Thief in the Woods

Chapter 1: Sisters

Maia's House in the Woods, New Haven. Sunday, September 17, 2006.

Neal sat down at the square piano and riffed an arpeggio. He then waited expectantly. Would Beethoven's ghost reappear?

"Do you really want to tempt fate?" Sara asked, sitting down on the bench beside him. "I know Maia said she'd dehexed the piano but even so ..." Her words trailed off into a shrug.

"I couldn't resist, and you'll be pleased to know that so far no ghostly presence has entered my thoughts."

That wasn't always the case. The Victorian mansion where he and Sara had spent the past couple of days appraising art formerly belongs to Maia's sister Electra, a woman who was possessed by Astrena, the Greek goddess of vampires and witches. She'd been banished back to her original domain of the stars nine months ago, but it was difficult to believe there was nothing of her presence left behind.

Maia and Chloe were slowly transforming the house into a place better suited for their needs. The once formal salon had been turned into a game room with comfortable club chairs, a poker table, and an alcove for chess. The grand piano was still there, but now Dean's guitar and Maia's harp kept it company. Maia had a knack for blending antiques with contemporary furniture. Neal liked the eclectic mixture of styles. He and Sara hoped to fuse different styles in their new home as well.

The dining room was now the women's stillroom. French country pieces replaced Electra's heavy dark furniture. Shelving units held dried herbs and supplies. The wet bar along one wall had been expanded with additional counter space for a microwave, slow cooker, coffee grinders, and a coffeemaker to prepare infusions.

Upstairs, the bedrooms were being converted as well with one notable exception. So far, the furniture and accessories in Astrena's bedroom had been left untouched. Chloe and Maia had dehexed the painting of Beethoven and the square piano. No other enchantments had been discovered. Dean and Sam believed they simply hadn't found them yet. The goddess could have a talent for masking her spells. Dean liked to call the house the Mystery Mansion, and the name fit.

Perhaps that was the reason he and Sara had saved the bedroom for last. On the surface, it appeared harmless. The plum silk bed coverings matched the curtains, complementing the dove-gray walls. Paintings from the nineteenth century in ornate gilt frames hung on the walls. Each one would undoubtedly command a high price at an auction.

Maia had asked them to give her an estimate on how much insurance she should carry. This wasn't normally the type of assignment Sara handled, but given the unusual circumstances of the house, she'd offered her assistance. Neal went along in an unofficial capacity.

The weekend was a welcome break from the remodeling project at June's house. It was also the unofficial start to his new career. Starting in October, both he and Sara would be working at Winston-Winslow. They'd undoubtedly partner on insurance cases, although not many others would likely involve enchanted objects.

Unless ... Should Henry add paranormal work to Winston-Winslow's burgeoning caseload? Hire Dean and Sam? Neal resolved to discuss it with him. Although, he probably should wait to offer suggestions till after he'd been at work for at least a couple of weeks.

"The cost of adequate coverage will be astronomical," Sara said. "I understand why Mozzie recommended she forego insurance and instead avail herself of a state-of-the-art security system. Could you even place a value on all the art and antiques?"

Neal shook his head. "Only to say that the value would likely be in the hundreds of millions. One of the many issues is that there are no bills of sale and no provenance documentation. For each painting, Maia would have to pay for it to be authenticated."