“No. We cleared everyone out before Pierre accessed the storage room. It’s standard policy to keep our secure areas closed while we are open to the public,” the guard said. “We’re checking all of the exhibits now, but so far, there’s no sign of any intruders.”

“Maybe it really was a faulty sensor,” Captain Reyes said, “but I’d like to do a walk-through regardless.”

“Do you mind if I help?” Levi asked.

“I’d appreciate it.”

“Let me make a quick call first.” Levi took his phone out and called Cassie.

“What’s happening?” she asked as soon as she answered.

“Everything is fine. We think it was a bad sensor that set off the alarm, but I want you to stay with Pierre until we double-check the museum.”

“Okay.”

Levi heard the tremor in her voice and could only imagine the stress the past few minutes had put her under. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

“How long do you think you’ll be?” Cassie asked.

“Fifteen minutes. Maybe twenty.”

“Okay. I’ll see you then.”

Levi hung up and noticed Guillermo watching him.

“Everything all right?” the police captain asked.

“Yeah.” Levi pocketed his phone. “I have my girlfriend here with me. She’s with Pierre in secure storage.”

“Can’t ask for a better place to be if you need to hide out,” Guillermo said. “Except maybe at the chateau.”

“I look forward to getting her back there.”

“Then let’s get this search started.”

“I’m right behind you.”

CHAPTER 11

The silence in the storage room rang every bit as loudly as the alarm had.

Cassie forced her fingers to relax on her cell and noticed Pierre staring at her with a look of expectation on his face. She nodded at the phone. “Levi said he thinks the alarm was triggered by a faulty sensor.”

“Did he say where?” Pierre asked.

“No,” Cassie said.

The relief she expected to see on Pierre’s face didn’t appear, his tension every bit as visible now as it had been when their ordeal had first begun.

“Why do you ask?”

“We tested all the sensors in the main hall the day before we opened the new exhibit,” Pierre said.

“Maybe it was from one of the other displays.”

“Maybe.”

The skepticism in his voice did nothing to assuage Cassie’s lingering fears. Had Levi and the guards really found the issue? Or was there another problem waiting to find them?

With some effort, she adopted her royal shield, hiding her own emotions behind a polished mask. Her voice only wavered a little when she asked, “Does this sort of thing happen often?”

“No. This is only the second time we’ve had a false alarm.”

“What happened the first time?” Cassie asked.

“A construction worker sliced through one of our wired alarms when we expanded a couple years ago.”

“I don’t suppose you have any construction going on here at the moment.”

“No, we don’t.” Pierre clasped his hands together. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to worry you. If anyone can get to the bottom of this, it’s Levi.”