Rarities Unlimited 03 - Die in Plain Sight

inside, he might say something to give himself away to us. If he didn’t get inside, he might just get the hell out of your life. Since you’re not claiming a penny for the paintings, the insurer won’t care what really burned and what didn’t.”
    She shrugged. “l guess. I just don’t like lying.”
    “Not even to trip up a murderer?”
    Her laugh was as painful as the shadows in her eyes. “I’m still having a hard time believing it. It would help if it made sense, but it doesn’t.”
    “Murder isn’t always rational. In fact, it rarely is.”
    “This comforts me how?”
    Ian mentally kicked himself. “Guess I’m not the comforting sort.” Since he’d already stuck his size thirteen foot in his mouth, he might as well keep going. He knew from past experience that there was room for two feet, even as big as his were. “Savoy Forrest called while you were asleep.”
    “Wonderful.” She rubbed her forehead. “What did he want?”
    “Guess?”
    “To buy the paintings?”
    “Yeah.”
    “How did he find out about the fire?” she asked.
    “He didn’t say anything about the second fire. Just told me that the paintings from the charity auction are being proudly displayed in the museum and you were welcome any old time at all, and after you saw them maybe you’d feel so good about how they’re being treated that you’d consider selling one or two, seeing as how you don’t have any safe place to put them and all.” Ian’s drawling summary of the conversation was at odds with his hard eyes and harder smile.
    “Does this move him to the top of our suspect list?” she asked rather bitterly.
    “Right up with good old Sheriff Turner.”
    “Why would Savoy want to kill me?”
    “I’ll ask him right after I talk to the sheriff.”
    “Should I take him up on the museum offer?” Lacey asked.
    “Have to, sooner or later. Rarities wants a look at the Martens the old man collected. As for selling them a painting, it’s up to you.”
    Lacey started to dismiss the idea as she had every time the subject came up. Then she thought of all the bills that would have to be paid even though the shop was a write-off. Shayla would need money, too. Selling a painting would keep both of them afloat while they found new work or put the pieces of their old work back together.
    “I’ll think about it.” Lacey raked fingers through her hair. “Did Mrs. Katz call back about her Marten?”
    “No.”
    “ Damn . How are we supposed to find any true Martens hidden in Grandfather’s forgeries unless we have some real Martens to work with?”
    Ian didn’t answer, because she’d asked the question of the ceiling, not him. “We’ve still got private collectors,” he said.
    “The Forrests. It always goes back to them, doesn’t it?”
    “And your grandfather. And you. And the sheriff.”
    Lacey raked her hair again and tried to think of something more effective than what a mess . Then she brought herself up short. No pity party. Doesn’t do any good. Take one thing at a time and go through the list until something makes sense . “All right. To hell with what we don’t know. Let’s go with what we know.”
    “Which is?”
    “We need some real Martens for Rarities to work with. The Savoy Museum has them.” She grabbed her big ratty purse and expensive cashmere coat. “Let’s go get our wonderful guided tour.”
    “Unguided,” Ian said.
    “What?”
    “The museum isn’t open to the public today.”
    “Good. I’m not feeling very public.”
    Ian hesitated, then said bluntly, “You’d be safer here in the hotel room.”
    She stopped with her hand on the hallway door. Her chin came up. “For how long?”
    “Until I find out who’s threatening to kill you.”
    “How long?” she repeated. “A day or two? A week? Two weeks? Several months? Years ?”
    “Lacey—”
    He was talking to her back going through the door.
    “Shit.”
    He shot through the door and caught up with her before she’d taken two steps.
    “In the future,” he said tightly, “I go first through the doors. That isn’t negotiable. Got it?”
    She started to argue, looked at the cold line of his mouth, and said, “Got it.”

Savoy Tower
    Tuesday morning
65
    O dd place for a museum,” Lacey said, looking around the posh interior of the Savoy Tower lobby.
    “Thirty years ago, yeah,” Ian said, “One thing I learned working for Rarities is that institutions have become some of the biggest collectors around. It’s a