Ben glanced around the gallery, being tall enough to see over the heads of most of those gathered. “There she is, at the back talking to some woman who’s drowning in jewellery.” He started to weave between the guests leaving Eugenie to tag along if she wished.
“Ms. Standish, thank you for the evening. It’s been...interesting...to say the least. We’ll be leaving now and I’m taking the sculpture of the woman’s head with me.” He turned to go but the gallery owner’s hand shot out and caught his arm.
“Mr. Davis, Benjamin, you can’t go yet. Let me introduce you to Mrs. Devon. She’s very interested in your carvings – especially that bust.”
“Nice to meet you, Mrs. Devon, but despite what you've been led to believe that piece is not for sale.” He ignored Mrs. Devon’s extended hand and left without another word. He managed to walk half way to where his work was displayed before Daphne Standish caught up with him, grabbing his arm to stop his progress.
“Benjamin, that was incredibly rude, walking away from Mrs. Devon like that.” She hissed the words to him, her voice barely above a whisper. “She’s a very wealthy woman, exactly the kind of patron you need.”
He shook off her grip. “I don’t give a damn who she is. I’m taking my private artwork and going home.”
“Benjamin,” she gave him a tight smile. “The bust stays here. If you try to leave with it, I have several security guards who will be only too happy to detain you while I call the police.”
He glanced about, for the first time noticing the guards posted at the doors. They weren't exactly body builders and he could probably take them on but a public brawl wouldn't do him, or his business, any good. Plus, there were a lot of people here; someone could get hurt, artwork damaged. He slowly curled his hands into fists, barely containing his frustration.
“I can see you're coming to your senses.” There was a smugness to Standish's voice. “I will sell the carving, probably tonight. Several buyers have expressed interest. Don't worry, you'll make a nice profit from the deal.”
“And I told you it’s not for sale. You took it without my knowledge.”
“And I say your little friend gave it to me.”
“I didn’t give it to you,” Eugenie piped up standing near his elbow. He'd been so incensed, he hadn't even noticed her.
Ms. Standish raised a finely pencilled brow. “You allowed me to walk away with it. Consent was implied.” She gave her hand a negligent wave. “What’s done is done. And, as I said earlier, according to our contract if it’s on display I can sell it.”
“No. It says that anything I agreed to display is available for sale. I never agreed to display this carving.”
“My dear Benjamin, don’t be so naïve. Do you really want to challenge me on this? I have a very good lawyer who would tie you up in knots.”
Eugenie plucked at his sleeve. “Ben, remember, I have a good lawyer friend who will help you, pro-bono.”
He turned a furious look on her. “Stay out of this, Eugenie. It’s your fault I might lose this carving.”
“Benjamin, don’t you think your future career is more important than this one piece?” Ms. Standish spoke in an overly reasonable tone. “I can do things for you. Introduce you to the right sort of people.” She flicked a look at Eugenie before reaching out and smoothing her hand down his lapel with a knowing smile. “You just have to learn to play the game.”
He pointedly removed the woman’s hand from his chest, while shaking his head. So like his ex. It made him want to puke. With a final glare at Ms. Standish, he took Eugenie’s arm and almost dragged her to get their coats and then outside into the freezing night.
Women, they couldn’t be trusted. Standish was twisting things to suit herself, blowing hot and cold as she tried to coerce him. And Eugenie saying she tried to stop Standish. Sure. Just like his ex had tried to fend off the advances of his business partner. He snorted in disgust as he unlocked the truck.
Lies, all lies.
Eugenie climbed in the truck and barely managed to put on her seatbelt before Ben drove off. He was fuming. He had no right to be angry with her, it’s not as if she’d given the sculpture away to be displayed on purpose. Her only failing was being too trusting. She’d believed that woman when she’d said it was for promotional purposes – advertising Ben’s capabilities in the hope of securing future commissions.
The drive to her apartment wasn’t far but the stony silence between them made it feel like it took forever. When they arrived at her building she turned to Ben hoping they could kiss and make up. After the night before, she couldn’t believe they’d sunk to this level.
“Goodnight.” She paused her hand on the door.
Ben gave a sharp nod, staring out of the windshield.
“Should I stop by at the usual time tomorrow?”
