“Interpol is involved?”

“That’s where I got the information.”

“I have to think the missing gems are the ones that are used as the key for our succession agreement, but I don’t know why someone would steal six and not take the rest.”

“Unless they couldn’t find the rest.”

“As far as I know, they were all stored together in the royal vault.”

“Maybe your father chose to secure some somewhere else,” Levi said. “You did mention he increased security last year.”

“True, but if he separated the gems, he didn’t tell me.”

“You said they act as the verification code for the agreement. What benefit would they be beyond their street value to someone?”

“Nothing that I can think of.” Cassie nudged her laptop aside. “The Escobar family knows what the agreement says.”

“But they do need the gems as well as the twenty-four pieces of the agreement to take power if your family could no longer rule,” Levi pointed out.

“Yes, that’s true, but the more I think about it, the more it doesn’t make sense,” Cassie said. “If my family was wiped out, the other countries would produce the various pieces of the agreement. Why go to the trouble of stealing them?”

“I have no idea.”

Cassie ran her fingers through her hair. “I really wish we could get to the point that we didn’t keep adding to our list of questions.”

“Me too.”

* * *

Cassie sat beside Levi, his computer in front of them. He clicked his cordless mouse on the worktable. “We should be good now.”

“Who are we teleconferencing with again?”

“A couple of friends from Interpol,” Levi said.

Cassie watched his screen while they waited for the secure video call to connect. When it did, Cassie saw the familiar painting behind the couple on the screen, a painting that hung in one of the guest suites in her home in Prima.

“Levi, good to see you,” the man said. Though he spoke in Italian, she detected a slight accent.

“Good to see you too.” Levi nodded at Cassie. “Jeremy, Noelle, this is Princess Cassandra.”

“Good to meet you, Your Highness,” Noelle said.

“You as well.”

“Have you done an initial assessment?” Levi asked, breaking up the formalities.

“We haven’t been given access yet to the secure areas of the palace, but we have walked the perimeter and evaluated several other structures on the property.”

Cassie listened to Jeremy and Noelle discuss various security concerns with Levi. Until the attack two weeks ago, the gates and the presence of the guards had given her the illusion of safety. Hearing this discussion, she realized that was all it was: an illusion.

“When are you supposed to gain access to the rest of the palace?” Levi asked, interrupting her thoughts.

“Someone named Paciano is supposed to meet with us this afternoon,” Noelle said. “He is one of the senior members of the royal guard.”

Levi looked at Cassie for confirmation. Embarrassed that she didn’t know her security staff by name, she shrugged.