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was not literally taken apart stone by stone. Huge chunks of it were left intact. The workmen simply built a protective crate around the big pieces and put them on the boat. A lot of furniture and some artwork were also shipped over, but almost all of that is gone now. Poor Uncle Digby had to sell it off in order to keep the place going."

                "Uncle Digby was convinced the treasure existed and that it was still somewhere in the villa. He spent years looking for it," Elyssa explained. "It only makes sense to take a shot at it ourselves before we give up the place."

                Doug smiled indulgently as he glanced at his sister. "If Mr. Quarrel is willing to take on both jobs at once, I'd like to hire him for a week."

                It was time to do business. Verity smiled in a professional way. She hoped she didn't look too eager. "You do understand that Jonas's time is very valuable, and the sort of project you're describing, a stone-by-stone examination of the villa, would be quite expensive."

                "Oh," said Elyssa, "we're prepared to pay his going rate, whatever that is for a full week. Perhaps longer if necessary. Do you think Mr. Quarrel might be interested in the job?"

                "I think," Verity said thoughtfully, "that Mr. Quarrel would be very interested." Visions of an island vacation in a Renaissance villa swam in her mind. The Puget Sound was not the South Pacific, but sometimes you had to take what you could get. "I generally accompany him on consulting trips within the continental U.S.," she said delicately.

    "We'd love to have you come along with him," Elyssa said quickly. "We'd pay all expenses, naturally."

                "Naturally," Verity said smoothly, feeling very businesslike. "Can I offer you another cup of espresso while we work out the details?"

                By the time Verity had finished explaining the whole thing to Laura as they soaked in a spa pool that night, she was convinced that she had heretofore undiscovered talents as a business manager.

    "This could open up a real career for Jonas," she told Laura enthusiastically. "It's perfect."
                "The part about the treasure hunt sounds like a waste of time," Laura stated.

                "So what? At the very least Doug will get a proper academic report detailing the age and design of the villa. That should take care of impressing his potential buyers. If Jonas locates a treasure along the way, that'll just be icing on the cake."

                "Think Jonas is going to go for the idea of a treasure hunt?" "Why not? It's just the type of thing that might really appeal to him."

    "And you get a week's vacation out of it," Laura concluded with a nod. "You know, it's not such a bad

    idea at all. A little unusual, but it has possibilities. Maybe Jonas really will go for it."

                Verity leaned her head back against the tile. "Jonas doesn't have much choice in the matter," she admitted. "I've already accepted the job on his behalf. The Warwicks left a five-hundred-dollar retainer fee with me."

                Laura's eyes crinkled at the corners. "Be interesting to see what Jonas thinks about his new consulting business."

                Verity wondered about that herself. She had been pondering the problem since the Warwicks had left. She was still mulling over the right approach for telling Jonas about his new consulting assignment as she hurried back along the dark path that led from the resort to her cabin.

                The path was treacherous. Crusts of ice were already forming. Verity plunged her hands deep into the pockets of her down parka, hunching her shoulders against the chill.

                The steps leading up to her deck were icy and she used the rail to steady herself. The porch light was out. She frowned, certain that she had left it on