Page 7 of The Death
She opened her sketchbook and then closed her eyes for an instant, trying to remember every detail of that face. Then her lids flicked open and she started to draw…
DELANO APARTMENTS
KEVAR, MASSACHUSETTS
Ezra Caldwell gazed at Jossland with disbelief as he threw open the door of the suite and stormed in. “What the hell happened to you? I sent you to get the Kelly woman. You look as if you’ve been mauled.”
“Shut up.” Jossland was still trying to stanch the flow of blood seeping from his nose. “You’ll have to choose someone else. Celine Kelly isn’t going to be available.”
“The hell she’s not,” Caldwell said. “She’s perfect. Do you know how long it took me to find exactly the right woman to complete the mask? The minute Zakira saw her photo, he said he had to have her.”
“Ask me if I care,” Jossland said. “You said I was your partner. It’s my money, too, and I have something to say about this choice. You can’t have Kelly.”
“Why can’t I?”
“Because I’m going to kill the bitch. Very slowly.”
Caldwell gave a low whistle. “She did this?” He started to laugh. “I thought there was a real problem. We can solve this. Let’s talk about it.”
“There’s nothing to talk about,” Jossland said. “I told her that she was going to suffer, and I’m not going to let you talk me out of it. She broke my damn nose,” he said between set teeth. “And she almost clawed my eyes out.”
“I didn’t say that you weren’t right,” Caldwell said soothingly. “Of course we’ll take care of her, but let’s not rush it.Perhaps you haven’t thought this through.” He smiled. “Yes, that must be it. I’ve let you go through this terrible experience and not explained the importance of what we’re doing and why every piece of the puzzle has its place. That ends right now, because you have to realize how important you are to this job.” He was nudging Jossland toward the library. “Let me get you a drink to soothe the pain, and I’ll show you the entire picture. Do you want to clean up a little and get rid of that little whore’s bloody marks on you before I show you how rich you’re going to be if you just have a little patience?”
Jossland jerked his arm away. “Just talk to me and tell me when I can have the bitch. And why can’t I have her now? Why do you have to use that damn bitch. Why her?”
“Because she’s perfect,” Caldwell said simply as he threw open the door of the library to reveal a luxurious room with the walls covered by photos and portraits. “Why do you think I’ve spent so much time here in Boston making sure that I’ve found the right women to give Zakira what he wants?” He pulled Jossland over to the far wall and gestured to the two photographs framed in ornate gold. “The Eve Duncan choice was easy. No one compares to her in her field. But Celine Kelly was a headache. I’m lucky I found her. Admit it, have you ever seen a more beautiful woman? Those almond-shaped violet eyes, the cheekbones, that single, shining black braid, those lips… She takes your breath away. It took me a long time to find Celine Kelly. Not only is she exquisite, but she bears a slight resemblance to that statue of Nefertiti. Though she’s much more stunning. Plus no one really knows much about her and the details of her background. She keeps a very low profile these days, andthat might prove valuable if I decide I need to have her disappear into the great beyond.”
“Now I’m interested,” Jossland said grimly. “How is that going to make us lots of money?”
“Because in this day and age, the entire world is fascinated by Egypt and Rome and Greece and any other ancient place you can name. And that means riches enough to make both of us billionaires if we work it right.” He crossed the room and pointed to a photo of Tutankhamun. “Do you remember what I told you about that young pharaoh they discovered in an Egyptian tomb surrounded by gold on every side? They say his golden death mask alone is valued at over a billion dollars.” He smiled. “And no one is entirely sure where all that gold in his tomb came from. But I’m certain that an enterprising man such as myself can find a way to make an accurate enough guess and make us both happy. I already have a few ideas how I can accomplish it.”
Jossland doubtfully shook his head. “You told me that pharaoh died thousands of years ago.”
Caldwell shrugged. “But gold can last forever. I’ve been studying how we can best get our hands on an identical jackpot.”
“You’re talking about that boy-king,” Jossland said impatiently. “We don’t need this Kelly woman.”
Caldwell sighed. “Trust me. Before this is over, we’re going to need all the distractions we can manage to beg, borrow, or steal. Celine Kelly will be a major distraction. We’re going to find a way to force Eve Duncan to state that she did the forensic sculpting to create a statue of a queen who was more beautiful not only than Nefertiti but than the forensic work she didherself on the Helen of Troy tomb. That work took the art world by storm. Celine Kelly will be world-famous. They’ll be standing in line to get into a museum to see her.”
Jossland scowled. “And you know the bitch won’t cooperate.”
“I didn’t say that we’d ask her to do that.” Caldwell smiled. “Perhaps I’ll let you have your way after we squeeze as much publicity as possible from Kelly’s disturbance into our lives. There will definitely come a time when we no longer need her.”
“I’m not going back to get that bitch for you,” Jossland said belligerently. “Not unless you promise to let me have her right away.”
“I wouldn’t ask that of you. I’ll get someone else to do it. I believe you need a little cool-down period. I have another job for you.” He was gazing at the picture of Eve Duncan on the wall. “Though I’ll have to do some advance work to prepare the way. But there can be no mistakes when you go after our distinguished forensic sculptor. She’s the key to everything. She’s a genius as a sculptor and smart as a whip and she’s married to Detective Joe Quinn. He’s not in the country at present, but she has friends and family, so you’ll have to be cautious.”
“You don’t have to tell me that. The Kelly woman surprised me or I would have put her down with no problem.”
“I’m sure you’re correct,” Caldwell said. “But let’s make absolutely sure, shall we? Otherwise, I might have to replace you. How I’d hate to do that.” He reached out and gently touched the face of the woman in the Eve Duncan photo. “You agree, don’t you, Eve?” he asked softly. “I won’t wasteyour valuable time by ignoring doing what must be done to assure your work is without a flaw.”
Jossland was gazing at him impatiently, as if he thought Caldwell was crazy. “You’re not listening to me. I’m not going to just let that Kelly bitch think she got the best of me,” he said bitterly.
“You’ll do what I tell you.” Caldwell gave one last lingering glance at the Eve Duncan photo. “We’ll discuss it and I’ll make sure you’re satisfied. But it’s not going to ruin my plans. That isn’t going to happen.” He paused but didn’t take his gaze from the portrait. “Are you ready for me, Eve Duncan?” he murmured softly. “In spite of this little setback, I believe I’m almost ready for you…”
CHAPTER
2
