by Estelle Ryan
I pressed my lips tightly together. I wasn’t good with keeping secrets. I had told Pink this when he’d first come to me the day after we’d returned from Croatia. That was a week ago. A week that I’d avoided Nikki as much as possible, because I didn’t approve of deceiving her.
Even for a good reason.
“Doc G?” Nikki frowned and took a step closer to me. “You’re acting weird. Like really weird.” She huffed. “Pink has also been all kinds of weird. What is going on here?”
I took a breath. Then another. I couldn’t speak to her. I would reveal everything Pink had entrusted me with, so I shook my head and walked away.
We were in the Chêne Gallery on Gérard’s insistence. He wanted to do something special for us because we’d returned Becić’s Landscape, Bosnia mostly unscathed. And we’d found Nikki and brought her back. Also mostly unscathed.
The light bruise on her cheek was in the final stages of healing. Francine had insisted on hiding it with make-up for tonight’s party. She’d also bullied Nikki into a special outfit. I had told Pink that I wasn’t going to keep his secret from Colin. He’d accepted that. When he’d included Francine in this secret, she’d accepted with glee and had shown absolutely no remorse deceiving Manny.
When Pink had told Gérard what he was planning, Gérard had squealed in a manner that I’d found disconcerting. He’d been extremely pleased to offer his gallery for this event. Even more so when Pink had told him that all of us would be here as well as Daniel, Phillip and Bree.
Colin was currently talking to Bree, but noticed me and walked over. “It’s almost over, Jenny.”
“I hate this.”
“I know, love.” He kissed my forehead, his smile wide. “But you know how much Nikki is going to love this.”
The corners of my mouth turned down, but I nodded. After the fraught time we’d had in Croatia, everyone deserved this. Especially Nikki. She’d recovered remarkably well from being kidnapped. I turned to search the gallery until my eyes fell on Martin. His arm was in a sling and his cheek was healing well. He was laughing at something Pink said, then pressed his hand against his side. His cracked ribs were going to hurt for quite a while still.
“How are you, Genevieve?” Phillip stopped next to me. Tonight, he was wearing a dark brown bespoke suit. The bronze silk tie matched the handkerchief artfully placed in his suit jacket pocket.
“I’m well. Thank you for asking.” The first two days back in my own space here in Strasbourg had been difficult. Only then had I had the time to process the distress of Nikki’s kidnapping and Manny being shot. I’d had only one more shutdown, but had mentally written four full Mozart symphonies before the tightness around my chest had eased. I looked past Phillip to where Manny was arguing with Bree and Francine. The two women’s nonverbal cues were revealing their mischievous joy in teasing him.
Francine had stayed behind in Croatia while Manny had surgery to remove the bullet from his shoulder. It had been a fast and successful procedure and they’d returned two days ago. Luka had spoken to Colin and told him that the nurses were begging him to send Manny away, but keep Francine in Rovinj. She’d made a lot of friends during Manny’s short stay in the hospital.
Gérard was in his element. He had also dressed up for the occasion in a light green velvet suit, a purple shirt and a multicoloured silk tie. A matching handkerchief peeked from his jacket pocket, but created a completely different image than Phillip’s elegant attire.
He was talking to Vinnie and Roxy, his hands moving nonstop, gesturing in wide movements. Every now and then he adjusted the position of his wood-framed eyeglasses. Roxy was fully engaged in the conversation, a constant smile lifting her cheeks. Vinnie’s arms were crossed and he had a bemused expression watching Gérard sharing an outrageous anecdote about a meeting with a member of some royal family.
“Are you taking a break or are you already searching for the Collector?” Phillip’s smile was soft. “Ah, you’re searching.”
“There is very little to go on.” And it frustrated me. “Colin is asking around and we’ve been waiting for Francine to help with darknet searches.”
I was familiar with the darknet and easily found my way around it. But I didn’t have Francine’s skill at accessing hidden forums and marketplaces. Colin had reasoned with me that the planning for tonight’s surprise took precedence over forcing Francine to search for the mysterious Collector. As I watched everyone laugh and chat, I knew he’d been right.
“I don’t want to push too much when I’m asking about the Collector.” Colin took my hand and squeezed it. “The little we learned about the Collector shows that he doesn’t take kindly to people interfering in his business.”
“Who says he’s a he?” Bree stepped out from behind Phillip and smiled at him. “Looking snappy as always, sir.”
Phillip kissed Bree’s cheek. “It’s always good to see you, Bree. And you look beautiful as always.”
Bree was wearing a knee-length floral dress, ankle boots, an oversized scarf and a dark purple fedora hat. She looked at Colin. “I’m serious. Have you considered that the Collector could be a woman?”
“Honestly?” Colin shook his head. “No. We should though.” He looked at me. “Do you remember if Rene ever talked about the Collector as a ‘he’?”
“Not once.” I’d been thinking about this. “Rene only said ‘the Collector’, never a gender-specific pronoun.”
