Legal Artistry

by Andrew Grey

  "You direct where you want things, and I'll help place the furniture and items, but first I'm going to take her home,” Mark told him as he took Jolie from his arms before heading toward the house up the street.

  Dieter met the movers and walked them through the house. By the time Mark returned, the men were already bringing things into the house. Peering into the truck, Dieter was surprised how little there was. Granted, a number of easily portable things had already been brought over. Dieter told the men where to place the furniture, and when Mark returned, they began opening boxes while the rest of the things were brought in. A little over an hour later, the men were done, and Dieter said good-bye after signing what they needed. As they pulled away, Gerald pulled up and parked in front of the house, followed almost immediately by another truck.

  "What's all this?” Dieter asked as Gerald stepped out of his car.

  "The reason I got called into the office. It seems that this particular truck contains fourteen crates. They sent them to my office."

  "Fourteen crates?” Dieter asked, wondering just what was going on.

  Gerald bounded toward him with a huge grin. “They're your paintings. They sent them to my office, and I redirected them here. They sent the paintings and the frames separately. There's also a letter with instructions for unpacking them, and it details which painting goes with which frame.” Gerald handed him an envelope before hugging him tight, lifting him off the ground. “I know this isn't your great-grandmother's portrait, but it's a start, and I also found out today that your day in court begins on Monday.” Gerald set his feet back on the ground before kissing him hard.

  "Oh, hey, Mark,” Gerald said with a smile as Mark joined them. “I think we may need your help. Some of Dieter's paintings arrived from Vienna, and even though they sent instructions....” Gerald looked at him and Dieter nodded. “We don't feel as though we know enough to unpack them."

  "Let me make a phone call. I have a friend who knows everything about things like this."

  "Where would you like them?” one of the delivery men from the truck asked in a deep voice.

  "We can put them in the living room for now,” Dieter replied before asking the man to follow him. After showing him where to place the crates and placing blankets on the floors to protect them, he got out of the way as the two men carried each of the wooden crates inside. Once they were done, Dieter signed what they needed and thanked them both before heading inside. To say the house was a mess was an understatement. There wasn't a single room that didn't have boxes packed against the walls or furniture waiting to be placed.

  "Where do we start?” Gerald asked him, and Dieter shrugged his shoulders. “How about if I start in the dining room and you work on the kitchen? We can't do much with the living room until we figure out what to do with the paintings, and they're safest in their crates for now."

  "Okay,” Dieter agreed. “Did you see where Mark went?"

  "Last I saw him, he was still outside talking on the phone.” The front door opened and Mark stepped inside. “Speak of the devil. Would you like to join us for lunch?"

  "I can't. I have an appointment at the studio in half an hour, but I wanted to tell you that I'll stop back about four and meet Peter. He's my agent as well as the owner of the Peter Barrett Gallery. He said he can help get the art unpacked. I told him about the works, and he's really intrigued."

  "Perfect. We'll see you then, and plan on dinner. It's the least we can do for all your help,” Gerald said as he shook Mark's hand, only to be pulled into a hug. Mark hugged Dieter as well and then hurried out the door.

  "I'll make some lunch if you want to get started,” Dieter told Gerald before walking into the kitchen. There wasn't a great deal to put away in here. Gerald had donated a lot of his kitchen things to charity, so there were only five or six boxes that needed to be put away—mostly small appliances and stuff like that. Dieter found the bread and began pulling things out of the refrigerator, making thick sandwiches. Carrying the plates into the dining room, he returned for cans of Coke before joining Gerald around their table. “It's looking better already,” Dieter said after they'd sat down. Gerald had placed a lot of the furniture, even around the crates, and had emptied some of the boxes.

  "It shouldn't take very long. I didn't move that much stuff, and I've already hauled a few of the boxes I don't need right now to the attic.” Gerald took a bite of his sandwich, smiling.

  "I can't believe you're here,” Dieter said, and he felt Gerald take his hand.

  "I am here, and I'm glad we decided to live here. This is a great house and now it's home.” Gerald squeezed Dieter's hand. They finished eating, quietly looking at one another and then around their home. Dieter could barely sit still he was so excited. After finishing their lunch, they both went back to work, unpacking the boxes and getting their home in order. Together they'd already cleaned out the last things from Gram's and Auntie Kate's rooms. It had been hard for Dieter, but necessary. Dieter finished in the kitchen before climbing the stairs to get their bedroom in order. They had decided to set up one of the smaller bedrooms as an office, and the movers had set all of Gerald's things in that room. Closing the door, Dieter left it alone so Gerald could set it up the way he wanted.

  Late in the afternoon, they'd accomplished a lot and were taking a break together on the sofa when the doorbell rang. Dieter got up to answer it and found Mark on the doorstep with an older-looking gentleman. “Dieter, this is Peter Barrett,” Mark said, and Dieter stepped back so they could come inside. “He's probably one of the best people around to get your paintings unpacked and back in their frames.

