Chapter Seven
Waiting nervously at a side entrance with Donovan and Phoebe, Jane wondered how she could have been so foolish. Looking back it was obvious Jimmy had never cared about her. He’d just wanted to use and manipulate her so he could steal something of great value from the family home. Though she did her best to swallow back a surge of emotion, a rogue tear escaped and slipped own her cheek.
“Jane, what’s wrong?” Phoebe asked softly.
“I feel so stupid. Why did I believe all his lies?”
“Because you were vulnerable, and people like Jimmy know how to exploit that,” Donovan murmured. “Trust me, you weren’t the first to be conned, and you won’t be the last. But your father will soon be hanging that portrait back in it’s rightful place, Jimmy will be caught, and hopefully so will the crooks he’s dealing with.”
“My phone,” she suddenly muttered, lifting it from her pocket. “It’s him. He’s parking. Oh, my gosh. What if he senses I’m up to something?”
“He’ll be too hungry for the money to worry about you, and even if he sees you’re nervous, considering the circumstances you should be. “And remember,” Phoebe interjected, “we’ll see everything on our phones behind that door, and your father’s watching the monitors. If anything happens we’ll be out like a shot. But it won’t. We’re turning the tables on this dirtbag. Once he gets to London he’ll be in for the shock of his life. That will be him coming through the gate?” she added, glancing outside then ducking back.
“Time for us to disappear,” Donovan said urgently.
As he and Phoebe slipped into a nearby room, Jane took a long deep breath, then watched Jimmy and his friend jog across the lawn towards her.
“Is everything set?” Jimmy asked quietly, panting as he reached her.
“Yes, but stay behind me just case.”
With her heart continuing to pound, she led him and his friend through the hall, past the library, then through the door and down into the basement.
“Hey, thanks, you sure covered it up good,” Jimmy remarked, grabbing her around the waist. “I’ll have to find a very special way to reward you. Maybe I’ll bring you back a new makeup kit. I miss seeing you with all that eyeshadow and red lipstick.”
“I can’t wear it in the house.”
“I don’t want you to wear it here, I want you looking that way just for me. But I need to hit the road. Come on, Nigel. Grab that other side. Keep a look out, Jane.”
Hurrying back up the stairs, she waited as Jimmy and his friend carefully carried the large painting up the steps and into the hall, then ran ahead to open the door leading outside.
“I’ll call you from London,” Jimmy promised as he passed her.
“Okay,” she muttered, not knowing what else to say, then watched them cross the lawn and disappear. Moving back inside, she leaned against the wall and let out a heavy breath.
“Jane, you were great,” Donovan exclaimed as he and Phoebe reappeared.
“I feel shaky,” she muttered. “When he grabbed me around the waist I wanted to scream and run.”
“And I wanted to storm down there and punch him in the nose!” her father declared, striding down the hall towards her carrying a small basket.
“Then I was scared when they were carrying it up the stairs,” she continued. “I kept thinking they might drop it. What a disaster that would have been.”
“But they didn’t. Everything’s going according to plan and it won’t be long before they’re both behind bars,” Donovan assured her.
“It occurred to me you might like a thermos of tea and something to eat on your drive,” Peter offered, handing him the basket. “I asked one of the kitchen staff to have it ready before they went up for the night, and please stay in close contact,” Peter added solemnly. “I’m sure some very bad actors will be waiting in London.”
* * *
Walking quickly to the front of the house, Donovan and Phoebe climbed into the waiting BMW SUV. While Donovan sped from the home and turned into the country road, Phoebe began watching the small red dot on her phone.
“What’s in that basket?” Donovan asked. “I suddenly feel like a quick bite.”
“Let me check.”
Placing the phone into a holder on the dashboard, she lifted the basket onto her lap and opened the lid.
“Ask and you shall receive,” she exclaimed. “Sponge cake, scones—”
“Of course,” he interrupted with a chuckle. “God forbid we go anywhere without scones.”
“Chocolate cookies, or rather, chocolate biscuits as they say here, and some finger sandwiches,” she added glancing up.
“Finger sandwiches,” he muttered, shaking his head. “I’ve never understood them. One bite and they’re gone.”
“This is true. How many do you want? Uh…Donovan, Jimmy’s slowing to a crawl. He wasn’t exactly going fast to begin with. I thought he’d be in a hurry.”
“He’s probably terrified something will happen to the painting,” Donovan suggested, glancing at the phone. “It will be loose in the back of that old van. If he has to slam on his brakes for some reason it will slide all over the place. That gorgeous antique frame could end up damaged.”
“We’re gaining a lot of ground. That’s weird. He stopped. I wonder if he broke down. Now he’s turning, he’s driving into the woods.”
“There must be a lane there. If he’s having engine trouble he’ll want to get off the road.”
“At this rate we’ll catch him in just a few minutes,” she remarked. “He’s stopped again. You’re right. Engine trouble. How do we handle this?”
“Unless…” Donovan muttered with a frown, easing his foot off the accelerator. “I’ve got a bad feeling about this. I think something else is going on.”
“Like what?”
“I’m not sure, but we’re about to find out,” he replied, speeding forward as he spoke.
“The turn-off will be just around this bend,” she exclaimed just a minute later.
Rolling off the road and parking under the trees, he turned off the headlights.
“I hate to say this but you need to come with me,” he said with a heavy frown. “If I’m right and there some bad actors around, you’ll be a sitting duck. But—”
“I know, I know, follow your orders.”
Lifting the center console and lifting out two guns, he checked the chambers and handed her one.”
“Correct, and I never thought I’d say this to a woman, but I’m very glad you know how to handle a gun.”
“Thanks, I think.”
“Turn all the sounds off on your phone,” he continued as lifted his from the holder.
Leaving the SUV and quietly closing the doors, they began creeping through the woods, but suddenly stopped in their tracks and ducked down.