The Modigliani Scandal Part 23

You dont have to watch your language with me, you know that, his daughter said.

Oh, my G.o.d," Julian breathed. He was staring at one painting left on the wall.

What is it? said Lampeth. You look as if youve seen a ghost. Thats just a little acquisition of mine I brought along to show you all. Cant have a gallery with no pictures at all.

Julian turned away and walked to the window. His mind was in a turmoil. The picture Lampeth had brought was an exact copy of his fake Modigliani.

The b.a.s.t.a.r.d had the real one while Julian had a dud. He almost choked with hatred.

Suddenly a wild, foolhardy plan was born in his mind. He turned around quickly.

They were looking at him, expressions of slightly concerned puzzlement on their faces.

Cardwell said: I was just telling Charles that you, too, have a new Modigliani, Julian.

Julian forced a smile. "That's why this is such a shock. Its exactly like mine.

Good Lord! Lampeth said. Have you had it authenticated?

No, Julian lied. Have you?

Afraid not. Lord, I thought there was no doubt about this one.

Cardwell said: "Well, one of you has a forgery. It seems there are more forgeries than genuine works in the art world these days. Personally, I hope Julians is the one-I've got a stake in it. He laughed heartily.

They could both be genuine, Sarah said. Lots of painters repeated themselves.

Julian asked Lampeth: Where did you get yours? I bought it from a man, young Julian.

Julian realized he had trespa.s.sed on the ethics of the profession. Sorry, he mumbled.

The butler rang the bell for dinner.

Samantha was flying. Tom had given her the funny little flat tin that evening, and she had taken six of the blue capsules. Her head was light, her nerves tingled, and she was bursting with excitement.

She sat in the front seat of the van, squashed between Tom and Eyes Wright. Tom was driving. There were two other men in the back.

Tom said: Remember, if were very quiet we should have it off without waxing anybody. If someone does catch us bang to rights, pull a shooter on him, and tie him up. No violence. Quiet now, were there.

He switched the engine off and let the van coast the last few yards. He stopped it just outside the gate of Lord Cardwells house. He spoke over his shoulder to the men in the back: Wait for the word.

The three in the front got out. They had stocking masks, pulled up to their foreheads, ready to cover their faces if they were seen by the occupants of the house.

They walked carefully up the drive. Tom stopped at a manhole and whispered to Wright, "Burglar alarm."

Wright bent down and inserted a tool into the manhole cover. He lifted it easily and shone a pencil flashlight inside. Piece of cake, he said.

Samantha watched, fascinated, as he bent down and put his gloved hands into the tangle of wires. He separated two white ones.

From his little case he took a wire with crocodile clips at either end. The white wires emerged from one side of the manhole and disappeared on the other. Wright clipped the extra wire from his case onto the two terminals on the side of the manhole farthest from the house. Then he disconnected the wires at the opposite pair of terminals. He stood up. Direct line to the local nick, he whispered. "Shortcircuited now.

The three of them approached the house. Wright shone his flashlight carefully around a window frame. "Just the one, he whispered. He delved in his bag again and came up with a gla.s.s cutter.

He cut three sides of a small rectangle in the window near the inside handle. He pulled a strip of tape from a roll and bit it off with his teeth. He wound one end of the tape around his thumb, and pressed the other against the gla.s.s. Then he cut the fourth side of the rectangle and lifted the gla.s.s out on the end of the tape. He placed it carefully on the ground.

Tom reached through the opening and undid the catch. He swung the window wide and climbed in.

Wright took Samanthas arm and led her to the front door. After a moment it opened silently, and Tom appeared.

The three of them crossed the hall and climbed the stairs. Outside the gallery, Tom took Wrights arm and pointed at the foot of the doorpost.

Wright put down his bag and opened it. He took out an infrared lamp, turned it on, and beamed it at the tiny photoelectric cell embedded in the woodwork. With his free hand he took out a tripod, set it under the lamp, and adjusted its height. Finally he put the lamp gently on the tripod. He stood up.

Tom took the key from under the vase and opened the gallery door.

Julian lay awake listening to Sarahs breathing. They had decided to stay the night at Lord Cardwells house after the dinner party. Sarah had been sound asleep for some time. He looked at the luminous hands of his watch: it was 2:30 A.M.

Now was the time. He pulled the sheet off him and sat up slowly, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. His stomach felt as if someone had tied a knot in it.

It was a simple plan. He would go down to the gallery, take Lampeths Modigliani, and put it in the trunk of the Cortina. Then he would put the fake Modigliani in the gallery and come back to bed.

Lampeth would never know. The pictures were almost identical. Lampeth would find that his was a fake, and a.s.sume that Julian had had the real one all along.

He put on the dressing gown and slippers which had been provided by Sims, and opened the bedroom door.

Creeping around a house at the dead of night was all very well in theory: one thought of how unconscious one would be of anyone else doing it. In reality it seemed full of hazards. Suppose one of the old men got up for the lavatory? Suppose one fell over something?

As he tiptoed along the landing Julian thought of what he would say if he were caught. He was going to compare Lampeths Modigliani with his own-that would do.

He reached the gallery door and froze. It was open.

He frowned. Cardwell always locked it. Tonight, Julian had watched the man turn the key in the door and put it in its hiding place.

Therefore someone else had got up in the middle of the night to go to the gallery.

He heard a whispered: d.a.m.n!

Another voice hissed: The b.l.o.o.d.y things must have been taken away today.

Julians eyes narrowed in the darkness. Voices meant thieves. But they had been foiled: the pictures were gone.

There was a faint creak, and he pressed himself up against the wall behind a grandfather clock. Three figures came out of the gallery. One carried a picture.

