He placed the key on the surface of the bar while he mixed her white wine spritzer, poured himself a shot of premium tequila, then sat down on the leather barstool next to hers.
“I just need to know one thing before you start,” Valerie said before Chase had the chance to say anything. “Does Steven know about the secret compartment in the cane, and about the Virgin Mary key?” She believed that Chase was a man of integrity, but if Chase had duped Steven while being paid to locate the staff part of the cane, she’d have a difficult time with that.
“Yes, he knows about both,” Chase said, alleviating her concern as he swirled his tequila in his snifter. “And after I’m done with the key, I intend to put it right back inside the cane where it belongs.”
She tipped her head. “And whatever this key leads to, does Steven know what that is?”
“No,” he replied, his tone honest and direct. “When Steven initially expressed interest in the ivory cane top for his collection, and then wanted me to find the staff to go with it, at that point I knew about the ivory key and what it should lead to. So, I told him about the key, which he thought was incredibly cool, but I also told him that the only way he could have the entire cane was if I was given temporary possession of the key inside, until I found what it belonged to.”
“So, the two of you made a deal?” she guessed, and sipped her wine spritzer.
“Exactly. I agreed to find the cane staff to go with the ivory top piece, and he agreed to let me use the key. And to protect both of our assets, we had an agreement drawn up stating that the cane in its entirety would be his, including the key, but whatever the key led to is legally mine, and he’d have no claim whatsoever to that treasure.”
“He was okay with that?” Valerie asked.
Chase shrugged. “Steven knew I could have kept the ivory top piece for myself and not sold it at all, and he’d end up with nothing. At least this way we both would get what we wanted.”
Which sounded fair and well thought out to her.
He slid his palm over the hand she’d rested on the surface of the bar where they were sitting. His thumb stroked her skin, and warmth and affection flooded her, and she let that direct connection to Chase and his emotions sink into her.
He smiled gently and threaded their fingers together, increasing the heat of his touch. “I know I’ve said this before, but I couldn’t have found the staff part of the cane without you, so I think it’s only fair that you get to see this through to the end with me.”
“Ahhh, and there’s the million-dollar question,” she teased, doing nothing to pull her hand from his as she might have done a few days ago. “What, exactly, does the key lead to?”
“A treasure that is hopefully worth a million,” he said. “When I originally found the ivory cane top, there were numerous things that flashed in my mind when I touched it. I saw the staff, and I even saw that ivory Madonna key. And the more I held the top piece and really focused, the more things it eventually revealed.”
“Like what?” He still hadn’t told her what, specifically, the key led to, but she was enjoying the build-up and hearing all the details, and she knew he’d get there eventually.
“I saw the words Madonna Mia in my mind, the same ones that are etched into the key.” He picked up the ivory key and showed her the inscription. “So I did a lot of research, and I learned that Al Capone wrote a song while he was in prison called—”
“‘Madonna Mia’!” she exclaimed before Chase could finish, recalling what Paul had told them during their tour at Alcatraz, and what she’d seen and heard in her visions as she sat in the gangster’s jail cell. “The love song Capone wrote for his wife.”
Chase’s eyes sparkled with amusement. “Exactly. So, having seen the title of the song on the ivory key in my flashes, I found the lyrics to the song and tried to decipher them, to see how they related to the cane or the key that was inside the staff.”
“And what did you find?” she asked eagerly.
“The lyrics of the song were like clues … if you knew what you were looking for,” he said, and took another drink of his tequila. “And by now, I’d done so much research and had enough mental flashes that I had an idea how it all tied together. Hang on while I get something.”
Valerie watched him go to his computer case, retrieve a file, and return to the bar. He opened the folder and showed her a printout of the lyrics to “Madonna Mia,” and pointed to the first verse.