His hands tightening on the steering wheel was the only reply he gave. Feeling tears welling in her eyes, she exited the vehicle.
Unlike all other nights, he didn’t wait to make sure she was safely inside, driving off as she stood on the sidewalk. Perhaps the knowledge he no longer cared for her safety was what broke the dam on her tears. By the time she’d climbed the stairs, she was a mess, barely able to see to fit the key in the lock and let herself into her apartment.
Sniffling and hiccupping, she kicked off her shoes and dropped her bag on the table before taking off her coat and throwing it over the back of a chair. Leaving the light off, she made her way to her bedroom. The ache inside her was almost unbearable and all she wanted was the comfort of her pyjamas.
Her reflection in the mirror caught her attention. Tears stained her face, her skin looked blotchy and... She stared at the dress she’d been so pleased with mere hours ago. Now, it would always be a reminder of the most awful night of her life. She tugged it off and threw it in the corner.
“Stupid dress. Stupid art show.” She muttered angrily as she donned her soft pyjamas before padding to the kitchen. She didn’t drink very often but tonight she wanted a glass of wine. The only problem was she knew she didn’t have any. With a little bit of concentration, a bottle of Merlot appeared on the counter already uncorked. Glass and bottle in hand she settled in an armchair in the living room hoping to numb the pain in her heart.
She was on her third glass when Zeke appeared.
“Why are you sitting in the dark?”
Blinking, she tried to focus on the tall and suddenly very sexy angel. Strange how she hadn’t noticed that before. But... “Aren’t you supposed to knock first before coming in?”
“I did. You didn’t answer.”
“Oh.” She stared down into her glass. Zeke had asked her a question but she couldn’t recall what it was. Something about sitting in the dark?
A table lamp switched on and by its light she watched Zeke come towards her and hunker down in front of her armchair.
“What’s wrong, Babe?”
“Why would you think something is wrong?” She wiped her eyes and tried to sit up straighter.
He didn’t speak, merely giving her a skeptical look. Her bravado crumpled and she allowed herself to slump in her chair once again.
“I’m drowning my sorrows.” She stared into her glass before lifting it to take another drink, but he plucked it from her hand.
“I think you’ve had enough.”
“No. Not until I’m so drunk I can’t remember or care about this evening.” She reached for the glass but he held it further away.
“Nope. I’m not going to let you go there.” Her wine glass was suddenly replaced by a tumbler of water and he pressed it into her hand. “Drink up and then I’ll get you some strong coffee to help you sober up.”
“Why? I don’t want to sober up.” She really didn’t but knew she needed to. Seeing Zeke reminded her she was a GA and she needed to be brave and resolute and…well…there was a whole list of qualities in the handbook, but at the moment she couldn’t recall them all. Regardless, she obediently drank the water and then exchanged the glass for a steaming mug of coffee that had appeared on the side table.
She cradled the cup in her hands, morosely sipping the contents. “Why are you being so good to me, Zeke? I’m a terrible guardian angel. This was my first big assignment and I messed it up.”
“First off, you’re not a terrible GA, you’ve got a heart of gold which is full of love. Second… Well, helping you has made me look at myself and realise I’m capable of far more than I gave myself credit for.”
His comment surprised her. “Zeke, how could you ever think of yourself as not being capable? You—”
He held up a hand, shaking his head. “Confession time here. For a long time, I was pretty hopeless as a GA. I tried too hard. I was awkward...still am at times.” He shrugged. “But you...you looked up to me so I took you under my wing. I feel kinda responsible for you and that responsibility has changed me. It’s been like a rite of passage.”
“Really? I’d never have guessed that.”
“Yeah, well, enough about me.” Zeke looked uncomfortable, perhaps regretting his revelation. He got up from the floor and pulled over a chair. “We need to talk about your assignment and the twist it seems to have taken.”
“Twist?”
“Yeah. But I’m not going to explain until you are completely sober. How much have you had to drink this evening?”
“There was the champagne at the gallery, I don’t remember how much I drank. And then I was working on my third glass of Merlot when you arrived.”
“You’re a real lightweight when it comes to alcohol, Babe. You need to take it easy. Okay?”
She nodded and then took another sip of the steaming hot coffee. “I think my head is clear enough now.”
