Read psychic crystal 03 - killer cruise for Free Online Page B

laughing to herself. Everyone mistook Juliette for her sister. They looked very much alike, and Juliette appeared to be so young that no one would have guessed they were actually mother and daughter. “I’ve looked through the gallery, and most of what you have here is mediocre, and I think you know that. Beautiful, yes, but to anyone who knows anything about art, to someone with a trained eye, they’re hardly collectibles. Your Chagall, on the other hand, is either a damn good reproduction or it’s real, and if it is, it’s been off the market for years. Do you mind me asking who purchased this particular painting?”
    “We don’t give out personal information about our patrons,” Wade said, wringing his hands impatiently.
    “Has this patron bought any more paintings on this trip?”
    “I’m afraid I can’t say. Now, how about one of these landscapes from a yet undiscovered but very promising young painter from Prague? If you like his work, I can give you a good price.”
    Wade led them over to the other side of the gallery, Kate and Juliette reluctantly following. They passed some oil and acrylic paintings on canvas, drawings, lithographs, etchings, and engravings before Juliette stopped in front of a collection of watercolors.
    “Kate, these are lovely,” Juliette said.
    “Yes,” Kate admitted. “They are pretty scenes, but—”
    Wade turned over the painting to display the price: $700. “If you’d like, I can give you another by this same artist for $300, so for $1,000 you could have two paintings to take home, including the custom frames.”
    “I’m afraid I couldn’t afford these, Mr. Randall,” Juliette said, her downcast eyes expressing her disappointment.
    “Mom, if you really like these paintings, I’d love to buy them for you.”
    “Kate, that’s very generous, but I couldn’t accept them.”
    “Fill out your name on this card. I want to buy them both for you.”
    Juliette smiled. “I’ve never owned anything so beautiful. Thank you.” Juliette couldn’t stop staring at the paintings.
    Wade opened a drawer and pulled out a single glossy sheet. “Here is some literature about this particular artist.” He handed Juliette the artist’s bio. She filled out the form with her name, address, and cabin number, and handed it to Wade.
    Not to be dissuaded, Kate turned purposefully back toward the original stack of paintings, to a particular Chagall. “I’m afraid I have my heart set on this Chagall or one of these other quality pieces you’re hiding in the alcove. I would be willing to exceed any current bids.”
    “As I’ve told you before, they’ve all been presold,” Wade apologized impatiently. “We’re not hiding anything.”
    “By the same mysterious buyer?” Kate wondered.
    Wade was silent for a moment. “Perhaps you can take another look around, ladies, to see if there’s anything else you like. We have another week until the auction, and we’ll be here the entire time until then.”
    “I’m afraid we have dinner reservations, but thank you for your time,” Kate said, backing away, almost choking on the murky aura in the alcove.
    “Since you’re buying the paintings, you’ll need to fill out a form, too,” said Wade, “with your cabin number.”
    Juliette flashed wary eyes at the man.
    The man addressed Kate, but his eyes skewered Juliette. “Miss Hale, isn’t it? And what did you say your cabin number was?”
    “She didn’t,” answered Juliette, grabbing Kate’s hand as she shoved her daughter out the door, where they bumped into Jack and Will.
    “Kate, what’s wrong?” Jack asked. “You look as if you’ve seen a ghost.”
    “Well, in a way I have. The ghosts of some long dead artists, whose genius has survived.”
    “I don’t understand.”
    “Some of the paintings Juliette and I saw in there… They’re stolen. They offer those Old Masters and others as a come-on. The auctioneer claims they’re all spoken for. I doubt they were ever really