“The song starts out, ‘In a quaint Italian garden,’” he said, reading the words aloud. “Which led me to discover that Capone owned a speakeasy in Chicago called the Garden Club that he operated during the Prohibition period in the late 1920s. And on one of the walls in the place there’s a mural of a garden with roses and lily of the valley flowers, just like the cane top and what is inlaid on the staff. There were enough clues in the song to lead me to believe that the ivory Madonna key would unlock something in that underground bar, so I went there a few months ago to check it out.”
Since Chase lived in Chicago, it made sense that he’d investigate the old bar. “Is the place open to the public?”
“Sort of. You can see the Garden Club as part of a tour they have about the city and gangster life, so since I was with a large group of people with a guide that kept ushering us along, it was difficult to really check out the bar the way I wanted to. Besides, I didn’t have the ivory key then, so even if I found something, there was nothing I could do about it, which is why I was so adamant about getting the pieces of the cane put together.”
“Wow.” She tried to absorb everything he’d just told her, her mind attempting to figure out how all the puzzle pieces fit together. Obviously, Chase had done extensive research on everything, so while there were certain things Valerie couldn’t quite wrap her head around, she had no doubt that every detail, every clue, every fact was permanently etched in his own mind and he knew exactly what he was doing.
But there was still one thing he hadn’t revealed. “Chase, what does the key lead to?”
“Oh, yeah, I haven’t told you that yet,” he said, and chuckled. He’d merely indicated it had to do with some kind of treasure.
He picked up the key once again and rubbed the flat surface between his fingers. “Whatever this key unlocks, I keep seeing flashes of a very large flawless ruby in the shape of a teardrop, which coincides with another verse in Capone’s song that states ‘I can see that sweet Madonna. There’s a teardrop in her eye.’ I won’t know the history to the stone or what it’s worth until I find it and can touch it. But just the fact that it belonged to Capone, and he went through so much trouble to keep it hidden, raises the value exponentially.”
She could only imagine. It now made sense why Capone would disassemble the cane and distribute the parts so no one else would find what he wanted to keep for himself. Except Capone had gone insane from syphilis before retrieving the pieces of the cane again.
“Does anyone else know about the key or the ruby?” she asked.
“I don’t know,” he replied, and appeared a bit troubled. “Obviously you’re the only person I’ve told. I’ve kept everything to myself because I didn’t want the details to leak out and have other treasure hunters or black market scavengers trying to find it first, or steal it from me once I have it in my possession.”
He paused a moment, that crease between his brows deepening. “The only person I’m concerned about is Angie. Remember me telling you that I caught her on my computer going through my research notes? I wouldn’t put it past her to have shared that information with Russ, and they could be just waiting for the right opportunity or moment to make their move.”
“Well, they don’t have the ivory key,” she pointed out. “You do.”
“True,” he said with a thoughtful nod. “But in this line of business, you learn not to trust anyone. And if Angie is looking for revenge because of the way things ended between us, then this is the way to get it.”
Yet Chase had trusted Valerie. That still blew
her away—and scared her, too, but she was in too deep with the mystery of this key to turn back now. “So, now what are you going to do?”
“I’m heading back to Chicago with the key and taking another look at the Garden Club to see what matches up with the lyrics of the ‘Madonna Mia’ song.” He paused for a moment, his gaze holding hers. “And I’d really like for you to go with me.”
The breath whooshed out of her lungs. It was one thing for him to share his story with her, but another to ask her to be a part of something so momentous to him. And she was genuinely torn about what to do.
She felt herself standing at a crossroads, with two different directions forking in front of her. One path would take her right back to the safe, secure life she’d been living before Chase. The other trail would undoubtedly take her on yet another wild adventure with a man who made her feel too much.
But there was one thing she’d already committed to that made the decision moot.
“I can’t go,” she said, and there was genuine regret in her voice. “I have a wedding to attend on Sunday that I absolutely can’t miss.” Sean was like family, and there was no way she’d skip out on his big day.
