The Case of the Missing Botticelli, page 16
“Who shall I say was calling?”
Hadley looked at Luca.
“Never mind. We’ll be back in touch.”
The butler walked them to the door, and they started for the cab. When the door closed, Luca recovered the painting from behind the bushes, wrapped in a towel he had taken from one of the ten bathrooms, and handed it to Hadley, who was already seated in the cab.
Hadley admired the masterpiece. “I will never get tired of looking at her. It’s her eyes. She draws you in.”
“She is beautiful,” Luca admitted, “but not as beautiful as you.”
“I would give anything to see the look on Signore Lombardi’s face when he removes the cloth from the easel and finds his Vermeer missing,” Hadley said.
“No doubt the Art Squad will interrupt the proceedings just in time.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Rule Number Eight: If It Ain’t Baroque, Don’t Fix It. You may choose to pursue more modern methods, but don’t discount the tried-and-true techniques.
~Massimo Domingo’s Pocket Guide to Stolen Art Recovery—Volume 2
Massimo was on top of the world. His reputation was restored. The Vermeer was safely at the Uffizi, being enjoyed by thousands of patrons at the exhibition. Her boss had taken most of the credit for the monumental discovery, but he had “generously” shared some of the spotlight with Hadley.
They had their work cut out for them returning the dozens of stolen paintings to their rightful owners or the heirs of those owners. She wasn’t going to miss out on that adventure. Newspapers around the world were reporting on the spectacular cache of stolen art found in Signore Lombardi’s warehouse and his dark ties with the past. He would be in prison for a long time.
The sun shone bright on her wedding day. She and Luca were all smiles during the ceremony, lost in each other and their happiness. Hadley’s parents looked like they’d just swallowed something distasteful. Luca’s mother looked like she’d rather be anywhere else, her mouth puckered like she’d just sucked on a lemon. The front row on both sides of the aisle wore expressions more suitable to a funeral than a wedding. The frowns did not bode well for the wedding pictures.
After the ceremony, the group gathered at Antonio’s to celebrate at the wedding luncheon.
“This red sauce is delicious sauce,” exclaimed Luca’s mother.
“That’s your new daughter-in-law’s secret recipe,” Gina said. “She’s an excellent chef.”
Hadley winked at her co-conspirator, Gina.
Luca’s mother looked at Hadley in surprise, and her expression softened.
“Of course, it’s not as good as mine,” she said.
“Of course not,” Hadley graciously agreed.
“I didn’t know you could cook,” Luca whispered.
“There’s a lot you don’t know about me,” Hadley replied, eyes twinkling.
“I can’t wait to find out,” Luca said, smiling broadly.
A word about the author…
Born in Miami, Florida, Marilyn Baron is a public relations consultant in Atlanta and a member of Atlanta Writers Club. She writes in a variety of genres, from Women’s Fiction to Historical Romantic Thrillers and Romantic Suspense to Paranormal Fantasy and has won writing awards in single title, suspense romance, novel with strong romantic elements, and paranormal/fantasy romance.
She was the Finalist in the 2017 Georgia Author of the Year (GAYA) Awards in the Romance category for her novel Stumble Stones and the Finalist for the 2018 GAYA Awards in the Romance category for her novel The Alibi.
Her new novel, The Case of the Missing Botticelli, is her 27th work of fiction. She is past chair of Roswell Reads and serves on the Atlanta Author Series Committee. She graduated from The University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, with a Bachelor of Science in Journalism and a minor in Creative Writing.
Inspired by her six months spent studying in college in Florence, Italy, and the many times she’s visited Italy on business or vacation, she set this new cozy mystery series in Firenze.
To find out more about her books, please visit her Web site at www.marilynbaron.com.
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Marilyn Baron, The Case of the Missing Botticelli
