by Diane Noble
Watching to make sure that she didn’t discover...what?
Kate stopped at the front steps and turned to Nehemiah. “Are you sure you want to be seen in here with me?”
Nehemiah looked puzzled.
“I’ve put you in danger by bringing you into this,” she said.
Nehemiah chuckled. “You brought me into it?” He laughed again. “Kate, I believe it’s the other way around. My addiction to Webcams got you involved.” He shook his head slightly. “We’ll go in together, make our examination, come to our conclusions, and then decide what to do next.”
Kate drew a deep breath and let it out slowly. “All right, then, my friend. Let’s get at it.”
When they stepped inside, Kate was relieved to see that Eli and another docent were busy with paperwork at a small Victorian desk near the door. So once they said their hellos and stepped into the main entry, they were alone. The early birds get the museum to themselves. Much less explaining to do to curious onlookers.
Kate made a beeline for The Enchanted Garden, Nehemiah following as fast as his crutches would let him go. When he stepped to her side, Kate pulled out the colored print and held it up so they could both make a comparison.
For several minutes, they alternately shone the penlight on the painting and then on the print. They each used the magnifying glass, focusing on different segments. Finally, without saying a word, Kate pointed to the waterspout in the fountain and then to the same area of the print.
Nehemiah leaned closer, examining both with the glass. Kate held the penlight in place.
He stepped back and nodded. “If it’s a copy, it’s a good one,” he said. “The translucency of the water in the fountain doesn’t seem quite right, but I don’t see anything else that is wrong.”
“I noticed the same thing, and maybe it’s just because I’m expecting it to be a forgery.”
“Let’s take a look at The Tempest.” This time Nehemiah led the way.
They went through the same procedure, and again came to the same conclusion. It seemed identical to the print. Kate examined the Waterhouse signature. It was perfectly aligned with the print. They started to turn away, and as they did, she glanced back for one last look.
“They’re not the same,” she said, more to herself than to Nehemiah, who’d started up the stairs toward Gather Ye Rosebuds While Ye May. He turned toward her.
“In the laser copy, it’s clear that there’s a narrow twisted ribbon in the woman’s hair. In the supposed original, it’s twisted hair. It could almost pass as a ribbon, but it’s not.”
She paused, frowning in thought. “There’s no doubt that this is a copy.”
Nehemiah nodded grimly. “Let’s measure those toes,” he said.
Aware they were on camera, Kate trotted up the stairs as Nehemiah hobbled slowly up to the landing. She hadn’t worried about the cameras when she’d been there alone, but now she worried more about Nehemiah’s well-being, especially because it was very obvious what they were doing and why.
The game would soon be up for Davis Carr, Clive Garfield, and company. But the dangers, she sensed, were only just beginning. Even wild animals seemed pretty tame from a distance. But when they were trapped, they became vicious. And the closer you got to them, the greater the danger.
“You okay?” Nehemiah gave her a concerned look.
“I’m fine, really.”
“Your hands are shaking.”
“I know. But we’ve got to get to the bottom of this. What we’re doing is the only way.”
“The minute we came in here with these prints, we stepped off a cliff into the unknown.” He paused. “But we’re in God’s hands. We may be in for a wilder ride than even the one we had the other day.” He smiled. “But our God is there to catch us.”
Kate pulled out the final print. They didn’t need the penlight or the magnifier to see the difference in toe length.
“It’s a forgery,” Kate said.
“Do you think they’ve been switched?”
She shook her head. “They’ve been forgeries all along. They’re good ones, but not that good.”
They turned to walk back downstairs to the front door.
“My first clue was the sloppy framing job. Apparently, Celine wasn’t happy with that either. To a dealer, or someone in the know, that would never pass muster with a valuable original. Yet Davis Carr tried to pass it off to me as if it was done on purpose—that gap between the canvas and the frame.” She shook her head slowly.
