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“I haven’t called him yet.”
Christian’s brows hiked. “You called me before the sheriff?” Where was the sense in that?
“You put the supposedly impenetrable system in. I want to know what went wrong. And I need you to get me inside if we can’t get Alex’s fob.”
“Me?” Christian tapped the wheel.
“You installed the system, so surely you know how to beat it. And, regardless, you’re the one the sheriff calls when they need a locksmith or safecracker on a case. Though you’re quite more than a simple locksmith, aren’t you?”
Christian stiffened. “Meaning?”
“Whoever did this obviously had knowledge of the system.”
“And ...?” Christian tightened his grip on the wheel, his knuckles turning white.
“As far as I’m concerned, you’re to blame.”
Christian swallowed the sharp retort ready to fly and took a settling breath instead. “I’ll be there in twenty.”
He disconnected the call before Tad could throw another barb in his direction. He knew all too well how those stinging barbs felt, but this time he was innocent.
THREE
THE THRILLof working another heist surged through Andi’s limbs as she raced down her dirt drive, heading for Jeopardy Falls.
Her boss said he’d call to apprise her of the details he’d received once she was on the way to the quaint town situated in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains roughly halfway between Santa Fe and Taos. He’d also informed her that Tad Gaiman’s catalog of his collections was already being shipped next-day delivery from FedEx.
As she quickly accelerated, a coyote raced into the road, its eyes glistening in the rays of the rising sun. She slammed her brakes, and dust clouds swirled and billowed as her truck rocked to a halt—her heart pounding in her chest.
The animal froze, its kill dangling from its mouth.
Her cell trilled, jolting her just as the animal shook out of its stupor and took off on gangly legs, vanishing into the tumbleweeds and brush.
The trilling continued. She fished her phone out of her purse. “Hi, boss.” Her breathing came in tight, short spurts as she switched it to Bluetooth.
“You sound spooked. Is something wrong?”
“No. A coyote in the road just startled me.”
“You good now?”
Regaining her composure, she once again pressed her foot on the accelerator, only not quite as fast this time. “Yep. Ready to fillme in?” She pulled onto the road leading her north toward Jeopardy Falls. It was a cool, artsy town with several galleries, cute restaurants, and shops with beautiful Native American jewelry and arts. But it was also a ranching town, which made for an interesting dichotomy. Good thing she liked dichotomy.
“I just got more details from Mr. Gaiman.”
“Are the cops on site yet?”
“No. The sheriff and his undersheriff were on a call up by someplace called Truchas, but they’re on the way now.”
“Okay.” She wasn’t looking forward to dealing with law enforcement. They rarely viewed what she did as an investigation. But that’s what separated her from the adjusters. She worked the case just like a detective would. “So what do we know?” she asked, tapping the toe of her left foot on the floorboard.
“Only that Mr. Gaiman can see three cases are open and empty.”
“Can see?”
“Apparently, he’s stuck outside the gallery, but the lock technician is on the way. Sounds like you’ll all arrive about the same time.”
All of them at the same time ...great. She swallowed a deep inhale, her nerves already frayed at the thought of what was supposed to have happened last night, but that deserved no place in her mind.Hedeserved no place in her mind. While she felt bad that Mr. Gaiman had been robbed, the case would be a nice distraction for her. Even if it meant dealing with law enforcement.
