Page 63 of Deadly Charade

The hum of generators kicked in, and the lights returned, exposing the chaos of the room. Bryce rolled off her and stood, offering her a hand so she could get up. She hurried to Theo and pressed fingers against his neck. Nothing.

Sophia let out a loud wail. “What happened? Who did this? We were supposed to get that statue.”

Kira had to believe Sophia knew exactly what was going on. The statue was gone and Theo was dead.

Davis began boxing up the other two pieces of art. “Everyone clear out. We’ll keep the auction going upstairs. This was just a small power outage, nothing more.” The gallery owner ignored Theo’s lifeless body and raced up the stairs with a painting under each arm.

Apparently it was every man for himself now. The sheikh and other patrons had already vanished. And where was Ivan? “Let’s go,” Bryce whispered. He grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the stairs. She willed her legs to move.

They passed three security guards in discussion about how to dispose of Theo’s body. “Take him out the back,” one of the men said. “No one will know.”

Kira bit back the bile in her throat, wishing she could arrest them all. Someone stole Zaika and killed Theo. How had she and Bryce not seen this coming?

They both ducked out of the women’s restroom after agreeing to stick together. They couldn’t afford to be separated now. In the dimly lit hallway, they were able to slip out unnoticed. A few people were gathered in small groups, talking in hushed whispers, probably trying to get the inside scoop on what was happening. Kira and Bryce cut through the auction room toward the front of the gallery. The generators lit the area, and dazed patrons stared at the auctioneer, who was apparently trying to determine if he should continue with the auction. But the FBI had begun locking down the entire building, sending some into panic mode. One affluent man shouted at an agent, claiming to be an attorney and his rights were being violated.

“Let’s get out of here while we can.” Bryce looped his arm in Kira’s and led her to the main entrance where they obtained their cell phones.

A few guests were stopped at the main exit by agents. Bryce and Kira weaved through the crowds to an agent Kira knew. He nodded and let them duck out the exit door.

Kira texted SSA Turner an update as they moved down the front stairs of the gallery to the street. By the time they made their way out of the crowds, Violet had pulled up to the curb. “Glad I stuck close by. What happened?”

“Fill you in in a sec.” She needed to catch her breath.

Her phone buzzed in her hand as they got in the car. SSA Turner’s name popped up on the screen and she answered. Before the man could speak, Kira jumped in rapid-fire. “Send the teams into the restrooms. There’s a false wall behind the couch, leading to a secret room with stairs. The invitation contains the code to access the door. You should have a copy of it. Theo Durham was shot and killed. They also have an original Degas and Rembrandt in the illegal auction, which they will probably try to smuggle out of the building. Davis Steadman is behind this. The owner is a flight risk.”

Flashing blue-and-white lights surrounded the building while Violet drove them in the opposite direction. Kira’s heart still pounded. “What just happened?” She looked at Bryce. “How did Theo have that kind of money? Who killed him? Where is the statue?” She didn’t really expect answers but wanted the questions out there.

Bryce ran a hand through his hair and blew out a breath. “I only have theories.”

Kira called Everly. “Everly, where did Theo get the cash to bid like that?”

She put the phone on speaker and heard the clack of keyboard keys. “I think I found his alias on the dark web.” Everly whistled. “Evidently Theo was leading quite the double life. He changed his name and scrubbed himself from the internet. It took me a while, but I uncovered that his real name is—or was—Henry Theodore, a billionaire tech mogul and art collector. I think he caught wind of the treasure. But he had the cash. I’m following the money trail. I’m also checking the areas around Sawyer’s Peak, Riley, and Copper Creek to see if I can find out where he might have been staying. I’ll keep you updated.”

Everly hung up and Kira sank back in the seat, her adrenaline spike crashing. She turned to Bryce. “I’m glad you made me stop bidding. They would have tried to take me out instead.”

“It started to feel less like an auction and more like an ambush. And Ivan picked up on the vibe as well.”

Her mind replayed the auction scene like a movie on loop. The lights cutting off. Theo’s lifeless eyes and the bullet wound in his temple. The missing statue.

And how close she’d come to death. In the dark, that shot could have hit any of them. Had God intervened and protected them? Maybe it was time she put her trust in something more than herself.

She rubbed her hands together to steady her nerves. “What now?”

No sooner had she spoken than her phone buzzed with an incoming message. “Everly says, ‘He has a house in the area under Theo Durham, but Henry Theodore is listed as the owner of an old motel on the outskirts of Copper Creek. It’s no longer open. Closed about a year ago. You might try there.’” She tipped her phone for Bryce to read the message.

“Let’s dig into Henry Theodore,” he said. “Maybe we can get to the motel before anyone else. He claimed he knew where the journals were. It’s entirely possible he took them.”

Kira nodded. “Good point. I’m not sleeping anytime soon. I vote road trip in the middle of the night to scope the place out.”

Violet parked in front of their brownstone and pointed at the sedan.

“Thanks for the ride, Vi. Again.” Kira coughed in an effort to regain her composure a bit. She wasn’t about to break down now, but Vi’s presence meant the world to her—like the sister she’d longed for as a child. “I appreciate you stepping in when you did earlier.”

Violet turned in the seat to face Kira. “I’ve always got your back, but this case isn’t a walk in the park. Be safe.”

Kira nodded, her eyes misting at Violet’s genuine concern. Her friends had her back, no matter what. Violet parked the car, got out, and opened the door for Kira.

“Stay safe.” Violet wrapped Kira in a tight embrace the second her feet hit the ground. For once, Kira didn’t mind. “And watch out for that hunk over there,” she whispered. “You think I don’t see the way he looks at you? Please. He’s absolutely smitten. I mean, you look smoking hot in my dress.”