Out of the Picture

by Tracy Gardner

  Savanna shrugged. “Lauren said it was gone when she looked for it. She didn’t know what happened to it.”

  Skylar put the phone to her ear and left the room to talk to Detective Jordan.

  Sydney spoke. “Caroline is staying put at Anderson Memorial until tomorrow, right? She shouldn’t come home until this is all taken care of. Felix will be furious once he knows his plan didn’t work.”

  “Yes, Aidan said tomorrow is the earliest she’ll come home.”

  Skylar reappeared. “Jordan’s on his way over. He wants to see what we’re talking about, and he said he talked to Dr. Gallager yesterday about the digitalis; the tablets in Caroline’s pill box are three times her normal dose, and she was getting two each day rather than just one. She’s lucky she’s alive.”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Detective Nick Jordan sat opposite the Shepherd sisters at the dining room table, which was still covered with artwork certificates. “We have enough to bring Thiebold and his assistant in for questioning. The originals for all of these are still at the Carson house?”

  “Yes,” Savanna said. “I can tell you exactly where—in a compartment in Everett’s desk upstairs. Caroline told me.”

  “We can pursue charges for trafficking in forgeries, but we don’t have evidence to support that this dealer or his assistant actually tampered with Mrs. Carson’s medications, or chased you yesterday.”

  “What about the pill box? You have that,” Sydney said.

  “We do, and forensics is trying to pull fingerprints off it, but I’m just warning you, I don’t have enough right now to show attempted murder.”

  Savanna groaned. “Okay, well at least Caroline will be safe when she comes home from the hospital. You can hold Felix?”

  Jordan nodded. “As soon as I get the originals for these. I don’t believe copies will hold up once Thiebold calls his lawyer.”

  “Let’s go now and get them,” Savanna said.

  He cocked an eyebrow at her. “After we stop by the hospital and get Mrs. Carson’s permission.”

  “Right, isn’t that what I said?” She smiled.

  Syd stood, pushing her chair back. “Okay, I’m going to go take the dogs out, and I have two grooming appointments this afternoon. I’m unfortunately out, at least for a little while. But will you keep me updated? I won’t be too long.”

  Savanna gave Syd a quick hug. “Absolutely. Thanks for taking care of the dogs.”

  Charlotte poked her head through the dining room doorway. “Dad is taking me to the airport. Be careful, all of you. I want a call first thing tomorrow telling me everyone is fine and this is all tied up, all right?”

  “Safe flight, Mom,” Skylar said.

  “Love you!” Savanna and Sydney called as her rolling suitcase disappeared down the hall.

  “So.” Savanna looked at Skylar and Jordan. “Just us?”

  Skylar cringed. “Just you two, I’m afraid,” she said. “Trav and I got tickets to take Nolan to the Lego convention today. They’ve been waiting for me to finish up here.”

  Jordan shrugged. “No worries. I’ll shoot you an email to sum up. You’re going to end up involved in prosecuting on Mrs. Carson’s behalf, assuming everything breaks down the way we think it will. Are you ready?” Jordan turned to Savanna.

  “I am.” She gathered up the copies of all the provenance documentation, handing them to Skylar. “Thank you so much for that. I hate to go confirm to Caroline that so much of her collection is worthless… You’re sure we have to bother her again to do this?”

  “No way around it,” Jordan replied. “But from everything I know about Mrs. Carson, I have a feeling she’ll take it better than expected.”

  Probably true, Savanna thought.

  At Caroline’s bedside, Savanna perched on the edge of her bed, holding her hand. The first thing she noticed about the woman was her lipstick: if Caroline was wearing her lipstick, things were righting themselves. She broke the news about the paintings to her, and she calmly listened.

  “I suppose that makes a strange kind of sense,” she said. “No wonder Felix got all flustered when I mentioned Kevin Banfield might be able to help with liquidating the pieces. I thought at first he was just being possessive, trying to be a good friend to me…but he was never our friend.”

  “I’m so sorry,” Savanna said.

  “Well, at least my Everett isn’t here to learn of this betrayal. He truly believed we were in great hands with Felix as our art dealer.”

