Gabriel's Promise (Gabriel's Inferno #4)(64)

“And what did he say?”

“He wondered why the intruder didn’t take anything, since all the valuable artwork is on the ground floor.”

“Maybe he was going to take something but wanted to check upstairs first.” Julia shivered. Her gaze moved to Clare.

“It’s possible. If you were him, what would you take?”

“I don’t know.” Julia paused, going through the house in her mind. “There’s the statue of Venus. It’s valuable, but it’s small. There’s the Greek and Roman pottery. I’d probably take Tom Thomson’s Sketch for ‘The Jack Pine.’ The finished version is in the National Gallery of Canada. Our house is easier to break into than that.”

“The intruder moved Cézanne’s The Barque of Dante. I found it leaning against the wall. He must have taken it down to examine the back and the frame.”

“That’s probably the most valuable piece. Why didn’t he steal it?”

“I don’t know.”

“The original by Delacroix is eight times larger and it’s in the Louvre. Again, our house is easier to break into.”

“And Cézanne’s version could be hidden under a coat.”

“Maybe he left it against the wall and intended to come back for it. But we surprised him.”

“Maybe.” Gabriel didn’t sound convinced. “I sent an inventory to Nicholas. He hasn’t gotten back to me, but I expect he’ll flag that piece as the most desirable.”

“Right. So what did the security specialist say?” Julia wrapped her arms around her waist, steeling herself for the answer.

“He was very thorough,” Gabriel said slowly. “But he pointed out that we are exposed on Foster Place. We have a fence at the back but not the front. Our side door is steps from the street, so anyone can walk up. He can upgrade our security system to something state-of-the-art, but we’re vulnerable in that location.”

The color of Julia’s face lightened several shades. “What did he suggest?”

“He suggested we move.”

It took a moment for Julia to process the suggestion. “Move? Sell the house and move? Are you joking?”

“No, he suggested we move to a house with a proper wall in a gated community.”

“Where?”

“Newton. Chestnut Hill.” Gabriel observed Julia’s face.

“Those properties are millions of dollars,” she whispered.

Gabriel shrugged, in true Gabrielite fashion.

“Living in a compound would be like living in a cage. I want to live in a neighborhood, where we know our neighbors and I can take Clare for walks down the street.”

Gabriel moved so he could roll onto his side and still keep an eye on Clare. “You won’t be taking walks for some time. It isn’t safe.”

“That’s assuming someone is trying to hurt me and Clare. The robber was only interested in artwork.”

Gabriel pressed his lips together.

Julia’s gaze focused on his eyes. “Uncle Jack said Simon was living it up in Switzerland and his old fraternity buddy gave up stalking us. What aren’t you telling me?”

“There is one thing,” Gabriel hedged. He retrieved his cell phone from the coffee table and scrolled through the photos to the last one. “Here.”

Julia took the phone and glanced at the screen. “What am I looking at?”

“I think it’s a memento mori object. I had the concierge overnight it to Dottor Vitali at the Uffizi.”

Julia examined the image more closely. “Why?”

“I found it in the house, on the floor in our room.”

Julia handed the phone back to Gabriel. “The robber must have dropped it. Maybe it was a piece he stole from someone else.”

“Perhaps. Once I hear from Vitali, I’ll ask Nicholas to put me in touch with his contact at Interpol. I sent them the image from the sketch artist, as well.”

“You withheld evidence.”

Gabriel scowled. “I’m not withholding anything. I simply wanted to find out if we could trace the piece to an owner.”

“Or a theft.”

Gabriel put the cell phone back on the coffee table. “That’s why I want to know more about the piece itself and its history.

“Simon is still in Switzerland and he’s being watched. Jack’s friend has been keeping an eye on us but isn’t watching the house twenty-four hours a day. However, Jack told me the man has taken this situation personally and is now conducting his own investigation.

“I’m inclined to agree with Nicholas that the thief was a professional and might be from Europe. He cursed me in Italian.”

“The entire North End of Boston can curse you in Italian.”

Gabriel lifted his eyebrows.

“Well, maybe not the entire North End,” she relented. “But quite a few of its inhabitants.”

Gabriel returned to sit by Clare and picked up the toy bunny he’d bought at Barneys. Clare grinned and waved her arms and legs.

“What happened to Paul’s bunny?” Julia asked.

Gabriel wrinkled his nose. “It’s around.”

“You didn’t throw it out, did you?”

“No.” Gabriel sighed. “The baby likes it.”