“No, it isn’t. Not yet at any rate. Tell me what happened to make you so miserable while we wait for the coffee to kick in.”
“Ben’s angry with me.” She felt the tears well up again and tried to blink them away. “Ms. Standish stopped by his place today while he was gone. I let her in and before I knew what was happening she convinced me that she should take his carving of me and include it in the show this evening.”
“Ben wasn’t happy?”
“No. Just the opposite. And then that awful woman told him she would sell it if she got a buyer. He blames me for allowing her to take it. He didn’t even kiss me when he brought me home.” She knew the tears were now streaming down her cheeks but she did nothing to stop them. “I thought after we made love last night we would… Oh, I don’t know what I thought.”
Zeke handed her a tissue and she wiped her face then twisted it in her hand as she continued her explanation.
“I guess for a while I thought we could have a relationship. Of course, that can’t be; I’ll have to leave sooner or later and go back to Heaven. And then I’ll be given another assignment...” Her voice trailed off as she realized she didn’t want another assignment. She wanted to stay with Ben, except now Ben didn’t want her anymore.
“Hmm...” Zeke wrinkled his brow. “So, to summarize. You’ve become intimate with a client and it means more to you than it should? Eugenie, sweetheart, you’re not human. If you want a relationship, you have to find an angel.”
“I know!” With that admission, she dissolved into a puddle of tears, her sobs becoming so pronounced that Zeke stood, picked her up in his arms and settled down in the armchair with her on his lap. She turned within the comfort of his arms and cried into his chest, feeling as if her heart was bleeding.
Eventually, she was spent and gave a deep sigh, having no tears left to shed.
“Are you done? Or do you have more tears you need to let out?”
She could feel Zeke’s hand stroking her hair, the rhythmic movement soothing. “Sorry I made your shirt wet.”
“No problem.” He waved his hand and the material suddenly dried.
“Neat trick.”
“Thanks.” He grinned before continuing. “Listen, we need to find out what is going on with your Ms. Standish.”
“She’s not my Ms. Standish.”
Zeke ignored her comment. “Get yourself dressed.”
“Why?”
“There was something fishy going on at that gallery and it wasn’t just the seafood hors d’oeuvres. We’re going to do some after hours snooping.”
“Isn’t that illegal?”
“Only if we get caught, which we won’t.” He rubbed his hands together looking altogether too pleased with himself.
A short time later Eugenie found herself inside the art gallery with Zeke. There was no music, no crowd, no fancy spot lighting shining on the art work, just a few security lights illuminating the space enough to allow them to move about without fear of bumping into something.
“Won’t we set off the alarms being in here?” She whispered the words to Zeke.
“Nah. Not as long as we are in our angelic forms.”
“Right.” She nodded. She should have figured that out herself. After all, they’d walked through the wall to get inside. Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm her nerves. This was too much like breaking and entering to sit well with her. Nevertheless, her job was to help Ben and if that involved sneaking into buildings at night, well then she’d do it!
As they passed through the main part of the gallery, she noticed there was a ‘sold’ sticker on the carving of her head. Ben was going to be furious! She was going to mention the sale to Zeke but he was already heading to the back office. She hurried to catch up with him only to bump smack into him as he came to a dead stop.
“What’s wrong?”
“Eugenie, maybe we should wait or even come back later.”
She was about to ask why when moaning sounds came from the office.
“Zeke, it sounds like someone is in pain in there!” She walked through the wall leaving Zeke in the gallery. One look at what was going on made her retrace her footsteps back to her colleague.
“Not what you were expecting, huh, Babe?”
“Er… No.”
“Doing the deed or just getting ready?”
“Umm… Sort of neither. I’ve heard of that act but never seen it performed before.”
“This, I gotta see.” Zeke walked through the wall just as a shriek emitted from the office. Seconds later, he returned to her side. “He must be pretty good or she’s a great actress because that was quite a finish.”
Soon a series of electronic beeps sounded from somewhere towards the back of the gallery.
“That’s the alarm being set. Blondie has probably taken her plaything security guard somewhere more comfortable, or perhaps now that she’s been satisfied she’s sent him home to mama. I wouldn’t put either past her.”
