Page 131 of Fresh Canvas
The familiar weight and heat of him speared through my chest, and I prayed Barbara hadn’t noticed the pain in my eyes.
Barbara relaxed farther into her own seat, smoothing her cashmere cardigan over her matching pants. “Well, relationships in the workplace never stay secret for long.” She laughed. “Don’t ask me how I learnedthatlesson. Well, Amantha, it makes complete sense why you’re wanting to go a different professional direction. If you ask me, it’s a smart decision.” Her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes now. “I presume Kendra Steele is still the director?”
I nodded.
“I figured as much, but I haven’t spoken to her since the Andreas gala,” she said. “I’m sorry I rushed off so quickly, Amantha. I regret not saying goodbye to you properly.”
“That’s okay.” The intense look behind her eyes was unsettling.
Barbara sighed, seemingly to herself. “I had higher hopes for that museum than what Kendra’s been able to accomplish. And that new curator they hired is almost laughable. What’s her name again…” Barbara scrutinized the crystal chandelier. “Benson? Barrette?”
“Barlow. Blythe Barlow.” My carefully constructed mask slipped for a moment before Val’s warm hand settled on mine—both a comfort and a warning.
“That’s the one.” Barbara’s rich laugh filled the room. “What a shame. Leave those mistakes in the past, I say. Amantha, let’s go to my office and I’ll gather my list of contacts for you. Val, you’re welcome to come along if you’d like.”
We walked behind her into an open concept kitchen and living area.
No piano in sight.
An edge of panic began to build in my chest. Did Barbara even own one? Had she filmed the video elsewhere?
We began to climb an expansive staircase to the second floor.
I may as well have been holding a dagger to Barbara’s back with how cunning and dirty I felt.
This woman had only ever been kind to me. Unethical, maybe, but kind. And here she was, offering me a helping hand while I planned to slap some cuffs on hers. The urge to abandon the investigation was overwhelming.
Val’s silky voice distracted me as he said, “I’m sorry, Barbara, but would it be okay if I used your restroom? I’m embarrassed to say it was a long drive.” He ducked his head, wearing an apologetic expression.
Barbara paused halfway up the staircase. “Of course! How rude of me. It’s across from the sitting room we were in. Amantha, let’s go ahead and get started. I wouldn’t want to keep you lovebirds too long.”
My heart began to pound as Val covertly winked at me behind Barbara’s back, stepped down the stairs, and rounded the corner. I’d shown him the video in the car, so he knew what to look for.
Please find the piano—we’re so close.
Time ticked by as my lower back broke out in a cold sweat, but less than ten minutes later, Val stepped into Barbara’s office. She seemed none the wiser about our investigation, still jabbering away and enthusiastically clicking through links on her computer.
I jotted down notes and contact info, though my focus was entirely on the handsome man leaning against the doorway. My gaze burned with a single question.
Val gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head.
My heart plummeted.
Val slid his phone out of the front pocket of his jeans and began to type.
VAL: I couldn’t find the piano and I was taking too long. Maybe it’s not here?
Simultaneous dread and relief warred within me. If it wasn’t here, maybe Barbara hadn’t been involved at all? But if I couldn’t find the piano, I would never be sure.
Checking that Barbara was still buried behind her computer, I casually typed a response.
AMANTHA: Where have you looked?
VAL: I already searched the way we came, but I found a staircase leading down off the other side of the kitchen. Go now, I’ll stall her.
Despite the dire situation, Val’s brown eyes twinkled with mischief.
His loud voice startled me in the quiet office. “Angel,this is so exciting. These leads sound promising.” His voice dripped with honey, though his lips twitched from the ridiculous pet name.
