Free Net of Lies by Ellen Wolf Page B

right.’
    ‘ The part about stolen art is difficult to prove.’ He sighed, unbuttoning his jacket. Her eyes followed his movements, watching him shrug it off carelessly. His broad shoulders stretched the thin fabric of his white shirt, and she swallowed the lump forming in her throat at the memory of the bronze, warm skin she knew to be underneath.
    ‘How so?’ she asked, desperate to escape this unexpected threat to her equilibrium, as she pulled her wrap tighter around her shoulders.
    ‘These are transactions made behind closed doors, Kate. Open only to Marc and his client, both sides obviously eager to keep it private. The only people who could implicate him are exactly the ones that are profiting from his lack of scruples. This is a dead end when it comes to gathering witnesses and proof of any kind.’
    ‘ So how can you be so sure it is happening at all?’
    ‘ Because he came highly recommended from people I happen to know personally, people who wouldn’t hesitate to pay a lot to satisfy their collector’s fever, the law only a weak obstacle to be dealt with. I asked around, pretending to be interested in acquiring some of the pieces that shouldn’t be on the market, and the answer was always the same. If you need to obtain the impossible, talk to Marc Stevenson, the rainmaker of the art world.’
    His answer crushed the tiny tendril of hope that had stirred deep inside her.
    ‘And nobody’s become suspicious so far? I find it hard to believe, Raoul.’ She might be naïve, but the story had holes, and she would be damned if she believed him without clearing them up first. ‘If he is such a cheat and liar, how come he’s never gotten in trouble?’
    ‘Because he is very smart . I will give him that.’ Raoul got up and went to the bar, where he reached for a second glass and filled it with the brandy he was sipping. He brought it to her, and this time, she didn’t feel like refusing, her whole body chilled with the fear that he might be telling the truth.
    ‘ He doesn’t run a large-scale business, Kate,’ he continued, watching her hand bring the glass to her lips. She could have sworn he had noticed the slight tremor of her fingers as she did so. ‘He has the main gallery, which is very legitimate, same with all the charity work. It is a perfect cover for something on the side. Do you understand? He never has more than a few special clients at a time, carefully pacing the orders.’
    Her head was spinning , and she welcomed the burning sensation of the alcohol going down her throat. It was real and simple, a reaction of her body that didn’t have to be analyzed and second-guessed. She wasn’t a big drinker and didn’t like having more than a glass or two of wine, but right then, hard liquor didn’t seem like such a bad idea. Actually, she found herself wanting to get drunk and eradicate the pain in her heart that was pulling her under. She finished her drink with one big gulp, then reaching out to him in a silent request for a refill.
    He hesitated, seeming to ponder her wish. In the end, he obliged, though the amount he poured into her glass was far smaller than what she had planned on getting.
    ‘ And why are you telling me all that, Raoul?’ she asked, the pleasant warmth spreading in her stomach making it easier to be assertive. ‘Do you think that I’m his right hand in whatever crimes you think he is committing?’
    ‘ He is committing them. There’s no doubt about that part, Kate,’ he corrected her automatically, his lips pressed together as if he had to stop himself from using an expletive. ‘As for why? There are only two options as far as I can tell. First one is you know exactly what is going on, and in that case, you’re an excellent actress, better than I would ever think you to be. Or, secondly, you’re truly unaware of his doings, and in that case, I’m offering you a warning to abandon his ship before it sinks.’
    ‘ What would make you so charitable, Raoul?’