“Then I’ll hang around and make flight reservations for Monday,” he said simply, clearly bending around her schedule. “Can you get a few extra days off from work?”
She had more comp days stored up than she knew what to do with, so taking a couple of days for herself wasn’t an issue. And he was willing to wait for her. Suddenly, she wanted this. She wanted to finish out this adventure with Chase and see this rare ruby he’d told her about. And she wanted the extra time with him.
She didn’t question her reasons or analyze her decision. And before she could change her mind, she offered a bargain of her own. “Tell you what. I’ll make a deal with you.”
His gaze sparked with interest. “Okay.”
“I’ll go with you to Chicago if you’ll go with me to the wedding on Sunday.”
He arched a brow. “Are you sure about that?” he asked, as if knowing how huge an invitation that was for her.
And it was big. Because taking Chase to the wedding meant him meeting her close friends and seeing a part of her life she’d never shared with another man. “Yeah, I’m positive,” she said, refusing to tie herself in knots over her spontaneous offer and what it all might mean. “I need a date, and I’m betting you look gorgeous in a suit.”
He grinned, one of those sexy, flirtatious smiles she loved. “I’m not really a suit and tie kind of guy, but for you, I’ll make an exception.”
Chapter Thirteen
Chase spent Saturday on his own while Valerie went shopping with her girlfriend Skye. Last night, before they’d parted ways at his suite, she let him know she was going to be out for the day getting ready for the wedding on Sunday, but Chase had things of his own to get done, and he assured her that he’d be fine.
After years of living a fairly nomadic, solitary life, he was used to being alone and on his own, but he had to admit that after being with Valerie for the week, he missed her company. Her smiles and laughter. Their interesting and enlightening conversations. And, yeah, their heated attraction, too.
He ought to be surprised that he’d fallen for Valerie so damn fast, but there was so much about her that drew him, and kept him coming back for more. Their psychic abilities gave them a commonality he’d never had with another woman, and they just connected in ways that went beyond sexual. Mentally she stimulated him, and emotionally—well, he hadn’t felt so much for someone in such a short period of time before. She made him want to be a better person, made him feel selfless and hopeful. And he wanted to share things with her that gave Valerie a clear, open view of his life, and who he was as a person and as a man.
Inviting her to Chicago had been an incredibly easy decision for him to make. In fact, he couldn’t imagine going there without her, because she was such an integral part of why he’d found the ivory Madonna key, which put him one step closer to discovering the ultimate prize of his career.
But more than taking Valerie to the Garden Club to see if there was any connection to the key, there was something else Chase wanted to share with her that was private and personal. A place he hadn’t gone to in way too long. A place that was filled with the best memories of his life. A place that was more of a home to him than the one his parents had provided.
A place he’d never taken any other woman to.
That prompted a smile from Chase as he continued the drive back to the Onyx after spending the past few hours with Steven at his estate. As soon as the other man had returned from his business trip that morning, he called Chase, eager to see the completed Capone cane in person, and Steven hadn’t been disappointed when Chase presented him with the stunning piece of art for his collection. He’d revealed the secret compartment and the Madonna key that Chase promised to keep safe until he needed to use it—then he’d return the carved ivory piece to Steven, as they’d agreed.
As Chase was leaving, Steven made a parting remark regarding the key: “I hope whatever you find is worthwhile.”
How funny that the first thing that came to Chase’s mind was not the priceless ruby, but Valerie, and yeah, she was a woman worth his while. That his thoughts had traveled to her first told Chase his priorities were starting to shift. Finding that ruby was still vital to him and wasn’t something he’d ever give up on, but Valerie was becoming equally important. He wanted both, and it was just a matter of convincing her that they deserved the chance to find out what this thing between them was all about—and he had every intention of making that happen in Chicago.
More than satisfied with his plan, he parked his car at the Onyx and headed toward the business offices. Now that Steven was in possession of the entire cane and was happy with the delivery, Chase’s job here was done. He just needed to drop off the credit card that Tony had given him for expenses, and on Monday, payment for his services would be transferred into his account.
