“I do understand. Completely.” She gently placed her palms on the table. “I love your sister. And she can be rather insistent at times.”

  “Try unrelenting.” Cullen chuckled. “But I love her, too.”

  “What is not to love about her?” Chi-Chi smiled brightly.

  “Oh, I could think of a few things.” He laughed, but they both knew he was joking.

  * * *

  Elle had been pacing around her hotel room the hour before she was to leave to meet Camille. She was still overwrought with the news Chris had shared. But Luna was right. She should stay focused on the exhibit. She stood, adjusted her white shirt, black slacks and black-and-white saddle shoes. She matched from the top of her head to her toes. A fifteen-minute taxi ride brought her to Penelope, where she was meeting Camille. The two greeted each other with a big hug. The hostess showed them to a table in the corner, where they could sit, eat and chat for as long as they wanted.

  Elle decided to start the conversation about the sculptor, and the discussion went on from there. Elle suggested Marina spend the summer as a guest artist at her center. She would get a feel for the business end of her craft. Camille thought it was a marvelous idea, and she would foot the bill for Marina’s travel and lodging. Marina was recently widowed, and her grown children lived across the country. She was living on social security in a rent-stabilized building. It would be a wonderful opportunity and change of pace for her. Camille was overjoyed her project was resulting in success for someone.

  Several hours later, Elle had completely forgotten about the traumatic family history until Camille brought up J.R. “Did he seem a little distant last night?” Camille asked.

  “I really couldn’t say,” Elle offered. “I haven’t seen him in years.” That much was true. She really had no idea how J.R. normally acted in a social situation.

  “I know there was a lot going on, but he was much more reticent than usual.” Camille rolled her eyes, “But his wife? Could someone please stuff a sock in her mouth?”

  Elle snorted a laugh.

  “And she has absolutely nothing meaningful to say,” Camille continued. “I know I sound terrible, but it frustrates me to no end that someone who has the means to do good things for the community, the planet, animals, whatever, does nothing. Not a thing.” Camille sighed. “She thinks other people will do the things that need to be done.”

  Elle patted Camille’s hand. “I know. It’s a generational thing, I’m afraid.”

  “Didn’t we go through that generation gap thing fifty years ago?”

  “We did. And as long as there are different generations moving at the speed of light, it would seem the gap will become even greater.”

  Camille sighed. “Sad but true.”

  Elle didn’t want to push it, but she was curious. “So, what do you think was on J.R.’s mind?”

  “I have no idea, although there was a rather seedy-looking man hanging about. I noticed J.R. had a brief conversation with him.”

  “You didn’t recognize him, I suppose,” Elle said.

  “No.”

  “Did you ask J.R.?”

  “No. I was too busy, but I couldn’t help noticing his pensive mood during dinner.”

  “Men. They are not very forthcoming with their feelings,” Elle added.

  “Very true.” Camille sighed. “Perhaps it’s something at work.”

  “That’s probably it,” Elle said, trying to assuage her friend’s concerns.

  “I should be going. I have scads of thank-you notes to write. Want to grab lunch tomorrow?” Camille asked.

  “I’ll be flying back in the morning with Chi-Chi. We can’t leave our artists alone for too long.”

  “What about Luna and Cullen? And the marshal? He is quite handsome, I must say.”

  “Cullen said something about meeting a dealer and that Luna was going with him. I think Christopher has some business to attend to.”

  “I am so happy you were able to come up.” Camille hugged her friend. “Let’s not wait too long before we see each other again.”

  “Next time you come down to the center. You haven’t seen it yet,” Elle reminded her.

  “I know and I apologize for not making the trip. But I promise I will. This fall,” Camille assured her.

  “Splendid. The mountains are glorious that time of year.” Elle gave her another hug. “Thank you so much for your generous hospitality. Love you lots.”

  “Love you, too.” Camille was a little weepy. It had been a big weekend and everything had gone as well as she’d hoped. “Fantastic” would be a good word to describe her efforts.

