Page 21 of The Prize

So distracted by the thought of another painting of her existing, I braved those few steps toward him. “You’re not going to steal her. I won’t allow it.”

Tobias held out his hand for the cube.

I clutched it to my chest. “Wilder?”

“I won’t.”

“Whoever has her won’t lend her out for this.”

Even if the plan was to get her back afterward, along with my precious collection. Tobias seemed too calm. He didn’t even seem affected by the cold out here even though all he had on were his jeans and that bad boy smile—probably because he could see how intrigued he’d gotten me.

He glanced at the cube and gestured for me to be cautious.

“Where is thisMona Lisa?”

“Have no idea.” He leaned back against the patio table and crossed an ankle over another. “And we don’t have time to find her.”

I tried to hide my confusion at failing to follow his madcap scheming.

He gave a confident nod. “I’m going to re-create a version of theMona Lisa. Make it look like another one turned up.”

“What? How?”

“With 3-D technology.”

The world spun.

“I knew you wouldn’t like it,” he said.

“You’re joking, right?”

“No, I’m quite serious. The key is how to get the news to Burell without alerting the world. That can’t happen.”

“To get the hopes of the nation up? Yes, that would be a catastrophe.”

“I agree.”

“You do realize it took Leonardo four years to paint her!” I coughed past this dryness in my throat.

“Science has advanced quite considerably since the sixteenth century—”

“How can you ask me to do such a thing? Create a fake? I’ve dedicated my life to authenticating paintings. This is what I do. This is my life’s work.”

“Mine too.”

An innocent replica was one thing, likeThe Incredulity of SaintThomasby Caravaggio I’d seen at Wilder’s friend’s home in LA. It had taken me less than twenty seconds and a magnifier to confirm the handiwork of a talented student mimicking a teacher but that had been under his master’s guidance.

I fisted my palms. “No.”

“Think about it.”

“No.”

“I’m facing off with evil for you.”

“Maybe we should rethink all of this.”

“I’ve run every scenario.”