He opened the glass door leading to Tony’s private office, but the curator wasn’t sitting at his desk. Then Chase heard voices coming from the back room. He waited a few minutes, but when Tony didn’t appear and the two male voices escalated in frustration and anger, he decided to head in that direction and make his presence known.
As he neared the back room, the voices became clearer—Tony and some other man—as did their conversation.
“I still can’t believe you don’t have it!” groused a deep, irate voice.
“I told you that I tried, but it wasn’t possible,” Tony said, equally annoyed.
“Without the piece, it does me no good,” the other man retorted in a low, furious tone. “This makes everything much more difficult.”
“I know,” Tony said on a harsh sigh. “But we don’t have a choice. You’ll just have to—”
Chase knocked on the partly closed door, interrupting the argument before it could go any further. He had no desire to eavesdrop, and he was sure that the two men wouldn’t appreciate it, either.
As soon as the sound echoed in the room, Tony spun around to face him, while Chase casually glanced at the other man. As soon as their gazes met, a startled look of recognition passed over the stranger’s features; then the man quickly turned his face away and purposefully averted his eyes.
Chase found the quick encounter incredibly odd, as was Tony’s behavior as he rushed forward and quickly ushered Chase out of the room and back down the hall to the reception area. Then again, everything about Tony was peculiar.
“What are you doing here?” the curator asked, clearly jittery and nervous. “I thought you were meeting with Steven this afternoon to give him the cane.”
“I already did.” Chase pulled out his wallet and retrieved the corporate credit card he’d been given for expenses and handed it to Tony. “I just wanted to stop by and return this.”
“Oh, yes, of course.” Tony took the plastic card from Chase, careful not to let their fingers touch, reminding
Chase of the man’s germaphobe issues. “I was really hoping to see the entire cane myself,” Tony said, disappointment tingeing his voice.
From the very beginning of the assignment, it had seemed to Chase that Tony was way too interested in the Capone cane, but then again, that was probably the nature of his job as a curator—and Tony’s own fascination with gangster memorabilia.
Chase offered him a smile. “I’m sure Steven will bring it over soon for you to catalog for his collection. I think he just wants to enjoy the cane for a while before he hands it over for the exhibit here at the Onyx.”
“Yes, I’m sure you’re right,” Tony said with a nod of his head. “So, now that you’re finished here, where are you off to next? Anywhere exciting?”
“I’m not sure,” Chase said with a shrug, uncomfortable with Tony’s sudden attempt at friendly conversation, which felt too forced. “I’m thinking of taking a break and considering my options.”
“I’m sure a man like you has many options to consider.”
Clearly, Tony was trying to draw him into a more personal discussion, and Chase didn’t know the man well enough to talk about anything more than business. The guy was just plain weird, and Chase was glad that he didn’t have to deal with Tony any longer.
“I need to get going,” Chase said, and left before Tony could waylay him any further. He had a dinner date with Valerie he wasn’t about to miss.
* * *
The following afternoon, Chase found himself seated next to Valerie on a white wooden chair in Caleb’s backyard, witnessing the union between Zoe Russo and Sean O’Brien. The couple stood beneath an arbor of violet and white flowers as they recited their vows to each other, while a very small gathering of friends and family quietly looked on. The groom wore a tailored black suit, and the bride was dressed in a simple but formfitting white satin gown, and the way they smiled at each other let everyone know just how deeply in love they were.
Chase wasn’t a fan of weddings, mainly because the ones he’d attended in the past with his family were uptight, pretentious, excessive affairs that always made him feel uncomfortable and out of place. But this marriage ceremony was so focused on the couple and the commitment they were making while being surrounded by the people who cared about them the most, that Chase couldn’t help but feel like he was witnessing something very special.
Through the Night Page 18