AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“It’s possible.” She swallowed as Christian started the SUV and kicked on the defrost.
“How many thieves have you busted?” he asked.
“Four.”
“All from heists?”
“Yes. Two heists, each with two thieves.”
“Impressive.” He smiled. “Who were they?”
“In the first case, both had prior arrests for art theft, and theyare in prison for a good while. The other two were gallery owners trying to cash in their insurance policy.”
The whir of the defroster filled the space, and Christian knocked the fan down one as the fog slipped from the windshield bottom to top.
“And the gallery owners ... did they go to jail?”
“No. Since we never paid out, they had no restitution to make, but they both got fines, probation, and community service.”
“So it could easily be one of them. Fill me in on the way to Taos. I’ll call the office and ask Greyson to run the men. I’m assuming it was two men?”
“Actually, one man. The other was a woman.”
“Really?” He arched a brow. “You don’t see women involved in heists too often, but there is the mystery woman Todd met at the gala, who apparently conned him.”
“And stole his fob?”
He nodded. “Could she be the female gallery owner you busted?”
Andi shifted in her seat. “I suppose so. Tad couldn’t remember much about her, right?”
“Right.” He nodded. “Other than the fact that she had long, wavy brown hair, which Joel confirmed seeing in the gala footage he watched. He said she came in near the end of the night and managed to keep her face off camera.”
“That’s intriguing. You think she cased the place too?”
“She did, or someone else did and gave her the rundown of the place.”
“And Tad can’t give any more of a description? Anything about her face?” she asked. How could a man be with a woman and not be able to describe her? The notion sloshed her stomach.
“Unbelievably, no.”
“Do you think he’s lying?” Was he somehow involved? They’d pressed him hard before leaving, and he didn’t incriminate himself in any manner other than the murmured comment, but he’d grown stronger as a suspect in her mind. Probably not on-the-ground involved, but that didn’t mean he hadn’t hired someone to rob hisgallery and given them the information to bypass the system Christian had installed.
“I don’t know for sure, but I’m certainly not counting him out.”
“So he could be in it with the woman?” she asked.
“Yes. It could be a total setup. I mean, this handwriting seems to indicate a woman’s involvement in at least some regard. I’m sure the Feds will run it through their handwriting experts. Maybe we’ll get something helpful from that.”
“Maybe.” She shifted in her seat. “Let’s open it.”
“Right.” He flipped back the unsealed flap and pulled out a cream tri-folded sheet of paper.
What does this say? Or nothing. Or nothing.Again, in what appeared to be a woman’s handwriting.
“Double or nothing,” he said. “And signed by Chris Angel and Houdini.”
“Another gambling riddle signed by two magicians,” she said.
