Page 104 of Gabriel's Promise (Gabriel's Inferno 4)

But the Scripture was a caution to those living in prosperity. And Gabriel knew that he was among them.

Coupled with the symbolism of the Scripture, there was the provenance of the object itself. It had belonged to a man killed for revenge.

Is the object a message? he wondered. And if I’m being warned or targeted for revenge, why?

Chapter Fifty-Four

Julia was in love with Miami.

Hotel Estrella in South Beach had several pools. Families favored the Center Pool, which boasted an ocean view, daybeds, and cabanas.

Julia made herself at home on a double chaise longue underneath an umbrella and brought Clare to the side of the pool. They both wore hats and sunglasses. Julia dunked Clare’s feet in the water and she kicked happily.

Julia had just ordered a frozen drink from an obliging waiter when Gabriel came striding down the deck.

He was wearing sunglasses and a black Adidas jacket, along with black swim trunks. Julia noticed that several heads turned as he walked toward her.

“Hi.” He crouched next to them and gently tugged Clare’s sunhat. “Do you like the water?”

Clare reached for him and he pretended to bite her fingers, making a growling noise. Clare shrieked and giggled, putting her hand out so he would do it again.

“Do you mind if I take a quick jog on the beach?” Gabriel asked Julia. “I need to clear my head.”

“Are you okay?” Julia lowered her sunglasses.

Gabriel kept his eyes shielded. “Yes. Massimo had an update about the sculpture we found at the house. Nothing urgent. I’ll update you when I come back.”

“I ordered a virgin margarita. Do I need to change my order?”

The edges of Gabriel’s lips turned up. “No. I’ll be back soon.” He deposited his jacket and his sandals with Julia before tugging Clare’s hat again.

He waved just before he descended the staircase that led to the beach, leaving Julia to ponder what had left him so disquieted.

* * *

Gabriel ran.

He kept close to the waterline, enjoying the sounds and rhythm of the surf, his mind thousands of miles away in Florence, Italy.

The memento mori came from the Medici. In itself, it was a wondrous find. But how did the piece come to be in the possession of a thief? And why had he left it in Gabriel’s house?

Professional art thieves sold their goods to collectors; they rarely kept them. A bead from a chaplet was a strange piece for a thief to have in his pocket, unless it was resting there for a purpose.

Revenge.

Gabriel quickly rejected the notion that he was being targeted for revenge. Yes, he’d offended his share of people over time, including disgruntled students and jealous colleagues. And no doubt his face had been plastered on more than one woman’s dartboard, although he had been discreet with his liaisons and had tried to restrict them to women who understood the temporary nature of their connection.

There was Professor Singer, for example. But she was in Toronto and he doubted she’d hired a professional thief from Italy and asked him to leave a death threat in his house. That wasn’t her style. Professor Singer would deliver any and all threats personally.

And there was Paulina. But she was happily married and living in Minnesota. They’d made peace and he believed she wished him well. Again, she had no cause for revenge, at least not now.

As for the thief’s possible connection to Italy and perhaps to Florence, Gabriel couldn’t imagine what he’d done to attract the ire of a Florentine. He’d been a lover of Italian history, literature, and culture for years and had supported the museums of Florence with generous donations.

Nicholas Cassirer’s parents had sold him the Botticelli illustrations. But they were reproductions of Botticelli’s originals, likely done by one of his students. Perhaps there had been other interested parties who would know now that Gabriel was the successful buyer. But to come after him now, after so many years, seemed unthinkable.

A piece of the puzzle was missing. Without it, he couldn’t see the whole picture. Without it, he couldn’t be sure of the thief’s motives for anything. All Gabriel had were theories and hypotheses, seve

ral of which might fit.