To Catch a Thief--A High Stakes Romantic Suspense

by Sloane Steele

  Lightning flashed outside, followed by a boom of thunder. The lights flickered. As worried as she was about the painting being damaged by weather, a power outage would help conceal Nikki.

  “I’ll reset it. Give me two minutes.” He disconnected from his call. “Can I ask you to step back into the foyer?”

  “Certainly,” she said with a smile. She walked back to the foyer and whispered, “He’s attempting a reset.”

  Mia paced the length of the foyer three times before hearing muttered curses from the library. Then Chris was on the phone again. “No. It’s not working. It won’t reset. We’ve had some power surges with the storm coming, but that shouldn’t interfere with this.” He listened for a moment, and she stepped closer to the doorway. “What about the curator? Okay. I’ll let her know.”

  When he came from the library, he slid the pocket doors closed behind him. “I’m sorry, but I have to close this room off. Is there something else I can show you?”

  “I’d love to have a tour of everything.” She leaned close to him with a wink. “While I wanted to see the Hardison for professional purposes, I remember that Tara Bauer had a beautiful armoire in her bedroom that I’m interested in personally.”

  He gave her a sharp nod. “Right this way.”

  She followed him up the stairs. “This must be a huge undertaking for McNamara’s. And on such a quick turnaround. Not to be a gossip, but I’m sure you’ve heard the reason for the fast sale.”

  “I don’t discuss clients’ personal lives, ma’am.”

  “I wasn’t trying to get you to tell me anything. I’m sorry if I overstepped.”

  In her ear, Nikki said, “I’m in. Making the swap now.”

  Chris opened the door to the master bedroom and they both walked in. No armoire. Mia happened to know that Tara sold it three years ago after deciding that none of her bedroom furniture brought her joy.

  “Hmm,” Mia said. “Is it possible they moved it to another bedroom?”

  “Shit. Keep him busy,” Nikki said. “This wax they used to stick the magnet on is tougher than I thought.”

  “I don’t remember seeing an armoire,” Chris said. “But we haven’t inventoried all the bedrooms yet. Let’s take a look.”

  Thunder rumbled again. A moment later, rain began to splatter against the windowpanes.

  They crossed the hall to the next bedroom. This one only had a bed.

  “I made the swap and I’m leaving.”

  Lightning lit the room, and the clap of thunder shook the windows.

  “It’s getting really bad out there. I think I should head out before it gets worse. Thank you so much for your time, Chris. If you come across the armoire, let me know, okay?”

  “Sure.” He walked her downstairs.

  In the foyer, she called a car and peered out the sidelights. She didn’t want to sit here any longer than necessary, but she didn’t want to get stuck in a storm either. The car was five minutes out.

  “I’m in the van and we’re going to the apartment to crack open the champagne,” Nikki said in the comm.

  Mia removed the earpiece and tucked it in her bag. Then she turned to Chris. “The car is close, so I’m going to meet it.”

  “You can wait here,” he offered.

  “It doesn’t look too bad right now. Thanks again for the hospitality.”

  “The art world is pretty small. We take care of each other.”

  “Let me know if I can ever return the favor.”

  She opened the front door and wished she’d looked at the forecast before leaving the house this morning. There was no way she was going through this without damage.

  * * *

  Logan had parked back in the neighbor’s driveway just as the first raindrops splattered against the windshield. He left the car running so he could keep the windows clear. For the first time in hours, a car drove down the street and stopped at the end of the Bauers’ driveway. It was a Lyft driver.

  A moment later, the front door opened and a woman came rushing out, head down against the rain. Logan leaned forward in his seat. It couldn’t be. But when she got to the end of the driveway, she lifted her head as she opened the door.

  What the fuck was Mia doing at the Bauer house?

  Every suspicion he’d been harboring for the past week thundered through his head. He wanted to snatch her from the car and march her back into the house, but he feared what he’d find. She obviously hadn’t stolen the painting. She had nothing but her purse with her. He pulled out and followed the Lyft car. When they got off the highway near River North, he knew she wasn’t going home.

  If she was going to wander galleries again, he was not in the mood. But the car turned and stopped halfway down the block. He sped up and pulled in front of a fire hydrant. He jumped out of his car and met her on the sidewalk. She hadn’t even noticed him until she almost walked into him.

  She stepped back, startled. “Logan? What are you doing here?”

  “I followed you.”

  “You what?” The rain was picking up and her hair was now drenched and plastered to her head.

  “I was staking out the Bauer house. I followed you. We need to talk. Now.” He grabbed her arm and pulled her to his car. He opened the door and waited for her to get in.

  When he got behind the wheel, he realized exactly how wet she was. Her silk blouse was nearly transparent, and she shivered. He huffed, reached behind his seat to grab a sweatshirt and put it on her lap. “What were you doing at the Bauer house?”

  “Why are you following me?”

  “I didn’t start out following you. I followed when you left the house. Now why were you there?”

  She pulled his sweatshirt over her head. It swallowed her. “Thank you,” she said quietly. She took a deep breath and looked at him from under her lashes. “I found out that the Bauers were having an estate sale and I went to check out the Hardison that they have. I thought it might be something to add to the collection at the museum.”

