Wayward Son Read Online Free PDF Page B

her first proper look at the villa, and it nearly overwhelmed her. “Wow!” Amanda thought. “Europe’s largest cathedrals have nothing on these doors.” She gazed as the great bronze portals swung open wide to admit the partygoers. They must have been thirty feet tall. Directly inside, an elegantly coiffed, middle-aged woman smiled a greeting and stepped through the crowd right in front of her.
    “Ms. Amanda James?” as she slid a small picture of Amanda back into a jacket pocket.
    “Yes, I’m Amanda.”
    “Welcome to Villa Colosseum. I’m Sandra Meier, Mr. Renard’s executive assistant. Mr. Renard is especially pleased that you were free to attend tonight.”
    “I’m glad to be here. It’s quite a house. Perhaps you could assist me, Ms. Meier. I need to meet up with Dr. Walker. He said he’d be outside the library. Can you please point out the way?”
    “Yes, indeed,” the assistant assured. “We’re now in the Palatine foyer. Walk straight ahead to the great hall, which you will see on your left. Then continue a little farther toward the balcony. The second door on your right leads to the master library.”
    “Thank you, Ms. Meier. Perhaps we’ll run into each other again a bit later on.”
    “You’re welcome. I’d love to chat with you about your work at the Getty. By the way, the unveiling ceremony is scheduled for seven o’clock sharp.”
    It did not escape Amanda’s notice that her new acquaintance was the niece of architect Richard Meier, who had scored a sensation with his design for the Getty Center in Brentwood a dozen years ago.
    While still in the foyer, she paused to inspect the gladiator ice sculptures. The Colosseum theme was plain, but to what purpose? Amanda’s curiosity was piqued.
    She made her way to the master library and could see Dr. Walker exiting from it through beautifully carved double doors. Before they closed, she could make out detailed ancient maps mounted on one of the room’s walls. Dr. Walker slid the old-world retaining bar across both doors, as though to say that only he was important enough for admittance to that room.
    “That rat, he must have slipped in there for a quick look for himself,” she thought, “just so he could have an opening gambit with Luc Renard.”
    “Right on time!” Dr. Walker beamed. “And you’re looking lovely, Amanda. Let’s track down our quarry. I’ll do the introductions.”
    Amanda fell dutifully into step alongside her boss. They retraced half the route to the foyer, and then turned right to enter the great hall.
    This was a cavernous space on the scale of Louis XIV’s Versailles. The length of half a football field, the room was sixty feet wide and forty feet high, with a barreled vault ceiling and a patterned granite floor. Although drapes still hid the murals, she quickly calculated how much manual labor—let alone imaginative design—would be required to decorate such a space. Even the wealthy bankers of Renaissance Florence, the Medici, might have paused before they offered patronage for this project.
    Dr. Walker’s purposeful stride soon led them to Luc Renard, who stood at the ceremonial dais, surrounded by technicians. After a brief pause, he broke free and extended his hand.
    “Dr. Walker! Welcome to Villa Colosseum.”
    “It is a privilege to be here on such a momentous occasion, Mr. Renard. May I present one of our brightest stars at the Getty, Ms. Amanda James?”
    Luc Renard turned to Amanda. He stared at her eye to eye in her high heels, which lofted her several inches above Walker. For several seconds Luc admired her stunning good looks, then flashed a precise, gleaming smile and extended his hand.
    “What a pleasure, Doctor James! I am so glad you were able to join us.”
    Amanda returned the smile. Inwardly, she was gratified at Renard’s obvious mention of her credential in front of her superior. Luc’s grip was warm and confident.
    “I have often seen your beautiful house, Mr. Renard. But never