  "It's a pleasure to meet you both,” Peter said, shaking hands with both Dieter and Gerald, who'd joined them, before looking around. “This is very nice.” Dieter saw when his eyes fell on the crates. “Let's see what you have. Can we use the floor here in the hall? It looks like there's more room."

  "I'll get some blankets,” Dieter said, and he hurried upstairs. When he returned, he spread one of Gram's old cotton blankets on the floor, and Gerald and Mark hefted in the first crate. “The letter says that crates one and two go together. One has the painting and two contains the frame."

  "Let's get the frame out first so we can insert the painting directly into it. I brought a cordless screwdriver. It's in my trunk. I also brought some basic framing tools I thought we might need.” Peter handed his keys to Mark, who returned a few minutes later. There was so much excitement in the room Dieter thought his hair would stand on end as Peter began removing the screws from the first crate. There seemed like dozens of them, but finally he lifted off the lid before gently removing a large, flat bundle wrapped in bubble wrap. “Mark, carefully remove the wrapping and set the frame on the table facedown."

  Gerald followed Mark, and Dieter could hear the two of them talking in the dining room as Peter began removing the screws in the next crate. “Does the letter say how they packed the paintings?"

  "It's in German, but it says they are placed in some sort of cradle in the crate,” Dieter explained, and Peter lifted off the lid and whistled.

  "This is amazing. They constructed a system within the crate that holds the painting like a frame, only with shock absorbers around it so it couldn't get jostled. Leave it to the Germans.” Dieter didn't correct Peter as he carefully reached inside, unfastening the framing system and withdrawing the painting and its protective cover. Pulling away the covering, Peter walked the painting into the dining room and set it carefully into the frame before fastening the painting in place. “We should find places to hang these for safety."

  "Hang them in here and in the living room. It doesn't matter where right now,” Dieter told him anxiously. “The hooks go into the studs,” he added, wanting to see the painting so badly, he was nearly jumping out of his skin.

  Peter carefully hung the painting, and Dieter stepped back, looking at the impressionistic landscape. The others looked as well, but then went back to work while Dieter simply stared. This w
as the first part of his family's legacy. After staring for a while, Dieter began hauling the empty crates to the garage, placing them carefully so they could be reused if they were needed. When he returned, Peter had the next painting in its frame and was hanging it on the wall.

  Dieter kept himself busy while the others got each of the paintings in their frames and hung on the walls. Gerald helped him carry out six sets of crates. The last set of crates was smaller than the others, and Peter opened the crate with the frame. It was plainer than the others. Gerald took the crate to the garage while Dieter watched Peter open the last crate, taking out the painting. After unwrapping it, Peter placed it in the frame before turning it around so Dieter could see it.

  "I have to tell you, these are amazing works, worthy of most any museum. They aren't masterpieces, but they are all very high-quality pieces. But I think I like this one the best,” Peter explained.

  The painting Peter held was the only portrait in the group, and Dieter stared at it and his mouth fell open. “Please hang that over the fireplace. I'll be right back.” Dieter hurried upstairs to his room, grabbing Gram's photo album before hurrying back down, clutching it to his chest. “Look,” Dieter said as he opened the album and carefully paged through until he found the picture of Anna, Joseph, and Gram. “Is that her?” Dieter looked to the painting and then at the photograph.

  Peter studied the photograph and then looked at the painting. “They're definitely at different ages.” Peter walked to the painting and carefully lifted it down from the wall. “Let's check the back.” Peter laid the painting on the dining-room table. “There seems to be some writing, but it's very faint."

  Dieter looked at the back of the yellowed canvas, carefully peering where Peter indicated, seeing the faint, probably pencil markings. “G. Meinauer,” Dieter said before checking again to make sure he wasn't seeing what he wanted to see before turning to Gerald with a smile on his face. “Gram was Gertrude Meinauer. It's her.” Dieter clamped his eyes closed to keep the tears from spilling out. The document they'd found at the museum had listed a portrait of a child, but Dieter had never dreamed it would be a portrait of Gram as a girl.

  Peter re-hung the portrait before looking at each of the paintings. “These are wonderful,” he pronounced after he'd looked at them all. “If you want, I could take photographs of all of them, make a few notes, and I can provide you with written appraisals for insurance purposes."

  "Thank you,” Dieter said, shaking his hand. “I really appreciate you helping us. Tyler should be over soon, and we were going to dinner. Would you like to join us?"

  Peter thought for a few seconds. “I think I'd like that. Will you tell me the story behind all this?"

  "Sure,” Dieter answered.

  "You aren't going to believe it,” Mark added as they headed for the door.

  Peter looked from Mark to Dieter, who pointed at the portrait of his grandmother.

