Page 95 of Don't Look Back

“Oh, I know, dear. See you and the extremely attractive Mr. Fallon soon.”

The screen flashed with the words: CALL ENDED.

“I like her,” Rand said.

Kira laughed. “I do too.” The fact that she liked the woman scared her.

How deep was Juliette Vella in Grigory Laskin’s schemes?

ChapterForty-Five

“How long have you known my father? Conrad, I mean.” Kira and Juliette strolled through a tourist square in Victoria, with Rand following behind as they wove through the crowd on the sweltering hot Monday morning.

“Five…no, six years.” Juliette pulled open the glass door of a gelato shop, and Kira stepped inside, again thankful for the invention of air-conditioning.

They joined the queue and placed their orders, then decided to eat at a table inside to escape the heat. Rand had a giant waffle cone filled with strawberry and drizzled with chocolate syrup. He’d winked at her when he ordered, and she’d laughed.

She’d gone for a much smaller and a lot less messy cup of vanilla caramel swirl. She’d save strawberry for when they were alone.

“How did you meet? I’m sorry, but I know so little about my father’s visits to Malta. I’m eternally curious.”

“It was art that brought us together.”

Well, that was hardly surprising and not the information she was looking for. She took a bite of gelato and tried again. “On Friday, when I first showed up at the gallery, did you know I was Conrad Hanson’s daughter?”

“No. I recognized you from the portrait, and so I asked Phillipe after I saw you talking to him. I was stunned when he said you were Conrad’s daughter. As I mentioned then, I had no idea he had a daughter, but I guessed immediately who your mother must be.”

“Did you ever meet my mother?”

“No dear. Thirty years ago, I lived here on Gozo and had yet to make my mark in the art world.”

“What about Grigory? He—” She searched for the right phrasing. She did not want Juliette to take offense. “He gave me the most uncomfortable look that night.”

“I noticed. He was in a terrible mood—I thought it was because the piece that was central to the show was one I’d refused to let him buy—but then he stared at you in a rather intense way and complained about Reuben messing up an important deal.”

“What sort of deal?” Rand asked.

Juliette shook her head as she scooped a bite of gelato from her cup. “I have no idea. It’s always something between them. Reuben has political ambitions and wants Grigory’s support, but Grigory is putting all his political weight behind his own son, who is too young and inexperienced.”

“I would imagine an alliance between the two families would be powerful.”

Juliette gave her a shrewd look. “Very much so. And I suspect that’s why Grigory has dangled your mother’s portrait to lure you to his villa.”

A slight chill ran up Kira’s spine at Juliette’s word choice. The woman was Maltese and fluent in both of the country’s official languages. She knew all the nuances of English, and the wordlurewas no mistake.

“Reuben isn’t happy I’ve returned from the dead. Is Grigory?”

“I believe he is pleased. But I’m so curious about that. Is it true you didn’t know? All these years?”

Kira looked down into her own bowl of gelato, which was almost empty, as she gauged how to answer. Juliette certainly had her own cards to play in this game with her billionaire consort. This was a fact-gathering mission for her as well, even if she was just the liaison.

She finally looked up and gave a truth that didn’t answer the question. “I always knew there was…something. My mother was hiding. She was Russian. I assumed she defected without going through legal channels.” She shrugged. “Which, in a way, is the truth.”

She touched Juliette’s hand. “But I really want to know everything you can tell me about my father…Conrad, I mean.”

“I met him around the time Reuben purchased the gallery. Reuben planned a big show to launch and establish himself on the scene here. He hired Conrad to convince several of his connections to either sell or loan a work from their collection to the gallery. Your father’s knowledge of—and access to—private collections is unparalleled.”

Kira mentally changed theistowas,but didn’t interrupt.

---