The Island of Dangerous Dreams Read Online Free PDF Page A

casting an impatient glance in my direction, Aunt Madelyn got right to the point again.
    “Don’t you think it’s time now, Justin, to tell us what all this secrecy and mystery are about?”
    “Very simple, Madelyn,” he said. He took a large bite of a cinnamon roll and leisurely chewed and swallowed it before he continued. By this time he had everyone’s attention. “As you know, I am in possession of a particularly valuable Peruvian artifact. Whereas the stones in most South American artifacts are jade or emeralds, this stone happens to be a very large blue topaz. I hope that this topaz will bring me a great deal of money, and that’s why each of you happens to be here.”
    “Am I the only one who didn’t know others were to be invited?”
    “None of you were told,” he said. “That was essential, especially after what happened the last time, when I offered the small Delaroche painting.”
    No one spoke. Aldo looked puzzled, Benita looked guilty, and Madelyn’s lips pressed into a thin, red line. Norton chuckled.
    “What happened?” I had to know.
    Norton was the only one who answered. “Therewas some chicanery involved. Telephone calls were intercepted, misinformation was given. The Sartington ended up with the painting.”
    “I had nothing to do with that message to your hotel operator that you did not wish to receive calls,” Madelyn said.
    “It doesn’t matter now,” Norton said. “In fact, I do believe that someone did me—or, more directly, Mr. Granakee—a favor. I am sure that what was purported to be a Delaroche was not by Delaroche at all, but by a lesser artist, one of his students.”
    “Impossible!” Madelyn said, and the conversation turned to a short, impassioned discussion of Delaroche’s technique.
    Kurt collected the empty dishes and carried them down the stairs, disappearing into the galley.
    Aldo, who was squashed between Benita and me at the side of the boat deck, smiled at me pleasantly. “I have a daughter who is probably close to your age,” he said. “Sixteen? Seventeen?”
    “Seventeen,” I answered.
    “She loves to ski,” he said. “Do you ski?”
    I shook my head. “Swim. The Texas Gulf Coast has good swimming weather. We’d have to travel quite a distance to get to a ski resort.” Trying to keep the conversation going, I asked, “Do you ski with her?”
    “Every chance I get,” he said, his eyes sparkling. “Elizabeth is a wonderful girl, a perfect daughter.”
    “Tell me about her,” I said.
    But Benita’s voice rose, interrupting our conversation.“That’s enough, Madelyn! Norton!” she said. “You aren’t going to get anywhere with that argument. We’re wasting time. I want to see the artifact.” She tugged at the judge’s sleeve. “Come on, Justin. Can’t we see it now?”
    “Of course not,” the judge said. “I wouldn’t risk passing it around here at sea. It’s safely tucked away in my home on the island.”
    He managed to lean back and smile. “You’ll be able to examine it at your leisure, with no telephones, no tricks, no leaking information to the press.”
    “It’s that important to you?” Madelyn asked.
    “Yes,” he said. “And there’s another reason. Because of the artifact’s great value, it’s essential that I protect it from theft.”
    Theft? He was a fine one to talk!
    A corner of Norton’s mouth twisted down, and he peered upward through his green eyeshade. “The word is out that you have the artifact,” he murmured.
    Benita pouted. “Justin, I don’t think you trust us either. When your secretary investigated us he didn’t attempt to hide it.”
    “On my orders,” the judge said. “Both Kurt and I felt it advisable to let you know how thoroughly your backgrounds and connections would be looked into. Kurt did an excellent job on each and every one of you.”
    But not on me
, I thought, wanting to laugh aloud. I could be a spy, an agent for a foreign power, the head of the Mafia, and no one wouldknow