“Could it have—?”
Bennett anticipated my question. “The indentation was too deep to have been buffed out.” He gave a vehement head shake. “That’s beside the point, though. Nico would never have changed it. Never.”
The enormity of what he was saying took a moment to sink in. “Have you said anything to Nico?”
“How could I? We were never alone long enough for me to bring up the subject. And when I asked to visit the gallery again, I was accompanied by Gianfranco and Cesare. I couldn’t spend any additional time with the skull because I thought my curiosity might look suspicious and I didn’t know who to trust. I used my time there to take a closer look at some of the other pieces on display.”
“And?” I was afraid of what he might say next.
The ice in Bennett’s drink made soft clinking sounds against the glass as he swirled it again. “There is at least one more counterfeit piece in there. I’m sure of it. My guess is that there are more that have been replaced by forgeries. More than can be identified via my quick cursory examination. If it hadn’t been for the skull—an item with which I’m intimately familiar—I never would have even thought to look.”
“This is terrible news for Nico,” I said. “Someone close to him is stealing.”
Bennett gave a solemn nod. “Whoever switched it took great pains to make a copy—a too-perfect copy. It’s a huge endeavor and I would bet my entire fortune that whoever did this didn’t act alone and didn’t act without power. You saw Angelo. He could snap either one of us in half if he had a mind to it.”
“You think Angelo’s behind it?”
“I don’t know what to think.” Bennett set his drink down, staring at me with intense concentration. “All I can say for certain is that Nico trusts too blithely. There are far too many individuals with access to his treasures. Cesare could easily have made the substitution during one of his visits. There’s too much to consider.”
“What should we do?”
He lowered his voice even further, despite the fact that no one paid us any attention. “We,” he said, emphasizing the word, “aren’t going to do anything. You have a knack for getting into dangerous situations. I don’t intend to let anything happen to you this time. I’ll handle it.”
I didn’t like the sound of that. “Bennett, please. We’ll be home soon and far away from scary Angelo or slimy Cesare. I can help without endangering myself.”
“I’ve had time to think about this. I can’t move forward, can’t make any allegations without proof to back them up.”
“Do you have proof?”
Matthew and Millie returned, interrupting us. Matthew took in a deep, appreciative breath. “Smell that, girl,” he said to Millie, who stared up at him, pink tongue hanging out, and dark eyes full of love. “Dinner smells like it’s almost ready.”
Millie scooted around Matthew’s legs just as Pinky grabbed her purse and got to her feet, apparently deciding to use the facilities after all. Despite the plane’s extra personal width, the quarters were compact. As Matthew reclaimed his seat, we hit an unexpected moment of turbulence. Millie let out a high-pitched yelp of pain. Pinky jumped back.
Millie lifted one white paw and whimpered.
“Watch out,” Matthew said, bending down to check her.
Pinky blinked. “Not my fault. What do you expect on a plane like this? It’s built for people, not animals.”
As though she understood, Millie whimpered again, nuzzling Matthew’s hand.