“Yes, now!”
Half an hour later they were in a police boat and back at the loading dock of Princess Marina, as Athena flashed her most winning smile at the crew and asked for Vladimir again. She wanted to hear what they’d say. One of the deckhands told her that he’d just left. Athena looked disappointed and then asked if Natasha was there. Theo had mentioned her name to her. They said they weren’t sure and went to ask. And a moment later Steve and Athena were on their way upstairs again. Natasha looked nervous when she saw them, and didn’t know what Vladimir would say about her talking to them. But she couldn’t refuse to speak to the police either, or thought she couldn’t. She was frightened by their visit and what it might mean. What if they knew something, and accused her of being an accomplice, since the paintings were on the boat and so was she? What if they arrested her and she went to prison? The thought of it was horrifying. She hadn’t decided yet what to do about what she had seen in the gun room, whom she should tell, or if she owed it to Vladimir to stay silent. And what it could mean for her if she didn’t. She didn’t dare contact Theo, but she could imagine how distressed he was, with twelve of his father’s paintings gone.
Athena moved into the conversation gently, as she sat with Natasha on the upper deck, and asked her about the portrait Theo had done of her and if she liked it.
“It’s very pretty,” she said, smiling. “He’s a very good artist.” Athena nodded agreement, hoping she’d relax. She could see how nervous Natasha was, and she wasn’t sure why. Maybe she wasn’t allowed to talk to anyone without Vladimir present. He seemed to keep her in seclusion. Athena asked her then how well she knew Theo. “Not at all,” she said quickly. “I’ve only seen him a few times, at the restaurant the first time we went, when he delivered a painting here, and when he brought me the portrait, and I ran into him once at an art fair in London. I didn’t know he was Lorenzo Luca’s son until I saw the portrait and his bio at an art opening I went to in Paris.” She didn’t mention their one lunch in Paris and didn’t want Vladimir to find out.
“You’re not friends, then?” Natasha shook her head and then looked worried.
“Did he say we are?” She looked surprised.
“No, he didn’t,” Athena said honestly. She didn’t want to lie to her and scare her off totally. She didn’t know why, but she had the feeling Natasha knew something, but she couldn’t figure out what. She would have given a week’s pay to read her mind. “He seems like a nice guy, though. He’s very upset about his father’s paintings, as you can imagine. It’s pretty shocking to lose twelve of them at once.” Especially to the tune of a hundred million dollars.
“It must be terrible,” Natasha said softly, looking upset and sympathetic. And then she glanced at Athena. “Do you think they’ll find them?” She hoped they would, she just didn’t want Vladimir to go to prison for it. She felt torn in both directions.
“I don’t know,” Athena said quietly. “Art thefts are strange. Sometimes people keep them and hide them, just to know they own them. Or they get frightened and destroy them, or they disappear to other countries. It depends on why they were stolen. By a frustrated art lover who couldn’t buy them, or as some kind of revenge. Or to sell them. We don’t know why they were stolen, which makes them harder to find.” It had been a month since they were taken, and there were no clues. Natasha nodded thoughtfully as she listened. “Do you have any ideas about it?” she asked her innocently, and Natasha shook her head with an unhappy look, as though she didn’t want to discuss it.
“No, I don’t.” She wished that Athena would stop looking at her as though she knew something. She had eyes that seared right into Natasha’s brain and tore at her conscience. She kept thinking of what she’d seen and wished she hadn’t, and she knew what he’d done was wrong. But she didn’t want to betray him. He had always been good to her. But he had stolen a hundred million dollars’ worth of art, and perhaps if they found out, they would blame her too, and think she had known about it. Why were they talking to her now? Maybe they suspected her. “We were almost boarded by pirates off Croatia,” she said to change the subject, and Athena looked shocked.
“How awful. That must have been terrifying.”
“It was. But we got away, and no one was hurt.” But she still looked troubled as she said it. She was thinking of the gun room again. And Athena could tell something was upsetting her, more than just the pirates.
“That could have been very dangerous if you were boarded,” Athena said sympathetically. She was startled by how young Natasha seemed. She had the feeling that Natasha didn’t speak to strangers often, and led a totally sequestered life.
“I know,” Natasha almost whispered, remembering the pirates, and the paintings. And then feeling swept away by a wave of compassion for Theo, Natasha knew she had to tell her. It was too wrong, and she didn’t want to be part of it. She wanted Theo to get his father’s paintings back. And Vladimir hadn’t stolen one, he’d stolen twelve. “The crew got out the guns. We keep them in a locked room for emergencies.” She looked straight at Athena as she said it. She stood up then, as though she had to go somewhere, and Athena understood that the visit was over. They had come up dry again. She was discouraged by her gut feeling that whatever this girl knew—and she thought there was something—she obviously wasn’t going to tell her. Natasha walked her downstairs herself from the upper deck, and halfway between two levels, she turned to Athena and spoke in a whisper.
“I think they’re in the gun room. I saw them.” And then she continued down the stairs, expressionless, as though she had said nothing. Athena was shocked for an instant, but didn’t react, and looked casual and relaxed as they continued down to the loading dock, and thanked her for letting her come onboard. She knew that Natasha had just endangered herself by giving her the information, and didn’t want to increase the risk she had just taken. It was incredibly brave of her. They shook hands formally, and Athena looked disinterested as she and Steve got in the police boat. He had stayed downstairs to talk to the crew and shoot the breeze. Athena had wanted to be alone with her, in case she was shy, and they connected better without a man present. She was still struck by Natasha’s seeming innocence, and bowled over by what she’d told her, but it didn’t show.