Page 41 of Sinful Crimes for the Artistically Inclined
Trying to tear his eyes away, “Could you please not do it today?”
He watched Joe pace for a few more seconds, then added, “I’m hot.”
“So I’ve heard,” Joe snapped. “Put on your five-star hotel air conditioning so we can get back to work.”
Percy shrugged and walked across to the control unit on the far wall.
Typical Percy. He had the second best suite in the hotel, only because the best was already taken. Floor to ceiling windows looked out over the ocean, a ridiculously large bed was hidden away in the loft above, an unnecessarily deep clawfoot bathtub peeked out through the open bathroom doorway, and all was topped off by a comfortable living room with all the necessary amenities, everything tastefully decorated down to the last detail. Of course, Percy was Percy, so he complained every step of the way that he didn’t get the suite he wanted.
“It’s cooler in the penthouse,” he grumbled, pushing buttons. “We’d both be much more comfortable.”
Joe wrenched his eyes away from Percy as he turned back and pulled open the collar of his shirt far more than was necessary to cool himself. “It’s fine. I’m going back to my room in a moment, anyway.”
“Don’t be like that. Look, I’ll fix it.” Accordingly, Percy unrolled his sleeves, covering his beautiful forearms and his nice wrists. Then he closed two buttons on his shirt. It didn’t help in the least with Joe’s unprecedented longing to be with him, watching the shirt stick to and pull at his glorious body,but at least it showed he was, perhaps, going to take things a little more seriously.
Joe sat back down at the table and brought out a new map. “This is the Reliquary of Saint Martin.”
“Yes, I know.”
“Quiet,” Joe said. “Pay attention.”
Percy huffed a little, but barely brushed Joe’s arm this time as he threw himself down into a chair.
Joe’s index finger landed on a section of map directly behind his sketch of the reliquary. “The sheath is kept here.”
Percy sat forward. “Where? There’s nothing there.”
Joe grinned, happy with the opportunity to impress Percy with his superior knowledge. “It’s a secret room, underground. You can’t access it through the reliquary.”
Completely intent on the map, Percy asked, “Then how the hell do we get in there?”
“That’s another Church secret.” Joe pulled the street map over the top of his sketch. “You know the Saint’s body they have in the cathedral across the street?”
“Yes.” Percy nodded. “Saint Martin, presumably.”
Joe tried to quell the excitement in his tone as he revealed, “It is Saint Martin, but it’s a fake. There’s a latch that allows you to slide the coffin back, and there’s a tunnel underneath the corpse.”
Percy burst out laughing. “Ha! Not so incorruptible after all.”
“Not remotely.” Joe chuckled. “This tunnel takes us under the street and across the road to this spot behind the reliquary, where the hidden room is.”
“Clever.” Percy stood, running a hand over yesterday’s five o’clock shadow, considering, as he paced a little way from the table. “I knew it was somewhere in the reliquary all along. This explains why I could never find it.”
“And it’s about to get more complicated,” Joe dropped.
Percy was back at his side in an instant. “Excellent.”
Joe hid the next smile and went on, “The sheath is protected, as you know. There are three doors to go through in the tunnel, and guards will be waiting for us here, in the final chamber.”
“The Catholic Church’s ‘fiercest monks’.” Percy’s lips pulled into a cocky grin. “We can take the bastards.”
With a note of worry inspired by that grin, Joe said, “It’s not a joke.”
“Who’s joking?”
Joe wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand and glanced at the air-conditioning unit. It would kick in soon. He was sure of it. “Listen, these monks have orders to kill anyone who goes down there. Anyone. Even me, and they know I’m here on Church business. You kill them first, or you die.”
Percy raised an enthralled eyebrow. “You’re giving me carte blanche?”
