The Netscher Connection Page 28

  “Bloody hell.”

  “You guys need to hurry.” Nikki’s words were tense. “The other team...”

  It felt like I was in the grip of a boa constrictor. It was hard to breathe, even move. My muscles felt locked in place as I searched the room for the triangle. Vinnie was fighting off three soldiers, a fourth rushing towards him.

  Colin was running out of arrows, but still had a supply of daggers and throwing knives. “Jenny?”

  Something made me look up. The triangle wasn’t on the floor or any of the furniture. “The chandelier!”

  Vinnie beheaded a soldier and continued the momentum with his sword to behead a second soldier. Then he jumped into the air, his sword raised above him to kill another enemy. Colin ran towards Vinnie. He jumped to meet Vinnie mid-air and used Vinnie to push him even higher. He landed awkwardly on the chandelier, but it was enough.

  The walls fell away.

  “The bomb!” Francine’s panicked warning sent Colin jumping off the chandelier and running towards the wooden benches lining the wall. The first bench had already disintegrated with that part of the wall. The disintegration reached the bench in the middle. Colin snatched the Robin Hood statue just in time and ran into King’s room as the wall completely disappeared.

  “Stop.” Daniel’s order had an immediate effect.

  Colin stopped, the statue in his hand.

  A centimetre in front of his left foot was a trip wire. I didn’t know how Daniel had seen it this quickly.

  “Six seconds, Colin.” Francine’s words were low, her voice tense.

  The coffee table King and his dad had restored was about two and half metres in front of Colin, the scroll on top of it.

  “Fuck, dude. It’s everywhere.” Vinnie was standing behind Colin, not moving. There were trip wires centimetres apart all the way to the coffee table. To the scroll.

  “Three seconds.”

  “Catapult me.” No sooner had Colin spoken the words than Vinnie grabbed him from behind and threw him.

  Colin twisted mid-air and aimed for the coffee table. I wasn’t breathing. It seemed like time had slowed down as gravity claimed Colin and brought him down to the table. A millisecond before he touched the surface of the coffee table, the monitor lit up in a spectacular explosion.

  I jerked back in my chair, my eyes wide. On the monitor to my left, the audience were on their feet roaring. Whether it was in excitement or anger, I didn’t know. I couldn’t get my mind to accept that the bomb hadn’t been real. That Colin and Vinnie hadn’t died in that explosion.

  “Did it work?” Manny turned away from the monitors to look at Francine.

  “I don’t know yet.” She was typing on one laptop, then switching to the second. “Pink?”

  “Looking.”

  “It... Oh...” Francine typed some more. Then her whole body tensed, her fingers hanging above the keyboard.

  “Shit!” Pink’s nose was almost touching his computer monitor. “It worked. Fuck it! It worked!”

  “Jenny?” Colin’s voice drew me to the monitor to my right. He was looking into the camera. “You were amazing. Are you okay, love?”

  I wasn’t. Even though seeing Colin onscreen alleviated some of the irrational belief that he’d just died, it didn’t take that shock away. And knowing that Nikki and Eric were safe exacerbated the overstimulation that was pounding my mind. I could no longer fight the shutdown.

  Chapter TWENTY-TWO

  I sank down on my sofa with a sigh of bliss. It was good to be home. The trip to Hungary had been the first time I’d been away from my own environment in years. I hadn’t realised how set I had become in my routine, in the safety I felt being surrounded by my own things.

  “Want to go to your Auntie G?” Phillip’s amused tone made me look to my right. My previous boss was sitting next to me on the sofa, Eric wriggling to get out of his arms. Phillip’s smile was warm. “I love that Nikki is calling you Auntie G.”

  “It was either that or Auntie Doc G.” I glanced at Nikki where she was in deep discussion with Manny. “I refuse to be called that.”

  “Want him?” Phillip was still holding onto Eric, but the baby was getting increasingly more frustrated at being held captive. He pushed out his bottom lip and stretched out his hands towards me.

