Ghost's Treasure Read Online Free Page B

shows?" Taking the items, he gave each a quick once-over.
    She grinned slowly and shrugged. "He made my skin crawl." Reaching in her bag, she pulled out her cell phone. "I also had two other phone calls. From different people. Needless to say, I didn't answer the phone after I made the mistake of picking up the first time." Josie punched buttons and opened her voice mail, then handed the phone over.
    Ryan listened carefully and jotted down names and numbers. "If you don't mind, I'm going to take this down the hall to the lab. Including the phone. We may be able to make copies of the voices. I'll be right back." He stood and strode quickly from the room.
     
    * * * *
     
    Josie tapped her fingers on the arm of the chair and waited impatiently. Coming to the FBI had been a good idea. However, the more concerned the agent became, the more her already taut nerves began to jitter. Something told her she'd really stepped into it this time.
    "Miss Summers?"
    Glancing up, she found Ryan returning along with an older, silver-haired gentleman. "Yes?"
    "I'm agent Matthews, regional supervisor." He held out his hand.
    She accepted his hand and shook firmly. "Hello."
    He sat down beside her as Ryan returned to his original seat. "Here's your phone back. We were able to make a duplicate of the recordings. I wouldn't erase the messages, though, just in case."
    "Okay." She took the device from Ryan and turned her attention to the older man.
    "Looks like you're in a pickle, little lady."
    She sighed. "I'm starting to get that feeling."
    "Here's what we know. Thanks to your quick thinking, we know the identity of your fake FBI agent visitor. Ronald Track. He's a master art thief, wanted in seven countries for his sticky fingers. Normally, he steals from museums or high-end collectors and sells his items on the black market, or he's contracted by a private collector who wants a particularly valuable piece."
    "Oh." Her eyebrows shot up. "So, he's a professional thief?"
    "Yeah," Ryan answered. "And dangerous too. He's been known to never take no for an answer, even if he has to put someone six feet under along the way."
    She swallowed loudly. "I take it the jewels are real then?"
    He nodded. "Absolutely. Ever hear of the Polish Royalty Casket?"
    "No."
    "The Polish royal family kept a box full of jewels and other objects from members of their family line. Valuable things. Priceless things." He ran a hand through his short gray hair. "During World War II, the Nazis discovered the hidden location of the casket and plundered it. Only, the military group responsible didn't carry their finds back to Hitler. Oh, no. They distributed all the items among themselves and carried them off. No sign any of them still existed since. Until you took pictures and emailed them to certain people. People who would do anything to get such a rare treasure in their hands."
    For a split second, excitement washed over her at the significance of her find, then reality settled back in with his words. Priceless treasure possessed a dark side, and the prospect of vast amounts of money made people do desperate acts. Like murder.
    "People like Ronald?"
    Agent Matthews cleared his throat. "Unfortunately, he's not your only concern."
    Blinking, she stared at the man and mentally braced herself for more bad news.
    "The two phone calls. Both are very aggressive head hunter collectors who would hire thieves or career criminals to steal what they can't buy. They've been on our list for a while now, dating back to an unfortunate espionage and money laundering scheme several years back."
    "Meaning…?"
    "Meaning I have no reservations believing the jewels you found are worth more than your life to these people."
    She gulped. Sucking in a deep breath, she focused on the essentials. Breathe. Swallow. Don't fall apart now.
    "We've been after these guys for years. Honestly, we're excited to have a healthy lead and the possibility of finally tracking them down once and for all."
    "With me as