Too Wicked to Keep Read Online Free PDF Page B

shrugged. He’d never heard the name before—and this was odd. The fraternity of art collectors who purchased off the black market wasn’t that extensive.
    â€œNever heard of him.”
    â€œNeither have a lot of people. But his little announcement has piqued the interest of the legitimate art world. Bastien Pierre-Louis’s work has been experiencing aresurgence in the last decade. Every year leading up to what would have been the man’s one-hundredth birthday increases the value of his pieces, particularly the unsigned ones he gave away during his lifetime.”
    â€œLike your grandmother’s.”
    â€œPrecisely like hers. She was the daughter of a wealthy New York businessman with supposed ties to the mob. My great-grandfather, her father-in-law, had similar connections in Chicago, though his son was legitimate. The whole twisted tale makes the painting worth more than even I could afford.”
    â€œAnd that’s why your family never insured it?”
    â€œI wanted to. Because I curate for so many private collectors, I have contacts with people who would have been very discreet. But my father wanted no connection to it and asked me not to do anything that would officially connect the painting to our family. And after you took it,” she said, the words shooting out of her mouth like bullets from a twenty-two, “my father asked me not to call the police. He hated that painting. I think he was glad someone took it.”
    Now, this was a piece of information Danny would file away for later. He’d never met Abby’s parents, but assumed they’d hate him on sight. If he were a father, he certainly would. But maybe there was a chance, even if it was a long shot, that he’d find a way into the real estate titan’s good graces. Everything about this situation was doomed for failure, but he’d survived most of his life because of his inability to take no for an answer.
    â€œHow does your father feel now that the painting is going to be publicly displayed?”
    She looked askance. “He doesn’t exactly know.”
    â€œHow’d you pull that off?”
    â€œI arranged for my mother to have a sudden need tospend alone time with him in their Italian villa. They’ll be gone for two more weeks.”
    Danny leaned back in his seat. “Impressive.”
    â€œI’ve learned to cover all my bases, which is why I need to know everything you know about the collector who paid you to seduce me.”
    Danny shook his head. He’d deflect blame for a lot of his misdeeds, but not that one. “That part was entirely my idea. I mean, look at you. Can you blame a guy?”
    Her sneer wasn’t nearly as biting as she intended. “Tell me what you know about the first collector.”
    He gave up trying to postpone this part of the conversation. He wasn’t used to discussing his business practices with anyone, much less someone he’d used them against.
    â€œThe story isn’t that exciting. A collector contacted me, told me about the painting and offered me a shitload of money to steal it.”
    â€œAnd how does one go about contacting you?”
    â€œWord of mouth.”
    â€œWhose word? Whose mouth?”
    That secret he wasn’t sharing. “An associate who takes care of moving my merchandise to the collectors who’ve requested it.”
    â€œSo this person is a fence?”
    He arched a brow. Abby was nothing if not thorough.
    â€œShe’s also a legitimate art appraiser,” he explained, “so she runs in a lot of circles, maybe even some of yours. The collector got word to her that he was interested in hiring me for a job. I met with his representative, who paid my retainer after we negotiated a timetable and a total price. The deal was sealed with a handshake.”
    She chuckled humorlessly. “Sounds so clean and professional.”
    â€œIt is what it is,” he shot back.
    Danny