  “You had no reason not to believe that.”

  Caroline gasped. “Oh! Oh my, I almost forgot. Lauren said Ryan is coming to pick up that small Minkov today at five. I’ve lost all track of time in this blasted hospital bed.”

  Savanna’s gaze went to Detective Jordan. Would everything that happened yesterday change that? What if Ryan was in on what Felix Thiebold was doing? She wasn’t certain how much Caroline had been told in order for her to agree to let Jordan lock up her collection.

  The detective held his hand out as a cautioning signal to her. He turned back to Caroline. “That’s perfect. We can meet this Ryan at your house. He’s the assistant, right?”

  “Yes. Lauren was going to meet him there. She had to get the provenance for him.”

  “Thank you, Caroline,” Savanna said. “I’ll call her right now. We’ll meet Ryan instead. Right?” She was watching Jordan.

  “Yes,” he agreed. “Call and cancel Lauren going.”

  Savanna leaned down and hugged Caroline, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. “We’re off. We’ll get this taken care of and make sure you’re safe. And, as soon as you’re home, you and Lauren can sit down and find a later date for your birthday party.”

  “Excuse me? The party is happening as planned. I will not postpone.”

  Savanna stood looking down at Caroline, lying in the hospital bed, hair disheveled, wires and leads and IV tubing connected to her on all sides. She smiled sweetly at Savanna, her lipstick a rich shade of red.

  Savanna spoke. “Okay. I’m sure that’ll be fine.” Caroline he was as stubborn as ever, lipstick or no lipstick. Maybe Lauren or Aidan could talk some sense into her.

  She patted Savanna’s hand. “You be careful. Thank you for looking out for me.”

  Jordan stopped to speak with the deputy stationed outside Caroline’s room, and then he and Savanna headed to the elevator.

  “Do you think Ryan will still show up today?” Savanna took an offered stick of gum from him while they rode down to the lobby.

  “It’ll depend on whether or not Ryan was involved in your chase from Lansing yesterday…and if Thiebold is arrogant enough to think we haven’t figured things out by now. Would he be aware that Skylar had copies of the provenances? If not, he may believe you have suspicions, but no way to connect anything back to him.”

  “I don’t see how he’d know about Skylar’s copies. He does know the originals are somewhere in the house. I think that’s what the break-in was about, in light of all of this. Both Caroline’s and Everett’s home offices were ransacked. Caroline says Everett has a concealed, locked compartment in his desk; she was certain the provenances were untouched.”

  Jordan held the door open for Savanna as they walked out to the hospital parking lot. “Then let’s hope Felix Thiebold’s arrogance outweighs his caution, and he allows Ryan to come for the painting.”

  Caroline’s house was only six blocks from Anderson Memorial. Jordan informed Savanna that he’d be riding with her, leaving his police vehicle at the hospital to avoid clueing Ryan in that something was up before he’d made it into Caroline’s house. As they were leaving, she caught sight of Aidan’s SUV pulling into the parking lot.

  Savanna pulled up next to him, rolling down her window. “Hi there.”

  “I was hoping to catch you here. I just came from Fancy Tails. Sydney said you wer
e with Caroline.” He peered through to her passenger seat, where Jordan raised a hand in a brief greeting.

  “Aidan, you remember Detective Jordan. Detective, Dr. Gallager,” she said. “We’re going to Caroline’s house to meet Felix’s assistant Ryan. He thinks he’s picking up a painting…the detective hopes to have a chance to talk with him.”

  Aidan nodded. “I’ll follow you. I was hoping for a way to check on what the medication situation is before Caroline comes home tomorrow. I’ve got a new pill planner to leave her… I’d like to double-check her prescription bottles.”

  Jordan spoke up. “That’s not a good idea, not right now.”

  “It’s okay. My car’s over there at least a few times a week. It won’t cause a problem.”

  Savanna felt instantly better as she rolled the window up and pulled out of the parking lot, knowing Aidan was following them.

  “No reason to make this a circus,” Jordan said gruffly.

  “It’s all right, Detective. Dr. Gallager has taken excellent care of Caroline. I think he just wants to make sure everything goes seamlessly when she comes home.”

