[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
it against the photograph on the Internet. It was perfect. I
had done my job so well, in fact, that no one would ever
know what I had accomplished. As a former art forger, I
had long ago made my peace with anonymity.
Now that Michael knew I had the Picasso it seemed
wise to return it to Frank as soon as possible. I packed it
carefully in its crate, switched off the radio, and shut down
the computer. Then I grabbed my backpack and keys, set
the alarm, hoisted the crate in my arms, locked the door,
and cautiously negotiated the outside wooden staircase. I
found my landlord in his office, his dark head bent low
over paperwork.
Knock knock, I called out.
He jumped up to take the crate. You should have
called. I would have come to get it.
I m perfectly capable of carrying a painting, Frank.
You ve seen some of the things I ve toted up and down
those stairs furniture and garden statuary and the like.
Which reminds me when are you going to put in an ele-
vator?
If I put in an elevator I ll have to raise the rent. So, all
done? Already?
SHOOTING GALLERY 111
Good as new, I said. You re not going to try to back
out of our deal now that you know how efficient I am, are
you?
Of course not, he said, looking surprised. I m just
impressed.
I m kidding, Frank. You re one of the most trustworthy
guys I know.
The moment I said it, I realized it was true. Frank was
as worthy of trust as Michael was of suspicion. Why was I
entertaining even for a moment Michael s hint that Frank
trafficked in stolen paintings? Still, I had to ask.
So-o-o, funny thing, Frank, I said. I couldn t help but
notice that the Picasso looks a lot like the one the Steinber-
gen family says was stolen by the Nazis.
Do you think I would transport stolen art?
Talk about an awkward moment. I wished I d kept my
yap shut. Maybe not knowingly . . .
There are online databases that track lost and stolen art
from around the world, Annie. There s even a software
program to send pictures from a camera phone to an
image-processing server connected to the database. When-
ever I take possession of a painting I access up-to-the
minute information on its origin and provenance. If it s
flagged, I report it to the appropriate authorities.
Really? I said, impressed. How does Michael manage
to fence his purloined art? I wondered. I filed that away as
a conversation starter for our date on Tuesday.
This Picasso is similar to the one the Nazis took from
the Steinbergens, but rest assured they are two different
paintings.
That s a relief, I said. I d have hated to see you
hauled off to San Quentin on my say-so alone. My next
landlord might not be as reasonable as you.
What a touching tribute, he said dryly. I must say,
112 Hailey Lind
though, I m pleased to learn that your ethics are as strong
as my own.
Dear, naïve man, I thought. Since you re so knowl-
edgeable about art theft, could I ask you something? Why
would someone steal an unimportant painting from a mu-
seum?
Is this a hypothetical question?
More or less, I dissembled.
Well, that depends. Most art theft these days is con-
nected to drug dealers and gun runners, but those folks
want the big-ticket, high-profile pieces.
What do drug dealers and gun runners want with fine
art?
They use it as collateral for their deals, or else to laun-
der money.
I had no idea, I said, appalled. A spot of art forgery
was one thing it could be rationalized as a victimless
crime if one s ethics were sufficiently flexible but drug
dealing and gun running left broken bodies in their wake.
Art theft is the third most lucrative international crime,
behind drugs and arms dealing, Frank said. But that
wasn t your question, was it? When a stolen piece of art is
relatively unimportant or inexpensive the motive tends to
be personal. I d start with the museum s employees.
An employee?
You worked at the Brock, Annie, so you know that
most museum workers are underpaid and overworked.
They re often art lovers themselves, and a few will yield to
temptation. But since they re not motivated by profit their
choice is usually a minor piece that s a personal favorite.
Most of the time they take items from the storage areas and
the theft isn t discovered for months or years, if at all.
What s with this newfound interest in art theft?
Just idle curiosity.
SHOOTING GALLERY 113
That right?
Don t you want to see the Picasso? I said to distract
him.
Frank opened the crate and examined the painting.
When he looked at me, I saw relief in his eyes. Amazing.
You re a miracle worker, Annie, truly. I owe you one.
In the past six months Frank had rescued me from a
goon holding a knife to my throat, escorted me to a gala I
desperately wanted to attend, and reduced my rent so I
wouldn t have to relocate my studio. All in all, I figured we
were probably even. But I wasn t about to look a gift horse
in the mouth.
