Page 11 of No Artful Refusal
She glanced over her shoulder.“Now.”Her expression dared him to argue.
He didn’t.“You got the same tip?”
“No, I caught the actual case,” she explained as they headed downstairs.“The museum curator called the police.He’s having conniptions about a stolen painting by a famous art restorer, Paula Sorenson.Me, being an inquisitive soul,” she rested her fingertips on her chest, “I did some detective work.Her daughter is Marlene Sorenson, a famous psychic living right here in Chicago.We met her—”
“At the park a while back,” Cade finished.“Why would she call in an anonymous tip to me?”
Hoffman strode through the lobby and right out into the parking lot.“Probably wasn’t her.”She pinned him with a hard look.“My money is on Devyn.”
“If either of them have information on a crime, they should go through the regular channels.”
“Well, the curator did,” she said.“And based on the estimated value, it got bumped to me.”
“You know what I mean.”
“Mm-hm.Quit being stubborn.”Her chin dipped to the car.“Get in.”
Annoyed, he yanked open the car door and slid into the passenger seat.
“I’m right.You’ll see.”
Her soothing tone had the opposite effect.He was more than half afraid Hoffman was right.Why couldn’t Norris and her friend stay on their own side of law enforcement?“If Devyn Norris is involved, the chief will drag us over the coals again.”
“Not if she’s right and Janice-whoever has the painting.Looks like she took it late yesterday.”
“We’ll never get a search warrant on an anonymous tip alone.”
Hoffman snorted.“I’m not a newbie intimidated by your record, Laurier.We’re doing this by the book.We can confirm Janice—” She snapped her fingers.
“Willoughby,” he supplied.
“Yes.Her.We’ll confirm her ties to the museum and go from there.We’ll work it like we always do.Slow and steady, just the way you like it.”
“You make me sound like a grizzled old man.”
She shot him a look, then put her eyes back on the road.“Don’t act like one.”
He refused to dignify that with a reply.“Did the curator give you anything helpful?”he asked.
“A lot of details about where the painting should be and when.How and where it’s normally stored.I’m hoping it will make sense to me when we get there and see the place.”
“You don’t want to share any details ahead of time?”
“No point.”With two right turns, she paused at the gate blocking a small parking lot.Hoffman held up her badge and the gate lifted.“We’re here.”She cut the engine and reached for the door.“Let’s go.”
Cade climbed out and looked around at the buildings framing the lot.“This is the college museum?I expected to be on campus.Or...”He didn’t know what.None of the buildings felt modern enough or big enough for an acclaimed museum.
“Yeah, I get it,” she agreed.“Try not to say any of that in front of the curator.”
He was usually careful enough not to offend victims on the scene.“Got it.”
Cade let Hoffman take the lead since she’d caught the actual call about the theft.As they walked around to the front entrance, a single question clanged around in his mind: could he have prevented the theft if he’d acted on the tip the day it had come in?