  “Fine.” His tone was terse.

  Savanna told her car to call Lauren as they drove to Caroline’s. Over the Bluetooth system, Lauren’s voicemail picked up. Savanna tried to explain as briefly as possible, knowing she probably wasn’t making much sense.

  “Anyway,” she said as she pulled into the Carson house driveway, “no need to come to the house today. Detective Jordan from the Carson Village Police Department is with me. We’re going to wait here to meet Ryan.”

  Within ten minutes, they’d retrieved the locked, fire-safe box of provenances from the compartment under Mr. Carson’s desk. Savanna and Detective Jordan then sat in the living room off the foyer, waiting. Aidan was in the kitchen, where Caroline kept her prescription bottles.

  Jordan tapped the locked box. “Not all of these will need to be kept for evidence. I’ll get everything back to her except for the ones needed to prove Thiebold brokered deals on forgeries,” Jordan told Savanna.

  “Of course,” she said.

  Aidan joined them. “Okay, all good. Her new pill box is set up correctly with the couple of changes we made at the hospital.”

  While they waited, Savanna went through the events of the weekend with Aidan. He listened, stunned, as she recounted making the discovery of the pentimento under the Minkov, the brush stroke giveaway in the Rothman, and the error in the authenticator’s name this morning with her sisters.

  Another ten minutes crawled by. Savanna crossed, uncrossed, and re-crossed her legs. Checked her phone. Went to the kitchen and returned with a glass of lemonade for her and the two men.

  Jordan sat still, in his chair, waiting. He finally looked at her. “You know, if you have somewhere to be, you can go. It’s not necessary for you to be here. Either of you.”

  Savanna glanced at Aidan. “I just realized you were probably coming to the hospital for a reason. I didn’t mean to take you away from work. Do you need to go?”

  Aidan shook his head. “I was already there early this morning to make rounds. I’ll go later and check on Caroline, don’t worry. Do you have somewhere to be?”

  “No, not at all. I’m fine. Just nervous. I wish he’d get here.”

  “You told Lauren what was going on,” Jordan spoke. “It’s possible she tipped Ryan off.”

  Savanna looked at Jordan like he had three heads. “What? That’s crazy. Lauren’s fine. She’s Caroline’s biggest advocate.”

  He shrugged. “You never know. People are unpredictable, and very predictable, when it comes to money.”

  Savanna thought once more of Jack and let it go. There was just no way he was involved. She might never find out what that odd text message was about, but Jack was no monster.

  A car door closed outside, and footsteps sounded on the porch. The trio in the house stood.

  Savanna looked at Jordan when the doorbell rang.

  He put a hand up, frowning at her. “Wait, I want to see something.”

  They remained seated, and a minute later heard the tones on the push button lock being pressed, followed by a long beep, meaning an incorrect code had been entered.

  “He doesn’t know the locks have been changed.” Savanna said. “He hasn’t been here since Friday.”

  The code was tried a second time, to no avail. The doorbell rang again.

  Jordan motioned to Savanna. “Go ahead, answer it.”

  She stared at him. He waved a hand for her to go, standing out of sight behind the door. She took a shaky breath, and opened the front door. “Ryan! Come in!”

  “Hi,” he said, looking confused, his gaze moving beyond Savanna to the foyer. “Sorry, I didn’t know there must be a new lock code. I’m meeting Lauren here?”

  “Right, Caroline told me.”

  “I’m, uh, supposed to pick up a painting?” Ryan wore tan Levis and sneakers, a black canvas jacket, and a backward baseball cap over shoulder-length brown hair. Savanna hadn’t noticed before how young he was; he looked to be around twenty-five.

  Savanna closed the door behind him, revealing Detective Jordan, and Dr. Gallager beyond, in the living room. Ryan looked curiously at the three of them.

  “Lauren isn’t here,” Jordan said. “We’d like to talk to you.”

  Savanna saw, from the corner of her eye, Jordan’s right hand no longer visible, resting near his belt under his suit coat. He’s waiting to see if Ryan is going to run.

