Golden Lies - Barbara Freethy [52]
"You're right. Now I wish I'd majored in art history instead of business economics."
"You majored in business economics?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.
"After my mother. She said it was more important to be able to run the business than to appreciate the goods that we sell. Unfortunately, right now that's not helping us at all."
Riley's cell phone rang, interrupting their conversation. "I better take this," he said, checking the number. "Hello? Grandma?"
Paige watched Riley's demeanor change. His face tightened. His eyes grew hard. He looked as if he wanted to hit something or someone.
"Stay at Millie's," he said. "Don't go back to the house. I'll be there as soon as I can."
"What happened?" Paige asked as he ended the call.
"My grandmother's house was broken into."
"Is she all right?"
"She's fine. She wasn't home when it happened. I have to go."
"I'm coming, too." Paige grabbed her purse as she followed him to the door. "What do you think they were looking for? Your grandmother doesn't have the dragon anymore."
"Maybe someone thinks she has the other one." He sent her a pointed look. "Didn't that story say there might be two?"
Chapter Ten
The drive across town seemed to take forever as the Friday morning traffic was heavy in the downtown area. Riley hit the brakes hard as yet another red light stopped him in his tracks.
"You couldn't have predicted this," Paige said quietly.
"I certainly should have. Dammit." He hit the steering wheel with his fist. "As soon as you told me that story about the two dragons, I should have connected the dots. And those hang-up calls—"
"What hang-up calls?"
"My grandmother said someone kept calling and hanging up. She thought it was my mother, which I immediately dismissed as ridiculous."
"Why would your mother be calling and hanging up? That seems odd."
He uttered a short, bitter laugh. "That's my mother, odd."
"What do you mean?"
"Never mind." He turned the corner sharply and pulled up in front of his grandmother's house before she could press him further.
Riley jumped out of the car and ran up the driveway to where Millie and Nan were standing. Paige followed, feeling a strange tightness in her throat as she watched him hug his grandmother with a fierce tenderness.
"Good heavens, Riley. You're squeezing the breath out of me," Nan told him. She smiled and stroked his face with her fingers. "I'm fine. But the house is a mess. They went through everything, dumping out my drawers and undoing all the beds. I don't know what kind of fortune they thought I was hiding in there, but I don't think they got much for their trouble. I couldn't have had more than twenty dollars in cash lying around. And my jewelry isn't worth much."
"I'm going to check it out. You wait here. Paige will keep you company."
"Oh, dear. I didn't even see you, Miss Hathaway." Nan looked from Riley to Paige, then back to Riley. "Did I interrupt something when I called?"
"Nothing that can't wait. I'll be back in a few minutes. Just stay put. You, too," he told Paige.
As Riley sprinted across the yard, Paige found herself being perused by two pairs of very curious eyes. "It's nice to see you both again. I'm sorry the circumstances are so distressing."
"Let's go to my house and have some coffee," Millie suggested, leading them next door.
Paige followed them into the kitchen, where Millie filled several mugs with coffee and placed a chocolate cake on the table in case anyone was hungry. Then she excused herself to answer the phone, leaving Nan and Paige alone.
"I was so sorry to hear about your father," Nan said, patting Paige's hand where it rested on the table. "How is he doing?"
"He's still unconscious." Paige paused. "I'm sorry your dragon has gone missing in the midst of all this. I feel terrible. The House of Hathaway has never lost an art object before."
"Someone wanted that dragon very badly. What I don't understand is why