Kent Conwell - Tony Boudreaux 15 - The Mona Lisa Murders Read Free Page A

straight. I gestured to the couch. ‘Sit.’ Remembering the light in the marsh from the night before, I drew the drapes over the glass doors.
    ‘Now,’ I said, plopping down in the chair beside the couch. ‘First things first. This package. Why would someone steal it? What’s so valuable about it they would want to hurt you?’
    The slender young woman ran the tip of her tongue over her lips, wetting them. ‘That’s just it. I don’t know. I answered an ad on Williamsonlist dot com to transport a sealed package from Miami to the Steep Bluff Ranch in Texas. A big cattle and horse ranch.’
    ‘A package. Why not UPS or Federal Express?’
    She shrugged. ‘No idea. All I know is when I get the package to the ranch, they’ll give me a cashier’s check for five thousand dollars.’ She paused and grinned. ‘With my savings, I’ll have enough for tuition for the next couple years. I won’t have to work so I can spend all my time studying. I’ll worry about my senior year later.’
    My experience in investigative law immediately raised half-a-dozen red flags, none of which would now serve any purpose by being hoisted. If anything, they would make her even more defensive.
    ‘Where is the package now?’
    ‘In a luggage bin at the bus station in New Orleans.’
    ‘The key?’
    ‘In the mail to me at my hotel.’
    I couldn’t resist grinning at her foresight. ‘What hotel?’
    ‘Southplace Courtyards. Near St John’s Cemetery in Metairie.’
    ‘You have no idea what’s in the packages?’
    Latasha’s forehead wrinkled in a frown. ‘From talk I heard, it has something to do with the Mona Lisa.’
    This was the second time today someone had mentioned the Mona Lisa. ‘The painting? The one in that museum over in France?’
    She gave me a look of exasperation. ‘The Louvre.’
    ‘Yeah. That one. You haven’t looked in the package?’
    ‘No.’ she shook her head adamantly. ‘The box is sealed. If it’s open, I don’t get paid.’
    I’ve seen a bunch of scams and cons, many of which have gilded many pockets and shrunk many bank accounts. On the other hand, I’ve witnessed the obscenely rich spend money on outrageously idiotic wishes, but this one I couldn’t figure.
    Leaning back, I studied her. She didn’t strike me as one of those flaky college kids, but rather a sensible young woman. ‘Who did you contract with?’
    ‘His name is Uberto Bianchi. He’s an antiquities dealer in Paris. I checked his credentials. He’s legitimate. I talked to several dealers in the U.S., and they’ve all heard of him. He’s one of the largest brokers of antiquities in the world.’
    ‘Bianchi? I’ve heard that name before. Just this morning.’
    She nodded. ‘Probably from Antone. He was fishing with you.’
    My jaw dropped open. ‘Antone? You know him?’
    ‘Oh, yes. He went out with you this morning to learn how much you know.’
    I gaped at her. ‘How much I know? About what?’
    ‘About the Mona Lisa, of course.’ She ducked her head, her cheeks coloring. ‘I feel foolish now, but I didn’t know if I could trust you. Even though you are my cousin, I had to know if you were mixed up with those goons trying to steal the package from me.’ She paused, her cheeks coloring. ‘Sorry.’
    Even after I found my voice, my words weren’t too coherent. ‘You mean—Antone—that he—’
    She nodded emphatically. ‘He was questioning you. He told me later, he felt guilty about lying to you because you were a nice guy.’ Latasha smiled sheepishly. ‘We had to be sure.’
    I couldn’t argue her point. I didn’t know a thing about art. ‘Where is he now?’
    ‘Downstairs. Around. Whoever that bunch is, they tried to kidnap me before I got out of Miami. Antone ran them off the road. Messed up both cars. Antone told me to get out of there before the cops showed. I ran into him later in New Orleans and he offered to help me.’
    I’ve been in crazier situations, but at that moment, I couldn’t remember