“Hmm.” Colin looked at the ceiling for a second. “That might help me ask better questions when I ask around.”
“Can I help?” Bree asked.
“No.” I registered her expression and winced. “Thank you for offering.”
She laughed softly. “Just let me know if I can do anything. You guys rock.” She looked over at the table in the back of the room, filled with a large selection of finger foods. Vinnie had realised Francine was up to something and had bullied the secret out of her. Then he’d insisted on catering. I was glad that he had. Now I could enjoy the food without worrying about its origins.
“Have you heard anything from the Croatian police guys?” Bree pulled her braid over her shoulder and played with it.
“I spoke to Luka,” Colin said. “They’re all getting commendations for their actions.” He chuckled. “Much to their relief, they’re not getting fired or disciplined for acting without permission. And the judge, prosecutor and others who used Rene’s services are under investigation. The evacuation went surprisingly well with only a few minor injuries. Most people were scared, but left quickly and in orderly fashion. Luka’s superiors are very pleased with him and the others.”
“Hey, do you think Luka would let me interview him?” She flicked her braid over her shoulder. “This would make a fabulous article.”
“I’ll ask him.” Colin looked away from Bree and nodded once at someone. I followed his gaze and saw Pink. He was staring wide-eyed at Nikki, who was talking to Martin. Martin held Eric on his hip with his healthy arm and only showed slight discomfort when he shifted so Eric could rest his head on his daddy’s shoulder. But it was the nervousness on Pink’s face that made me swallow.
“Do you know if the archaeologists found any more buried treasure?” Bree was standing with her back to Pink, completely unaware of what was about to take place.
“Yes.” Colin’s expression lit up. He’d been most delighted about this news. “Another two wooden chests were buried close to the three they’d found while we were there. The archaeology world is beside themselves with this exciting discovery.”
“What about the cruise ship billionaire?” Bree’s questions were taking on an interrogative tone that made both Colin and Phillip smile. “I’ve been looking into this Niko Horvat. He made his first million in tech. Then he just went up from there. He was born into a wealthy family. I read that his father invested in his first venture. It was only a hundred and fifty thousand euros for this app, but it was all that was needed. The app was a huge success. Horvat was careful with his
projects and hired only the best people to help him develop his tech. But that auction on his ship is a disaster to his reputation.”
“It is.” Phillip turned and frowned when he noticed Pink shifting from side to side, still staring at Nikki. Phillip looked back at Bree. “He’s cooperating with the authorities and claims that he knew nothing about the eighty-something people with criminal connections on the maiden cruise. We’ll see how that turns out for him.”
Bree inhaled, then exhaled on a laugh. “Oh, my God. I’m totally interviewing you.”
“We know.” Colin’s smile crinkled the corners of his eyes. He liked Bree. As did I.
“Okay, last question. I promise.”
Colin rolled his head on his shoulders in an exaggerated manner. “Okay, I’m ready. Hit me.”
“No!” I stepped closer to put myself between Bree and Colin.
There was a moment of silence, then Phillip, Bree and Colin burst out laughing. Colin pulled me back to his side and kissed my temple. “I’m sorry, love. It was a very stupid expression.”
“Oh.”
Bree giggled some more and sighed happily. “Okay, my last question: What exactly happened at the church?”
Pink walked towards Nikki, then stopped and looked at Colin. He closed his eyes for a second and took a deep breath. Colin nodded at him and looked at Bree. “A very quick version: Vin, Pink and Zork found a student who was filming the firework display. Rene had hired him online to film the fireworks, then focus on the ship and after that the church. Pink took the phone and removed the battery. That was when Francine phoned Pink and told him that Manny had sent an SMS with our location.”
Colin glanced at Pink, who was now standing next to Nikki and Martin. He started speaking faster. “Zork cuffed the student to a bench and ran to us with the others. Vin got there first and took out Rene. When Zork saw Millard’s injuries, he ran to the villa and got Francine to restore the mobile signals. Ten minutes later, the ambulance came and now we’re here.”
There was a lot Colin hadn’t included. Not my three-hour-long shutdown, nor Francine’s anger when she discovered Manny had been injured. Apparently, she’d shouted at him for getting shot all the way to hospital. Colin also didn’t mention the bomb squad that had disabled the bomb and said that it could’ve destroyed the entire historic structure. Or that Florian was currently in French custody, his sister and her family safely back at home.
“Can I have everyone’s attention, please?” Pink cleared his throat. Then did it again.
Bree turned around. As did everyone else. I was so relieved that the charade was about to end that I barely registered the anxiety on Pink’s face.
He took a step back from Nikki and swallowed. Her eyes widened and a few emotions flittered across her face. I knew the moment she knew.
