Romanov Gold: The Charlemagne Griffon Chronicles by Christopher C Tubbs

Author:Christopher C Tubbs [Tubbs, Christopher C]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-03-22T00:00:00+00:00

The Auction House

Back in Boston, Charlie and the rest of the team, were reunited at the Newbury. Luigi's men had spotted Caplan when he arrived at the aerodrome. All the immigration officials were in his back pocket and copies of his picture had been circulated. There was no sign of the treasure.

"What do we do now?" Jane asked as they sat together.

Charlie was deep in thought.

"We need to get a look inside that auction house's warehouse."

"And we need to find Caplan," Stan said as he sharpened a dagger with a stone.

Charlie nodded.

"That too. Question is where would he stay?"

"Does it matter?" Etherton said. "He is bound to visit the auction house before the event."

Charlie smiled a little smugly.

"You already have someone watching it."

"Luigi is taking care of it."

Jane looked up at the mention of the Italian's name.

"How did the thing between him and Isabella work out?" she asked.

"Fine, they are getting engaged. The wedding is in a month," Charlie answered flatly.

Jane looked at him.

"You are alright with that?"

"He's just pissed off that one of his doxies isn't available now." Stan grinned.

Charlie changed the subject. "Etherton, we need an antiquity."

Etherton groaned.

**

Two days later Charlie walked into the auctioneers and asked to speak to someone about auctioning an item. A man was fetched by the receptionist.

"Can I help you? I'm the auctioneer."

Charlie held out his hand.

"Sir Charles Stanworth, antiquarian, pleased to meet you."

"Stanley Care. You have something you wish to auction?"

"I do," Charlie said and took a small object from his pocket. It was wrapped in a cloth, and he unwrapped it before handing it to Care.

Care took a breath as he held up the exquisite gold statue of the Mayan god Q'uq'umatz.

"That is very rare."

"I know," Charlie said. It was the one piece that Etherton had saved for himself from a previous expedition. "The Mexican authorities would love to get it back. What do you think it would fetch?"

"If two collectors really want it, and I do not see why they shouldn't, I can see this making ten to twenty thousand dollars."

Charlie took it back and wrapped it in its cloth. "What are your terms?"

"We take a thirty percent commission on every item. We do not ask where the items come from." Care rubbed his hands together.

"Do you have secure storage?"

"We do."

"I would like to see it before agreeing to sell it through you."

"Of course, come with me. I will show you around."

Charlie was led through to the auction room which probably seated a maximum of thirty people. Behind the auctioneer's raised rostrum was a door and through that was the store. Care wrapped on the door in a stuttered rhythm before opening it. A pair of guards, with pistols holstered at their waists, sat in a glass cubicle inside the door and a pair of short-barrelled ten-gauge shotguns hung on a rack. At the street end of the warehouse were a large pair of doors secured on the inside with a locked, steel, rolling shutter.

"As you can see, even if

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