Always a Thief - Kay Hooper [15]
She shivered. “That's a morbid touch.”
“No kidding. You should hear some of the theories advanced by police, FBI, and Interpol behavioral experts. The general consensus is that, aside from his love of gems and his tendency to kill anyone who gets in his way, Nightshade probably has a few more kinks in his nature.”
“Sounds like. And since he's been so elusive, you guys decided to stack the deck in your favor. It's likely that a collection as priceless as yours going on public display for the first time in more than thirty years would lure Nightshade here to San Francisco. And if you know he's here and what he's after, you can set a trap to catch him.”
“That's the idea.”
“Won't he suspect a trap?”
“If he's as smart as everyone agrees he is, he will. But greed tends to undermine common sense, or at least that's the hope in this case. That plus the edge we hope we have: Quinn. Setting a thief to catch a thief. The bait has to be something big, something very tempting to someone like Nightshade, to encourage him to perhaps act more recklessly than is normal for him.”
“I'd say the Bannister collection is probably making him drool,” Morgan said.
“Alex and Jared expect so. It's the only shot they've had at getting their hands on Nightshade, Morgan. In eight years, he hasn't put a foot wrong, and the odds are against him making a serious enough mistake in the future to let the police catch him. And even if he does, God knows how many people will have to die first. So . . . luring him to a trap designed just for him is worth all the risks we're taking.”
“Even the risk that the true danger to the collection is Quinn?”
“Even that.”
“Okay, if we assume Quinn really is doing what he says he's doing, then what's his motive for putting his own life on the line? Is it like Jared said, just a way to stay out of prison himself?”
“That's not my story, Morgan. You'll have to ask Alex about it.”
“And of course he'll tell me the truth.”
“You never know.”
“Yeah. Well, maybe I'll ask him.”
“In the meantime,” Max said, “aside from checking on Alex, I also called to warn you.”
“Oh, Christ, what now?”
“I got a call earlier from Keane Tyler. The body of a murdered woman was found a few miles from the museum. They haven't gotten an I.D. yet, but apparently there's some evidence she's connected to the museum.”
“Connected how?”
“We don't know. Whatever the evidence is, the police intend to keep it quiet.”
“Even from you?”
“Even from me.” Unemotionally, Max added, “Ken Dugan and I were called in to take a look at the body. Neither of us knows her.” Dugan was the head curator of the Museum of Historical Art.
Morgan swallowed. “Maybe I should—”
“Not yet. Keane and his people are talking to museum employees, but I've told him you won't be available until Monday or Tuesday.”
“And he's okay with that?”
“Let's say I called in a favor. He's okay with it. But he will want to speak to you when you get in. Maybe show you a photo of the woman.”
“Max, does this have anything to do with the exhibit?”
“I don't know.”
“They still haven't found out who murdered that poor Ace employee a few weeks ago—”
“We don't know there's a connection between the two murders. As far as the police have been able to determine, this woman is not and never has been an Ace employee.” Ace Security was the company ostensibly handling the installation of the new security system in the museum; Storm was posing as one of their security specialists.
“But she's somehow connected to the museum?”
“That's what Keane says. And because of the exhibit, the police are investigating the possibilities of a connection very thoroughly. In any case, until we know more, it's fairly useless to speculate.”
“Yeah. Yeah, I guess so.”
“I just wanted to