“Country bumpkins,” Nehemiah muttered.
Kate looked up at him with a grin. “What did you say?”
“It’s that country-bumpkin stereotype he’s got of us again.”
“It would be funny if it weren’t so dangerous.”
Nehemiah nodded. “Something tells me that now is when the real trouble begins.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Kate’s cell phone buzzed just as she turned into her driveway. She quickly parked and flipped open her phone. It was Millie Lovelace.
After they exchanged greetings, the secretary said, “Kate, I have a letter for you that was left on my desk.”
Nothing too unusual about that, but it wasn’t something Millie would normally call about.
“Can you just send it home with Paul?”
“He’s already left. Said he needed to stop by Joe Tucker’s place about a board matter before lunch.”
“He’ll be back in his office this afternoon. Why don’t you just leave it on his desk? He can bring it home with him later.”
Kate exited the car, still holding the phone to her ear. She helped Nehemiah out as Millie continued.
“It looks important. It’s printed with one of those indelible, black, skinny felt-tip pens. Says ‘personal and confidential’ underlined twice, then has your name underneath.”
“Did you see who brought it in?”
Millie sighed. “I’d been on the phone all morning, trying to get someone to head up Vacation Bible School next month, then I stepped out to go to the little girls’ room. Couldn’t have been gone more than five minutes, max, and when I got back, here it was, big as life. Sitting right on top of my computer keyboard. No one else was around, and Pastor Paul was already gone, as I mentioned before. I quickly ran outside and looked around. There wasn’t a soul in sight.”
Kate had had dozens of notes left for her on the church secretary’s desk, but there was something different about this letter’s delivery. A chill traveled up her spine. “I’ll stop by in just a few minutes to pick it up.”
Kate helped Nehemiah into the house, then returned to the car and headed to Faith Briar. She checked her watch as she parked the car in the church lot. Almost noon. She had been expecting a shoe to drop since she and Nehemiah were seen at the museum. Maybe this was it.
It made perfect sense that someone working for Davis Carr or Clive Garfield would contact her through the church. She’d mentioned that she was the minister’s wife. All Davis, Garfield, or the exterminators had to do was ask around a bit, perhaps with a little description, or even the mention of her name—if anyone remembered it.
Then there was James. All they needed to do was ask him...which brought another chilling thought. What if his act of kindness the other night had really been a setup?
Oh, Lord, please don’t let it be, Kate whispered heavenward.
Millie looked up from her desk with a scowl as Kate approached. Kate supposed that the five minutes that had passed since her summons was too long in Millie’s estimation.
She handed the envelope to Kate, then waited expectantly for Kate to open it. Kate didn’t want to upset Millie should it be a threat of some kind. She also didn’t want word to get out about her investigation, so she smiled, said thank you, and trotted back to the Honda.
As soon as she had slid into her seat, she examined the front of the envelope. It wasn’t as sinister as Millie had led her to believe. The printing was stylish, almost feminine.
She sli
d her finger beneath the seal and opened the flap. A plain, unlined three-by-five card was inside. On it was written, with the same artistic flourish:
I know all about you and your investigation. I have information for you. Meet me at the Victorian Museum tonight at midnight. Come alone.
She leaned back against the seat and, still staring at the note, examined the printing and the message. Neither gave her a clue who sent it.
Its delicate style immediately brought Celine Diamante to mind, but she’d been a background player in all this so far. The only thing Kate suspected she’d had her hand in was painting the forgeries...or perhaps acquiring them on Davis Carr’s behalf. That didn’t exactly make her someone to be afraid of.
Though, if the note could be believed, maybe Celine did have information for Kate—information that would help as she built her case against Davis. Too easy to be true but not completely out of the realm of possibility.
She started the car, still mulling. Davis Carr? What information could he have for her? Whatever it was would probably send her off on a wild-goose chase. Same with Garfield.
