Obsidian Prey

Chapter 27

THEY ATE BREAKFAST OUTDOORS ON THE VERANDA THAT overlooked the spectacular cove. The cook came down from what everyone on the island referred to as the Big House, a large, airy mansion about a mile from Cruz's cottage. There were platters of succulent fruits and berries, fluffy cheese-and-vegetable omelets, and endless piles of toast and pots of coffee.

Vincent went into full cute mode and charmed the cook into providing him with his own plate heaped with samples of everything on the table. He crouched on the foot-wide railing with his hoard and, like every other male in the vicinity, went to work on his breakfast with gusto.

"Here's what we've got," Cruz said, forking up a bite of omelet. "Valentine Fairstead was murdered last night, and the murder is probably linked to the missing relic, which we know was in his vault as of yesterday afternoon."

"How do we know the relic was in his vault?" Jake demanded.

"Because Lyra was there with a client who wanted her opinion on a special piece of amethyst," Cruz said. "They were escorted to a private room by Fairstead, and the vault was opened. She didn't get a chance to see the relic because I walked into the room at that moment, and Fairstead immediately closed and locked the vault. But she had time to sense it."

Jake eyed Lyra. "You're sure that relic was in Fairstead's vault?" he demanded.

"Yes," she said. She picked up her coffee cup. "I'm good with amethyst, remember? And I know those relics. I spent a lot of time with them before AI stole the ruin from me. They resonate on some very unusual and distinctive wavelengths."

Jake's eyes narrowed. "We did not steal that damn ruin."

"Moving right along," Cruz said smoothly. "Since nothing else was stolen out of the vault, it's clear that whoever killed Fairstead was after the relic. That means he knew it was there in the first place. I'm betting the list of suspects is a short one."

"With Lyra's client at the top?" Jake asked.

"It's a possibility," Cruz conceded. "But on the whole I'm inclined to doubt it."

"Who the hell is this client, anyway?" Jake demanded.

There was a short silence. Jeff concentrated on some toast. Cruz ate his omelet.

Lyra smiled, drank some coffee, and lowered the cup. "Wilson Revere."

Stunned outrage flashed across Jake's face. "What the hell? You're consulting for Revere?"

"Past tense, I'm afraid." She sighed. "Cruz made a scene. I was humiliated. I burst into tears and managed to create a spectacle of myself in front of a very large group of the most important amber collectors in Frequency. I think it's safe to say that I won't be getting any more high-end clients like Revere for a while."

"Revere is our biggest competitor," Jake roared. "He's a complete and total son of a bitch. You can't trust him any farther than you can walk without amber in the tunnels."

"Really?" She gave him a quizzical look. "I never had any problem with him."

Evidently sensing that he wasn't going to get far with her, Jake rounded on Cruz.

"Did you know she was working for Revere?" he demanded.

"Yes," Cruz said patiently. "That's why I went along. But as Lyra said, the situation became somewhat untenable, so we left. The bottom line is that we were able to determine that the relic was in Fairstead's vault. That's why I set up surveillance on the gallery."

Jeff leaned back in his chair. "We think the killer came and went via the catacombs, and that's where we are now."

Jake grunted, clearly unsatisfied. But he picked up his coffee. "You're going to take a look?"

"I've got the plane standing by," Cruz said. "Jeff and I will leave right after breakfast."

Lyra lowered her cup. "What about me?"

Cruz looked at her across the table. "You're staying here."

She pretended she had not heard the command.

"What, exactly, are you going to be looking at?" she asked instead.

It was Jeff who answered. "The Frequency PD won't let us into the crime scene. They're still working it, and they can be kind of territorial. But no one can stop us from going into the catacombs beneath the gallery. The boss and I are going down to see if we can pick up any traces of the killer."

"Right," Lyra said. She crumpled her napkin and got to her feet. "You'll be needing me, then."

Cruz gave her a hard look. "And why is that?"

"Even if you do manage to track the killer through the catacombs, that doesn't mean you'll be able to find the relic. But if it is anywhere in the vicinity, I'll be able to sense it."

"Huh," Jake said and looked at Cruz. "She's a Dore. She knows what she's doing when it comes to amber."