Hold Me Close (Ryker Falls #5) - Wendy Vella Page 0,61
snarled. “Murder, bank robbery, and now this?”
“I don’t know,” he managed to get out around the tightness in his chest.
“She’s okay, bud. Chief Blake said she wasn’t there.”
“Yeah, right, I know that.”
“Take a couple of breaths for me, Fin. Your knuckles are white on the wheel.”
He did as his friend told him and felt calmer as he pulled up at the gallery, but only marginally.
Parking, he leapt out and ran inside Artsy Fartsy. He saw her right off. She’d clearly showered recently, as her hair was a mass of wild wet curls, and her face was tight with worry. His heart literally sighed just looking at her, and right then he gave up the fight.
Her eyes found his, and he saw the anger and devastation.
“You okay?” He moved to her side, slipping an arm around her shoulders.
“Some bastard broke in here and ransacked my place. I’m definitely not okay!”
“Gotcha.”
She wasn’t crying, but Fin thought it was close. He ran a hand down her back; it was rigid.
“I don’t understand why.” The words were tight. “I sent Joan home, she was so upset. No point in her being here, as we won’t open today.”
“Did she touch anything, Maggs?” Chief Blake asked her.
“No, I told her to just stay outside.”
“Good. I need to speak with her. I’ll head there after.”
“The worst is in the store room.”
Fin heard Chief Blake and Joe discussing what had happened while he went into the back room to take a look. The gallery itself looked undamaged. Entering, he saw the carnage. The back door hung open. Things seem to have been thrown everywhere. Paper, packing stuff, all in a mess on the floor.
“Clearly they were looking for something.” Chief Blake joined him. “Joss Holden’s car was broken into not far from here and ransacked. I wonder if it’s the same people. My guess is they were after money.”
“What morons would break into an art gallery and think they’d find cash?” Fin said.
“Morons high on something,” Chief Blake said. “My hope is the fingerprints they left behind will help ID them. We’ve had a spate of thefts lately, and only money has been taken.”
“And you think it’s people looking for drug money?” Joe asked.
“It fits. We’ve already arrested Ned Sotheby’s boy. Found him high as a kite walking over the roofs of parked cars on the main street.”
“Okay, so they tried for money in my safe, then got angry and just went on a destructive rampage?”
“That’s my take, Maggie,” Chief Blake said. “Nothing here seems damaged, just thrown about the place, which adds weight to my theory that they were looking for money.”
“Great, that makes me feel better.”
“Just stating facts, Maggs.” Chief Blake rubbed her arm. “This type of thing is never easy on the recipient.”
“I feel violated.”
Fin pulled her to his side.
“This kind of shit just makes me really mad,” Joe said.
Amen, Fin thought. If he knew who’d done this, he’d go find them right now and beat the crap out of them. No one upset his girl like this and got away with it!
Chapter 26
Looking around at what someone had done to her pride and joy, Maggie wanted to cry. This had always been the place she found peace. Her workspace, the place she’d created, her dream.
“Bastards!”
“Chief Blake will catch them, sweetheart.” Joe brushed a kiss on her cheek before he wandered over to inspect something.
“I think Chief Blake is right in that they were looking for something,” Fin said.
He still stood beside her, an arm around her shoulders, and she had to fight the urge to turn into that body and let him hold her. She didn’t need to fall apart; she’d done that enough over the last year. Yes, her gallery had been broken into, but no one was hurt, and she would put it back the way it had been.
She made herself step away from Fin.
“I need to take photographs, Maggie. Get my deputy to tag everything and bag it. You can clean up after that,” Chief Blake said.
“Okay. You and Joe can go, Fin. I’ve got this.” Maggs didn’t look at him. He wore a Christmas sweater, and it should look silly, but of course didn’t. The man could wear a flour sack and look hot.
The look the park ranger threw her was enough to force her back a step. “That’s probably the most stupid and insulting thing you’ve said to me.”
“Excuse me, but I just had my place of business torn apart, and you’re calling me stupid?”