Page 58 of Chasing Caine
She walked faster with each breath. This was the passion I’d seen from her at the gala auction, as she tracked down the stolen painting. Back when I was lying to her about the Chagall’s truth. And here I was, not telling her about Cristian. But it was only a suspicion, so not a lie. Not yet.
I said, “The site would be heavily contaminated. The kids on Wednesday, De Rosa and the other carabiniere, Umberto. Plus, there was a team of paleobotanists working there a couple of weeks ago, not to mention the team erecting the temporary roof.”
“Good point. And I don’t suppose DNA evidence would really help us. Unless they have something at the lab that can analyze that?”
We approached the turn onto Via di Nola and the site, the crowds thinning as we neared the off-limits area.
“Ooh, and what about that other woman on your team? What was her name? River?”
“Océane,” I chuckled. “She’s French. Mario texted her, but she only said she’d return soon.”
“She’s still not back?” Her eyes gleamed with excitement. “What if she’s the thief and she—”
She cut off, flinging an arm across my chest. We both stopped short.
The sound of a drill.
Our eyes met, each widening as though we stared into a mirror.
She lowered her voice. “You don’t think…”
I nodded slowly, the same thought in my brain as hers. “Someone’s there.”
“Should someone be working today?”
“Bianca had a floor mosaic collected. Perhaps she also requested—”
“With an ongoing theft investigation?”
We both shook our heads, knowing better.
“Quiet,” she whispered.
We moved from the center of the road into the ruins of the buildings across from the Casa di Marte, making our way slowly. Through doorways and over low points in the walls.
The drilling continued.
She took the lead, as I would expect, but I shifted in front of her as we got closer.
What would I do if it was Cristian? Or if he was there overseeing the work? My stomach dropped. I wouldn’t report him. Not him. There’d be significant consequences from that. And I couldn’t let Samantha see me let him go. My heart thundered in my chest, echoing in my ears so loudly I didn’t hear the words from Samantha.
She tapped my shoulder, and I stilled, turning to her.
“I said we should take the camera out. We can get a photo of whoever’s in there. Just need to switch the lens.”
We knelt behind the remains of a wall, only three feet high. I quickly switched to the telescopic lens so we could take a photo without being seen.
“And maybe we should split up, go in two different entrances, so they can’t just get out?” The twinkle in her eye inspired more questions, but we had a task to focus on.
“Alright.”
She held her watch next to mine, setting timers on each. “You take the photos and go through the storage room entrance. I’ll call Elliot. He can get in touch with the Carabinieri or whoever he needs to. Then I’ll sneak down the side street to the atrium entrance. Ten minutes and we converge.”
“What about the east entrance?”
She bit down on her lip, eyes flicking back and forth. “I’ll think of something. Just get those photos.”
I nodded, an electric charge shooting through me. This must be the energy she lived off of. She kissed me quickly and headed for the side street. Her head stayed up, watching her surroundings, steps careful and silent. She moved like a predator, like a character from a movie sneaking up on an evil-doer. I couldn’t control my smile as I watched after her.