Nocturne in Black and Gold

Chapter 28: The Missing Puzzle Piece

Early on Sunday morning, Neal returned to the Vermeer for the final push. All that was left was the application of the craquelure. Neal prided himself on his ability to forge the delicate pattern of crackles that forms on the surface of oil paintings as they age. It was an art to itself, in many respects more exacting than forging the brushwork.

After taking the painting out of the oven, Neal called Mozzie over to inspect the finished product. While Mozzie conducted his eyeball-and-magnifying-glass scrutiny, Neal slipped a CD into the player. He'd been hearing a selection from an album by E.S. Posthumus in his head all morning. "Nara" was the title of the piece. The dark music had been used in many movies. For him, it captured the spirit of The Astronomer.

Mozzie stopped his examination to frown at him. "That again? You know what it reminds me of? The crack of a whip."

"It's supposed to be Nara, the ancient capital of Japan."

"I'm familiar with the CD. Was it essential that you picked the most ominous track?"

Neal shrugged. "It suited my mood. Does the painting get your seal of approval?"

"It does. Your skill improves, mon frère. Your expertise is unmatched."

Neal took a deep breath. He'd call Peter to let him know it was ready. Once the Vermeer was on its way, he could start on the Braque. It was time to leave the Dutch Baroque behind and take a quantum leap forward. The year was 1910. Braque was working with Picasso—

"You should be floating on a cloud," Mozzie admonished, cutting into his thoughts. "Your forgery will be in position at the storage site in a couple of days. You no longer have to be concerned that the Vermeer will hurt you or the Suit and Mrs. Suit. And yet you're not."

Neal huffed and remained silent.

"Is it the Braque? Are you upset that it's part of the con?"

"No, that was brilliant, but it doesn't change anything. It's still the second trigger."

Mozzie only needed a second to make the connection. "You think it will be used as a weapon against you."

"And Peter. And El. I'm stuck in a holding pattern. Klaus and Rolf don't have the original and I'm not concerned they'll find it. But if they recorded me in the church, they can still blackmail me and frame Peter."

"Let's analyze your situation, shall we? It may not be as dire as you think it is, or the music makes it out to be." Mozzie rose and turned off the CD player. "Since you're in a 'posthumous' mood, let us postulate that Klaus or Rolf comes to you and shows you a video. Perhaps they recorded you in the vestibule as you changed clothes. Although you wore a hood in the church, they could have recorded you slipping it on. They then recorded you when you removed the painting from behind the clock in the church. Now they insist you work for them. How do you respond?"

"I'd agree. I'd then inform Peter so we could plan a sting to arrest them. I'd also confess to having stolen the Braque. Peter at this point has two options. He could alert Interpol. The statute of limitations isn't up. I'd be tried for having stolen plundered art—probably in Germany, maybe in France." Neal shrugged. "Checkmate."

"And the other option?"

"The first option is in my view a remote possibility. Much as Peter might feel the need to inform Interpol, I don't think he will. He told me in San Francisco that if something popped up from my past, he wouldn't make it an issue now."

"Do you doubt him?" Mozzie asked.

"No. He was sincere, but I can't hold him to that. It would violate all the principles he holds dear. Peter is defined by his integrity. If he found out about the Braque, it would put him in an untenable position. Peter once told me if he began making exceptions in cases for personal reasons, he'd have no choice but to quit his job. He'd not want to go back on what he told me but neither would he want to compromise his principles. I would have destroyed Peter's trust in me. I don't think he'd ever forgive me."