Consigned to Death by Jane K. Cleland

Author:Jane K. Cleland [Cleland, Jane K.]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Fiction, General, Mystery & Detective, Women detectives, Women Detectives - New Hampshire, Mystery Fiction, Women Sleuths, Antique dealers, Auctioneers, Murder - Investigation - New Hampshire, New Hampshire
ISBN: 9780312949525
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Published: 2006-01-01T05:00:00+00:00

We stood just outside the front door in the parking lot. The sun was steady now, and bright. I noticed two dozen or so cars, a good omen since it was barely ten and both the preview and the tag sale had just opened.

“I’ll call you Monday evening. Is that all right?” I asked.

“Yes, thank you. I won’t be leaving until Tuesday.”

“And then you’ll be back in Boston?”

“Chestnut Hill, yes,” she answered, naming an affluent suburb just west of the city.

A black Lincoln pulled up, and a small Asian man got out, leaving the engine running. He nodded at me and opened the back door for her.

“Does your daughter live in Boston, too?”

“No,” she said. “New York. Why?”

“Just curious. One more thing,” I said, changing the subject. “I was just thinking that I might stop by the house tomorrow, if it’s all right.”

“I don’t know. You’ll need to check with the police.”

“May I call them directly?”

“Yes, certainly. In this endeavor, you’re my representative.”

I smiled. “Thank you, Mrs. Cabot. I won’t let you down.”

“I know you won’t.”

“What’s your room number at the Sheraton?”

“Room three-nineteen.”

I nodded. “Thank you.”

She turned to step into the car, then paused. As she swung her feet inside, I noticed that they were average sized, and at a guess, her shoes were about a seven.

“How long do you think it will take you?” she asked.

I wondered which task she was referring to—generating an independent inventory, verifying authenticity, assessing value, or finding the missing paintings.

“If I can find everything, and if it’s all as described, no more than a couple of days for the inventory itself. For the verification, a week to ten days. For the appraisal, another two to three weeks.” I shrugged and made a Murphy’s Law joking grimace. “If this, if that. If it rained in the Sahara, it wouldn’t be a desert. You know how that goes.”

“Of course. I understand. Obviously time is of the essence. I know you’ll work as quickly as you can.”

I nodded. “Realistically, I expect it will take a month to six weeks, soup to nuts. I’ll do my best to speed the process along.” Wes had told me that the police had made an inventory. I wondered if she was aware of it. “One thing that might save time,” I added, pleased at my boldness, “is if we can work off an existing list. For instance, do you know if the police made an inventory?”

“Ask Chief Alverez. As I said, in this matter, you’re my representative.”

She reached out her hand and we shook. Her entire attitude conveyed something more than the confirmation of a business deal with a new partner. There was that, but there was also a melancholy resignation, as if she was proceeding along the best path she’d found, but that while it might be the best, it was none too good. I had the sudden realization that, to her, anything I discovered was likely to be bad news. If I found the paintings, Andi would be furious. If I didn’t, Andi would go crazy, perhaps accusing me or others of stealing them.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.