Dana Mentink - Dangerous Melody

“You’re not going to touch my sister,” Tate barked.

Stephanie pulled Tate away, using all her strength to pry at his arms, which felt like steel bands under her fingers. “Let him go. You’re not helping Maria.” She had to keep Bittman talking long enough to find out how to rescue her father and now, it seemed, Maria, before Bittman got to her.

Bittman stood, adjusting his clothing. “I want you to locate my violin and the person in possession of it before Maria does. She might scare him off, and that would make me very angry, which, I am told, is a frightening prospect.”

Tate’s breath came in short bursts, and Stephanie worried for a moment that he would try to throttle Bittman again. She spoke quickly. “You could hire an investigator, a professional.”

“But I want you, Stephanie. You have the Treasure Seekers’ resources behind you and now, since your father’s life hangs in the balance, you have the ultimate motivation to complete the mission for me.”

Tate moved closer, and she felt his hand come to rest on the small of her back. It was the only thing that kept her mind from spinning completely out of control. For a moment, she thought Bittman was going to touch her, and she wondered how she would stand it. Tate tensed next to her, hand curled into a fist.

Bittman leaned close. “It is time for Treasure Seekers to go after the ultimate prize. Find it, and we will have everything we desire.”

We? She pulled back slightly, her back pushed into Tate’s chest. His fingers pressed her waist.

I’m here. He’s not going to hurt you, the pressure seemed to say.

“And if I can’t find the violin?” she whispered.

Bittman laughed softly before he whispered, “‘I looked, and behold a pale horse...’” He gave her a smile that from anyone else would have been warm and filled with humor, but from him, held another meaning entirely. Icy trickles snaked up her spine in spite of Tate’s reassuring touch and the fact that he moved her away from Bittman, inserting his own body between them.

Without a backward glance, Bittman was gone.

The room felt as if it was filled with tainted air, poisoned with a rank chemical that remained there even after Bittman’s departure. She stumbled out of the room and back into the cheerful kitchen, which now brought no comfort.

Tate was speaking, but he had to repeat the question twice before it penetrated her haze of fear. “What’s the business about the horse, Steph?”

She forced out the words. “We went riding a few times, back before I realized... He owns a stable full of the most beautiful horses you could imagine. So many to choose from, but he only rode one, a big stallion, completely white. The horse wasn’t a good trail rider, too wild and headstrong. I asked him why he always chose that particular horse.” She raised her eyes to Tate’s. “He said he liked the imagery.”

“Imagery?”

She swallowed hard. “It’s from Revelation. ‘I looked and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him...was Death.’”

FOUR

Stephanie sat next to Luca on the flight to southern California. A few hours before, Victor’s fiancée, Brooke, had arrived from San Diego to stay with Victor, who was showing signs of improvement. Stephanie offered up another prayer of thanks.

Luca did not want to leave their brother any more than she did, which added to the concern written on his face. They’d both thrown some necessities in a bag and she’d arranged for a neighbor to feed Tootsie before they were off to the airport. Luca was not one to rush anything, which she suspected added to his stress.

At least Tate was not with them to add fuel to Luca’s ire. He’d stayed with her at her house, combing through the research that Bittman emailed just after he’d left, until Luca arrived sometime in the wee hours.

“Tate’s not with Treasure Seekers. It’s better that he stays out of our way,” Luca growled.

“He’s not going to. He thinks Bittman’s going to hurt Maria, or she’s going to do something dumb trying to get her hands on that violin. Either way he’s going to stick with it until he knows for sure. He’s meeting us at the airport in Bakersfield. From there we go to Devlin’s shop. The one who contacted Bittman about the Guarneri.”

Luca shook his head. “Tate will be a problem.”

She allowed herself a smile, in spite of her weariness. “Dollars to donuts that’s exactly what he’s saying about you.”

Luca did not return the smile. “Steph, he’s bad news. Guy’s a pill popper and a hothead.”

Stephanie looked away for a moment. “I think he’s clean now.”

“You think?” Luca took her hand. “He almost got you killed. Plus, if he hadn’t shut you out, treated you like dirt, you never would have taken such a tailspin and started working full time for Bittman.”

She pulled away her hand. “Let’s be clear. I joined Bittman of my own free will, tailspin or not. What’s happening to Dad now, to Victor—” She blinked back a sudden onslaught of tears. “It’s my fault, not Tate’s.”

He took her hand again, his expression softer. “No blame games here. I’m sorry. I get overprotective.”

“You don’t say.”

He squeezed her fingers. “Just don’t let Tate back into your life.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t.” Once was more than enough.

He relaxed. “Run me through it again, sis. Bittman’s father owned a music store and he inherited the Guarneri from a deceased uncle some twenty years ago. The violin has some special name, doesn’t it?”

“The Quinto Guarneri.” She nodded, glad to be in problem-solving mode. “It was given that name by the virtuoso violinist who once played it. There was a fire and the Quinto was presumed destroyed, though Bittman claimed someone set the fire. He further claims a second person was in the shop, a homeless man Hans Bittman allowed to stay there. Bittman believes while he was trying to get his father, Hans, out, the homeless man made off with the Guarneri before the store burned to the ground, but the cops could not substantiate any of it. Bittman’s older brother, Peter, was killed in the fire. He was mentally disabled; Bittman believes he hid under the bed until the smoke was too much for him. Hans Bittman went out of business and died shortly thereafter of a stroke.”

Luca’s eyes narrowed. “So Bittman thinks this violin that surfaced is the one stolen from his father and the guy who has it...”

She nodded. “Is the one who took it from the shop. He’s also the guy who saw the arsonist and...” She trailed off.

“And what?”

“And it’s the only time I ever saw him show emotion, the few moments when he spoke of his father or brother. Whatever happened that night changed him forever.” She chewed a fingernail. “Bittman went to a lot of trouble to involve us.”

Luca’s eyes roved her face. “I think he’s got ulterior motives. He wants you, Steph, that’s clear. He’s never gotten over the fact that you quit working for him.”

Her cheeks flamed. “He had to know I would, after I found out that he used me to break into that security system.” He’d directed her to steal a car, a Bugatti Veyron, supposedly to test out the antitheft system he’d installed. She’d stolen it all right, only it wasn’t Bittman’s car; it belonged to a man named Brown. The Gage family immediately rallied around Stephanie and appealed to Brown not to press charges. Brown was not swayed until suddenly, he dropped the charges with no explanation and sold the car to Bittman a week later. Stephanie had the suspicion Bittman had applied some excruciating pressure of his own. She also believed Bittman thought that by involving her in illegal dealings, he could blackmail her into staying with him. Blackmail was one of his specialties.