Page 79 of Weeping Roses
“And you’re certain it’s here?”
“Not really, but our visitor was interested in this room the most.”
“Then search again, but this time inspect the objects you move. They may conceal what you are looking for quite easily if it’s small.”
“You could be right.” I reply carefully, knowing I disregarded the furnishings merely anticipating a hidden drawer or false bottom. Perhaps he’s right, and I stare around with renewed interest.
“Will you help me?” I ask, not really knowing if he’s allowed, and he nods.
“Of course.”
I set the tea down and we take different ends of the small room and it’s not long before we have company.
Valentin heads inside, a frown darkening his face as his gaze flicks to his guard and I say quickly, “I hope you don’t mind, but I asked Greg to help me search. I figure he is more experienced in this kind of thing.”
Valentin nods. “Of course I don’t mind.”
He turns to Greg. “Anything?”
He shakes his head. “Not yet, but there is still hope.”
My eye is drawn to the tapestry and once again I’m struck how magnificent it is and I say with a sigh, “Please don’t ruin it, but can you both give me a hand lifting that off the wall?”
The two men take a side each and lift it from its mountings and lie it flat on the floor. It takes up most of the space and I say quickly, “Turn it on its back. “
They do as I ask, and I crouch down and run my fingers across the fabric. They observe in silence as I make my way over the fabric and I say desperately, “I don’t think there’s anything, but it’s quite padded. I really hate saying this, but do you think we should take the backing fabric off?”
Valentin crouches down beside me, and we stare at the tapestry together. His soft voice reassures me as he says, “We will be careful and then I’ll arrange its restoration.”
“You will.”
I stare at him with gratitude and he touches my face lightly. “I would do anything for you, malyshka.”
My heart is so full of adoration for this man, especially because he doesn’t appear bothered that one of his guards is in the room.
I nod and he raises his eyes and says to Greg, “Fetch a knife.”
I wince as Greg shrugs and then removes a utility knife from his jacket, and Valentin rolls his eyes. “Of course you have a knife.”
Greg grins as he hands it to him, and I hold my breath as he prepares to work the stitching apart. I hope to God there is something to make this desecration worthwhile, and it takes at least twenty minutes to ease the fabric away from the tapestry. I’m not sure what I expected, but I stare with dismay at the layer of padding that serves to protect the fine tapestry from the fixings.
“It’s empty.”
I sigh in bitter defeat and sit back on my heels and Greg steps forward and says lightly, “May I?”
Valentin hands him the knife, and we wait while Greg finishes the job for us. He is careful, which I’m grateful for and yet his attention isn’t on the tapestry itself, it’s on the wooden frame it was mounted on.
“It may be nothing, but there are a couple of unnecessary screws at the bottom.”
He flicks his knife over to become a screwdriver and proceeds to unscrew the screws from the wood and as they fall out, a piece of the wood falls with them, revealing a hollow interior.
He hands the wood to Valentin with a wry smile. “There may be something here.”
Valentin shakes the frame by turning it upside down, and I hear something rattling inside.
“I can hear something.” I whisper, and Valentin merely shakes it some more.
“I’m not sure where it is.”