  Even if he hadn’t known her tell for lying, he would still be able to call bullshit on that. “I’ve never heard of a curator making a house call to look at a painting.”

  She licked her lips. “The Bauers are family friends. When we were at the party on Saturday, word of Jerome’s death was what had my phone ringing nonstop. I used my family’s connection and my position at the museum to get in early to the estate sale.”

  “Stop lying to me.”

  Her brow furrowed. “I am not lying. Do you want to go back and talk to Chris? He took me on a tour of the house.”

  “You know Atlas insures that painting. Jerome Bauer was one of your dad’s friends. Are you seriously going to tell me that when they try to authenticate that painting, they won’t discovery it’s a forgery?”

  “How should I know what they’ll discover?”

  “How stupid do you think I am?”

  She waved her arms, his sleeves flapping over her hands. “I don’t think you’re stupid at all.”

  “Why did I find security tags and a second phone in your purse last night?”

  “Oh my God. Now you’re searching my things? Have I been some kind of suspect all along? You took me to bed to gain access to my house?”

  “Don’t fuck with me. You know that’s not how it is.” If it had been, he wouldn’t be struggling right now. He’d call her a liar and find a way to get a search warrant, tap her phones, follow her around until they found proof. But he still wanted her to be innocent.

  She pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes. “The security tags were on loan from the museum. I borrowed them with the full permission of the head of security. His name is Jeff, if you’d like to check. And I have a second phone because I don’t trust the FBI. Halloran keeps asking for permission to tap my phone. I deserve privacy.”

  Everything she said made sense, and
he still wanted to believe her, which made him utterly stupid. Either she was a fucking brilliant thief or she was completely innocent and he was ruining the best thing he’d had in a long time.

  “What exactly do you want from me?”

  He stared at her in silence for a minute. She looked small in his sweatshirt but not weak. He was falling for this woman, even though he knew she was lying about something. He also knew that she wasn’t going to break from a simple question. She was too tough for that.

  “I hoped for the truth. I can help you.”

  “I told you the truth. If you don’t trust me, that’s your issue.” She grabbed the door handle. “And as I’ve told you repeatedly, I can take care of myself.” Then she slipped out the door.

  He watched her walk down the block and disappear between two buildings. She was in trouble, but he had no way of helping her if she didn’t let him in. He’d just have to find the proof of her involvement.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Mia seethed in the gangway between buildings to give Logan time to leave. Who the hell did he think he was to make such accusations? Even if he was right. She’d protected herself and the plan. This was her payment for getting close to him. She should’ve known better. When she was relatively sure Logan was gone, she let herself into the apartment and walked into a full-on celebration. Before she had a chance to say a word, Nikki pressed a glass of cold champagne into her hand.

  “Looking a little like a wet puppy there, Mia. Shoulda moved faster out of that house,” Nikki said with a chuckle. She was completely dry.

  London squinted her eyes and angled her head. “What’s wrong? And where did that sweatshirt come from? That is not part of your wardrobe.”

  Mia gulped the champagne and set the glass down. The realization hit her that while she’d thought they were safe, everyone was now at risk. She had to figure out how to protect them and the plan. It began with honesty. She didn’t have time to be angry at Logan, so she shoved the emotion aside. “Logan knows.”

  Nikki paused with the glass midway to her mouth. “What now?”

  “He was staking out the Bauer house and followed me here. He knows something’s up and he’s sure I’m part of it.”

  Audrey refilled Mia’s glass and handed it to her while London dragged her over to the couch.

  “Sit. Tell us exactly what happened,” Audrey said.

  Mia still couldn’t wrap her head around it. She’d been careful. “When I left Jerome’s house, I called a Lyft. It was storming and I ran to the car, obviously getting drenched on the way.” She held up her hands to point at her wet clothes. “The car pulled up here, and when I got out, I almost crashed into Logan. He pulled me into his car to talk.” She picked at the edge of the sweatshirt that smelled like Logan.

  “What does he know?” Nikki pressed.

  “He wanted to know what I was doing at the Bauers’. I told him that I was looking at the Hardison as a possible acquisition for the museum.”

  “That’s good,” Audrey said. “It’s plausible.”

  “He didn’t buy it. He wanted to know if, when they inspect the painting tomorrow, they’ll find it’s a forgery. He knows. He just doesn’t have proof. But he’s going to keep looking.” She swallowed hard. “He also found my burner phone and the sensors in my purse last night. The phone was locked, so he couldn’t access anything. And I offered plausible explanations for both. But he knows.”

  “So cut him loose,” Nikki said. “He doesn’t trust you, so break up with him. You need distance and you need it fast.”

  Her words made sense, but they still felt like a punch to her solar plexus. “I don’t think that will stop him.”

  Nikki plopped on the couch beside her. “It’s been a good run. Do I need to pack my bags?”

  “No.” Mia drained her glass again and stood. “I’ll deal with Logan. You stay the course. He knows about me. At most, he might suspect Jared because we’re cousins. I don’t think he has a clue about the rest of you.”