  “Yes.” Of course I wanted to hold Eric. Only when we’d arrived home last night had I comprehended the extent to which I had missed him. And Nikki. And how desperately I needed to see with my own two eyes that they were safe. Not even my dislike for physical touch or Eric’s constant drooling were strong enough deterrents. Not now. Maybe tomorrow my mind would once again rebel against Eric’s need to be with me.

  The moment Phillip let go, Eric crawled over to me and pulled himself onto my lap. He stretched up, but I pulled my head back. “No kisses. No kisses.”

  Eric seemed to understand and plopped down on my lap facing me. I put my hands on his back, holding him in a light embrace and preventing him from falling off. He noticed the colourful embroidery of the traditional blouse I’d bought in Szentendre and touched his index finger to it. I was fascinated by the gentleness in his touch.

  “You’ve come such a long way, Genevieve.”

  “Hungary is not that far.” I glanced at Phillip and frowned. “That’s not what you’re referring to.”

  “Not at all.” He straightened his tie that I was sure Eric had grabbed and pulled out of place. Even though it was the end of a workday, Phillip still looked impeccable in his tailored suit and silk tie. His expression was filled with affection when he glanced at Eric and looked back at me. “When I first met you almost twelve years ago, I would never, not in a million years, have imagined you like this.”

  I agreed with him. “The change has not been easy.”

  “I can’t even begin to imagine what a challenge all this must have been for you.”

  “It still is.” I followed his gaze and took in the chaos that reigned in my apartment. Vinnie and Pink were in the kitchen. Pink refused to use a wheelchair and moved around with an aluminium walker, but he insisted on using his ‘own two damn legs’. Currently, he was sitting on a high chair, chopping tomatoes for a salad. Vinnie was taking something from the oven. Another dish to add to the growing selection on the dining room table.

  Nikki and Manny were now arguing about something inane, Francine watching them. I recognised her expression. It was the one she tried to hide when she’d caused a misunderstanding and had aggravated it by goading people into arguments.

  Colin was in the shower. He’d gone for a run, but I hadn’t joined him. It hadn’t been part of my routine and after the last week, I desperately needed to get back into my safe routine. Colin had promised to fit into my schedule tomorrow and join me for a run.

  Phillip was right. I had indeed moved far away from the person I’d been before all these people had entered my life. And every single day had been a struggle. I didn’t always win, but most days I derived much more pleasure from my new life than the discomfort I suffered from navigating my way through new emotions and relationships.

  I carefully pulled Eric’s hand from my earring and turned him to face the others. I looked at Phillip. “I miss seeing you every day.”

  “I miss you too.” The affection on his face brought warmth to my chest. “We should make a point of visiting more often.”

  “Who’s visiting whom?” Colin leaned over and kissed me on my head. Then he leaned over even more and blew kisses on Eric’s cheek until the baby giggled. “Hey, little man.”

  “I was saying to Genevieve that I miss her and you guys working in my offices.” Phillip dismissed that topic with a wave of his hand. He leaned forward and watched as Colin sat down on the armrest of the sofa. “I’ve been burning with curiosity. What happened to all the paintings you found in Szentendre? Are they real? Were they looted? I’m not seeing anything in the media.”

  “They’re all authentic, Phillip.” Colin’s face took on that dreamy expression he’
d had since he’d returned to János Nagy’s house to assist Captain Palya in taking care of the artworks in the house. “I got to see a Rembrandt that everyone thought was lost forever, a Vermeer, a Gauguin and a Raphael. And all of them are real.”

  “What’s going to happen to them?” Phillip asked.

  “Well, I gave Captain Palya names of the best people and institutions that will authenticate these works.”

  “People who don’t use aliases.” Manny and Nikki had stopped arguing and were listening with interest.

  Colin ignored him. “They will authenticate the paintings. In the meantime, Captain Palya is setting up a task force that will search for the original owners and return as many as they can. Or put them in museums. It will be a lengthy process.”

  “Does that include Netscher’s A Woman Feeding a Parrot?” Phillip asked.

