Gideon Monahan is a man dedicated to what he does -- recovering stolen art -- to the exclusion of anything else, including a personal life. There's a reason for that, something that happened in his past that he can't forget.<br><br>Cole Newell is an archaeologist with a problem. He needs to find out who looted a dig he worked the previous summer, after one of the artifacts shows up at his gallery. Cole calls on Gideon to lend his expertise, which, much against his better judgment, Gideon does.<br><br>When one of the looters is murdered, they set out to find answers, with the help of Detective Quint Hawk. In the process, Cole realizes he's attracted to Gideon, even though he's certain the man is straight. After he helps Gideon open up about -- and accept -- his past, can the two men become more than friends? Both Gideon and Cole hope so, once they overcome the myriad problems facing them.

It Takes an Archaeologist

Quint shook his head. “It could be they think Elliot brought in other items he took off with—if that’s what happened. Then we’d be talking more than just a thousand dollars.”


Gideon started to pace. “There’s another possibility. They could be looking for a buyer for the whole lot.”


“This long after the actual looting of the dig?” Cole said.


“Letting things cool down some, first.”


“Okay,” Cole said reluctantly, “I can see that, I suppose. So, Elliot gets tired of waiting, takes a few…probably bowls, since they’re very marketable. But he needs to know how much they’re actually worth.” He nodded slowly. “I can see him bringing in a couple more, once he gets the first appraisal, using the same story about his grandmother. Then he either offers them to me, or, if he’s halfway smart, he goes somewhere else, with the appraisals, and tries to cut a deal for them.”


“Wouldn’t he need proof he obtained them legally?” Quint asked.


Chapter 5