Jasmine. "How did you come to paint that dragon?"
"I have seen it many times in my dreams."
"In your dreams? What does that mean?" he asked.
"What I said."
"Why don't we get more specific, Ms. Chen," Riley continued. "Did you see a dragon yesterday that looked like the one in your painting? Did David Hathaway show you just such a dragon?"
Jasmine hesitated again, then nodded. "Yes. David came by yesterday with a dragon statue that looked like that one." "
Why?" Riley asked sharply.
"He thought I might like to see it."
"Because you'd seen it before?"
"In my dreams, as I told you. I didn't know it actually existed until yesterday."
Riley paced back and forth in front of the painting, his gaze darting around the rest of the room as if he were memorizing all the details. Paige thought she should probably get into the conversation, but for the life of her she couldn't think of a thing to say. Why had her father brought the dragon to Jasmine? How had Jasmine known to paint something that looked so similar? And what the heck did she mean by saying she saw it in a dream?
"What time was Mr. Hathaway here?" Riley asked.
"I think it was around five o'clock."
"Is that when he left or when he arrived?"
"When he left."
"Did he leave with the dragon?" Riley asked.
"Yes."
Jasmine was nothing if not brief. "Ms. Chen," Paige said slowly, "When my father was found last night, he didn't have the dragon with him. Do you know where he was going when he left you yesterday?"
"I didn't ask."
"Do you think he was taking it to an appraiser, someone here in Chinatown that I might not be aware of?"
"I don't know. You must go now. I have an appointment." Jasmine walked across the room and opened the door.
Short of being rude, Paige didn't see any alternative but to leave the apartment. Riley followed her out to the landing.
"Your father," Jasmine said, her expression softening, "Will he be all right?"
"They don't know. He's unconscious."
There was a tiny flicker of what looked like pain in Jasmine's eyes. "I will burn some incense for him, ask for blessings."
"Thank you. I'm sure he would appreciate that."
"What hospital is he in?" Jasmine asked.
"St. Mary's."
"And your mother—she is with him?"
Paige stared into Jasmine's dark eyes. "Yes, my mother is with him."
Jasmine nodded, then gently shut the door in her face, leaving Paige feeling sick to her stomach. There was something between this woman and her father; she knew it. Jasmine hadn't called him Mr. Hathaway as most of their customers did. She'd called him David. And there had been more than a little familiarity in her voice.
"You could have asked her," Riley said, reading her mind.
Yes, she could have asked, but Paige couldn't bear the thought of an answer that would destroy her family. "It's not the issue. It's not important right now." She looked into Riley's eyes and saw understanding, compassion, pity. She stiffened. She didn't want this man feeling sorry for her. She was a Hathaway. No one should feel sorry for a Hathaway. "It's all speculation, anyway. You heard Ms. Chen. She and my father met to discuss a painting. End of story."
"That's not the end, and you know it. He brought the dragon to show her."
"You think my father was attacked because of the dragon, don't you?"
"I believe the dragon is involved in some way. He had it with him when he left this apartment yesterday. Now it's gone."
"But hours passed between the time he was here and when he was found in the alley."
"Exactly. Where did he go in between? What did he do with the dragon? Did he leave it somewhere else? That's what we need to find out."
She hated his even, cool tone. "Yes, that's what we need to find out. Because this isn't just about your dragon. My father could die, and I will not let whoever did this to him get away with it."
"Then we're both extremely motivated," he said, meeting her gaze.
"But you don't trust me."
"No, I don't."
She stopped at the bottom of the stairs. "My
"I have seen it many times in my dreams."
"In your dreams? What does that mean?" he asked.
"What I said."
"Why don't we get more specific, Ms. Chen," Riley continued. "Did you see a dragon yesterday that looked like the one in your painting? Did David Hathaway show you just such a dragon?"
Jasmine hesitated again, then nodded. "Yes. David came by yesterday with a dragon statue that looked like that one." "
Why?" Riley asked sharply.
"He thought I might like to see it."
"Because you'd seen it before?"
"In my dreams, as I told you. I didn't know it actually existed until yesterday."
Riley paced back and forth in front of the painting, his gaze darting around the rest of the room as if he were memorizing all the details. Paige thought she should probably get into the conversation, but for the life of her she couldn't think of a thing to say. Why had her father brought the dragon to Jasmine? How had Jasmine known to paint something that looked so similar? And what the heck did she mean by saying she saw it in a dream?
"What time was Mr. Hathaway here?" Riley asked.
"I think it was around five o'clock."
"Is that when he left or when he arrived?"
"When he left."
"Did he leave with the dragon?" Riley asked.
"Yes."
Jasmine was nothing if not brief. "Ms. Chen," Paige said slowly, "When my father was found last night, he didn't have the dragon with him. Do you know where he was going when he left you yesterday?"
"I didn't ask."
"Do you think he was taking it to an appraiser, someone here in Chinatown that I might not be aware of?"
"I don't know. You must go now. I have an appointment." Jasmine walked across the room and opened the door.
Short of being rude, Paige didn't see any alternative but to leave the apartment. Riley followed her out to the landing.
"Your father," Jasmine said, her expression softening, "Will he be all right?"
"They don't know. He's unconscious."
There was a tiny flicker of what looked like pain in Jasmine's eyes. "I will burn some incense for him, ask for blessings."
"Thank you. I'm sure he would appreciate that."
"What hospital is he in?" Jasmine asked.
"St. Mary's."
"And your mother—she is with him?"
Paige stared into Jasmine's dark eyes. "Yes, my mother is with him."
Jasmine nodded, then gently shut the door in her face, leaving Paige feeling sick to her stomach. There was something between this woman and her father; she knew it. Jasmine hadn't called him Mr. Hathaway as most of their customers did. She'd called him David. And there had been more than a little familiarity in her voice.
"You could have asked her," Riley said, reading her mind.
Yes, she could have asked, but Paige couldn't bear the thought of an answer that would destroy her family. "It's not the issue. It's not important right now." She looked into Riley's eyes and saw understanding, compassion, pity. She stiffened. She didn't want this man feeling sorry for her. She was a Hathaway. No one should feel sorry for a Hathaway. "It's all speculation, anyway. You heard Ms. Chen. She and my father met to discuss a painting. End of story."
"That's not the end, and you know it. He brought the dragon to show her."
"You think my father was attacked because of the dragon, don't you?"
"I believe the dragon is involved in some way. He had it with him when he left this apartment yesterday. Now it's gone."
"But hours passed between the time he was here and when he was found in the alley."
"Exactly. Where did he go in between? What did he do with the dragon? Did he leave it somewhere else? That's what we need to find out."
She hated his even, cool tone. "Yes, that's what we need to find out. Because this isn't just about your dragon. My father could die, and I will not let whoever did this to him get away with it."
"Then we're both extremely motivated," he said, meeting her gaze.
"But you don't trust me."
"No, I don't."
She stopped at the bottom of the stairs. "My
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