Part 17 (1/2)
”No. Since there was an FBI agent at the house, and the case has been turned over to them, we-Connor and I-didn't think it was necessary to call the local police.”
”This is very serious, Daria,” Louise got up again and began to pace. ”Our museum has been robbed. People who owned some of the stolen artifacts have been murdered. And now there's been a break-in on our campus. I'm not sure what to do about any of this. I thought reopening the museum would be the answer to our problems, but it seems to be turning into the catalyst for more problems.”
”Do you have a choice?” Daria asked. ”As upsetting as all this has been”-Daria touched Louise on the arm-”is there really a question of whether or not the museum should be reopened?”
”No.” Louise sighed. ”I don't know what else to do. We went over every other conceivable option weeks ago. The trustees and I agreed that there's nothing else that will be of any lasting benefit to the university. So we will have to proceed, in spite of the murders and the thefts.”
She tapped her pen on the tabletop. ”Of course, there's no press like sensational press.”
”I'm afraid that's true,” Daria agreed. ”Which is why you're going to want to find someone who can start fielding questions and act as a liaison between the university and the media.”
”As much as it pains me to say it, we will need the press when it's time to open the museum. Yes, you're right. I need to address this as soon as possible.”
”The sooner the better, I'm afraid.”
”About these art theft people from the FBI...when might we expect them?”
”Connor is arranging that. He spoke with his office yesterday.”
”Good, that's good.” Louise nodded. ”The security people have been at the museum since yesterday afternoon. If you're thinking about getting in the building, you're going to need this.”
Louise took a badge from an envelope that lay on the table and handed it to Daria. ”No one's getting in without one of these, so make sure you have it on when you go down there.”
”Thanks.” Daria put the badge in her bag. ”By the way, what arrangements have been made to appraise the collection?”
”Penn is sending someone next week on the bank's behalf.” Louise brightened. ”At least we're making progress in that quarter. Oh, and more good news. Dr. Bokhari will be back tomorrow evening, so you'll have some help with the exhibit, if you want it.”
”That is good news. I'm looking forward to meeting her.” Daria pushed the chair away from the table. ”If there's nothing else, I'd like to get to work on those displays.”
”There is something.” Louise got up and opened the office door. ”Vita, do you have those envelopes...yes, those.”
Daria followed Louise into the reception area where Vita was removing several large brown envelopes from her desk.
”I found this in one of the file cabinets downstairs when I was searching for Casper Fenn's records.” Vita handed the envelopes to Daria.
”The photographs that were taken at Shandihar,” Louise told her. ”They might help you plan your displays, since the artifacts themselves will be going into the vault soon. Not that you won't have access to them, but having these right in front of you might make your job a little easier.”
”Definitely. Thank you. I can't wait to look at them.” Daria opened the lid of the box and dropped the envelopes inside. ”I'll take good care of them.”
”Let me know when the FBI's art people get here,” Louise called after Daria who was already on her way out of the office.
”I will.”
Daria closed the door behind her, her heart pounding. She fought an urge to dance down the front steps of the building. She couldn't get back to McGowan House fast enough.
”Connor?” she called as she entered the house. From the kitchen, there was music playing softly, and she hurried toward it.
When she pushed through the swinging doors, she found Connor still seated at the table, Sweet Thing at his feet and a sweet thing with long blond hair sitting in the chair she herself had occupied just an hour or so ago.
”Daria.” Connor smiled when he looked up at her. ”Meet Special Agent Polly Kingston. NSAF. Here to save the day.”
”Oh. h.e.l.lo.” Daria exhaled a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. ”Nice to meet you.”
”You as well.” Polly looked over her shoulder and met Daria's eyes.
Polly Kingston was older than Daria had first thought. Maybe early fifties, but she'd kept herself together very well.
Sweet Thing greeted Daria enthusiastically, and she leaned over to give the dog a pat on the head.
”Connor was just bringing me up to date on the case. I have to admit, this is more complex than what I've handled in the past.”
”How so?” Daria took the chair between Polly and Connor.
”Well, our art-theft cases don't generally have this element of murder running through them. Yes, of course, there are cases where people dealing in stolen art or antiquities have been killed, but I've never seen a case like this. We were just discussing the best way to handle it. I think my first priority will be to recover the artifacts that are still in the hands of private collectors. Hopefully before someone else is killed.”
”The people in Connecticut and Marion, Ma.s.sachusetts,” Daria noted. ”And then you'll contact the museums and galleries?”
”Yes, though I'll have another agent working on the inst.i.tutions,” Polly told her. ”As luck would have it, we are really shorthanded right now. There was a big theft at a gallery in California over the weekend, and some Pica.s.sos were stolen in Michigan on Friday, and there's an ongoing investigation of some Internet sales that's just heating up. So we're stretched pretty thin right now. I was just thanking Connor for doing some of the legwork for me. I appreciate having the list of stolen items and their probable locations handed to me.” She smiled at Connor. ”You've saved me a great deal of time.”
”Actually, Daria was the one who knew to use the Internet to locate the collectors. We found the collectors, but unfortunately, someone else found them before we did.”
”Shouldn't someone be warning the others?” Daria asked.
”That's already being done,” Polly a.s.sured her. ”John Mancini has contacted agents in each of the locations to make contact with the individuals ASAP.”
”And then you'll go in and see about getting the university's property back?”
”We'll do our best,” Polly a.s.sured Daria, ”but Howe could very well end up in litigation if any of the inst.i.tutions don't want to cough up important pieces. Especially since Howe is planning on placing a very bright spotlight on Shandihar over the next few years. The museums that have artifacts to put on display are going to want to keep them for a while.”
”Actually, Agent Kingston, right now I'm more concerned about the people who possess the artifacts. Having them returned is secondary at this point.”
”The plan is to arrange for them to be protected,” Connor told her.
”So whose job is it to figure out who is stealing the artifacts, and who is killing the collectors?” Daria looked from Connor to Polly and back again.
”The homicide investigations are being handled by the police departments where the murders took place,” he told her.
Daria frowned. ”I'm sure they're all very competent, but let's face it, the Blumes and Elena Sevrenson were murdered months ago. Connor, do either of the investigating departments have any leads?”
”None that I know of.”
”Who is coordinating the investigations? If there are two departments involved, who's on first here?” Daria stared at Connor. ”And if there's another death, that brings in another police department. Why isn't the FBI taking over the case?”
”I'll be coordinating the theft portion of the case,” Polly told her, ”and I'll have agents working with me in each city.”
”But shouldn't someone be looking over the entire thing? The thefts and the murders? Shouldn't the left hand know what the right hand is doing here?”