chapter THIRTY-EIGHT
I saw Courtney at The Chapel more often over the next week, always with Samuel. Sometimes she seemed so young, so naive, but then I caught a glimpse of ruthlessness in her face, and knew she would stop at nothing to be brought into the coven.
“How are things with you and your mom?” I asked her one night while Vittorio and Samuel talked business.
“Alright, I guess. She doesn’t nag me anymore, at least.”
“She really does love you.”
“I guess.” She watched Samuel.
I realized the look in her eye was not love. It was closer to possessiveness.
“What?” she asked.
“You don’t love him, do you?”
“Why do you care?” She crossed her arms over her chest.
“He’s a friend, of sorts.” I shrugged, still unsure how to classify Samuel. My power still did not trust him.
“That’s high praises,” she snorted.
“He is Vittorio’s best friend.”
“That still doesn’t explain why you care whether I love him or not.” She reached toward her ear as if to fidget with a metal addition, then stopped herself midway.
“I’m just trying to figure you out,” I said.
“Why?”
“Curiosity. Maybe I like you.” In reality, I hoped to figure out why she had gone home so easily. Her sudden change still didn’t sit well with me.
“I don’t see that it’s any of your business,” she said, then stood and walked to Samuel, interrupting his conversation with Vittorio with a very sensual kiss.
Vittorio left them to their kiss and sat next to me. “She leaves your conversations often. I am not sure she likes you, mio amore,” Vittorio said.
“I can’t figure her out. Why did she go home so easily?”
“Are you still worried about that? Do not let it bother you. We have bigger problems.” He flicked his eyes toward Elizabeth. “She is planning something, but I do not know what.”
“How do you know?” I played my hand along the back of his, never quite able to stop touching him when we were close.
“She seems to have given up on you, but I know her better than that. I have seen her like this once before.”
“What do you mean?”
“Before she was Dama D’Onore, she worked hard to gain Aerin’s affection. Aerin would not replace the woman who held the position at the time, and it seemed as if Elizabeth had given up on it. Then one day, the woman was found dead in her home, an apparent suicide. Elizabeth had a bullet proof alibi, but when Aerin appointed her as the Maiden, it seemed all too convenient, as it is too convenient for Elizabeth to simply ignore you now.”
Icy fingers clutched my gut. “You think she’s going to try to kill me?”
“I do not know, mio amore, but we must be careful of her and her trusted circle.”
“You mean Neal and Jonah?”
“Yes.”
I huddled close to Vittorio, and he held me tight. My job as a P.I. wasn’t always safe, but I had never felt truly in fear of my life before.
Ms. Carmen was frantic when she burst into my office the next day. “Elena, someone has stolen my map!”
“I’m sorry, what happened?”
“Remember the map I told you about, the one that Samuel Porter wanted to buy?” She paced in front of my desk.
“Yes. Please, won’t you sit down?” Her pacing fed into my already frayed nerves.
“It’s gone! And Courtney hasn’t been home in two days.” She just about collapsed into an empty chair.
“Do you think she took it?” I slowly sipped my coffee, hoping if I remained calm she would follow suit.
“I don’t know, but there was no break-in. I don’t want to think that of my daughter, but it’s the only thing I can think of. I have a security system on the house, and another in the room where I keep my artifacts. Can you find it, and her, for me?”
“Which is more important?” I sensed it was the map.
“My daughter, of course.” She tried to feign offense, but I knew it was false.
“Why is this map so important?” I reached for a pen and notepad.
“Ponce de Leon drew it himself, which is why it is so sought after. Most people believe the Fountain of Youth to be located somewhere in the Caribbean. This map shows it to be on an island in the Gulf of Honduras, but the island doesn’t seem to exist.”
“Do you have the map insured?” I asked after making a note about the map.
“Of course I do, but why does that matter?”
“Just trying to gather all the facts, Ms. Carmen. Have you reported this to the police?”
“No. With the map and my daughter disappearing at the same time, I suspect she took it, and I don’t want to involve the police. I don’t want something like that to go on her record. You did such a good job of finding her the first time, I thought you could find her again.”
I had some very solid ideas of where the map was, but didn’t want to tell her anything until I was sure. “I’ll find your daughter and ask her if she knows anything about it. You already know my rate. I’ll be in touch.” I stood and led her to the door, not in the mood for niceties. Her tone made it plain she was more worried about the map than her daughter this time.