Pink took a deep breath and took both her hands in his, lowering his brow to look her in the eyes. “I’ve known for a long time that you are my one. You are the person I want to come home to. The person I want to laugh with. The first person I see in the morning and the last person I see at night. You’re the one whose highs and lows I want to share. The one whose happiness make me happy, whose successes make me proud, whose zest for life make me love waking up and face another day. The one whose family has become my family, whose son is like my own.” He got down on one knee. “Nikki, I love you. Will you do me the great honour of marrying me?”
“Yes, yes, yes!” Tears were flowing freely down Nikki’s face. “Like totally yes!”
Applause and laughter filled the room. Pink jumped up and caught Nikki as she threw herself in his arms. She rained kisses on his face until he put his hands on her cheeks and kissed her full on her lips.
“Pink! Mommy!” Eric wriggled from Martin’s arms and ran to Pink. He held up his arms to be picked up. “Kisses. I want kisses.”
Pink lifted Eric into his arms and both adults kissed him all over while he giggled. Nikki stopped for a moment and looked over her shoulder. Martin was standing next to Francine and Manny, the smile on his face genuine. He leaned a bit forward, his expression a false and exaggerated arrogance. “I knew about this before you did. So there!”
More tears flowed down Nikki’s cheeks. She stepped away from Pink and Eric and carefully hugged Martin, avoiding his injured side. “Thank you, Marty.”
He hugged her as tightly as he could, then pushed her towards Pink. “You deserve it, Nix. You both do.”
“So do you.” She stood next to Pink, his arm around her shoulder, pulling her tightly against his side. “Your time will come, Marty.”
“Um, Nix?” Pink shifted on his feet again. “You said yes, right?”
“Yes, yes, yes!” She smiled when Eric giggled.
“Wanna do it now?”
Nikki jumped away from him, her eyes wide. Then her eyes narrowed. She looked down at her outfit and turned, pointing an accusing finger at Francine. “You knew about this!” She gasped and turned to me. “Doc G! You... you... oh, my God!”
“I didn’t approve of the deceit.” And I’d found it most disconcerting. “But I fully approve of the happiness I can see on your face.”
Nikki spun around, taking everyone in—Daniel grinning at her and Pink, Phillip and Bree smiling, Vinnie holding Roxy tightly to his side, Francine gleefully rubbing her hands, Manny trying unsuccessfully to hide his smile and Gérard wiping tears from his face. She turned back to me and Colin, standing still in the way she did when she wanted me to register her expression.
I saw her love for me. I blinked to see past the tears filling my eyes and made sure that my emotions were reflected in my expression. Colin kissed my temple again and squeezed my hand.
Nikki turned back to Pink. “I love you, Pink. Every cell in my being loves you. So yes.” She stepped closer and looked up into his eyes. “Pierre Beaumont, I’ll marry you.”
Bree gasped and whispered loudly, “His name is Pierre?”
Nikki giggled, then frowned. “Wait. Who’s gonna marry us?”
“I am!” Gérard seemed surprised by his loud announcement. He took off his glasses, put them back on the bridge of his nose and adjusted them twice before he spoke at a more controlled volume. “I’m registered to officiate a wedding. Can I please do it?”
Nikki clapped her hands. “Yes! Yes. Ooh, I’m getting married.” She turned to Vinnie. “You better tell me you made a wedding cake, big punk.”
“Of course I did, little punk.” Vinnie pretended to be offended. “As if I wouldn’t.”
Everyone started moving, congratulating the couple, laughing and chatting. Gérard scurried about, getting himself ready for the ceremony. Pink explained that his family couldn’t make it, but loved Nikki and hadn’t wanted them to wait until his family came back from their extended holiday. They would have another celebration with Pink’s family when they’d had time to organise everything.
I watched the joy on everyone’s faces and allowed it to enter my soul. I’d been learning that this was love—these moments of deep contentment as well as the moments of concern over their physical as well as emotional wellbeing. It was complex. Messy. Beautiful.
My worries about the Collector’s incredible knowledge of people and shocking ability to manipulate threatened to dampen the moment. I forcefully pushed this distraction to the back of my mind.
This very moment, all I wanted was to absorb the happiness on everyone’s faces and prepare myself for the moment Nikki was going to insist on hugging me.
Learn more about the Seuso Treasure, the Internet of Things; look at the paintings by Becić, Račić, Kraljević and Herman; watch a drone video of Fort Forno and look at Estelle’s personal photos when she visited Rovinj and Fort Forno at:
https://estelleryan.com/the-becic-connection.html
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OTHER BOOKS IN THE Genevieve Lenard Series:
Book 1:
The Gauguin Connection
Book 2: The Dante Connection
Book 3: The Braque Connection
Book 4: The Flinck Connection
Book 5: The Courbet Connection
Book 6: The Pucelle Connection
Book 7: The Léger Connection
Book 8: The Morisot Connection
Book 9: The Vecellio Connection
and more...
For more books in this series, go to https://estelleryan.com/books.html
Please visit me on my Facebook Page to become part of the process as I’m writing Genevieve’s next adventure
and
explore https://estelleryan.com to find out more about me and Genevieve.