  They finished saying their goodbyes and departed. Elle asked the cab driver to drop her at the Whitney Museum, where she spent a couple of hours before returning to the hotel. She wondered how everyone else’s day was progressing.

  Luna and Chris took the opportunity to spend some time alone in Luna’s room. Knowing Chi-Chi wouldn’t be back until after eight, they indulged themselves in the longing they were feeling toward each other. It was sensuous. Loving. Passionate. After they were spent, Luna sat up against the pillows and giggled. She was still wearing the pearls. “I guess we are really going steady now.”

  * * *

  While everyone else was having a most glorious day, J.R. was pensive, irritable and anxious. He was completely rattled. His past had come back like a tsunami. First that slimeball Johnson showed up, and then this guy from North Carolina somehow had an armoire from Briarcliff. How could this be happening? It had been years. He had almost completely put the kidnapping out of his head, except for the last $10,000 he kept in the safe in his office. Just in case. Just in case of what he wasn’t sure, but he was comfortable knowing he had extra cash handy. But Johnson . . . What was he going to do about the extortionist? He knew the guy was never going to go away. He certainly couldn’t murder him. He looked over at his wife, sleeping next to him with her sleep mask on. Naturally, she had to go out clubbing with her friends after their dinner the night before. Who did that anymore? At her age? Obviously, she did, along with her friends. Her friends. The hangers-on. Most of her acquaintances her age were married, with at least one child. Lindsay relied on the younger set to party, and they were happy to oblige, especially with her picking up the tab. It was abundantly clear he’d married a spoiled, immature brat. The thought ran through his mind again. Yep. It seemed like a good idea at the time. He knew he couldn’t discuss any of his problems with her. So much for marital vows. The “richer” part was clear. The “poorer” part? Highly unlikely. He was finally seeing what his mother saw, even though she never expressed it. She didn’t have to.

  J.R. decided a round of tennis might help him unwind and clear his head, so he called the club and reserved a court. But even after two wildly played matches, he was still in a quandary. He comforted himself with the idea that the armoire couldn’t prove anything. But that Johnson fellow . . . Maybe a big payoff and a ticket somewhere far away would do the trick. He would contemplate that later. For now, he needed to take a very long shower.

  Chapter Ten

  Fact-Checking

  Monday

  Luna and Chi-Chi were up at the crack of dawn. Considering they’d stayed up past midnight sharing the day’s events, they were both rather perky. Luna called Cullen’s room. Chris answered.

  “Good morning, Marshal. How did you sleep?” She was being a bit sassy.

  “Rather well, and yourself?”

  “Like a log.” She wished they could have spent the night together, but it wasn’t possible under the circumstances. “What time are you leaving?” she asked.

  “In about an hour. And you?”

  “As soon as Cullen is ready. Tell him to shake a leg. We gotta train to catch.” She hung up with the biggest grin on her face.

  “You are on a mission.” Chi-Chi shook her head in acknowledgment.

  “I am,” Luna replied. She gave herself a once-over and made sure she had a couple of protein bars, bottles of water and her copy of Letting Go: The Pathway of Surrender by Dr. David Hawkins. She held it up. “See? I don’t even have to sing.”

  “Ah. There are such things as miracles.”

  “Oh, you have been spending too much time with my brother.” Luna laughed.

  “I am thinking maybe not enough.”

  “Ooooh . . .” Luna chided. “Have a little crush on the old boy?”

  “Well, you know I do. And after the day he planned for me yesterday? I can tell you, he is a kind and generous man.”

  “You knew that already.” Luna laughed.

  “But as you pointed out, sometimes it is important to look at things from a different perspective.”

  “Amen to that, sister.” Luna patted the book and tossed it into her tote. “Gimme a hug.”

  The women embraced and wished each other safe travels. “See you in a couple of days,” Luna said as she waved and went out the door. Cullen was entering the hallway at the same time.

  “Ready?” Luna asked him.