Just as she pulled out of the church parking lot, another thought flew into her brain: What about James Jenner? Maybe he was about to open up and tell someone what was going on. Holding that thought dear, she decided not to tell anyone, at least not yet, that she had a meeting to keep at midnight.
PAUL WAS IN THE KITCHEN making tuna-salad sandwiches when she arrived home, and Nehemiah was napping in the guest room. Her husband looked up and smiled as she came in the room.
“We have a lot of catching up to do,” he said as he sliced the sandwiches into two triangles.
She sat down at the table, grateful to be off her feet for a few minutes.
He placed the sandwiches on a couple of small plates, set them down at the table, then returned to the fridge to grab two bowls of sliced peaches.
“A gift from Joe—fresh picked this morning.”
Kate sighed and, without thinking, took a bite before grace. “Oops,” she murmured as the fruit’s juicy sweetness melted in her mouth.
Paul sat down across from her and smiled, then reached for her hand. “I think that was a wonderful demonstration of gratitude for God’s bounty.”
“I think so too, but let’s have a word of prayer anyway,” she said. “We have many blessings to be thankful for—but many needs as well. Spoken and unspoken.”
They bowed their heads, and Paul said grace.
While they ate, Kate thought about the anonymous note she’d received. She didn’t want him to worry, or tell her not to keep the appointment because of the danger she might be putting herself in. On the other hand, her husband was her anchor, a solid source of wisdom when she came to him for input.
Besides, she thought wryly, if she didn’t tell him, Millie would, the minute she had a chance.
“I’ve got something I need to tell you,” she said.
Paul’s fork full of sliced peaches was halfway to his mouth, and it halted there.
“It’s not that bad,” she said, attempting to keep a light tone. “Finish your bite.”
“I’ve learned through the years that whenever you begin to tell me something with the words ‘I’ve got something I need to tell you,’ that it’s usually something a bit worrisome.” He finished his bite and, still chewing, waited for her to continue.
“And this is probably no different,” she said. “Unfortunately.”
He wiped his mouth with his napkin. “What is it?”
She told him about the note that was left on Millie’s desk, then stood to get it from her handbag. She slipped into her chair again and handed it to him.
He read it carefully, his eyes narrowing. When he looked up, he said, “It appears to be a woman’s writing. Very artistic.”
“That’s what I thought too,” Kate said, leaning toward him intently. “I wonder if it could be Celine Diamante.”
“Or maybe that’s what you’re meant to think...” Paul let out a deep sigh. “To put you off guard.” He took another bite of peaches, his brow furrowed in thought. “You really shouldn’t go alone,” he said after a moment. “It really is too dangerous. You don’t know who’s going to be there—it may be the whole crew, from Davis Carr down the line.”
“On the other hand, it might be James, wanting to trust only one person, and he’s chosen me. He knows I’m looking into things, knows I’m up to speed on at least who the players are. If anyone else is with me, he might not trust me with his information.”
“But he would trust me” came a voice behind Paul.
It was Nehemiah, who hobbled through the doorway. “I wasn’t eavesdropping,” he said. “I was just walking very quietly when I heard you mention James Jenner. He’s one of those children I dedicated to the Lord as his parents’ pastor all those years ago. He knows I have a special place in my heart for him. I think he’d trust me if I went with you, Kate.” He hobbled to the fridge. “My sandwich in here?”
Paul laughed. “Yes, but I’ll get it.”
“I’ve got to get used to taking care of myself one of these days. I can’t stay here and be waited on forever, you know.”
He hobbled to the table while Paul got his sandwich and peaches.
“As I was saying,” Nehemiah said once he was settled, “I’ll be happy to go with you, Kate.” Then he grinned. “Only problem is, I don’t know where we’re going or why. I only got in on the conversation from ‘on the other hand, it might be James.’” He reached for the plate Paul held out to him and set it on the table. “Who else are we talking about meeting?”
Kate handed him the note she’d received.
