Good line of thinking. “I do have a few more questions, though.”
“By all means.”
“Why this painting? The van Gogh. Why do you want it? Because he was Dutch? Can’t be that simple.”
“Call it a case of national pride if you wish. The painting belongs here in Holland not in some Mexican drug lord’s home.” Monique paused. “It’s funny…” She stared at the floor and didn’t finish her thought.
“What?”
Monique roused from her pensive moment as if waking from a far-off dream world. “The van Gogh. It makes no sense that he wanted it. This man is not a lover of cultural art. He is no aficionado. The main reason he wanted the Bellini was for religious reasons.”
“Religious reasons?” Adriana repeated.
“Yes.” Monique shook her head and tried to pass it off with a dismissive hand. “He believes that having the Bellini will bring him protection from above.” She pointed to the ceiling with a wavering finger. “This in spite of being a horrible person. I guess there’s no accounting for sin in his mind.”
“It’s a pervasive culture in Mexico. Even the worst of the worst feel a connection to their Catholic roots. In many ways, the wicked are more religious than those who seem like saints.”
“Go figure.”
Adriana flashed a dubious glance. “I suppose that once it’s in your hands, you’ll return it to the museum and proper authorities.”
Monique’s booming laugh resonated through the house. “Of course not. Those fools are the ones responsible for it being stolen to begin with. If I give it back to them, they’ll probably lose it again. No, this time it will stay with someone who can protect it.”
“I suppose that someone is you.”
“Of course,” Monique shrugged. “Why not?”
“Well, for starters, it doesn’t belong to you.”
“Very well,” the hostess set the book aside and stood suddenly from her chair. “We have nothing else to discuss. Good luck finding the painting. I’m sure you’ll find someone who can help you.”
Adriana held out a hand. “I didn’t say I wasn’t going to do it. I was simply asking who would get it. You say you want it?” She paused. “If the museum doesn’t know where it is, I suppose it won’t hurt if I help you. What is his name?”
Monique eyed her warily. “Do I have your word that the van Gogh will be brought back to me unharmed and without you telling any of the authorities?”
“I work in a world where threats are around every corner. I don’t need to invite any more trouble. I assume that if I were to double-cross you, you would take whatever actions you deemed necessary to make sure I paid.”
“That’s true.”
“I’d rather it be easier on both of us and not take that route. So yes, you have my word. Although now you are doubling the amount of time I’ll need to get out, especially if this man knows anything about security.”
“Yes.” Monique put her hands on her hips. “That will be, unfortunately, your most difficult part of the task. His home is like a fortress. At any given time, there are thirty armed guards patrolling the grounds and another dozen or so inside the mansion. There are cameras, alarms, and the house is a labyrinth of confusing hallways and corridors.”
“Any dogs?”
The question caught the hostess off guard, and she had to stop a moment to think. “Actually, no. I don’t believe he likes dogs.”
“That’s good news.”
Monique shook her head. “Besides all those things I just mentioned, none of that includes the security system he has protecting those paintings. They are in a sealed room that is essentially a vault. There’s no way in or out.”
Sounds like a challenge. “Is it ventilated?”
“Yes, but the vents are too small to fit through. You will have to go in through the door.”
“I want to make sure I understand you. This drug lord has all of these measures in place to protect his home and property, but you think that I, a person you’ve never met before, will somehow be able to get in and steal not one, but two paintings from him? Why?”
“Because I can help you get in.”
Adriana raised a curious eyebrow. Finally, she was getting somewhere.
“And how are you going to do that?”
“I have an invitation.” Monique said in a matter-of-fact tone as she flitted over to the bar to pour another drink.
“An invitation? To what?”
The Dutch blonde finished pouring her drink and sealed the decanter again. “He’s having a large gathering of people. It’s something he does fairly often. As I said, he desperately wants to fit in with the aristocracy of the world in spite of how he attained his wealth. This particular engagement is rumored to have over a hundred people attending from all over the world.”
“Sounds like it will be a little crowded. Might make a clean getaway sketchy.”
“Or…it could provide the perfect opportunity. Lots of drunk, wealthy people milling around. Even if an alarm goes off, they won’t know what to do.”
“That’s true. An alarm causes confusion. But it couldn’t be the alarm for the gallery. That would cause the guards to keep people inside. What we need is a fire alarm. Then they’ll have to get everyone out.”
“A good plan.” Monique smiled, but there was something in her eyes that told Adriana she hadn’t heard the whole story yet.
“But?”
The hostess cocked her head to the side. “But when the fire alarm goes off, the vault will close automatically. If it isn’t timed correctly, you will be locked in, and when the door opens, it won’t be me waiting on the outside.”
Adriana knew about such measures. They were fairly typical, especially in a situation where someone was protecting an extremely valuable asset.
“I guess it’s fortunate for you that I showed up,” Adriana said with a hint of suspicion. Her mind quickly ran through a set of possibilities. Could Monique be behind this whole thing? Was she the one, posing as a man, who took her father? It was doubtful but certainly possible. On top of that, it certainly seemed convenient that she was showing up on Monique’s doorstep right when the opportunity to get into this drug lord’s estate was presenting itself. Or was the person pulling the strings already aware of where the painting was and that was why they chose this time? It was too simple. No way was it a coincidence.
“Yes, how fortuitous,” Monique replied.
Adriana stood and walked over to the bar. She eyed a few of the decanters and came to one with a color she recognized. She grabbed the neck and popped the lid then poured a short drink into an empty glass.
“Whiskey?” Monique asked.
“I didn’t want to be rude.” She raised the glass to her lips and knocked it back, swallowing it in one gulp. After placing the empty container back on the bar, she said, “What were you going to do about the painting if I hadn’t magically showed up here today?”
Monique shrugged and poured the liquid down her throat. After she twitched her head, she answered. “Nothing. I would have attended the event and left. I don’t have the skills to pull off a job like that.”
This woman knew very little about Adriana. Or was that truly the case? It had all the makings of a setup. Either way, the Spaniard had few options. Adriana also had her suspicions about Monique’s relationship with the drug dealer. Amsterdam’s drugs had to come from somewhere. It was entirely possible that this woman was one of the major players bringing illegal narcotics into the country.
She refocused on the matter at hand. “How’s this going to work?”
“The party is in two days. I’m flying out first thing in the morning. I will book an extra room for you. You may fly with me if you like. It may be difficult to get a plane at this hour.”