away…

“Who did know about the cameras?”

“Your father was the only person I told.”

Nicola frowned. “He didn’t mention them to me, but he keeps meticulous notes, which means that Mary Thomas could very well have known about them. And Mark Adams has been working very closely with my dad on the case.”

“Here at G. W., the technician I worked with knew about the cameras at the Baileys and so did Debra. Any professional thief worth his salt would have checked for them, but it would have taken time. And with all the people in the house, that would have raised the risk of discovery and failure.”

She moved closer to the whiteboard. “So you think the New Year’s robbery would have required an inside source, someone who knew what you’d installed.”

“That kind of knowledge would have helped with all of them,” Gabe said. “But for the New Year’s heist, I believe there had to have been someone with access to detailed information about the security and the cameras.”

Nicola narrowed her eyes as she looked again at the photos and the headlines and felt that tingle that always told her she might be on to something. “More than one inside source maybe.”

“What are you thinking?”

She moved closer to the board. “These victims all travel in a very small world. And whoever the thieves are, they had to have a fairly intimate knowledge of the social calendars of the Langfords, the Glastons and the Baileys. The New Year’s Eve bash would have made the papers, created lots of buzz, but the fact that the Langfords wouldn’t be home for Thanksgiving or that the Glastons would be having a large family dinner on Christmas and would be hiring caterers… Someone who moves in those inner circles and doesn’t work for either your office or mine might be providing information.”

“I hadn’t thought of that. Good job.” Gabe settled his hands on her shoulders. “What else do you see?”

Nicola tried to ignore the warmth that moved through her at his words. He had an ability to reach her on so many levels. “There’s obviously an escalation in the difficulty of the job and in the risk. The first one takes place in an empty house, but the homes get more and more crowded. And while the number of people and the chances for easier access are increased, there’s also more risk of discovery. There will be close to a thousand people at Thorne Mansion tomorrow night.”

“Your idea of escalation makes the attempt to steal the St. Francis even more of an anomaly,” Gabe pointed out. “Its location was isolated. No one was supposed to be around.”

“Yes. But you went out of your way to bring that to the thief’s attention, making it very tempting.”

“Anything else?” Gabe prompted.

She studied the photos. “Each piece of art is portable, and, St. Francis excepted, they’re all French Impressionist paintings. Those were your father’s specialty. Even though forgeries are left behind, the thief wants them to be discovered. Why? And why holidays? There has to be a reason for that, and I’m betting that connects to your father, too.”

Nicola moved to the first picture. “Last night, she came for the St. Francis alone. And there’s a possibility that she worked the first robbery alone. Why?”

Gabe narrowed his eyes. “Maybe she did it to prove something. To show herself and perhaps others that she could.”

Nicola tapped a finger against the photo of the statue. “But that raises another question about why she went for St. Francis alone last night. If they’re a team by now, why did she decide to go solo?”

“She’s young. Maybe being a team player isn’t what she expected. And it’s a good possibility because of her age that she’s not the one in charge. And if the first robbery was a test she had to pass to show her abilities…”

Gabe took a step back and swept his gaze over the pictures again. “Maybe the first three robberies are all practice. Work out the kinks until the big job at Thorne Mansion on Valentine’s Day. That would explain the escalation.”

Nicola felt that tingling again. “If you’re right, then the painting that’s being auctioned tomorrow night may be just as important as you are. You said it was about the art, too.”

“Your father says the Cézanne is the most expensive piece that’s ever been donated for the Charity Ball.”

“And my stepmother is expecting the biggest crowd she’s ever entertained. Because of the other robberies, there is some expectation among the guests that they’ll be on the scene when this thief is taken down. Or when a major piece of art is stolen.”

She stepped closer to tap her finger on the photo of St. Francis. “And maybe the attempt on the St. Francis isn’t an anomaly. Maybe it was part of the plan all along.”

“How?”

She turned to face him then. “If the forgery with your signature on it had been discovered at the church, G. W. Securities might not be operating at the top of its game tomorrow night. You might well have been in jail.”

For a moment, there was silence in the room except for the hum of the computers behind them. Then Gabe took her hands in his. “I like the way your mind works, Curls. I wanted to bring you here last night.”

“You did?”

“Very much. But I thought I needed distance. Perhaps we both needed some distance. I didn’t even dare drive you home myself because I would have asked to come in.”

Nicola let out a breath. “I would have asked you in.”

“As it was, I didn’t find myself thinking clearly about the case. I couldn’t stop thinking about you.”

“I couldn’t stop thinking about you, either. I don’t understand it.”

He raised her hands and brushed his lips over her knuckles. “I want you, Nicola, but I also need you working on this case with me.”

This time she couldn’t ignore the warmth, not when it streamed through her like a warm, slow-moving river. Her heart took that little tumble again. “We’ve got a long way to go.”

“I think we do.”

She narrowed her eyes as a little skip of panic moved through her. “I’m talking about the case. We’ve got some pieces, but there are pieces we’re missing.”

“I couldn’t agree more. We have a ways to go on the case, too.” Then to her surprise, he grinned at her, pulling her to him and swinging her around in a circle. “But we’re making progress.”

When he set her down, her head was still spinning.

He nodded his toward the humming computer. “We’ll get there, Curls. Something will float to the surface. It’ll happen when we’re totally focused on something else. And I have an idea about what we could do.”

Her heart thumped hard when he grabbed her hand again. She fully expected him to head in the direction of the spiral staircase. And she didn’t pull back. She didn’t even open her mouth to protest. Not even when she realized he was pulling her toward the elevator.

It wasn’t disappointment she was feeling. Definitely not. But she was beginning to think that he was much better at juggling their priorities than she was.

“Where are we going?” she asked as the doors slid shut.

“To focus on something totally different.”

When the elevator dropped only one floor and opened onto a professional-size basketball court, Nicola’s eyes widened. The honey-colored floor gleamed. Bleachers lined three walls, and scoreboards hung over the hoops at either end of the court.

“Wow!” She turned to face him. “You’ve come a long way since you played on that basketball court outside of the St. Francis Center.”

Gabe grinned at her the same way he had that first day on the basketball court. Her heart took another little tumble.

“I’d say we’ve both come a long way, Curls. Want to play?”

“I’m not dressed for basketball.”

“We can change. Locker rooms are to your right. I keep a supply of uniforms and shoes here for the kids. Some of them can’t afford them, and there are always new ones showing up. I’ll bet a boys’ large or extra-large will fit you. And you’ll probably find a pair of boys’ shoes that will fit.” Taking her arm, he steered her toward the locker room door.

“What kids play here?”

“When the St. Francis Center had to close down, Nash and Jonah and I started up a boys and girls club that operates out of a building a few blocks from here.” He pulled a T-shirt and shorts off piles on a shelf, then located a few shoe boxes. “Try these for size.”

“Sure,” she said as he handed her shoes and clothes.

“Father Mike still helps out there during the week. Sports are a big part of the kids’ activity schedule, and since I already had this built, they play all their basketball tournaments here.”

There were questions she wanted to ask, but she wanted to play basketball more. “I’ll race you,” she said before she turned and ran into a changing room.

SHE’D BEATEN HIM BACK to the court and was waiting for him at the far end holding a basketball in her hands. The borrowed T-shirt and shorts weren’t a perfect fit, and she shouldn’t look sexy in them. But she did—enough to dry his throat. He purposely took his time moving toward her so that he could take in the view, something he’d denied himself for nearly three months.