Page 50 of Nothing Breaks Like A Heart

"I was nineteen when it happened, and in my second year of college. Before he was killed, my plan was to go into archaeology. I liked studying the past and digging things up, finding traces of lost civilizations, but after what happened, I decided to go into law enforcement. I had a dream of finding my father's killer and making him pay. I became a police officer, but I soon discovered I didn't have the resources, time, or opportunity to dig into that one case. After six years on the force, with no forward progress on my father's killer, an insurance company that had worked with my dad had an opening for an investigator, and I decided to take it. I had the investigative skills, and I'd grown up in the art world. That was seven years ago."

"Did you ever find your father's killer?"

He slowly nodded. "I didn't find him, but he was arrested after another robbery, and he confessed to killing my dad. The sad thing was that he had been hired by someone my father knew to rob the gallery that night. He wasn't supposed to kill my dad, but he panicked and pulled the trigger. The murder wasn't pre-planned, but the robbery was. And that plan was created by one of my father's friends, someone he had trusted enough to allow into his gallery, to see his security. It was a personal betrayal that led to his death."

"That's terrible. I hope both of those people are still in jail."

"They are. And it was good to finally have justice." He paused. "That case made me realize that I wasn't paying close enough attention to the people around the thefts my company was investigating. I was looking at the object as the purpose, but it was the motivation of the people that drove the crime."

"What do you mean? Isn't the motivation always money?"

"Not in the art world. Money is usually somewhere in the mix, but the motivation can be any number of things. There are thieves who just want the victory, the thrill of lifting something right out from under the most sophisticated security system. There are collectors who will pay anything to get something priceless, even if it was stolen. There are people who want something priceless just because they want it. They want to look at a piece of art and know it's theirs, even if no one else knows. And there are thieves who do it to prove they can."

"I don't know how you could have ever believed I'd be any of those people. I've always had to work. I didn't grow up rich. I don't even know what good art is. And looking around Victor's gallery today didn't feel that exciting to me. I'm sure everything was worth a fortune, but…" I shrugged. "I don't care about that kind of stuff."

"Andrew was enjoying the tour today."

"He did like being included, being part of that world," I admitted. "To be honest, I was a little surprised by the depth of his interest."

"Maybe you don't know him as well as you think you do."

"That seems to be a common accusation. But you know what else is interesting? Harper told me Colin has a book of art history on his bedside table. Andrew isn't the only one interested in art. Maybe Colin is your thief. He was at the hotel that night, too, right?"

"Yes, but he was nowhere near the fire. Video showed him out on the street, one of the first to evacuate the hotel, and he had a drink in his hand. There was a cocktail party for the conference going on in the downstairs banquet room. But you make a good point, and it's possible Colin was still involved in some part of it. I have to admit I have also wondered why Andrew's friends are hanging around now that the wedding is over. It couldn't have been to spend time with Andrew, because they would have believed that Andrew would be tied up with you."

I shrugged. "They wanted some time off, I think. And now that Harper and Colin are hanging out together, Colin doesn't want to leave. She said something about him extending his stay."

"Well, she gives him a nice cover to do that," Ethan commented. "I think whatever is happening involves Andrew and his friends: Colin, Jay, and maybe Allison."

"And what is it that's happening?" I asked.

He gave me a long look, then said, "I think there's going to be a robbery attempt at Victor's villa. Or another arson event to cover a robbery. I am doing my best to make sure the villa and the collection are protected and secure. I wish I had more cooperation from Victor in that regard. I didn't want him to give you and the others a tour today, but he keeps telling me that he doesn't have a collection just for himself. It's for him to share with others."

"What about the empty case? You said you couldn't tell me what's going in it, but I heard something about an amazing and legendary diamond at brunch, and Victor was very cagey about whether he'd acquired it."

"I can't confirm or deny that."

"Well, it looked like you have a lot of security measures in place, so how much safer could it be?"

"I keep asking myself that question," he admitted. "The security is good, but I don't want to underestimate anyone, and, frankly, if you and Andrew weren't part of this weekend, I wouldn't be nearly as worried. I don't like coincidences. You and Andrew were the closest people to that fire and now you're getting very close to Victor's private collection."

"Maybe that is a coincidence. Anyway, you should go. I don't know how long Andrew will be gone."

"You can always tell him I came by on my own." Ethan stood up. "I'm going to investigate what's been happening to you, Lauren, not just on the trail ride but also to your bridal suite. You might not like what I find out."

"I'll deal with whatever you have to say as long as it's the hard truth and not another theory," I said as I slowly got to my feet.

"The hard truth might bring you even more pain. I hope you're prepared for that."

A shiver ran down my spine. I wasn't sure I could handle any more pain, but I didn't say anything. I just watched him walk out the door. Then I sat down again and wondered if I'd made a terrible mistake. But the mistake might not be in telling Ethan but in trusting Andrew, because I was starting to see the coincidences, too, and they were somewhat alarming. I didn't want my life to be part of a con, but what if it was?

ChapterTwelve

Monday morning, I woke up with pain shooting down my left leg from my hip to my toes. My lower back and butt were also achy, and it was hard to feel anything but weariness. This was definitely not how I'd envisioned my honeymoon. I had yet to put on my wedding lingerie. I had yet to have sex with my husband. I'd gone to bed before he'd come back from the bonfire, and while I'd sort of heard him moving around and felt him kiss my cheek, I hadn't found the energy to open my eyes. I hadn't wanted to talk to him. I was in too much pain, and I was also too confused about everything going on in my life.

But I would have to talk to him today. It wasn't fair to be talking to Ethan behind Andrew's back. I needed to find a way to trust my husband, and to rebuild that trust, we needed to have a longer discussion.

As I turned onto my back, I put out my hand, thinking Andrew was sleeping beside me, but my fingers landed on the mattress. I rolled over onto my bad side, surprised to see that the other side of the bed was empty, and the sheets were cool. I didn't know where Andrew had gone so early. Although, as I looked at the clock, I realized it was after nine. I was usually up and running by seven. But I wouldn't be running anywhere any time soon.

---