They were taking the real Modigliani.

Julian drew in his breath to shout-then one of the figures pa.s.sed through a shaft of moonlight from a window. He recognized the famous face of Samantha Winacre. He was too astonished to call out.

How could it possibly be Sammy? She-she must have wanted to come to dinner to case the joint! But how had she got mixed up with crooks? Julian shook his head. It hardly mattered. His own plan was awry now.

Julian thought fast to cope with the new situation. There was no longer any need to stop the thieves-he knew where the Modigliani was going. But his own plan was completely spoiled.

Suddenly he smiled in the darkness. No, it was not spoiled at all.

A faint breath of cold air told him the thieves had opened the front door. He gave them a minute to get away.

Poor Sammy, he thought.

He went softly down the stairs and out of the open front door. He opened the trunk of the Cortina quietly, and took the fake Modigliani out. As he turned back to the house, he saw a rectangle cut in the gla.s.s of the dining room window. The window was open. That was how they had got in.

He closed the car trunk and went back into the house, leaving the front door open as the thieves had. He climbed to the gallery and hung the fake Modigliani where the real one had been.

Then he went to bed.

He woke early in the morning, although he had slept very little. He bathed and dressed quickly, and went to the kitchen. Sims was already there, eating his own breakfast while the cook prepared the meal for the master of the house and his guests.

Dont disturb yourself, Julian said to Sims as the butler rose from his seat. Im off early-Id just like to share your coffee, if I may. Cook can see to it.

Sims piled bacon, egg and sausage onto his fork and finished the meal in one mouthful. When one is up early, the rest soon follow, I find, Mr. Black, he said. I better lay up.

Julian sat down and sipped his coffee while the butler went away. The shout of surprise came a minute later. Julian had been expecting it.

Sims came quickly into the kitchen. I think weve been burgled, sir, he said.

Julian faked surprise. What? he exclaimed. He stood up.

A hole has been cut in the dining room window, and the window is open. I noticed this morning that the front door was open, but I thought Cook had done it. The gallery door was ajar, too-but Mr. Lampeths painting is still there.

Lets have a look at this window, said Julian. Sims followed him across the hall and into the dining room.

Julian looked at the hole for a moment. I suppose they came for the pictures, and were disappointed. They must have decided the Modigliani was worthless. Its an unusual one-they might not recognize it. First thing is to phone the police, Sims. Then rouse Lord Cardwell. Then begin checking the house to see whether anything at all is missing.

Very good, sir.

Julian looked at his watch. I feel I ought to stay, but Ive an important appointment. I think Ill go, as it seems nothing has been taken. Tell Mrs. Black I will telephone later.

Sims nodded and Julian went out.

He drove very fast across London in the early morning. It was windy, but the roads were dry. He was guessing that Sammy and her accomplices-who presumably included the boyfriend he had met-would keep the painting at least until today.

He stopped outside the Islington house and jumped out of the car, leaving the ignition keys in. There were too many a.s.sumptions and guesses in this plan. He was impatient.

He banged hard on the knocker and waited. When there was no reply for a couple of minutes, he banged hard again.

Eventually Samantha came to the door. There was ill-concealed fear in her eyes.

Thank G.o.d, Julian said, and pushed past her into the house.

Tom stood in the hall, a towel around his waist. What the h.e.l.l do you think youre doing, barging-"

Shut up," Julian said crisply. "Lets talk downstairs, shall we?

Tom and Samantha looked at one another. Samantha gave a slight nod, and Tom opened the door to the bas.e.m.e.nt stairs. Julian went down.

He sat on the couch and said: I want my paint . ing back.

Samantha said: I havent the faintest idea-"

Forget it, Sammy, Julian interrupted. I know know. You broke into Lord Cardwells house last night to steal his pictures. They were gone, so you stole the one that was there. Unfortunately, it wasnt his. It was mine. If you give it back to me I wont go to the police.

Silently, Samantha got up and went to a cupboard. She opened the door and took out the painting. She handed it to Julian.

He looked at her face. It was almost haggard: cheeks drawn, eyes wide with something which was neither anxiety nor surprise, hair uncared-for. He took the picture from her.

A sense of relief overwhelmed him. He felt quite weak.

Tom would not speak to Samantha. He had been sitting in the chair for three or four hours, smoking, gazing at nothing. She had taken him the cup of coffee Anita made, but it lay cold, untouched, on the low table.

She tried again. Tom, what does it matter? We shant be caught-he promised not to go to the police. Weve lost nothing. It was just a lark, anyway.

There was no reply.

Samantha laid her head back and closed her eyes. She felt drained, exhausted with a nervous kind of tiredness which would not let her relax. She wanted some pills, but they were all gone. Tom could go out and get her more, if only he would come out of his trance.

There was a knock at the front door. At last Tom moved. He looked at the doorway, warily, like a trapped animal. Samantha heard Anitas footsteps along the hall. There was a muted conversation.

Suddenly several pairs of feet were coming down the stairs. Tom stood up.

The three men did not look at Samantha.

Two of them were heavily built, and carried themselves gracefully like athletes. The third was short. He wore a coat with a velvet collar.

It was the short one who spoke. Youve let the governor down, Tom. Hes less than pleased. He wants words with you.

Tom moved fast, but the two big men were faster. As he went for the door, one of them stuck out a foot and the other pushed Tom over it.

They picked him up, each holding an arm. There was a curious, almost s.e.xual smile on the short mans face. He punched Toms stomach with both fists, many times. He carried on long after Tom had slumped, eyes closed, in the grip of the other two.

Samantha opened her mouth wide, but she could not scream.

The little man slapped Toms face until his eyes opened. The four of them left the room.