Chapter 13

Monday

8:13 p.m.

"That's us." Olivia smiled. The foursome began walking slowly around, perusing the artwork. "We had professional movers come last week. We had everything marked, photographs taken from our old house in Bridgehampton, so that they could put everything where it went."

They stopped in front of a two-foot by three-foot black and white canvas photograph of a leg from the upper thigh down to the bare, pedicured foot—obviously reclined, most likely in bed—and in focus, the sheet and external images blurred once again, and there was a deep-colored rose laying next to the foot.

"Everything was moved into the right place except our clothes, right, sweetie?" Antonia moved even closer to Olivia now, pressing her left side to the brunette's right side, her left hand gliding up the middle of her back.

Olivia grinned back. "It made it so much easier." She looked at Camila. "There're a few things we need to move around and fix but, for the most part, we're moved in."

Camila nodded before turning to the canvas photo. "This is a nice one…" Camila said, eyeing it appreciatively. "I'm guessing the subject is you, Antonia?"

"I think I'm the subject of a lot of her pieces, right, Liv?" Antonia said sappily.

The hairs on the back of the brunette detective's neck stood up at attention at that unapproved, familial-coined nickname, but she smiled down at Antonia nonetheless. "You are, Tone…definitely…"

And the moment seemed right, so Olivia eyed the petite woman's mouth as the agent raised up slightly on the balls of her feet and their lips met—short and sweet and simple. They pulled away smiling, Olivia rubbing her lips together and swallowing.

She looked back at the busty, older woman and Camila was looking at Olivia keenly, obviously thinking about something, her eyes narrowed.

"Camila…" Priscilla widened her eyes at her wife.

And Olivia realized now who Priscilla Keene reminded her of—Scarlett Johansen. That was it. A slightly older version of the gorgeous actress.

Camila continued to gaze at Olivia intently, "I'm sorry for daydreaming…I was just thinking about Kaia, Priscilla."

The foursome began walking to the next piece now, stopping in front of it. It was the same sized canvas, a black and white photo of a rain-streaked window—one pane in focus, the rest blurred, a female silhouette in the distant background of the pane.

Camila continued, "She loves curvy, intelligent brunettes with a strong presence. I remember that about you from the party…" She turned to Priscilla. "Don't you think that Kaia…" Camila looked at Antonia now, stopping herself from what she was going to say, "…I mean all of us…including Antonia…should have a little get-together. Our house. Saturday."

Olivia looked at Antonia now before looking back at Camila. "Who's Kaia?"

"She's a friend of ours…very successful, very beautiful," Camila encouraged. "Very sensual."

Olivia narrowed her eyes at Camila, still smiling.

Antonia pulled on Olivia, holding her even tighter. "And why would my wife be interested in her?" she asked sweetly, looking up at Olivia. "Unless we all would…both of us, I mean…"

"Olivia looks like she knows what she wants and doesn't stop until she gets it. Am I accurate about that?" Camila looked the brunette detective's body over now.

"When I like what I see…" Olivia bit her bottom lip, smirking.

"That's what I thought." Benetti winked.

"Um…sweetie…" Olivia looked at Antonia now, "…we should invite them to the housewarming party we're having on Friday." She looked into rich brown eyes, seeing the go ahead from the slight nod she witnessed.

"Yeah, hun, that sounds great." Antonia looked back at the couple in front of them. "And maybe…you can invite your friend Kaia?" Tony raised her eyebrows enticingly.

"Great. What time?" Camila inquired.

Olivia looked back at Antonia. "Eight?"

Antonia nodded. "Eight sounds…great!" She eyed Olivia's mouth then before looking back at the ladies. "We'll just give you our contact info…honey, you have a card?"

"Yeah…" Olivia opened her clutch and pulled out a preprinted business card from a box that had been left for her at the Pacific Lane beach house and handed it to Camila.

Camila took it and looked at it. "Olivia Libretti, "A Life in Focus". Artistic photography and painting…" She began placing it into her own Chanel clutch. "Do you do personal photography, Olivia?" she smirked, reattaching the gold latch on her bag.

Olivia inhaled and then exhaled as she spoke. "Not really, but…I suppose I'd think about it, if I needed to…" she smiled.

"If the price is right?" Camila inquired.

"If the circumstances are right, Camila," Olivia corrected, her gaze unwaveringly on the older woman.

"Good to know…so, eight o'clock, Friday…"

"That's right." Olivia felt Antonia hugging her again, her hand gliding along her back.

"Sounds good. It was great running into you again. We'll be in touch…have a great evening…" Benetti winked.

"You, too," Olivia and Antonia said in unison.

Camila and Priscilla turned to leave, but Camila turned back, "Oh, and Olivia?"

"Yes?" Olivia placed her clutch back beneath her left arm.

"That piece by the door? When you first walk in?"

Olivia nodded, having no clue which piece the older woman was referring to.

