Page 20 of Dead Ringer

It’s still worth checking the local pawn shops for it, but I’d wager he sold it to someone who might know more about it.

Okay. That makes sense.

Right—so who deals with antiquities around here?

Um.

Find out, Darla. You need someone who knows the local art and antiquities scene. Even if they aren’t getting their stuff from less than reputable sources, they almost certainly know someone who is. Ask some questions, shake some trees, see what falls out.

I frowned, rolling it over in my head.Didn’t that new gallery just open up outside of town? Fifi was talking about it, the last time the Black Cat Cocktail Club met. She kept putting ‘em back, and laugh crying about ‘the vibes being off’.

Fifi’s client had been a muse, an actual muse, and apparently, she’d been a bit of an exacting sale. But Fifi had managed it, in the end, even if the building wasn’t inside Haven Hollow proper.

It’s worth a shot,Cain said, almost grudgingly.It’s not much of a lead, but I’ve solved cases with less. I still think it’s worth going back to the kid and seeing if you can get the name of the pawnshop out of him.

I think Dimitri has said all he’s going to say.

Remember, Taliyah is in your back pocket.

I was pretty sure Taliyah could get the kid to open up and tell her whatever she wanted to know. But that would mean she was taking over the case and that would also mean I wouldn’t get credit for it. And I knew that sounded silly and maybe even illegal, but it didn’t change the fact that I needed this one. I needed a feather in my cap so I could prove myself to Mr. Howard. I just needed one little badge—one little thing I could hang my hat on. One little thing to prove I wasn’t such a screwup. And this could be that one little thing.

Let’s start by visiting any and all pawn shops in the area,Cain said.And see what you find there.

The crowd had finally thinned enough that I didn’t feel like I was walking backward, and we’d just about made it back to the foyer when the door we were passing cracked open, and someone grabbed my arm.

I was too surprised to do anything more than squeak, as whoever it was yanked me into the room, slamming the door behind me.

Shock had my head stuttering, like my thoughts had missed a step. That was enough for Cain to surge forward and take control. I felt a bit like he’d shoved me behind him, but we were still sharing a single body.

Cain moved my arm in a smooth roll, breaking the grip on my bicep. He rounded, planting my back foot and bringing my arms up in a defensive posture. It probably wasn’t as impressive as it should have been, since Cain had been over six feet and packed with muscle in life, even if age had him softening a little around the middle.

I was neither of those things, though I was tall for a woman. My little age spurt had given me a little more padding around the hips and bust, so I didn’t look like a teenage boy anymore at least, but I didn’t look like no heavy weight, that was for sure.

The light flicked on in the room. All I could see was a couch and two chairs. A parlor, maybe. The man who’d dragged me in here turned away from the switch, and I recognized the older guy who Cain had caught watching me earlier.

He flicked a look from my face down my body, eyes lingering on my raised fists, and a little smile flicked around the corners of his mouth.

I had a pretty good idea of who he had to be, but just to be sure, I pulled control back from Cain enough to get my mouth to move. “Manos Erepto, I’m guessing?”

Manos inclined his head to me. “As you say.”

When Manos didn’t reach for me again, Cain relaxed a little, falling back and letting me lower my arms.

“What’s the big idea?” I glared at him, still thinking of popping him one. I didn’t like being grabbed and hauled around none. “If you wanted to talk, you coulda just said so.”

“I wanted to speak privately,” he said breezily, and not like he was sorry at all for startling me. Manos looked me over again and chuckled. “You’re a little spitfire, aren’t you, sweetheart?”

“I ain’t your sweetheart so don’t call me that.” I hadn’t much liked the guy to start with, but now I just wanted to be away from him.

“Apologies.”

“You wanted to talk, talk.” Preferably fast. I wanted out of that room.

Manos sighed, adjusting his cufflinks. “Very well. I know that Sophia has hired you to find the idol.”

“She told you?”

“No,” he shook his head. “But I’m no fool.”

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