Page 55 of Lost Cause
“With his paranoia, it doesn’t seem like he’ll agree.” Burke frowned but his negative expression quickly cleared. “Hayden, I’m expecting the registration details for the boat that tried to ram us. Could you look for anything that might connect the owner to the investigation?”
“Of course,” Hayden readily said. “Abby can give you my phone number so you can text it to me.”
Abby hoped Hayden would find something to add to the leads they were already pursuing.
Now, on top of tracking down a missing crown, they were racing to solve an attempted murder—and praying they could stop another attack on Victor before it happened.
15
While Abby and Gabe signed off, Burke sat back to evaluate what had transpired in the meeting. An impressive meeting. Her team’s help and research made his job easier. If only he had such a professional team on his side every day. He’d save so many hours.
Gabe closed his laptop. “You two really think Victor is involved in this theft?”
“Not really.” Abby looked up. “But even without a motive we can’t rule him out. Especially not until we figure out how someone learned about the crown and got into the mansion.”
Burke agreed. “Maybe we should take another look at those blueprints. See if we missed an entrance.”
“I left the plans on the table in the office,” Abby said.
“I’ll get them. Been sitting around far too long today.” Gabe hopped up and tapped the journals. “Keep an eye on my babies while I’m gone.”
He laughed and bolted through the doorway.
“I liked your team,” Burke said. “Even Gabe’s growing on me.”
She chuckled. “He’s an acquired taste. But he’s an excellent investigator, and the most loyal person I’ve ever known.Ifyou’re a law-abiding citizen. You break the law, he doesn’t have the time of day for you. All stems from his family. He comes from a long line of lawbreakers, and he managed to escape their way of life.”
“That’s impressive.” Burke was about to ask for additional information, but Gabe charged back into the room with blueprints in hand. He unrolled them with a flourish and laid the open pages in front of Abby as if it were game time and his team just needed one terrific play to take the lead.
She picked up a pen. “I’ll put an X on each exterior door we’ve checked.”
Burke tapped the main door, and she drew a large black X over it.
“Nice one, Captain Obvious.” Gabe laughed.
Burke did too, grateful for some humor when the stress of this investigation was getting heavier. She drew an X through the french doors in the office and the door leading from the dungeon.
“Wait a minute.” She looked at Burke. “Remember the door covered with ivy? I don’t see it on the plan.”
He ran his finger over the prints to find where the door opened inside. He tapped the paper on a hallway at the right side of the library. “It should be right here, but it’s not indicated on the blueprints.”
“Let’s check it out.” She shoved her chair back and shot to her feet.
Burke fell in beside her, and they sprinted down the corridor. At the far end, an interior door loomed, its frame catching the dim light.
She came to a sudden stop. “We already checked that door. It’s just a closet.”
“Maybe, or maybe it’s a closet with a false back.” He brushed past her and jerked open the door.
Shelves ran deep, stuffed with every kind of linen you could think of—tablecloths, napkins, towels. A mountain of fabric.
He reached past them, having to strain over the depth of the shelves until he touched the back wall. “There are gaps in the plaster.”
“Hurry!” She bounced on her toes. “Let’s empty it and get those shelves out of there.”
He began to remove the items, whipping them out of the way until a huge mound formed beside him and the shelves were bare. He scanned the back wall. Spotted cuts in the plaster. “Looks like a door all right, but doesn’t look like an exterior one.”
“The plaster could just be covering it up.”