"Is that your captivating facial profile in the photo? With the blurred ocean behind it?"

Olivia smiled. "Yep, that's me. Experimenting with taking selfies with my new Nikon I got about three years ago. I took about two-hundred to get that one."

"It's beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. I can see it in my living room or even in my bedroom."

Olivia looked at Antonia and then Priscilla, whose skin tone had reddened three shades as she glared at the brunette detective.

"I'd like to buy it." Camila said firmly. "I asked the proprietor about it and he told me it was 1.2 million?"

Olivia swallowed hard, smiling. "I believe that was my asking price."

"Bring it to your party on Friday. I'll bring the payment."

"All-alright…sounds good," Olivia stammered.

Camila smiled. "See you then." She winked before turning and looking at her wife.

Priscilla looked dumbfounded and more than a little irritated.

The couple moved together, out of the room, and out of sight.

Olivia let a breath go, not realizing she had been holding it inside of her lungs. "A million dollars?" she offered in a whisper, smiling and widening her eyes.

Antonia returned the smile and hushed voice, "I guess so. Popular stuff."

The brunette detective opened her clutch and pressed the home button to check the time. "Just another fifteen minutes and this should be wrapping up." She looked down at Antonia.

The younger woman's expression was serious, professional. "Let's walk around some more until it ends," Antonia suggested.

"Sounds good," Olivia agreed.

She wondered where that photograph had come from and if it was even her.

They approached the aforementioned canvas and the brunette studied it. It was her, for sure. Maybe it was a photo that had been altered to look the way it did. But it was definitely a photograph of her profile, very little make-up, if any, her gaze looking into the distance. The only thing was that her hair wasn't visible in order to figure out when it was taken.

"It is beautiful," Antonia offered.

Olivia nodded, suddenly remembering when it was captured.

Alex. Their honeymoon in Greece. It was one the blonde had taken and one of a few they had shared with family and friends through email when they returned from the island of Kea.

"I remember now…" Olivia's eyes glazed over at the memory of their afternoon on the yacht with the two younger men. She turned and looked at Antonia.

The petite agent waited patiently.

"I'll tell you back at home." Olivia smiled.

And Antonia only nodded.

9:27 p.m.

Olivia slipped the left strap of her heels off and then her right, lowering her height by three inches, feeling the spread of the bones in her feet become accustomed to the flatness of the beige Berber carpet.

She closed her eyes and put her hands on her hips. God, it felt good to be out of them. They were the same heels her wife had mentioned she had been uncomfortable in and also the same ones she had worn upon her arrival to this Easthampton house. Even though she had plenty of more expensive shoes to choose from in her current closet, she didn't have the heart to break them in, much less have her feet suffer through the excruciating adjustment period of a new pair of shoes.

She flexed her feet around, just giving her arches and pinkie and big toes a moment to breathe and stretch.

The rest of the art gallery event had gone well, more mingling with other people, and the brunette even sold two of her other pieces. Apparently, there was one of Princess and one of a female hand that she hadn't remembered seeing, but those pieces also went for prices in the low one-million and mid-million price range. The brunette couldn't believe her ears and briefly wondered during the exhibit—if only fleetingly—if she was in the wrong profession.

If a photo of a coffee maker could be a million dollars…

She heard shuffling now and opened her eyes to find Antonia entering, her own heels linked on her left forefinger as she entered.

"Good job tonight," Olivia commented.

"You, too, detective." Antonia moved into the closet now and the space illuminated. "I can't wait to change into something comfortable," Antonia called from inside the closet.

Olivia only nodded, sitting at the foot of the bed and waiting for the younger woman to come out, giving her her space.

"Did you ever remember when that photo was taken?" Antonia emerged holding a stack of soft, dark clothing.

Olivia smiled, removing her Chanel gold and diamond cuff bracelet. "Yeah, I did." She looked down at the closure, clasping it back together. "My honeymoon. My wife and I were on a yacht that these young guys invited us on."

"Ooooh, sounds sexy," Antonia cooed.

"Nothing like that, Tony. They were the sons of the man who owned the house we rented. Strictly platonic. They were really nice. Thought we were pretty. And wanted to show the American women around."

So, your wife took the photo?" Antonia sat next to her at the foot.

Olivia nodded, playing with the bracelet and remembering the sunlight on Alex's clear smooth skin, her wife being tipsy in the bathroom below deck, the look on her face as they gazed at each other, the dancing…

She laughed to herself when she remembered having to exit the water naked so that the guys could show her where the "lever" was.

She shook her head before snapping herself out of it and patting the tops of her thighs. "How about we both change, meet downstairs, and call my captain for a debrief?" She smiled at her partner. "And I saw some key lime pie in that huge refrigerator. I've been dying for a piece. Wanna join me, Agent Berlusconi?"

Antonia returned the sentiment. "Sounds perfect."

A/N: A shorter, case-centered chapter. I hope you enjoyed. Please leave one or two words. It would make my day.