A Witch in Venice

Chapter 2: Lost Treasures

Venice. Tuesday, January 2, 2006.

Raquel's shop was in a narrow passageway next to Campo San Maurizio. The overhanging medieval buildings obscured it from view until you were practically on top of it. The effect was similar to chancing upon a hidden tomb filled with undiscovered riches. It made an appropriate setting for Raquel. The Egyptologist had discovered a lucrative business in selling antique jewelry—both reproductions and genuine. She was on Peter's radar as a possible trafficker in stolen goods and forgeries, and Raquel had been brought in occasionally for questioning, but nothing had ever been proven.

When Neal entered Lost Treasures, a sales assistant greeted him in Italian. A minute later, Raquel came out from a back room.

"I found my love in the secret canal," she said, arching a sculpted eyebrow.

"Feet dangling down in the water," he responded in kind, finishing the line of ancient Egyptian poetry, and kissing her on the cheeks in the Italian manner.

"I was glad to get your call," she said, linking an arm through his. "I'd hoped you wouldn't leave Venice without visiting me. Come into my office where we can chat."

Raquel had streaked her brunette hair with golden highlights since the last time he saw her, but her sultry smile was just the same. Neal had first met her when he worked for Klaus, and she was operating out of Berlin. She relocated to Venice around the time he moved back to the States. Raquel kept a close watch on the pulse of the art world, both above and underground.

If artists were being plagued by supernatural entities, she'd likely have heard about it. But in Neal's experience, Raquel rarely offered anything for free. When he asked for her assistance to take down Keller, her cooperation was contingent upon his retrieval of an item of dubious provenance that had been stolen from her. What would she demand this time?

Raquel's office, like her shop, was furnished in a blend of the Empire style with Egyptian revival. The opulence of the furnishings helped to justify the extravagant prices of her jewelry.

"I was surprised to hear you were in Venice," she said, gesturing for him to take a seat on a mahogany chair upholstered in Chianti silk. "I didn't think your dual paths at the FBI and Columbia left you much time for travel."

"This was a study trip to research my thesis."

She tilted her head. "And your trip to Parma was also part of your thesis?"

Neal wasn't surprised she'd heard about him being in Parma. Mozzie had spread the word on the dark web that Neal had stolen a Da Vinci painting from a museum in that town. If Raquel thought he was still a thief, she'd help keep his reputation intact. He smiled. "You heard about the theft of the Da Vinci?"

"And its recovery," she said, eyeing him appraisingly. "A valued client of mine, Gino Nardone, was arrested in connection with the painting. I've heard various rumors about what happened."

Neal kept his appearance calm and relaxed. He and Peter had already agreed upon the explanation. "The theft was reportedly a commission job. Nardone attempted to rewrite the contract afterward, but the terms were unsatisfactory." That was skirting the line on what actually took place but was sufficiently vague that Neal didn't feel it qualified as a lie.

"So it's true you work for two bosses? The FBI and Steinar Wolff?"

Neal didn't answer. He didn't need to. Raquel was smug in the knowledge that she was right, and Peter would be pleased that his alias was acquiring a life of its own.

"Is it also under Wolff's orders that you're seeing an insurance agent?"

Neal had been prepared about Steinar but not Sara. The news that Raquel was aware of what until very recently had been a secret relationship was dismaying, but he didn't betray it in his expression. Like it or not, Sara had just become part of the con. "I'm free to see whoever I wish," Neal said, opting to provide the minimum amount of information.