  “It does.” Colin nodded. “Olivia got Nathan Donovan’s family to cooperate with Captain Palya and his task force.”

  “And I can imagine they want to keep it out of the news to keep all the chancers away.” Francine raised an eyebrow when Manny looked at her. “What? It’s not a conspiracy theory. It makes sense.”

  “It really does,” Colin said. “Captain Palya was extremely pissed off when he discovered exactly how legally complicated the whole process is going to be. He swore that he was going to make Andor take lead on this and suffer for uncovering this case.”

  “And Lila?” Phillip asked. “What’s happening to her?”

  “Palya doesn’t even know if her case will go to court,” Manny said before Colin could answer. “Apparently, she confessed to everything and is co-operating with the police on only one condition.”

  “That they treat her with dignity.” Francine shook her head. “This must be the weirdest case ever. I’m so confused. On the one hand I think Lila is evil and on the other hand I think she’s a sad little girl.”

  “She killed a lot of people.” Manny put his hands in his trouser pockets. “She’s evil.”

  “Motivations are never that clear-cut.” I wished they were. It would make understanding people so much easier. “There are too many nuances to Lila’s motivation to say it was only the discrimination against her race that drove her.”

  “It seems like Hungary is feeling very divided about her actions.” Phillip had been following the news coverage closely. “Some people sympathise with her and others are screaming for life in prison or even the death penalty. This case is a nightmare for the politicians as well. No matter what they say, they’re alienating supporters.”

  “All because this girl was bullied.” Francine raised one hand and winked at me. “I know it’s much more complex than that, but as far as I’m concerned it’s what started her slide down the crazy-hill.”

  “What’s happening with that virus?” Phillip asked.

  “The one she threatened to unleash on millions of computers?” Francine rubbed her hands. “Pink and I decimated it. We killed it, crushed it, eradicated it, vaporised it.”

  “The bloody melodrama.” Manny turned to face Phillip and nodded towards Francine. “The two of them created a virus that infected the computers with Lila’s virus and destroyed the bad virus.”

  “Ooh. Look at you talking tech.” Francine put her arm through Manny’s and fluttered her eyelashes. When he leaned away, she laughed and looked at Phillip. “It’s exactly as he said, just much more complicated. But the computers of the world’s gamers are safe from Lila and her desire to expose everyone’s secrets.”

  “And my phone is safe.” Nikki sighed. “I’m so embarrassed about this.”

  “No worries, Nix. Pink made sure no one will get access to you again.” Francine lowered her chin and mock-glared at Nikki. “As long as you always update your software.”

  Nikki put her hand over her heart. “I promise. Promise, promise, promise.”

  “Good.” Francine looked at me. “Do we know how Andor is doing?”

  “Much better.” Roxy walked into the kitchen and immediately left when Vinnie flicked a dishcloth in her direction. She blew him kisses, then walked to the table. “I spoke to his doctor an hour ago. Andor should be released within the next three days.”

  “He says his mommy is driving him crazy.” Vinnie chuckled as he put a ceramic dish on the table. “He phoned me last night. His dad is seriously pissed off that Andor didn’t loop hi... sorry, Jen-girl—that Andor didn’t inform him that there was a serial killer in his jurisdiction. And even more pissed off when he found out about the art and the tournament from his aide.”

  “Garage is big and ugly enough to handle his dad,” Manny said. “He’ll most likely get a promotion out of this.”

  “I hope so.” Vinnie stood back from the table. “He’s a good cop. He deserves all the credit given to him.”

  “Can we eat, please?” Roxy cuddled against Vinnie’s side and blinked up at him. “I’m starving.”

  Vinnie chuckled. “Food’s ready. Come eat, everyone.”

  We had to add an extra two chairs to accommodate Pink and Daniel. I had to take a few deep breaths to accept the change. Seeing the unfiltered pleasure on Pink’s face and the relief on Daniel’s every time he looked at his team mate and friend was worth it.

  “A toast!” Nikki raised her glass of wine and waited until everyone raised their glasses. “To the best people anyone could ever ask for to have in their life and to keep them safe.”