Oh, one more thing, Frank, I said as I started for the
door.
What s that?
Be careful. Really careful. Maybe return the Picasso to
its owner right away.
What s going on?
Nothing. Nosirree. But you might want to lock it in
one of your trucks and drive away.
Why?
I ve got to run. Bye, Frank! I waved gaily, raced out
the door, and told myself I had done what I could.
After all, wasn t Frank the one who said I was a trouble
magnet?
Chapter 8
Sculptures are tricky. If a bronze is poured in an
artist s original mold, is it a genuine product of
the artist, or of the foundry worker, or of the heir
to the copyright? A Rodin sculpture cast by
Rudier a century ago is now worth a fortune,
while a cast made by the Rodin Museum in recent
years is considered a mere copy.
George LeFleur, letter to the editor,
Bulletin of the Society of Museum Curators
Flowers are amazing things. They inspire artists, lift flag-
ging spirits, and seal romantic deals. They can even unlock
doors.
I d learned the secret of flower power from Sherri the
process server, who once described how she used flower
deliveries to gain access to her quarry and to soften the
blow of being served distressing legal papers. The best
source for flowers was the San Francisco Flower Mart at
Sixth and Brannan, which opened at the crack of dawn and
was jammed with Vietnamese flower vendors, Jewish
florists, and mothers of every ethnicity looking to save a
buck or twenty on wedding arrangements. I had once
dragged my butt out of bed at four-thirty a.m. to witness
SHOOTING GALLERY 115
the lily-scented free-for-all, but on the whole I preferred
sleep to really fresh flowers.
After leaving the restored Picasso in Frank s tender
care, I zipped over to the flower mart to pick up a nice
mixed bouquet before heading over to Pascal s studio.
Weaving through the Sunday traffic, I pondered how best
to handle the wily old sculptor. My mother had confirmed
a stronger connection to Seamus McGraw than Pascal had
admitted to, and I wondered what he d been hiding. If the
two artists were old friends, why had he denied it? Wor-
ried, I sped up. Something was amiss in the world of Bay [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl freetocraft.keep.pl
it against the photograph on the Internet. It was perfect. I
had done my job so well, in fact, that no one would ever
know what I had accomplished. As a former art forger, I
had long ago made my peace with anonymity.
Now that Michael knew I had the Picasso it seemed
wise to return it to Frank as soon as possible. I packed it
carefully in its crate, switched off the radio, and shut down
the computer. Then I grabbed my backpack and keys, set
the alarm, hoisted the crate in my arms, locked the door,
and cautiously negotiated the outside wooden staircase. I
found my landlord in his office, his dark head bent low
over paperwork.
Knock knock, I called out.
He jumped up to take the crate. You should have
called. I would have come to get it.
I m perfectly capable of carrying a painting, Frank.
You ve seen some of the things I ve toted up and down
those stairs furniture and garden statuary and the like.
Which reminds me when are you going to put in an ele-
vator?
If I put in an elevator I ll have to raise the rent. So, all
done? Already?
SHOOTING GALLERY 111
Good as new, I said. You re not going to try to back
out of our deal now that you know how efficient I am, are
you?
Of course not, he said, looking surprised. I m just
impressed.
I m kidding, Frank. You re one of the most trustworthy
guys I know.
The moment I said it, I realized it was true. Frank was
as worthy of trust as Michael was of suspicion. Why was I
entertaining even for a moment Michael s hint that Frank
trafficked in stolen paintings? Still, I had to ask.
So-o-o, funny thing, Frank, I said. I couldn t help but
notice that the Picasso looks a lot like the one the Steinber-
gen family says was stolen by the Nazis.
Do you think I would transport stolen art?
Talk about an awkward moment. I wished I d kept my
yap shut. Maybe not knowingly . . .
There are online databases that track lost and stolen art
from around the world, Annie. There s even a software
program to send pictures from a camera phone to an
image-processing server connected to the database. When-
ever I take possession of a painting I access up-to-the
minute information on its origin and provenance. If it s
flagged, I report it to the appropriate authorities.
Really? I said, impressed. How does Michael manage
to fence his purloined art? I wondered. I filed that away as
a conversation starter for our date on Tuesday.
