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Ezekiel crossed his hands behind his back. “So, Honorato … Oh, may I call you by your first name?”

Honorato shrugged. “Sure.”

“Angela tells me you’re attending graduate school next year to pursue a degree in art conservation. Perhaps I may avail myself of your expertise in the future. Bloodstone Antiquities deals with quite a few historic items, and we strive for optimum preservation standards.”

“You should lower the temperature in here by at least four more degrees,” Honorato advised, looking around the showroom.

Ezekiel blinked in confusion. “Oh, uh …” He glanced at Keiko.

“We’ve set the temperature at seventy-two degrees Fahrenheit,” Keiko said, her eyebrow arching. “Any lower would be too chilly for some of our visitors.”

“I know it would be uncomfortable for guests,” Honorato replied with a disinterested tone, peering at an old-fashioned music box on a nearby shelf, “but decreasing the temperature will increase the longevity of your items, especially objects made of organic materials or plastics. A mixed antique collection like this would do best in a steady temperature of sixty-eight degrees or less. Do you have any humidity controls for this dealership?”

“Honor, you’re doing that thing again,” Angela warned, rubbing her forehead.

“You mean being myself?”

“Yes, please tone it down.”

Keiko folded her arms. “We maintain a relative humidity at forty-five percent.”

Honorato shrugged again. “Well, at least you folks did one thing right.”

Keiko’s eye twitched. “Well, Mr. Blair, I have some invoices to finish, but I’ll be in my office if you or your guests need anything.”

Ezekiel inclined his head to Keiko, an apologetic look on his face. “Of course, Ms. Oshiro. Oh, I understand Hugo plans to stop by tonight. Is that right?”

“Yes, he’s coming around 6:30 to pick up the loan agreement for the spatha. I offered to fax it to his office, but he wanted to stop in and say hello.”

“Loan agreement?” Angela asked.

Ezekiel adjusted his necktie. “Yes, one of our clients is allowing us to lend their item to the archaeology museum so they can authenticate its age and origins. Thank you, Ms. Oshiro.” Keiko nodded and returned to the back office, and Ezekiel turned to his visitors. “Now then, allow me to give you all the grand tour.”

Ezekiel led everyone down each aisle of the main showroom, pointing out his favorite acquisitions and sharing a brief history of those pieces and their cultural significance—Angela could tell he was relishing the attention, his enthusiastic pontifications accentuated with theatrical gestures and well-timed jokes. She scratched her temple when Ezekiel met her eye, signaling her desire to communicate via thought. Did you rehearse this beforehand?

Only a few dozen times, Ezekiel sent with a smirk, then continued addressing the others out loud. Once they finished their walkthrough of the first-floor storeroom, Ezekiel led the way upstairs. There were two rooms on the second floor. One was a locked storage area, and the second was another showroom, smaller than the one downstairs.

This second gallery was dedicated to Ezekiel’s carpentry projects. The rich smell of cedar, cherry, and pine washed over the group as they stepped inside. There was all manner of carved creations displayed throughout the room—elaborate furniture pieces, statues, dollhouses, chess sets, relief carvings—all of superb craftsmanship. Angela paused at one table to admire a stunning set of thirteen figurines depicting the Olympian gods of Greek mythology. “Oh, look at these, Uncle Corin.”

“Such fine detail,” Corin murmured beside Angela, leaning down to inspect the carving of Hermes.

Ezekiel beamed at the compliment. “Everything here is for sale, and I also do commissions if anyone is interested.”

“You really carved all these yourself, Zeke?” Honorato called from across the room, inspecting an Arthurian themed chess set.

Ezekiel frowned at the nickname he’d just been given. “Yes, I did.”

“Where’s your workshop?” Violette asked, circling a Victorian-style dollhouse.

“On the third floor next to my office,” Ezekiel replied. “Oh, Corin, if you’re still interested in inspecting that item I told you about, you and I can take a quick excursion upstairs to my office.”

Corin nodded. “I am quite interested.”

“Good, I’m eager for your opinion. As for the rest of you, please take your time looking around. If there’s anything here you’re interested in purchasing, I give all my acquaintances a seventy-five percent discount.”

“Can I haggle to a 100% discount?” Honorato requested with a straight face.

Violette frowned at Honorato. “I don’t think it counts as haggling if you’re trying to get something for free.”

Ezekiel laughed. “I’m sure we can work something out. When you’re all ready, I have tea and pastries for you up in the third-floor conference room.” Ezekiel met Angela’s gaze and sent to her telepathically. Angela, could you keep everyone occupied for a moment while I show Corin the sword I told you about? We may require a bit of privacy if it is mystical, like we suspect.

Angela nodded. “Prudence, which of Ezekiel’s carvings is your favorite?”

Prudence clapped her hands and gestured to the dollhouse Violette was inspecting. “Oh, the Victorian dollhouse, for sure.”

“It is beautiful,” Angela concurred as Ezekiel and Corin withdrew from the room. “Does it open?”

“Oh, yes, it does. Let me show you.”

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