If I Didn't Know Better (The Callaways #9)(67)

He passed it to her. "So you said you found the painting upstairs in a closet?"

"Yes, but that's not the strangest part. It was hidden behind another painting."

"What do you mean?"

"I pulled out a framed painting and the frame was broken. As I was trying to put it back together, I noticed that there was something underneath the rather ugly picture in front. I peeled the top canvas off and found this underneath."

His gut tightened. "You're saying someone deliberately hid this painting?"

She met his gaze. "That's exactly what I'm saying, and why I'm convinced it's valuable."

He stared back at her, seeing not just excitement in her eyes but also a little worry. "You're wondering if your aunt knew it was there."

"How could I not? It was in her bedroom." She drew in a breath and let it out. "I need you to tell me to slow down and not jump to conclusions. My aunt didn't know the painting was hidden in that frame, right? She didn't steal a piece of valuable art. She didn't accept stolen art from some other thief. None of that happened—right?"

He saw the need in her eyes, and while he liked to fulfill every need Mia had, he wasn't sure he could satisfy this one. "I don't know, babe. There are a lot of things to consider."

She frowned. "That's not what I wanted you to say."

"Is there any way to find out if this painting was actually done by this artist you told me about? Isn't there some itemized list of his work somewhere?"

"Not all paintings are listed, especially if the work was not put forth by the artist in a public way. It could have been a painting that he didn't care for, that he didn't want to sell or display. Artists can be very temperamental. But I am going to look into his work and see what I can find. I have a friend in Paris who knows a lot about French art; I have a call into her. I also texted a photo of the painting to my sister Kate. She might be able to tap into the FBI's database of stolen art."

"Was it wise to call the FBI so soon? If your aunt did have something to do with this—"

"I'm sure she didn't," Mia said quickly. "Aunt Carly had so much respect for artists; she wouldn't steal someone's work. I know she wouldn't do that. I was just tripping before, letting my imagination go crazy. Besides, Kate will be discreet. I can trust her. She wouldn't want to put a black mark against Aunt Carly's name and reputation anymore than I would." She paused. "It's possible this painting was stolen during WWII. Hitler was a frustrated artist, you know. He looted Paris of many treasures, and while some were returned, many were not."

"So even if it was stolen at some point, your aunt might not have known that."

"Exactly."

"Or she didn't know she had the painting at all, since it was hidden away. Unless, she was the one who hid it away."

"I don't want her to be a thief, Jeremy," she said, worry in her blue eyes. "I've trusted people who I shouldn't have trusted, and I've been let down. I don't want Aunt Carly to be someone other than the person I think she is. I don't think I can handle that."

"Then maybe you shouldn't look for answers, Mia. Let your aunt be who she is in your mind, in your memories."

"That's the logical thing to do, but I can't do it. I have too much curiosity to just let this go."

"Even though you found the painting in your aunt's bedroom, it might not have belonged to your aunt," he suggested. "A lot of artists have been through the studio. Maybe one of them stole the painting and covered it up with another. Maybe it was one of the paintings left to your aunt as rent payment for the studio."

"That's possible. I like that idea better."

He wasn't sure he liked the idea at all. His body tightened as he remembered the slashed paintings strewn across the lawn the night before. But he didn't want to talk about that in front of his daughter. "Ashlyn, why don’t you take your sandwich outside? It's a nice day."

"Okay," Ashlyn said happily. "Can I play in the studio when I'm done?"

Jeremy gave Mia a questioning look.

"Everything is fine outside," Mia said. "You can play in the studio, Ash."

After Ashlyn left the room, he turned back to Mia. "Is it possible this painting is what your vandal was looking for?"

"I had the same thought, Jeremy. The way the paintings were ripped apart made me wonder if someone was looking for something hidden behind another painting."

"Have you told anyone else you found this?"

"Only you, my friend in Paris, and my sister."

"Let's keep it that way."

"You don't think they'll come back, do you?"

He frowned at the question. He hadn't thought so before. Now he wasn't as sure. "Maybe we should talk to Kent."

"Let me find out more about the painting first. I don't want anyone else leaping to the conclusion that my aunt was an art thief. I should hear back from my friend or Kate in the next few hours."

"All right. Why don't we take our food outside?"

"That would be perfect. My eyes are tired from looking at that painting. I could use a break from it."