  “Just give me a minute.” Cullen grabbed the door before it shut behind Luna. He wanted to wish Chi-Chi a proper goodbye. And he did. It was one of the most fervent kisses in his life. It almost made him dizzy. Chi-Chi was glad when Cullen left the room so she could fall backward on the bed in delight.

  Penn Station was overflowing with commuters, and Luna and Cullen were going against the tide. They had to hold on to each other to avoid being trampled by the busy, oblivious masses. They jostled their way to the Moynihan Train Hall, where they waited near the track entrance. Several minutes later, a silverlike bullet pulled into the station. It was the famed high-speed Acela, the fastest train in the Western Hemisphere, which boasted 150 mph when at maximum speed. Unfortunately, that speed was only possible between New Haven and Boston, where the infrastructure could handle it. The rest of the route was riddled with one-hundred-year-old tracks, causing the train to average less than half its potential.

  “Now what kind of stupid is that?” Luna remarked as they were settling into their seats. “Build a really fast train, but don’t have the rails to support it. Ugh. Drives me crazy.”

  “Hey, it’s not even eight. Can you tone down the hyperbole at least until we leave the station?”

  “I am not being hyperbolic. I am not exaggerating in any way whatsoever.” She plunked herself down next to the window. “Stupid is stupid.”

  Cullen looked over at the man sitting across the aisle. “Don’t mind her. They only let her out once a month.”

  The man laughed. “She’s not wrong, you know.”

  Luna stuck out her tongue at her brother.

  “Siblings?” the man asked.

  “Can you tell?” Luna joked; then an announcement came over the loudspeaker announcing the train’s departure.

  “I’ll try to keep her under wraps,” Cullen assured the gentleman, who was reading the Wall Street Journal—the print edition of the newspaper, not on an electronic device.

  Luna made an aren’t-you-funny kind of face as the train pulled out of the station. She rolled her pashmina, placed it next to the window and used it as a pillow. She needed to get some shut-eye. As soon as her head hit the makeshift pillow, she was out like a light.

  Halfway into the journey, Luna woke with a start. She was slightly disoriented and her mouth felt like the Sahara Desert. “Whoa.” She blinked several times. “That was some kind of deep sleep.” She stretched her neck back and forth and from side to side.

  “I was enjoying the quiet,” Cullen said from behind his book. He was reading a thriller by Lee Child.

  “You really should take your act on the road.” Luna elbowed him.

  “I am, but it’s on the rail instead.”

  “My, aren’t you chipper today.” Luna gave him a sideways look.

  “And you are, what? Going steady?” Cullen couldn’t contain himself any longer. He hadn’t said anything earlier, but he’d noticed the ring.

  Luna clasped her necklace. “Oh, this. Well, yeah. Kinda.”

  “Don’t be coy.” Cullen put down his book. “The two of you have a thing. It’s okay. I’m totally cool with it.”

  “Well, I should hope so.” Luna rearranged herself in her seat. “He’s a good guy.”

  “I know. And I am happy you have someone who actually gets you.” Cullen was being sincere. “As much as I love you, I know you’re not always easy to be with. You and your ‘vibes.’ ” He used air quotes.

  “Oh, and you’re perfect,” Luna chided.

  “I was yesterday.” Cullen raised his eyebrows.

  “Thanks to Elle.” Luna was smug.

  “Well, I pulled it off. That’s all that matters.”

  Luna hugged her pashmina against her chest. “It was a magical day.”

  Cullen was going to comment on the use of the word “magical,” but she was right.

  Another hour went by, and they were finally at their destination. The well-dressed gent had departed several stations before, while Luna was napping. Cullen gestured to the seat where the man had been sitting. “He couldn’t take your snoring any longer.”

  “I don’t snore,” Luna protested and gave him a gentle shove down the aisle.

  A rental car with a driver was waiting for them at the station. They dropped him back at the rental office and then started toward Briarcliff. “This is kind of exciting,” Luna said.

  “How do you get me into these things?” Cullen asked, looking ahead at the road.

  “You love it,” Luna replied.

  “Sometimes,” he half-agreed.