This Picasso is similar to the one the Nazis took from
the Steinbergens, but rest assured they are two different
paintings.
That s a relief, I said. I d have hated to see you
hauled off to San Quentin on my say-so alone. My next
landlord might not be as reasonable as you.
What a touching tribute, he said dryly. I must say,
112 Hailey Lind
though, I m pleased to learn that your ethics are as strong
as my own.
Dear, naïve man, I thought. Since you re so knowl-
edgeable about art theft, could I ask you something? Why
would someone steal an unimportant painting from a mu-
seum?
Is this a hypothetical question?
More or less, I dissembled.
Well, that depends. Most art theft these days is con-
nected to drug dealers and gun runners, but those folks
want the big-ticket, high-profile pieces.
What do drug dealers and gun runners want with fine
art?
They use it as collateral for their deals, or else to laun-
der money.
I had no idea, I said, appalled. A spot of art forgery
was one thing it could be rationalized as a victimless
crime if one s ethics were sufficiently flexible but drug
dealing and gun running left broken bodies in their wake.
Art theft is the third most lucrative international crime,
behind drugs and arms dealing, Frank said. But that
wasn t your question, was it? When a stolen piece of art is
relatively unimportant or inexpensive the motive tends to
be personal. I d start with the museum s employees.
An employee?
You worked at the Brock, Annie, so you know that
most museum workers are underpaid and overworked.
They re often art lovers themselves, and a few will yield to
temptation. But since they re not motivated by profit their
choice is usually a minor piece that s a personal favorite.
Most of the time they take items from the storage areas and
the theft isn t discovered for months or years, if at all.
What s with this newfound interest in art theft?
Just idle curiosity.
SHOOTING GALLERY 113
That right?
Don t you want to see the Picasso? I said to distract
him.
Frank opened the crate and examined the painting.
When he looked at me, I saw relief in his eyes. Amazing.
You re a miracle worker, Annie, truly. I owe you one.
In the past six months Frank had rescued me from a
goon holding a knife to my throat, escorted me to a gala I
desperately wanted to attend, and reduced my rent so I
wouldn t have to relocate my studio. All in all, I figured we
were probably even. But I wasn t about to look a gift horse
in the mouth.
Oh, one more thing, Frank, I said as I started for the
door.
What s that?
Be careful. Really careful. Maybe return the Picasso to
its owner right away.
What s going on?
Nothing. Nosirree. But you might want to lock it in
one of your trucks and drive away.
Why?
I ve got to run. Bye, Frank! I waved gaily, raced out
the door, and told myself I had done what I could.
After all, wasn t Frank the one who said I was a trouble
magnet?
Chapter 8
Sculptures are tricky. If a bronze is poured in an
artist s original mold, is it a genuine product of
the artist, or of the foundry worker, or of the heir
to the copyright? A Rodin sculpture cast by
Rudier a century ago is now worth a fortune,
while a cast made by the Rodin Museum in recent
years is considered a mere copy.
George LeFleur, letter to the editor,
Bulletin of the Society of Museum Curators
Flowers are amazing things. They inspire artists, lift flag-
ging spirits, and seal romantic deals. They can even unlock
doors.
I d learned the secret of flower power from Sherri the
process server, who once described how she used flower
deliveries to gain access to her quarry and to soften the
blow of being served distressing legal papers. The best
source for flowers was the San Francisco Flower Mart at
Sixth and Brannan, which opened at the crack of dawn and
was jammed with Vietnamese flower vendors, Jewish
florists, and mothers of every ethnicity looking to save a
buck or twenty on wedding arrangements. I had once
dragged my butt out of bed at four-thirty a.m. to witness
SHOOTING GALLERY 115
the lily-scented free-for-all, but on the whole I preferred
sleep to really fresh flowers.
After leaving the restored Picasso in Frank s tender
care, I zipped over to the flower mart to pick up a nice
mixed bouquet before heading over to Pascal s studio.
Weaving through the Sunday traffic, I pondered how best
to handle the wily old sculptor. My mother had confirmed
a stronger connection to Seamus McGraw than Pascal had
admitted to, and I wondered what he d been hiding. If the
two artists were old friends, why had he denied it? Wor-
ried, I sped up. Something was amiss in the world of Bay [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]