Page 71 of Deadly Charade

“He liked a good mystery, but I never read his journals to know. I’ll study it with you when we get back.”

Bryce’s phone buzzed with an unknown number. Kira picked it up and put it on speakerphone since Bryce was driving.

“Brian? It’s Sophia.”

Kira held the phone between Bryce and herself. She switched to her New York accent. “Darling, it’s Katrina. Are you all right? We were so worried about you.”

The woman paused. “I didn’t know what had happened to you and Brian. You never came home last night.” Sophia’s voice sounded raspy and stressed.

“We headed out of town until the heat cooled off a little. Are you okay? If you and Alex are in trouble, Brian and I can head home right now.”

“We need help. I—I need to know if you took Zaika.”

“No. We might participate in an illegal auction, but rest assured we would never steal.”

Sophia groaned. “Someone kidnapped our maid, Natalia, and they’re holding her hostage. They’ve threatened to kill her if we don’t return the statue.”

Bryce’s stomach clenched.

“Where are you?” Kira asked. “We can come to you.”

“No. They want us to meet them somewhere. We’re waiting for a text on the location—but it’s somewhere in West Virginia, so Alex and I are driving that way. They told us we have three hours or they’ll . . . they’ll kill her.” Her voice trailed off into a sob.

“Sophia, we can help. Once they tell you where to meet, we can figure out a plan to get Natalia back.”

“But without the statue, it’s no use. We don’t have it.” The woman wailed.

Bryce pulled off the road so he could focus on the call.

“We can help,” Kira said again, trying to keep the woman talking. “Once you find out the meeting spot, let us know. Brian and I are in West Virginia and will wait here.”

Sophia sniffed. “I’ll . . . I’ll call you when we’re closer.”

Kira disconnected the call and faced Bryce. “What should we do? I can call Turner and at least get the FBI mobilized.”

She fired off a text, and Bryce fished the card out of his pocket. “I have Ivan’s card he left on the table. And we know he has the statue. We should let him know. Maybe he’ll make a trade.”

“Doubtful but worth a shot. We don’t want someone caught in the crossfire.”

Something didn’t sit well with Bryce. Wasn’t Natalia with the gallery attendant, who they presumed was a member of the Amber Crown Society? The pair looked rather cozy, and he hadn’t sensed that she was in danger. But maybe the attendant had used her to get close to the Dominiks so he could keep an eye on them? They were the most likely ones to win the auction and walk away with Zaika. He had no proof, of course, but it was an idea.

Kira dialed Ivan, but Bryce spoke. “Ivan, we need to meet. According to Sophia, someone took Natalia hostage. They are demanding the return of Zaika or they’ll kill her.”

Ivan sucked in a harsh breath. “That’s not good. I know they’ll make good on their threat. In fact, she might already be dead.”

Bryce clenched the wheel.

“What do you know about the gallery attendant?” Kira asked. “We have a picture of him at last night’s event coming out of a back room looking very cozy with Natalia. Could he be part of the Society?”

Ivan remained quiet for a few seconds. “His name is Vince Palmer. He’s Russian but has been in this country since birth, so he’s a citizen. He’s led a quiet life, making a living in the art community.”

“But . . .” Bryce figured there was more to the story.

“His background is clean. Too sterile. Like someone created a backstory for the man. But there is nothing out there tying him to the Society, or anything for that matter.”

Bryce didn’t like the sound of that. “Do you want to meet us at the diner while we wait for Sophia and Alex to contact us?”

Ivan grunted. “I’ll be there.” The line disconnected.