Page 28 of The Twilight Theft

One last check. She was at the fourth floor, head rolling back and forth, scanning the floor above her.If you’d had a plan, you might have been able to do it.

I pulled open the glass door. Inside, I had three options—the heavy wooden doors leading into what would be a whiskey bar I’d check out once it was open, an elevator with access to all floors, or the wide staircase heading up to Mosaic’s main floor.

Option three, it is.

At the top of the stairs, I made my way through a small welcome area into the spacious, elegant dining room. Red leather chairs surrounded long tables which normally sported white tablecloths. Men and women, in black staff shirts with the Mosaic logo, buzzed around the area, which was being cleared for the party.

More floor-to-ceiling windows lined two walls, providing natural light and a view straight down to the river. Hardwood floors provided warmth to the room, while a white, branch-like glass sculpture dominated the space above.

The one time I’d been for dinner, the sculpture had been lit with thousands of tiny lights, the same way they decorated the three-tiered patio. The food had been exquisite, deserving of the rave reviews their head chef had received. A world-class sommelier, brisk and efficient staff, and light classical music. The evening had been near perfect.

But the company?

Eight months ago, I would have said Vanessa was the perfect date. The perfect girlfriend. The most beautiful woman in the room.

Open locker. Shove memories in.

I continued to the middle of the main floor, dodging between tables, to check the mezzanine above. Several more tables hugged the railing, which led to the upper floor’s patio. That’s where Jayce would come in.

“Drew!” Gideon’s deep voice brought me back to my reason for being there. He stood in the open doorway to the banquet room at the far end of the restaurant. He wore a casual white golf shirt with a black logo.

One last look at the mezzanine. No sign of her.

I waved to him, rather than yelling over the noise of the people working, and tucked the shoes behind my back.

The main room was over a hundred feet long and sat at least two hundred and fifty. A bar closer to the stairs had seating for more than twenty. I dodged staff members, watching an efficient woman with upswept blonde hair and bold cat’s-eye glasses direct several men hanging paintings on the walls.

“Quite the undertaking, Gideon.” As I shook his hand, he clapped the other one against my upper arm, as though we were old friends.

“As long as we bring in a profit for the charities, I don’t mind.” He flipped over his watch. “Is it just you? I was expecting someone else.”

I stopped myself before looking over my shoulder again. This was a time to exude confidence, not concern or irritation. “She’ll be in soon.”

“One of the contractors you hired?”

“Their team’s spread out today, doing some additional vetting of attendees and staff.”

“Sounds like we’re in excellent hands.” He pulled me farther into the room and gestured at a slender woman in a flowing white pantsuit. “Drew, have you met my wife, Liana?”

I hadn’t, although I’d read a lot about her. Before the job we did for their older son, I’d done my research and knew where she’d gone to high school, college for pre-law, and every job she’d had. Knew she’d married Gideon at thirty—his second wife and her first husband. Knew they had two children—one with a philandering problem—and all the details about those kids. Knew her voting history, where she lived, and about her charity work.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Tremaine.” I took her hand to shake, but her grip was palm down. I shifted to a slight bow as she gave my fingers a gentle squeeze.

“Craig speaks highly of you.” She smiled, glancing at my arm hidden away.

Ishouldhave thrown the shoes out. Or at least put them down in the main dining room. I unwound my hand from behind my back and gave her a rueful smile. “The woman I’m working with today is doing some reconnaissance. She insisted the shoes slow her down.”

Liana looked around the room. “What kind of reconnaissance? Didn’t Giddy provide you with the information you needed?”

A wall of windows faced the river, with two sets of double doors leading onto the top tier of the patio. The easternmost wall was also windows, facing a small street that separated the restaurant from a minor embassy. From the floor plan, I knew the door in the back corner led to the kitchen, while another door provided access to a set of stairs to the mezzanine and the washrooms.

“He did. However, it’s crucial we identify all possible ways a thief could get in.”

“Or out,” came a voice from behind me.

I jolted in surprise—I was facing the only two people in the room. I spun, knowing who it would be before I laid my eyes on her.

Chapter 12

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