“Nobody has but me and the people who stole it.”

“You saw it before it was stolen? You could identify it?” I asked.

“Yes. And this is it. I’m positive. I remember seeing it in his studio.”

“Maybe Paul didn’t know.” Even I didn’t believe what I was saying. How could a collector not know that a painting he owned was a missing masterpiece?

“Of course he knew, Beth! He was involved. He had to be.”

“How did you get the key to get in?” Mark asked suddenly.

“What difference does it make?” Caitlin asked. Suddenly, we heard a noise that sounded like someone talking just outside the door to the study. “We have to get out of here!”

She immediately took off for another window. Not having much choice, Mark and I followed. She opened it quickly and climbed through with us right behind her. As soon as we were on the porch, she pulled it closed and we all headed off in the dark.

Chapter Ten

Mark

Caitlin took off through the dark and Beth and I followed her. It was obvious, again, that she knew her way around more than the average party guest. When we got to the window where we had originally entered I confronted her.

“Okay, look,” I said, feeling very annoyed. “If that painting really is stolen, then your only choice is to go to the police and report it. Although, I think they’re probably going to want to know how you got a key to this place too.”

“If I go to the police something very bad could happen to me. If you guys can’t help me, I’ll just have to figure out some other way.” Then she opened the window and started to climb back through. “Are you coming or not?”

“We’ll walk around to the front, and go through the door like normal people if you don’t mind,” I said taking Beth’s hand and leading her off through the darkness.

“Mark,” Beth said when we got some distance away, “Do you think she’s right and Gerard was involved somehow with the theft?” I stopped walking and faced her. We were standing under a tree filled with lights, so I could see her expression and she looked concerned.

“I don’t know and I don’t want to know. She’s a little too familiar with the floor plan to be a stranger here, and she has a key to get into the house. Something is definitely not right with that.”

“It’s just that, the painting, it looked authentic. You have to understand, if that’s really the Reynolds, it would be like finding the Rembrandt that was stolen from the Gardiner Museum.”

“All the more reason why she should go to the cops.”

“Unless she’s really in danger if she goes to the police.”

“No good can come from us getting involved in this. We don’t even know for sure this is the right painting. You looked at it from at least five feet away by flashlight.”

“So, you don’t think we should do anything?”

“No, Beth, I don’t. I don’t even know if she has a legal claim she can make. Besides, I don’t think that Braden would be thrilled about us representing his nonprofit by climbing through windows with some nutty broad, who I hooked up with once.”

“I know. I know. But it’s just not right and he shouldn’t get away with it. Even though Caitlin is annoying, and an airhead, she’s not really a bad person. I hate to see someone steal her last memento of her grandfather. And she said she would lend it to a museum. It breaks my heart to see a painting like that locked away where nobody can take pleasure in its beauty.” She looked so earnest and something stirred inside me. I got that warm feeling again, the one that made me want to hold her all night.

“And that’s why you’re different than anyone else I’ve met, because you care so much. You care about justice, and beautiful paintings, but most of all, you care about people, even annoying people who put you in embarrassing situations.”

I looked into her eyes and I all I could think of was how much I wanted to kiss her. I couldn’t resist. She was like a drug. Our lips pressed together lightly, and then I slid my arms around her waist, grabbed that gorgeous round little bottom and pulled her closer, increasing the pressure. Just like before, she gave herself to me willingly, and it was more than just hot; it was passionate, electric and utterly intoxicating. I was getting lost in the sensation, running my hands over her body, tasting champagne on her tongue, and listening to those sexy little sounds she always makes.

The clicking sound registered somewhere on the edge of my consciousness and I came crashing to Earth. I pulled away and looked around but it was hard to see in the darkness surrounding us.

“I heard a camera. Fucking paparazzi,” I mumbled under my breath.

“Come on, let’s get back to the party,” she said taking my hand, and quickly led me off toward the front of the house. The band was still playing outside, and people were still milling about, laughing and talking, wandering in and out of the mansion.

We never actually made it back inside, as we kept getting stopped by people wanting to chat. Inevitably, Gerard came over to do his duty as host and say hello. I wondered how Beth would handle it, but as usual, she was the picture of grace and class.

“Beth, tell your mother that I’m looking forward to attending the Pierce Foundation event this year,” Gerard said warmly.

“If it’s half as good as this one, it should be a huge success,” she replied. Even though she was smiling, I noticed that her voice was cooler than usual.