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Jack looked over his shoulder at me. “And that right there is how you end up falling off the side of a cliff in a mudslide.”
I narrowed my eyes. “How did you know about that?”
He waved my question away. “Doesn’t matter. This is spy work. Gathering intel. Delicate, like Reuben said. Do you really think calling Azzura Scivolo, a professional art thief, and asking, ‘Hey, do you by any chance happen to haveThe Evolution of Man, and if so, what are you planning to do with it? Oh, and by the way, did you have my brother’s mate kidnapped because you were looking for an FBI file?’ is really going to yield the result you want?”
I shrugged. “No clue. This is all too cloak-and-dagger for me. I like my jobs straightforward and direct.”
“Because you’re incapable of subtlety and have no clue how to finesse a situation.”
“I can finesse a situation just fine, thank you.”
Jack scoffed. “Yeah, if by finesse you mean by pointing a gun at someone.”
“I’ve had very few complaints.”
“You keep telling yourself that, sweetheart.” Jack shook his head. “I’m sure it was your superior spy skills that got you fired, right?”
“Fuck you, Jack.”
“That’s what it always comes back to, doesn’t it?”
“Not anymore.”
Jack’s steps faltered for a second, but he recovered quickly.
“How about when we get to Venice, you do things your way, and I do them mine, and we’ll see who gets better results.”
“I’m in charge of this op.”
“Says who?”
“Says the fact that Reuben is actually paying me. You’re just here as a volunteer.”
That was new news. I had no idea Jack was on Reuben’s payroll after he’d rescued Amanda. That also made me wonder why. Was Reuben pretending to help us just to get to the painting himself? Even though he’d said he would be fine just getting to see it, I wondered if maybe he wasn’t sending us on what felt like a wild goose chase to throw us off the scent.
“Do you trust Reuben?”
Jack stopped and turned to look at me, and something flashed in his eyes but was gone in a second, too fast for me to try to decipher. “As much as I trust anyone. Why?”
“You don’t think it’s weird that he’s paying you to find a painting he basically admitted to being interested in?”
Surprisingly, Jack seemed to think about that for a moment. “I’m not sure the painting is really what’s motivating him.”
“What else could it be?”
“I think he wants to keep people safe.” Jack’s expression shuttered, and he turned away, continuing down another long hall dotted with fine art.
While we’d been in Reuben’s office, I’d gotten the distinct impression there was something no one was telling me, and now, given Jack’s cryptic explanation of Reuben’s interest and the speed at which he shut down the conversation, I knew it.
So, fine, I’d let Jack lead, but I’d be doing my own investigation in the background, starting with a call to Felix.
CHAPTER
SIX
JACK
My fingers foundthe shark tooth that hung around my neck, and I rubbed it. It had become a sort of personal talisman at some point, and I hated taking it off. With its slight weight hanging around my neck, it was almost like I could feel my father with me despite the fact that I’d never met him, and for now, that was good enough.
