Read Online The Florentine Cypher: Kate Benedict Paranormal Mystery #3 (The Kate Benedict Series) by Carrie Bedford - Free Book Online

“But then he… well, there was the car crash. Thank you for coming to the funeral, by the way. It meant a lot to us. Anyway, Dad was researching the history of the book and the key.”
    “Did he tell you anything about his research?”
    Claire’s eyes filled with tears. “No. We were supposed to spend an evening together in Florence the night before he died, but in fact, we had a bit of a row.”
    She put the key back in the pouch. “He phoned to say he planned to come to Florence and he wanted to take me out for dinner. I was excited to see him, and I splurged on an expensive new dress. We’d planned to meet at the station, but then he called to tell me he needed to change his plans, that he had to go to Rome for a meeting. Something to do with his work. We argued on the phone because I was mad that he canceled on me.” She sighed. “My reaction was stupid and irrational. He was an investigative journalist, after all, and often changed plans on short notice to follow a story.”
    She stopped talking, holding one hand to her throat. “Then he had the accident the next day, on the journey home from Heathrow airport.”
    “I’m sorry,” I said. We sat in silence for a while. Sounds from the street drifted up and a bell tolled somewhere nearby.
    “What do you think the key opens?” I asked finally.
    “No idea. But I wonder if the meeting my father had in Rome was related to this key somehow.”
    “It’s possible, although he didn’t have the key with him. It must have been inside the book at the bank in England by the time your father went to Rome.”
    She frowned and then nodded. “I see what you mean. Dad never got home so he couldn’t have taken them to the bank after that meeting.” She clasped her hands together and rested them on the table. “So why did Ethan want me to have them?”
    “Probably to keep them safe until he gets here. I’m sure he’ll be able to explain it all when he arrives.”
    We both fell silent again, and I guessed we were thinking the same thing.
Where was Ethan?
    “I hope to God he’s okay,” Claire said.
    I leaned forward and squeezed her hand, which was cold. “It’ll be fine.” I did my best to sound reassuring.
    She disengaged her hand from mine and stood to finish making the coffee, placing little cups of espresso on the table. I was already caffeinated from my early breakfast at home, but I drank it anyway. The energy rush would keep me going.
    Claire sat again. She glanced at the clock above the window. “I have to go into the office for a couple of hours this afternoon,” she said. “We have a team of art historians coming in for a visit tomorrow and I have to be prepared.” Stirring sugar into her cup, she raised her eyes to meet mine. “What about you? Can you stay until I get back?”
    “I have a flight in four hours.” I checked my watch. “Actually, I should get going.”
    “Please will you stay until Ethan gets here?” she asked quietly. “I’m worried. If anything has happened to him…”
    Her voice broke. I felt a familiar sense of the inevitable. I had to be at work on Monday morning or risk Alan’s wrath, which would undoubtedly descend on my head all the way from the Great Wall of China. But Ethan’s absence disturbed me, and Claire’s aura was like a magnet drawing me in. I wasn’t good at walking away from auras. And although it wasn’t rational, I felt responsible for what had happened, particularly the theft of the book.
    “I’ll stay until tomorrow morning,” I said. “I expect he’ll turn up by then.”
    “Thank you.” She got to her feet. “There’s a sofa bed you can sleep on tonight. I’ll run into the office and get back as soon as I can, then we’ll have dinner together this evening and catch up. It will be like old times.”
    Obviously my version of old times and hers were rather different, but I smiled and nodded, trying to ignore the warning sign flashing in front of my eyes.
Don’t screw up and miss work