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Isabella Mumphrey followed the muscled Cezar into the tall, well-lit atrium of Paolo Garza’s home. Tino wanted Garza and had left her bed after a call about this man. When she’d been approached by Garza to visit his Aztec collection, she hadn’t hesitated. Getting close to Garza might give her a glimpse of Tino. She scanned the hacienda, taking in the expertly displayed Mesoamerican artifacts. The reason she’d been invited.
“Profesora Mumphrey, I am happy you accepted my invitation.” Paolo Garza walked down the winding staircase on her left, his hand extended in welcome. A dark mustache sprinkled with gray hovered above a toothy smile. His dark eyes crinkled at the edges with good humor.
How could this man be as violent as Tino suggested?
“Señor Garza, your invitation was too intriguing to turn down.” She placed her hand in his warm one and was surprised by the gentle, yet firm, grip.
His laugh boomed through the tall atrium, echoing down the hallway. “What could be intriguing about my desire to show you my treasures?”
“One person’s treasure could be junk to another person. That’s why I’m intrigued. I’ve been told by many at the Museo Nacional de Antropología e Hisotria that you have an excellent collection of Aztec and Teotihuacán artifacts.” Isabella spun slowly taking in the display cases and carvings on pedestals. “I don’t believe I’ll be disappointed by your tour from what I’ve seen so far.”
He motioned to the nearest display case. He smiled but no warmth softened his eyes. Isabella walked over and studied the glassed-in collection of obsidian blades. “By the rough design and chipped edges, I’d guess these to be Teotihuacán tools.”
“¡Símon! You are indeed as intelligent as I have been told.” Señor Garza clapped his hands and then motioned to the large stone carving to their right. “And this was also found near the obsidian tips. What do you make of this?”
Isabella’s hands itched to touch the smooth rock and dip her fingers into the rough, carved lines of a jaguar. Instead of touching with her fingertips, her gaze followed every etched line and rounded obtrusion. “I would say this was formed into the jaguar by a skilled Aztec artist. By the detail and reverence paid the stone I would think it was a gift to a jaguar warrior.” The two words, jaguar and warrior, strung together brought up images of Tino. He would have been in the elite jaguar troops of the Aztec. No doubt, one of the most revered warriors.
“You are impressive, profesora.” The tone in which Garza complimented her sent Isabella’s senses shoving her thoughts of Tino to the side and peering at the man standing next to her. His dark brown eyes assessed her like a scientist studied an amoeba under a microscope. What was he searching for? “You view my stone not as a stone but of the history it has seen.”
How had he recognized her gift so quickly when her mentor, Dr. Virgil Martin, who she and Tino thwarted in Guatemala, had been blind to her affinity to see the history in the artifacts and carvings she deciphered? Having the drug lord read her so easily set her nerves to jangling.
Composing herself, she forced a cheerful smile and waved a hand. “I am, after all, part Native American and believe that is why I’ve been drawn to study all Native American people.”
“Interesting. Are you North, Central, or South American?”
Again, his scrutiny sent bubbles of wariness skittering under her skin.
“North. My mother is a quarter Hopi. My thesis is a proclamation that my ancestors at one time ventured down here and over to the Mayans to trade and perhaps intermarried. My department is in the process of acquiring funding to test DNA of all the southern U.S. tribes with that of the Central American peoples.” Isabella moved to the next artifact on display, training her interest on the rock slab with a faded red depiction of a sacrifice.
“This is my favorite in this collection.” Garza stepped forward, his attention on the image.
Isabella couldn’t ignore the chill that arced through her body, causing her to gasp. Six months ago, she’d lain on a rock altar as her mentor tried to use her for a sacrifice. If not for Tino...She swallowed, forcing the panic crawling up her throat to remain trapped and gnawing in her stomach.
Garza placed a hand on her arm and peered into her face, more inquisitive than caring. “Are you all right?”
“Sí, I...” Did she dare reveal any of her past experience with the devil? Not a good idea. “No matter how many times I see depictions of sacrifice it unsettles me.” Avoiding his gaze, she continued to stare at the image. “I believe they affect me so because an ancestor was sacrificed.”
The hand still resting on her arm squeezed briefly and released her.
“I see. You are a very perceptive young woman. I think you and my wife, Karyme would enjoy visiting.”
“Is she here?” Isabella found it hard to fathom a man who murdered and sold drugs would be married or have a family. But she knew from researching Garza, he had three daughters whom he doted on.
“She and my daughters will be arriving this weekend. How long will you be in our city?” Garza led the way into a room large enough to be called a ballroom. All around the edges were cases, stones, and carvings.
“Oh my!” She’d never witnessed so many artifacts in one place other than in a museum. Her gaze slowly swept the room cataloging the items. “Have all of these been authenticated and logged?” Two carvings she’d not seen in any books or museums caught her attention. She moved across the room not waiting for an invitation or an answer.
A deep chuckle sounded close behind her as she studied the first stone. “I believe I have found someone even more loco over my ancestor’s history than my wife and myself.”
“Where did these two come from? I’ve never seen anything like them before.” Her hands burned to reach out and touch the stone and follow the chiseled lines to trace the image of what appeared to be an earlier representation of Mixcoatl, a god of war and hunting, believed to originate in the Northern Chihimeca groups who she believed could have been part of her ancestors.
“No, they are recent acquisitions.” His softly spoken words drew Isabella’s attention from the stone to the man. “You are a remarkable young woman that you could pick out this stone from all the others in the room and know it is something exceptional.” He again studied her, making her uncomfortable, much as she had all through school when teachers realized her intelligence was beyond their knowledge and the other students considered her a freak.
He tapped an index finger against his lips and continued studying her, making her even more nervous. “You have a gift. One I wish to use.” He turned her from the stone and started back across the room.
That’s when she noticed Cezar standing inside the door. When he’d escorted her to Garza’s home, he’d said little but sent her leering smiles when he’d caught her studying him. He was a few inches taller and broader than Tino with the same Ladino facial features. Only where Tino was smooth-skinned with classic contours to his face and dark smoldering eyes, Cezar had a pock-marked face, scar below one ear, and dark angry eyes.
“Cezar, tell Anarosa to prepare refreshments for myself and my guest.” Garza placed a hand on Isabella’s back, ushering her out of the room, back into the atrium, and around the staircase to what appeared to be a library.
“Profesora Isabella, I have a proposition for you.” Señor Graza closed the library door locking them in and turned toward her. The glint of greed in his eyes gave Isabella her first glimpse of the man Tino sought to bring down.