But she couldn’t let him be one step ahead from now on. He held all the power in her world right now. She had to know him. If anyone was going to do any further probing, it had to be her. He had to be in control. So be it. But only in the beginning. She knew how to research and work to get what she wanted. She had learned it in all those hellish Trials. Find the right key and then turn it. Tanner was no different.

She only had to find the right key.

Chapter
5

The table was set with fine linens and Mallory was putting out covered dishes when Lara came out of the bedroom. He glanced at her white slacks and red jacket. “Very nice. I was wondering if it would fit.”

“Everything in that suitcase fits. Your doing?”

“No. Tanner told me the approximate size. Kaskov gave him your DVD and he watched it a couple of times. He was sure that it would be right.”

“I imagine he’s usually sure of that,” she said dryly. She looked around the room. “Where is he?”

“Outside. He had some calls to make.” He gestured to the table. “I ordered a few Swedish specialties. I hope you enjoy them.”

She sniffed. “Köttbullar. Probably with brown sauce. Lingonberries. Definitely cinnamon rolls.”

“Very good.” His brows rose. “I thought you’d never been to Sweden.”

“I haven’t. That doesn’t mean that I’m not familiar with Swedish cuisine. I had to learn how to cook it during one of my Trials in Paris.”

“Paris?”

“Hans Nilssen.” Tanner was leaning against the doorjamb, smiling at her. “Born and raised in a small town in Sweden but became a rich and famous art collector and married a French artist who refused to leave Paris. He owned a Rembrandt that he’d ‘liberated’ from the collection of a Nazi general. It disappeared from his Parisian apartment several years ago and was presumed stolen.” He added softly, “It was one of your successes.”

“I didn’t think so.” She tilted her head. “Kaskov gave you all those details?”

“No, just the bare bones. But I’m rarely satisfied with half a story, so I spent a little time on the plane checking and filling out what needed verifying.”

She shook her head in amazement. “You did that with all those Trials?”

“Most of them. A couple came up blanks.”

“Well, you didn’t share them with me.” Mallory had finished setting the table and gone to the bar to get a bottle of wine. “But then I’m not as inquisitive as you. I believe in privacy.”

“No, you don’t. Only when it suits you,” Tanner said absently. “Why wasn’t it a success, Lara?”

“I liked Nilssen. I liked his entire family. They were good to me. I worked as an au pair for his two daughters, and I’d sometimes cook lunch for the entire family. Nilssen never really became accustomed to French cuisine.” She paused. “That Rembrandt painting was a part of their life as a family.”