She did not mind doing occasional business with the Foundation—Victor Arganbright always paid his bills—but she did not like getting entangled in a murder investigation, especially one that involved rumors of Vortex. Arganbright and Lark had closed their case without realizing how close they had come to discovering the link between Swan Antiques and Vortex, but it had been a near thing.

Now, twice within the past twenty-four hours, she had found herself dealing with two more Foundation agents, Chandler Chastain and his son, North. It was enough to make anyone with an ounce of psychic-grade intuition uneasy.

“I don’t think we need to worry about the Chastains,” she said. “There is nothing to indicate they are chasing a Vortex rumor. Chandler Chastain purchased a couple of artifacts from me yesterday. He took one with him and left the other one behind. Said he’d be back for the second one. He also said that if he didn’t return I was to give it to whoever came around asking questions. Evidently someone attacked Chastain last night and took the first relic. He was badly injured but not killed. North Chastain is trying to find the person responsible.”

“And his first stop was your shop? That’s not good.”

“I did what I told his father I would do—I gave North the second artifact. Both relics are now out of my shop, and so is Chastain. Good riddance. There’s no reason for me to be involved any further in the Foundation investigation.”

“What kind of relics did you sell to Chandler Chastain?”

“Neither seemed important. One was a vintage radio. It may or may not have been from one of the lost labs. That’s the one Chandler Chastain took with him.”

“The one that was stolen?”

“Right. The second artifact was just an old metal rod. Probably a machine part. It might have come from one of the labs, but other than that there was nothing unique about it. A low-level collectible.”

“You’re the expert on artifacts,” Eloisa said. “But if someone attacked Chandler Chastain because of that radio, I think you’d better assume it had some unique qualities.”

“Maybe. But even if the radio is more interesting than it appeared to be, there’s nothing to link it to the old Vortex lab or to our project. There’s no reason why the Foundation should take any more interest in my shop. We need to focus on the camera.”

“I agree. It’s our best lead. But this princess-and-the-pea experiment of yours is not working.”

“It’s only been on display for a few days.”

“We’re wasting time, Gwen.”

“It’s too soon to give up the test. Sierra Raines obviously sensed the energy in the camera. If she can do that, there will be others like her.”

Setting the camera out in the middle of the sales floor, where it was surrounded by fakes and reproductions, had been a tactic born of desperation. The plan was to see if one of the clients who frequented Swan Antiques responded to the device. Gwendolyn had been hopeful at first. But now she was afraid Eloisa was right. The princess-and-the-pea experiment might have to continue for a very long time before the right talent walked into the room.