  “That you’re aware of.” Nikki waved her glass. “You also didn’t think he knew about you. How good do you think he is at his job?”

  “Very. I’ll talk with Jared and we’ll come up with a plan. You do not need to worry about me exposing you.”

  “Why don’t you stay and drink with us?” London asked. “It’s still a celebration. Look at the Hardison. We did it. That sucker is gonna help a lot of people on your list.”

  That was the reason she kept going, even though part of her wanted to back off. It was getting exhausting, juggling the half-truths and multiple jobs. She had to believe they were making a difference in the lives of the people her father had hurt. “Thank you for the invitation, but I’m wet and cold, and I need a clear head to figure out what to do about Logan.”

  She turned and left the apartment, but Nikki followed her into the hall.

  “Hey.”

  “Yes?”

  “Look, as one woman with daddy issues to another, it’s okay to walk away if it’s what’s best for you.”

  “This isn’t about me.”

  “Maybe it should be. You obviously care more about Logan than you’d like any of us to believe. And as I said, it’s been a good run. The Hardison can be it. Go out with a bang, no one can prove anything. The forgeries stop and Logan might believe he was wrong about you.”

  Mia gave her a weak smile. “We’re not that lucky.”

  “Speak for yourself. I’m the luckiest bitch I know.”

  Mia chuckled and stepped onto the elevator. “I’ll be in touch.”

  On her way home, she tried to focus. She texted Jared to meet her at her place. He didn’t even question her. His car pulled up right after hers.

  “Are you okay?” he asked when he met her on the sidewalk.

  “Yes.”

  “You look like hell.”

  “Thanks. That helps because being caught in a storm and then being almost caught red-handed by my—” she’d almost said boyfriend “—by Logan wasn’t enough to ruin my night. You have to point out how bad I’m actually handling it all.”

  “Come on. You know payback’s a bitch. I believe we had a very similar conversation earlier this summer about me and Audrey.” He put an arm around her shoulder and they walked into her building.

  “Not similar. My mistake is much worse than yours.” They rode the elevator upstairs.

  “You must really be miserable. You just admitted to screwing up.”

  She unlocked her door and tossed her keys on the table. “I’m going to get out of these wet clothes. I’ll be back in a minute.” She paused in the hall. “I assume when you checked, there were no surveillance devices here?”

  “Nope. All clear. Wine?”

  “Sure.” She changed quickly and folded Logan’s sweatshirt. How bad would it be for her to keep it? She glanced at her bed and a barrage of memories of her short time with him raced through her head. She stripped the sheets and shoved them in her hamper. The faster she removed reminders of their relationship, the easier it would be.

  Walking back into the living room, she checked her email on her phone. A message from an account she didn’t recognize stared at her. She opened it to see it was from her father.

  Sweetie—here is the list of artwork I need sold. If you can do anything to aid my friends in making this happen, I would be so grateful.

  She tapped to download the list. “Oh my God.”

  “What?”

  “It’s so much bigger than I thought.” She moved to the couch and curled her legs under her.

  “What is?” Jared handed her a glass of wine.

  “Daddy just sent me the list of art he needs to have sold to fund his disappearance. I had a list of twelve. He’s sent me no fewer than thirty names and pieces.” Her stomach turned. She’d thought she’d made him desperate. She’d barely made
a dent.

  “Let me see.”

  She handed Jared her phone and sipped her wine. This made it worse. On the ride home, she’d considered what Nikki had said. Walk away on a high. Help as many people as possible. Hurt her father. She was such a fool to think she’d made a difference.

  “What do you want to do?”

  “I want to destroy him.” Bitterness coated every word from her mouth.

  “What about Logan?”

  The million-dollar question. She shoved aside the emotion and any comments from her heart and focused on the reality of her situation. She pulled out her inner ice queen and wore her like a gown.

  “What about him? He’s on my trail. If I step back, you can continue to run things. Or maybe just let Nikki and Audrey run it. If forgeries keep popping up with Logan watching my every move, he’ll have to give up.”

  “Do you want him to?”

  “Of course.”

  “You know what I mean.”

  She sighed and told her stupid heart to shut up. “In a perfect world, things would be different. This list changes everything. Promise me that no matter what, you’ll keep going.”

  “That depends on what you plan to do.”

  “I’ve been thinking about it since I left his car. The best thing might be for me to turn myself in.”

  “What?” Jared’s usually calm demeanor disappeared. “That exposes all of us.”

  “If I use what he thinks he knows about me to leverage a meeting with the FBI, I could offer them our fathers.”

  Jared rubbed his chin. “It’s risky.”

  “Everything we’ve done here is risky. We knew that going in.”

  “Maybe it would be better to give it a little more time.”

  “That gives him the chance to dig. Although I trust that you covered your tracks, it will be worse if he finds anything. I can preemptively end his investigation into us by offering up our fathers.”

  “Is there anything I can say or do to talk you out of this?”

  She shook her head. “He might think other players are involved, but he doesn’t have anything. He suspects me. If I remove myself from the equation, he has nothing.”