The Hogarth Conspiracy by Alex Connor

Author:Alex Connor
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: ebook, book
Publisher: SilverOak
Published: 2012-07-25T04:00:00+00:00

Thirty-Five

AS LIM CHANG COOLED HIS HEELS IN THE GALLERY, OLIVER WAS ON A call to his brother-in-law, Ambrose Wilton. Although he had expected little in the way of help, anxiety for his family finally had forced him to approach the recluse. But even after he had confided that he had terminal cancer, there was only a muted, grudging response.

“How long have you got?” Ambrose asked imperiously, as though the whole matter was an inconvenience with which he never should have been troubled.

“A couple of months,” Oliver replied, hearing the dogs barking in the background as an accompaniment to Ambrose’s regal tone resonating down the line from rainy Ireland. “Sonia’s your sister.”

“I know who my family members are.”

“Then have some concern for them!” Oliver snapped. “God knows, I’ve helped you often enough in the past.”

“You like helping people,” Ambrose replied loftily. “You always have. I’m not like you, Oliver. I don’t feel the need to dig people out of holes. You have a social conscience; congratulations. I’m sure your obituary will be effusive.”

Taking in a breath, Oliver dropped his voice. “I’m not asking for myself but for your sister.”

“You have money; you’ll leave her well off,” Ambrose retorted. “Sonia and I were never close.”

“That wasn’t her fault.”

“I like dogs,” Ambrose said curtly, “not people.”

“Without my help you’d have been on the streets.”

“You can’t force sympathy out of me,” Ambrose went on. “It’s not in my nature. I don’t care about you or Sonia. I live alone because I like it, so please don’t expect anything from me. You would only be disappointed.”

And that was that.

Oliver leaned back in his seat, reflecting bitterly on the conversation. He was so angered by Ambrose Wilton that it was a relief when Lim Chang was shown into his office. Oliver’s manners were as graceful as ever as he showed Chang to a seat before regaining his own behind the desk.

“I have some news,” the Chinese dealer announced without ado.

Oliver concealed his relief. It had been three days since he last had seen Lim Chang, and he’d begun to wonder if he had been cheated, even dreamed of Chang finding the Hogarth and returning to China with it, with him learning the mortifying news from the Daily Telegraph.

“News?” Oliver repeated. “Good news?”

“The Hogarth has been found.”

Touching his mouth with the tips of his fingers, Oliver took in a breath. The Hogarth was safe.

“In London?”

“In London.”

“Who has it?”

“That’s not important,” Lim Chang went on. “They want half a million pounds for it.”

A laugh bubbled up in Oliver’s chest. Half a million pounds. Where was he going to get half a million pounds? Of course, he appeared to have that much money; he had all the outward trappings of wealth, but it was a sham. He had assets but a paltry bank account.

“Half a million pounds?”

Chang nodded.

“You think that’s a fair price?” Oliver asked, watching Chang intently.

The Chinese man raised his eyebrows. “It’s a fair price for someone who wants to get rid of it fast.”

“Won’t you please tell me who has it?”

Chang ignored the question.

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