Page 30 of Abra's Acquisition
Hex stares at her, and I wonder if he’s going to reject the idea. Finally, he nods at her.
“Wait, are you talking about your cache?” Cicero asks, perking up as he shovels in eggs. “I want to help!”
“I thought you were working with Cleo and Pirate on the auction?” I ask him, surprised at his offer. He was aware of my collection, but had never seen it. I figured he didn’t want to get involved in case the police ever caught on to what I was hiding.
“I’ve given them all the information I know,” Cicero says. “We’ve learned everything we can about the other buyers. One is an old family friend of the De Villiers. They fled France around the same time and both wound up here. We aren’tsure of his motives, but his financial situation suggests that he isn’t a contender. We think the other is your run-of-the-mill homebuyer. He isn’t a contender either.”
“What about the lawyer? Have you learned anything more about Benoit? Is he working for himself or a client?”
“We haven’t found anything more. Although he represents Miguel Costa,” Pirate says.
“Is that important?” I ask.
“Maybe. Miguel Costa is extremely wealthy and a big fan of Marie Antoinette. If he thinks the De Villiers are hiding a treasure related to her, he’d want in on the deal. If he’s involved, well, that’s some serious money that we’re going up against,” Cicero says.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO: REY
“Do you know him?” Abra asks Cicero.
“I’ve met him a few times at auctions. We’ve never bid on the same items. He prefers the art, jewelry, and other pieces. I usually go for the documents. But we’ve crossed paths and even shared a conversation or two. I wouldn’t say we’re friends, but we’re friendly. I know he’s the youngest son of Manuel Costa.”
“Manuel Costa? As in the Costa Cartel?” Hex asks.
Cicero shrugs. “He never mentioned what his father did for a living. Just that he was an important and wealthy man.”
“Is Miguel an active member of the Cartel?” I ask.
“We haven’t had dealings with the Cartel. I’ve heard of Manuel Costa and I know he has a son who is second-in-command, but I don’t know if that’s Miguel.”
“I’ll do more research on him and his family,” Pirate offers.
“In the meantime, I’d like to go with you to the warehouse,” Cicero says to Abra.
Abra leads the way outside, and I slide on behind him as he revs the motor. Cicero moves to a sleek Jaguar XKE in bright turquoise. I don’t know much about cars, but I do know my history. This stunning vehicle was designed to be a work of art and is regarded as one of the most beautiful vehicles ever created. It is also very rare. Cicero pulls in behind us and followsus to the warehouse. Along the way, I notice Abra is on alert as he scans the road. I imagine he’s searching for someone tailing us again. He doesn’t relax until we reach the warehouse without incident.
Using his remote, Abra opens the garage door and drives in with Cicero right behind us. Once we’re sealed in tight, Abra assists me off the bike before taking my helmet. Cicero climbs out of his masterpiece to eye the collection of vehicles on the opposite side of the garage.
“You have some beauties,” Cicero says as he admires the BMW 540K.
“So do you,” I say, nodding at his XKE.
Cicero beams at me. “She’s my baby. She belonged to my great-grandfather, who purchased it new back in ‘61. He had it shipped over here. It’s been in our family ever since. As much as I want to admire what you have down here, I want to see what you have upstairs.”
“Let’s head to the office first. I need to show Rey my records on the pieces. Then I’ll take you to see the collection.”
“These files contain everything I’ve learned about each piece,” Abra says, gesturing to the wooden file cabinets sitting close to the wall near his desk on the third floor. He pulls out a journal and hands it to me. “This is where I jotted down why I targeted each piece along with a summary of the information I learned, including the name, if it has one.”
I take the journal and flip through it. Abra’s masculine handwriting is easy to read. I ignore Abra and Cicero as they disappear into the elevator. I’m guessing he’s taking Cicero downstairs to view his collection. I’ll join them later. After a quick glance through the filing system, I grab the journal and my phone before heading downstairs. I have a good idea of where I want to start.
On the second floor, I find Cicero gazing intently at The Widow in Black. He doesn’t notice me until I’m standing next to him. “Where’s Abra?” I ask.
Cicero jolts before looking around the room. “I don’t know. He got a call. I guess he left.”
“He left the warehouse?” I ask in surprise. I can’t imagine him leaving without telling me. I reach for my phone, but I don’t need it. A door near the elevator opens, and Abra steps through. I see a stairwell behind him.
“I thought you left,” I say when he joins us.
“Without telling you? Not a chance,” Abra says, kissing my temple. “However, I do need to go. Hex called, and he wants me to meet him and the others. I shouldn’t be gone long. Cicero, you’ll look after her? Cicero?”