  A half hour later, they arrived at an imposing building with a sign reading BRIARCLIFF ACADEMY. It looked more like an asylum than a school from the front. “Kinda creepy,” Luna remarked as she poked her head out the passenger window.

  “Well, if there is a guy yelling, ‘Here’s Johnny,’ I am outta there!”

  “You and me both, bro,” Luna agreed wholeheartedly. “So, who are we meeting?”

  “Mr. Purcell. He’s the headmaster.”

  “Does he know why we are here?”

  “I told him I want to authenticate the piece I got from Longmire. He seemed fine with it.”

  The main door to the school was locked. They rang the bell. It took several moments for a haggard-looking man to open the heavy wooden door. “Can I help you?” he squeaked.

  “Yes. Hello. Cullen and Luna Bodman to see Mr. Purcell,” Cullen said.

  “Come in.” The man stepped aside to let them in and then bolted the door behind them. Both Cullen and Luna jumped. “Follow me.”

  Luna tried not to laugh. She was remembering Marty Feldman playing Igor in Young Frankenstein. She bit her lip. Walk this way. Cullen knew exactly what she was thinking. They moved past a round table in the foyer and into a large office with bookshelves covering all three walls. A mahogany desk faced the doorway. An equally ragged man stepped out from behind the desk. “How do you do? I am Professor Cuthbert Purcell.”

  Luna almost lost it. The entire place was a cliché.

  “How do you do,” Cullen responded. “I am Cullen Bodman, and this is my sister, Luna.”

  “Now, what is it you need of me?” The man seemed to be in a hurry.

  “I recently purchased a piece that was salvaged from Longmire. They told us it originated here.”

  “Yes, we send all of our things to them when they are no longer in a useful condition.”

  Cullen pulled out his cell phone and scrolled through the photos. He always took before and after pictures. Once he found the photo of the armoire, he showed it to the older man. “Does this look familiar?”

  “When did you say you got it?”

  “A couple of weeks ago.”

  “That looks quite old.” The man peered at the photo more closely. He moved back to his desk and shuffled some papers in a folder. “Longmire has been working with us for many years. Thirty, at least.” He tapped his finger on his lips. “Recently, they phoned and told us there was a storage error and they were in possession of several items that had been sitting in the back of their warehouse for a very long time. Evidently, the three pieces were behind other items and were discovered when they were going to demolish one of the buildings. We told them we had no use for them, and they could dispose of them as they wished. We didn’t think they would get any money for them, given how long they had been sitting there.”

  “Do you have any idea when the items were moved from Briarcliff to Longmire?” Cullen asked. He could tell Luna was getting restless.

  “Let me see here.” The headmaster shuffled through more papers. “April 2003.”

  Luna resisted the temptation to yell, Bingo!

  Cullen made a few notes. “So, we can safely say this piece was once the property of Briarcliff.”

  “I suppose so.” The man ran his fingers through the five hairs that were still growing on his head.

  “Thank you. I very much appreciate your time,” Cullen said.

  “Not at all. Is there anything else I can help you with?”

  Luna had one question. “Professor, was this taken from someone’s room? Or do you have a place where you keep things you are going to donate or sell?”

  “We have a back building where we store things, yes. Why?”

  “Just curious. So, this could have been sitting in your building for a while as well?”

  “Absolutely. We usually wait until we have enough for a pickup.”

  “And who organizes those pickups?” Luna had to ask the question.

  “Usually a student.”

  “You wouldn’t happen to know who that student was?”

  “I wasn’t here at the time. Does it matter?”

  “Just trying to connect the dots.” She paused. “For authentication purposes.”

  “Of course. Let me check.” He looked through the file again. “Yes, here is the authorization.”

  Luna held her breath.

  “Chad Pierce Jr. He called for the truck on April 2.”

  Luna was about to bust a gut. Cullen knew he had to get her out of there pronto. “Thank you, Professor. You have been most helpful.”

  “No problem at all. Have a good day.” He walked back behind his desk, having no idea he might have just cracked a twenty-year-old case.