3 days after the paintings went missing

Manhattan, New York

In Katarina's lifetime, she can remember being called to only two family meetings; one was when the family had to think of a way to help the Bagshaw brothers avoid jail time (they ended up with an idea that involved a mahogany dining table and a beehive), the other time was when Kat's mom died, and funeral arrangements had to be made.

Presently, standing in Uncle Eddie's kitchen with everyone standing around, Kat felt the same uncertainty that she felt all those years ago. Eddie and Charlie were sitting on opposite sides of the table, they acknowledged each other with a simple nod of their heads. The Banshaws had rushed back from a job they were doing on the Indian Ocean (which involved stealing a submarine) when they got the call. Kat's father Bobby had come back from God knows where the second he heard Hale's worried tone on the phone. Even the infamous Irina managed to take time away from whichever admirer she was dealing with this week.

'Well, what's happened?' Eddie asked. Everyone looked at Kat. She placed her hand in her pocket and picked out the little piece of card that some would call a blessing or a curse. She threw it onto the centre of the table. Her father picked it up. He raised a single eyebrow.

'It wasn't me, but hopefully, this will get you prepared. Romani.' Bobby threw it back onto the table.

'So it wasn't him. Is that all?' Eddie asked.

'Not quite' Hale said turning to Kat and giving her a small nod of encouragement. Kat took a deep breath. She went into her bag and picked out the two files. She placed them on the table.

Eddie looked at Bobby, Bobby looked at Kat.

'What are these?' He asked

'Interpol reports on the Henley and the Louvre' Kat picked one up and began to read.

'An alarm was triggered during the nightshift which caused an evacuation procedure, the cameras were already down for maintenance (as shown in the log). It is impossible to determine the point of entry into the room where the paintings were stolen however the thief must have remained in the building after the lockdown. As these paintings are of great value and weight - it is believed that we are looking for more than one suspect.'

'We know that' Angus said, 'That's what we did at the Henley'

Hale shook his head 'That was from the Louvre report' He informed them. The air in the room changed. Everyone was on edge. Kat continued to read.

'Unlike the Henley, there was nobody left behind' She looked up at Hale, he nodded once more.

'One of the paintings was a Monet displayed by The Bishop family. Mr R. Bishop...was investigated by Interpol...He was cleared and no charges were pressed.' Kat paused once again, delaying the worst news she could say.

'Is that why we're here?' Bobby was trying not to let his smile show, he knew his daughter worried sometimes, but to call a family meeting seemed excessive. 'Katarina, sweetie, obviously Interpol would be suspicious of me. They're only doing their job'

'That isn't the worst part' Kat whispered. Bobby's smile disappeared. Kat took a deep breath before continuing.

'There is not much information available to the police about Miss K. Bishop, but from a trustworthy and valid source, we now know that Katarina Bishop was at the Henley. Miss K. Bishop attended Kingsbury school, however, the police have not been able to contact them. She does not have a permanent address, although she has lived in the US, Russia, France, England and Italy on and off for much of her life. It is unclear how she has accumulated this lifestyle nor is it clear about how her family acquired this rare piece of art. Miss K. Bishop was seen in Monaco during the Cleopatra Emerald Exhibition and again during the Hale Industries drama...Katarina Bishop is now a person of interest.' Kat put her paper on the table. The silence around everyone was eerie.

'Say something' She begged her father. Bobby's face was unreadable. Kat turned to Eddie 'Please' Eddie took a deep, long sigh, he was pondering what to say and which would be the best way to put it.

'What does your dear friend Amelia think about all of this?' Eddie asked.

'She was at the Henley and she told us to get out before things get messy'

'What things?' Hamish asked

'We don't know' Gabby answered 'We were in the building for less than an hour and it all got evacuated'

'Did she write this report?' Eddie asked. Kat shook her head.

'I still think we can't trust her' Gabby grumbled. Kat glared at her.

'Easy girls' Irina said.

'What should we do Eddie?' Hale asked. Eddie once again thought for a moment.

'Where did they get the information from?' Bobby spoke for the first time. The eyes in the room shifted from one of the oldest and wisest men in the room to probably the smartest. 'from a trustworthy and valid source,' He repeated. 'Who knows this much about you that they've gone to Interpol'

'The people in this room' Kat said

'And Amelia and Nick' Gabby added

'They wouldn't do this' Kat snapped

'How do you know?' Eddie asked 'Can you tell me honestly, Katarina that Nick, the boy who once tricked you, wouldn't seize that opportunity again?'

'I know who I can trust' Kat hissed defensively

'Then why aren't they here?' He pointed out 'They know this place, they know the case. Face it, Katarina, deep down you know that you can't trust them'

'If you all aren't going to trust me, then I'll do it my way' Kat turned abruptly and left the room. The others waited, then they heard the door slam.

Hale ran his hands through his hair.

'What do we do?' He asked the group. The Banshaws looked at one another not knowing what to say. Gabby bit her lip nervously and Simon twiddled his thumbs. The adults, on the other hand, all looked at each other, sharing the same look.

'We protect her' Eddie said 'If she's known, it's a matter of time before someone comes looking'

Bobby turned to Hale.

'Firstly, you need to find Nick. Find him before Kat does'

'And what do we do when we find him?' Gabby asked.

'Steal him'

Author's note: I'm back! Glad that I've got a sort of schedule going so I can be more consistent with my uploads. Check out my profile for the next upload date xxx