CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED - The Final Countdown Begins

Lucas's eyes widened as he caught on. "You think Gregory will be there." "I'd bet my life on it," Ella said firmly. "It's too tempting for him to resist. But..." "But we can't wait that long," Lucas finished. "We need to draw him out sooner." They called Frank, explaining their discovery and their dilemma. The old forger was quiet for a long moment before he spoke. "I might have an idea," he said slowly. "But it's risky. Very risky." Over the next hour, they hashed out a plan. It was audacious, dangerous, and just crazy enough that it might work. They would create their own lost masterpiece. Frank would use his considerable skills to forge a painting that would be impossible for Gregory to resist. They would then leak information about its discovery, creating a buzz in the art world that would surely catch Gregory's attention. The bait? A long-lost Vermeer, supposedly discovered in an old farmhouse in Willow Creek. "It's perfect," Ella said excitedly. "Gregory knows the area,