  Ryan nodded agreeably. “Okay, sure. But if I can’t pick up the piece today, I’ll have to let Felix know so he can reschedule the buyer.”

  Jordan led him into the living room. “Sit.” He motioned at one of the chairs. Ryan obeyed.

  Jordan held his badge out for Ryan to see. “I’m Detective Jordan. You might be acquainted with Savanna Shepherd, and this is Dr. Gallager. Lauren won’t be joining us today. Mrs. Carson is in the hospital at the moment.”

  “I heard that. Felix told me. Something with her heart? I’m sorry to hear it.”

  “What is your last name, Ryan?”

  “Nelson.”

  “Ryan, I’m investigating a few incidents that have happened here, at Mrs. Carson’s house. Were you aware she was on heart medicine?”

  “No.” He shook his head. “But she’s old, right? I mean, that happens when you get old.”

  “Have you ever handled any of Mrs. Carson’s food or medication, Ryan?”

  “What? No! Why would I?”

  “Ever been in the parlor where she’s been sleeping recently?” Jordan barely allowed time for Ryan to answer before peppering him with the next question.

  “No. Look, man, I come, I package the paintings and take them to Felix, and I get paid. The only rooms I’ve ever been in here are the ones where the paintings are. Like this room. She sold a piece that was over that piano. And her office, around the corner there.”

  Savanna saw that Jordan was jotting notes in a small leather-bound notepad. He hardly glanced at Ryan, completely ignoring how flustered the young man was becoming. “And Ryan, what about the stairway? Have you ever had occasion to be on the second floor of the house?”

  Ryan stood up. “No. Never. I don’t know what this is about, but I think I should go.”

  Jordan remained seated, looking up at Ryan. “Sit. Down.”

  Ryan sat. He leaned forward, elbows on knees. “Listen, what are you looking for? I’ve spent like, twenty minutes tops in this house. I haven’t done anything. Did something happen with one of the paintings?”

  “How long have you worked for Mr. Thiebold, Ryan?”

  “Five or six years. Six years.”

  “And do you travel with him, to act as courier for the artwork?”

  “Yes, sometimes.”

  “So.” Jordan jotted something else in
the notebook. “You meet the buyers as well as the sellers. Have you been to The Masters Gallery in Florida recently, Ryan?”

  “Where?”

  “An art gallery in St. Armand’s, Florida. It appears Mr. Thiebold often uses an authenticator there to verify authenticity before pieces change hands. So, Ryan, you’d have traveled to The Masters Gallery in St. Armand’s with Mr. Thiebold, wouldn’t you?”

  Ryan shrugged, looking confused. “I don’t know, man. I work for Felix a few months a year, and he flies me to wherever he’s making art deals. I carry the paintings. Sometimes things get boring, and he sends me for coffee. I don’t keep track of where the deals are. So, maybe?”

  Jordan looked at Ryan. “You work as Mr. Thiebold’s assistant a few months a year? What do you do for work in your off time?”

  “I, uh, don’t. I don’t need to. I mean, Felix pays really well. I get pay raises every year, and sometimes a bonus. But it’s not an easy job,” he added, looking from the detective to Savanna to Aidan. “He relies on me for everything when I am working.”

  Jordan nodded, silently writing notes in his book. “Interesting. Ryan,” he said, not glancing up, “where were you yesterday at four-thirty in the afternoon?”

  “What?” Ryan looked confused. “Why? What was yesterday, Saturday?”

  Jordan now met the younger man’s eyes. “Yes, Ryan. Saturday. Where you Saturday at four thirty?”

  Ryan was looking at the ceiling, ticking off something on his fingers, one at a time.

  “Ryan?” Jordan pushed him.

  “I’m thinking. I was gaming. My friends and I play an online game together. I think I logged on around noon.”

  “And you were still playing this game four and a half hours later?”

  Ryan sighed, appearing exasperated. “I was still in the game, like, nine hours later, man. Unless I’ve got something going on for Felix, there isn’t much else to do when we’re traveling.”

  Savanna caught Jordan’s look. Was Ryan not involved at all in Thiebold’s crooked dealings?