Why did dear departed Aunt Cady have an exquisite old painting buried beneath World War II paraphernalia? And how can a painting so dramatically shift Claire's perspective on everything from her uninspired love life to her ho-hum job in the Oregon state custom license plate division? MSTBF8 (must be fate) A sophisticated art expert tells Claire the painting isn't valuable. Why, then, is she being followed, her hotel room getting ransacked, and her life being thrown in a state of havoc that reaches back to her quiet home in Portland? The closer Claire comes to the truth about her inherited masterpiece, the more questions--and trouble--she uncovers. Though offers of help are arriving in very intriguing packages, Claire is caught in the middle of a dangerous tug-of-war that can leave her either richer in body, soul, and bank book--or broken, battered, and pushing up daisies.