Page 73 of Risky Obsession

“Oh, good. He’s not in his shop today. Do you know why?”

A deep frown crossed her forehead. “No. That’s odd.”

“The sign on his door says he’s ill.”

Her hand went to her chest. “Oh, I hope not. He’s the guest speaker at the charity ball tonight.”

She turned to her desk, plucked a poster from a stack of papers, and handed it to me. Two pictures were at the top, one was a glorious castle. The other was a man dressed in a tuxedo and beaming like a proud father.

Gunter.

Kane leaned closer, his eyes narrowing as he pointed at the bold text. “Can you please translate this for us?”

“Of course.” She lifted the glasses hanging from a gold chain around her neck onto her nose. “A night through time: Gala Ball featuring Gunter Sachs, Renowned Symbologist.”

Kane’s eyes shimmered. “That’s interesting.”

“Sure is,” I said, hoping Kane didn’t see my confusion.I should probably know what a symbologist did for a living.

I pointed at the paragraph below the heading. “And this section?”

She read out loud for us. “Immerse yourself in the rich tapestry of our region’s history with a captivating presentation by Gunter Sachs, a renowned antique dealer with an uncanny ability to decipher puzzles locked away within historical objects. Dance the night away to live music and savor a delectable dinner and free-flowing champagne as we celebrate our fascinating history.”

Kane swept his gaze at me. “I guess that’s where we’ll find him.”

“Oh.” The woman’s eyes widened. “You won’t get a ticket. This sold out months ago. It’s very prestigious. Even Baroness Sophia van der Hausen is attending.”

I raised my eyebrows, acting surprised, yet I had no idea who the baroness was.

“I know.” Her eyes dazzled. “That’s why she hired extra security. She’s worried about her jewels being stolen. If I were her, I would leave them at home.”

Kane lifted the saleswoman’s hand and made a show of admiring her jewelry.

“But exquisite quality deserves to be on show.” He gave the womanthatsmile, and she was so flustered it was a wonder she didn’t pass out.

“Oh.” She giggled, wriggling her fingers on her other hand to show off her abundant rings. “I know. I know.”

“May we take this poster?” Kane released her hand.

“Yes, of course.”

“Will you be attending the gala tonight?” I asked.

“I wish. You wouldn’t believe the pieces of jewelry I have sold for this event,” she said. “I would love to see them on show. But the price of the ticket is out of my budget, I’m afraid.”

“That is a shame.” Kane swept his finger through his hair, and I had the feeling he would have bought her a ticket if the event wasn’t sold out.

“Thank you. You have been very helpful.” I hooked my hand through his elbow and guided him away from her.

I released my grip on him as we walked out the door into the frigid air. We returned to the front of Gunter’s closed shop.

“You know we need to go to that ball, to find Gunter,” he said.

“We sure do.” I rubbed my hands together and blew into my palms, trying to warm them up. “But how will we get in when it’s sold out?”

“Don’t know yet, but we’ll figure it out. We’ll need to find some appropriate outfits though.”

Frowning, I scanned the antique shops around us. “Let’s check out the back streets. Maybe we’ll find some op shops.”