Knowing the coast was clear, they floated through the wall into the office. The first thing to catch Eugenie’s eye was a pair of shocking pink lacy panties lying on the floor. She carefully stepped over them and headed to the desk while Zeke started going through the files in a tall four-drawer cabinet by the back wall.
“Zeke, do you think it’s safe for me to materialize in here so I can handle things?”
He pointed up at a corner of the room. “Nope, CCTV. You don’t want to get your face on YouTube, Babe. If you see anything worth investigating further, yell and I’ll come check it out.”
“But won’t that CCTV pick up things moving on their own?”
“Yes, but it will be put down to a poltergeist phenomenon and be a five-minute wonder.”
She studied the surface of the desk. “What exactly are we looking for?”
He gave a one shouldered shrug. “I’m not sure. Anything that seems unusual or that gets your senses twitching.”
“Okay.” Senses twitching. She wasn’t quite sure what that meant but began to look. During her years in Heaven, she’d taken to reading mystery novels—the sort her parents never would have approved of—and now she felt like one of the heroines in those books hunting for clues. Where to begin?
Paperclips, a stapler, some mail that appeared to be bills. “Zeke, if there’s a flashing light on the computer, does that mean it’s switched on?”
“Probably. Let me look.” He opened the lid on the laptop and swiped a finger on the touchpad. “Stupid woman doesn’t have her computer set up to require a password when it wakes up. Look at this. She’s even still logged into her email account.
Eugenie peered over Zeke’s shoulder as he tapped some keys and a message appeared on the screen. She scanned the words displayed, then gave a soft gasp. Right there in front of her was a description of the bust and its dimensions. There was also a note that it was made of wood and could be easily hollowed out.
“Ben’s sculpture is mentioned!”
“Hmm...” He read the complete document and then stroked his chin thoughtfully. “The original message appears to be instructions outlining what Ms. Standish needs to be looking for; various types of art work, the dimensions required and the date they have to be delivered by.”
“For collectors?”
“Perhaps...” He tapped some keys, read a bit more and then leaned back grinning. “Good work, Eugenie. You found exactly what we were looking for.”
“I did?” She smiled, pleased to have helped but not sure exactly what she’d done.
“Yep. Based on what I just read and what I overheard during the show earlier, I suspect Ms. Standish is a bona fide art dealer, but she does a little business on the side, helping to find artwork in which stolen items or contraband can be hidden.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Consider this; when an item is stolen, the thief needs to find a buyer, right? Or someone might want to acquire some contraband, drugs, a precious piece of antiquity or art. It seems there’s an organization that facilitates that. They put buyers and sellers together. Then they ship the item to the purchaser.”
“How do they get the shipments past customs? I’m sure I’ve read about sniffer dogs and parcels being inspected.”
“They hide the items in artwork. A famous painting can be hidden behind the canvas of a local artist. Jewels or drugs with scented herbs to confuse the dogs can be secreted inside sculptures...or perhaps inside a wooden carving of a woman’s head.
Eugenie let out a soft gasp. “So that’s why Ms. Standish is so anxious to keep Ben’s work. It’s going to be used to smuggle something!”
“Yep. According to some of these emails it seems there’s a network of small art galleries around the country that receive lists of requirements each month. They then know what sizes and types of artwork to look out for. When they find one that is suitable, they contact the facilitating organization and the piece is bought. Up to that point, it’s legitimate. The galleries aren’t breaking any laws, but perhaps a good lawyer could make a case for abetting in a crime.”
“I have to tell Ben. He’ll be horrified.” She turned to leave.
“Wait a minute there, Eugenie. It’s the middle of the night and besides that, how are you going to explain to your man how you know all this?”
“Oh. I didn’t think.”
“I don’t see a way you could tell him what’s going on without explaining how you found out.” Zeke drummed his fingers on the desk.
After a few minutes of silence, he looked up with a smile on his face. “I think I know how we can sort this out. I’ll have to get permission from Michael but I don’t see him objecting.”
“What are you going to do?” Eugenie looked at him expectantly.
“Best you don’t know so you can react naturally when the information is relayed to Ben. Tomorrow, I think you should go over to his place and try to apologise. Whatever you do, don’t let on you know anything about Ms. Standish’s side business. Okay?”