Page 40 of The Twilight Theft

Avoiding me? More than just yesterday in the car? Why would she—

Unless that meant—

That meant she was just as distracted by me as I was by her. But what was the Tanner angle? Some of the news articles covering the accident claimed the two of them were in a secret relationship. There hadn’t been any corroborating evidence, but it explained why they were out at midnight during a competition. Had the relationship continued? If not, was she starting it up again?

Mental note: Double-check Tanner’s current marital status.

“She’s a professional,” hissed Scarlett. “She can work with anyone.”

“Have you seen how much she’s eating? Something’s going on.”

Rather than continuing the charade, since I’d already found out everything I needed to know, I raised my voice to them. “Can I get you two anything to drink?”

“Sparkling water, if you have it,” said Scarlett. “Still water if you don’t.”

“What are you having?” Emmett sounded suspiciously close.

I turned from the refrigerator where I’d grabbed Scarlett’s drink, and he was standing in the entryway.

“Nice kitchen, too. Did it come like this, or do you have a decorator?”

“I had a decorator in after my girlfriend and I separated. The place had looked too much like her.”

He leaned against the door frame, folding his arms. He was even more casual than I was, in dark-washed jeans and a loose T-shirt. “I find relationships usually aren’t worth the hassle.”

Scarlett chimed in, “Because you haven’t found the right woman yet.”

Emmett grinned, shaking his head and rolling his eyes. “She would have agreed with me a few months ago. This whole Malcolm thing’s ruined her judgment.”

“Em, remember how we’re supposed to be working?”

Emmett joined me in the kitchen, surveying the charcuterie board. “This looks fantastic. I’d ask if you made it yourself, but the apron gives you away.”

“Cooking is my hobby.”

“Can I take it out?” He lifted the wooden tray and I nodded. “I’m going to text a picture of this to Jayce. When she shows up, we should hide it from her.”

I held back the chuckle. “She’d kill you.”

“You know her well.”

I hung up my apron and pulled two more bottles of sparkling water from the refrigerator, then joined Scarlett and Emmett at the table. “I apologize for having to meet here, but the boardroom at our office was in use.”

“Understandable,” said Scarlett.

True to his word, Emmett took a photo of the food. “What are the items for the gala?”

I opened my bottle, the black currant mixing perfectly with the scents from the sideboard behind me. I flipped open a folder at the end of the table, displaying the stack of stapled printouts. “The Obsidian Mirror is coming from Wales. It’s four feet tall and two wide, a polished piece of—no surprise—obsidian. The details are in the information package, but there’s something strange about the way light reflects off it.”

Scarlett pulled the printout about the mirror closer. “And it’s traveling with two security guards?”

“I sent some questions back to Liana about how that’s going to be coordinated with the main security team. She hasn’t replied yet.” I took a sip from my bottle, the bubbles dancing over my tongue. “I suspect they’ll add to the number of scary-looking men in the banquet room instead of swapping out any of the others.”

Emmett pulled the next set of sheets closer. “A bird statue on loan from a friend of his in Germany. How does it tie into the theme of the event?”

“Some believe the statue’s three thousand years old, but the granulation technique used to affix much of the ornamentation is too complex for that age.” I flipped to the third sheet about the bird, which showed some of the scientific research into its manufacture. “There’s some debate about where the statue is from. Some scholars claim it’s a griffin and is genuinely from Western Europe, while most say it’s a huma bird, of Persian origin.”

Scarlett reached for the third stack of papers. “And an Egyptian scarab?”

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