“So it could be anyone...or everyone we suspect?”
Kate nodded. “But I have an idea. Your going with me is great”—she looked at Paul, who gave her an affirmative nod—“but let’s get there early. You can hide, then call for help if it seems to be something we can’t handle on our own. If it’s James, I’ll tell him you’re there. If it’s not”—she shrugged— “we’ll play it by ear.”
“One problem,” Nehemiah said. “If we’re going early, how will we get in?”
Kate grinned at both men. “Actually, I’ve already thought of that, and I know just the person who’s got all the tools we’ll need.”
“Isn’t that illegal?” Nehemiah said.
Kate took a last bite of peaches, closing her eyes to savor the taste. “Actually, not the way we’ll do it. Safe Keeping changed the locks, with the plan to redistribute keys once they’d set up their security system. According to Renee, they’ve begun delivery of the new keys, and she has one.
“As you may remember, the Victorian actually belongs to the trust that Livvy set up once the previous owners donated it to Copper Mill. Livvy—who was head of the restoration project—and Renee are both on the board of directors and can legally be on the premises at any time.”
“What about you or me?” Nehemiah asked pointedly. “Can we be on the premises legally?”
She smiled. “As long as we’re with a board member who’s got a key.”
He frowned.
“And as I mentioned earlier, Renee just received her key.”
Nehemiah grinned. “Speaking of the security company...”—he took a bite of his sandwich—“what about the Webcams? Paul could watch on the laptop as added security for us.”
Kate nodded. “True, and we’ll hope that hidden hand keeps switching from Spain or Russia or Argentina to our little Copper Mill museum.” Though even as she spoke, she had her doubts. Whoever wanted this meeting probably wouldn’t want it recorded. Which probably ruled out anyone without access operating them, particularly Celine. Those three unblinking green eyes would likely be red.
Another of those spidery shivers traveled up her spine. She gave Paul and Nehemiah a smile as full of bravery and courage and self-assurance as she could muster. But as she gathered the dishes to take to the sink, she had the feeling they saw right through her.
A
FTER PAUL HAD LEFT for the office and Nehemiah had settled at the kitchen table to surf the Web, Kate went into her bedroom to call Renee.
Someone picked up the phone on the third ring but didn’t say anything.
“Caroline, if it’s you, would you put Renee on the line, please?”
There was a clatter as the phone was placed on what sounded like the kitchen counter. A moment later, Kate heard panting, blinked in surprise, then realized it was probably Kisses, his nose close to the phone because Renee was holding him.
“Your mission, Mr. Phelps,” Kate said in a stilted voice, “should you choose to accept it, is to break and enter a secure museum in Copper Mill, Tennessee. You must be dressed for a midnight visit to a place fraught with danger. Sleuthing vest must be in place, B and E tools at the ready, flashlight and metal fingernail file in assigned pockets and ready for instant use. Your assignment will begin precisely at twenty-three-hundred hours Eastern Standard Time at the Victorian Museum, rear door. You must bring your key. Good-bye, Mr. Phelps, and good luck. In exactly five seconds, this tape will self-destruct.”
Kisses gave a little bark into the receiver just as Kate hung up. She smiled. It might be an impossible mission to get Renee back in action, but short of getting a star of Law and Order to make a personal phone call, Kate’s message might do it.
She stretched out on the bed and closed her eyes, planning to tick off her list of suspects, along with a plan of action for each.
In her weariness, she started to drift off, when the image of Kisses panting into the phone began to play like a YouTube video in the back of her mind. What if Caroline had dropped the receiver on the floor and Kisses was the one Kate had given the Mission Impossible message to? Before she could even giggle at the visual, she’d fallen asleep.
Chapter Twenty-Four
That night at ten minutes till eleven, Kate, dressed in jeans and a dark pullover, backed the Honda out of the garage. She stopped in the driveway and waited while Paul helped Nehemiah into the passenger’s seat.