  “Hear, hear.” Francine winked at her.

  Nikki looked at me. “To the absolute best person I could ever rely on.”

  “Hear, hear.” Everyone followed Francine’s initiative.

  Nikki looked at Colin. “And to the kindest, most caring person I’d ever want to emulate.”

  It was quiet around the table. Colin tensed, his carefree expression losing its truth.

  Manny got up and pointed his glass at Colin. He inhaled to speak, but didn’t say anything. He did that three more times. Emotion tightened the muscles in my throat as I watched the stoic man struggle for words. His jaw moved back and forth, his mouth working as he tried to gain control over his emotions. Then he pulled his shoulders back, pointed his glass again at Colin. “You’re a good man.”

  Francine, Roxy and Nikki were wiping tears from their cheeks. The affection on Vinnie’s face was for Colin even though he pulled Roxy against him and kissed the top of her head.

  Colin rubbed his hand over his eyes and focused on where my hand rested on his arm. His smile trembled when he took my hand in his and kissed my knuckles. That gave him time to compose himself. He raised his glass to Manny for a long moment, then to everyone else. “To family.”

  A rude sound came from Eric’s bottom where he was now sitting on Phillip’s lap and everyone burst out laughing. Manny sat down hard on his chair. “The mouths of babes.”

  “That didn’t come from his mouth, handsome.” Francine laughed and took a sip of her wine.

  The heaviness of the moment had been lifted, but not the depth of affection around the table. Bantering, insults, swearing and arguing ensued, but all was done without malice. I was fortunate. Lila had never known this. And now she never would. No matter what injustices had led her to commit her crimes, she was going to spend the rest of her life paying for them.

  Vinnie had prepared a completely traditional Hungarian meal. Cook had given him the recipes only after Vinnie had threatened him with the most of violent deaths. I didn’t understand it, but Cook had seemed happy and proud to receive those threats. Vinnie had even made miniature lángos for Nikki to enjoy. His chest had puffed when Nikki had rolled her eyes in pure enjoyment of the deep-fried dough.

  My phone pinged and I was surprised that it was a normal notification. Curious who it was, I swiped the screen and realised why Colin had not yet assigned ridiculous tones for this contact—she was new.

  “Who’s that?” Colin leaned closer to look at my phone’s screen.

  “Olivia.” I tilted the phone so he could see. “A selfie wit
h her children.”

  “She looks happy.” He was right. The woman in the photo, her face pressed together with her kids’, looked truly happy. Her smile was genuine, as were the children’s. “When did she get home?”

  I minimised the photo to read her text. “Her flight landed five hours ago. She’s exhausted, but very happy to be home.”

  When we’d seen her off at the villa, she’d told me that she’d asked Colin for advice, then she’d warned me that she was going to hug me. Her hug had been unreserved and her words of thanks genuine. I liked her. She’d hugged everyone, Colin last. He’d told me that this case had brought him closure on many levels, seeing Olivia happy and living a fulfilled life being one of the highlights.

  “I have an announcement to make,” Nikki said when we’d settled in the sitting area, waiting for Vinnie to bring the coffee. Excitement brought colour to her face and she shifted from side to side, Eric swaying on her hip. “There was a reason I came home earlier.”

  “I knew it!” Vinnie put the tray with steaming mugs on the coffee table and straightened. “Helping Pink, my ass. Why did you come home early, punk?”

  Her smile widened. “To help Pink.”

  “She’s telling the truth.” I knew all Nikki’s deception cues. None of them were evident.

  “So?” Manny lowered his brow. “Do we have to wait all day for your announcement?”

  “Nope.” She looked towards the other side of the apartment, the part where she, Vinnie and now Pink lived. She held out her arm towards the arch that connected the two apartments. “Show them, Pink.”

  Pink entered through the arch without his walking aid. His posture was straight as he slowly walked towards the sitting area. Francine gasped and Daniel put his hand over his mouth as they watched him make his way to us. Roxy squealed and jumped up. “Ooh! Look at that!”