  "Her mother is the Woman in Blue,” Dieter explained.

  "Meinauer,” Peter muttered. “That Meinauer. No wonder the name was familiar. Your great-grandmother was Anna Meinauer?"

  "Yes, and on Monday we go to court to try to get her back too,” Dieter said, taking Gerald's hand. “I promise I'll tell you the whole story over dinner."

  "I made reservations at Magellan's. I'll call and add one more. We'll meet you there at seven,” Gerald said as he held the door for Mark and Peter. “It looks like we have just enough time to get cleaned up."

  "We have an hour before we have to leave,” Dieter said, as Gerald began tugging him upstairs.

  "Yeah, a whole hour, I wonder what we're going to do?” Gerald retorted, moving a little faster. “So what do you want to christen first, our bed or our shower?"

  "Can we do both?” Dieter asked, laughing as they hurried up the stairs and down the hall.

  "How about shower before dinner and bed after dinner?” Gerald asked as they reached the bathroom, pulling Dieter into a hug before kissing him, and the debate ended there.

  * * * *

  They had a great dinner and an even better evening and night. Gerald spent much of Wednesday and Thursday at work, and Dieter continued unpacking when he wasn't at his office. On the weekend, they worked together to finish getting the house set up, and on Sunday evening, Gerald built a fire in the fireplace, and they sat together in the living room with Dieter held close to Gerald and loving every minute of it. “Are you nervous about tomorrow?” Dieter asked.

  "A little, are you?"

  "Yeah. You said I may need to testify.” Dieter knew he sounded nervous.

  "You may, yes. If Angus tries to make an issue of the copies we got in Austria, then you'll need to testify about how we obtained them. Most of the proceeding will be about things like proving you're the heir of Anna and Joseph and showing that you are the rightful owner of the paintings, stuff like that. I think the case is going to hinge on whether we can make the argument regarding the sovereignty issue. There isn't going to be a jury, just the judge. Angus and I present our facts and proof, anything we feel will boost our case, as long as we back it up based upon the law."

  "When will we know if we've won? Will the judge tell us at the end?” Dieter asked, snuggling closer in the dark room, the firelight dancing on the walls. It should have felt romantic, but Dieter was too nervous and just wanted to be close, and thankfully, Gerald sensed that and held him.

  "No, he'll decide and write his opinion. Judge Ellis knows that whatever he decides will probably be appealed, so he'll make sure he's got everything as solid as possible. So please don't be nervous. After we go to court, it could be weeks before we know,” Gerald cautioned him lightly.

  "I guess. It's just hard.” Dieter rested his head against Gerald's shoulder.

  Gerald turned his head toward the painting above the fireplace. “Whatever happens, I hope you know I've done my best."

  "I do. No matter what,” Dieter said as he looked at the portrait of his grandmother, “we've both done our best, and if nothing else, we brought Gram home, and I got back some of my family's heritage. I think Gram would be pleased.” Dieter found himself looking at the portrait once again as he settled next to Gerald, listening to the sound of the crackling wood in the fireplace.

  "I'll be right back,” Gerald told him, and Dieter sat quietly looking around the room at the art that had once hung on his great-grandparents’ walls. Gerald came back and handed him a glass of wine before sitting next to him once again. They didn't talk much for the rest of the evening. Having Gerald next to him was all he needed, and once the fire burned down and went out, Gerald took their glasses to the kitchen, and they went to bed.

  Dieter didn't really sleep well, and at one point Gerald rolled over, rubbing his back lightly until he finally fell asleep. In the morning, they got ready for work. “Will you call me when they need me?"

  "Of course. But you'll need to be ready on short notice,” Gerald told him as he finished tying his tie.

  "I'll do my best.” Dieter had taken enough vacation time, and he really wanted to be able to take some time with Gerald over the holidays.

  "I know you will,” Gerald said before giving him a kiss. “I'll give you as much notice as I can.” Gerald slipped on his jacket, and Dieter saw him check himself in the mirror before leaving the bedroom and heading downstairs. Dieter finished dressing and followed behind. Coffee was already on, and Gerald poured him a mug. Once they'd finished their coffee, the mugs were placed in the sink, and both of them headed to work.

  At his office, Dieter went right to his desk and did his best to work, but his mind was on Gerald and what was happening downtown at the federal courthouse.

  "Dieter, what are you doing here?” Carl, his boss, asked from behind him. “I thought you'd be in court today."

  "Gerald said he'd call if they need me. I only have so much vacation time left."

  "Go on,” Carl told him. “You put in plenty of extra time, so call it comp time and go. I'll see you on Wednesday. You nee
d to be at the courthouse, not here."

  Dieter didn't have to be told twice. Shutting down his computer, Dieter hurried out to his car and drove downtown to the courthouse, considering himself lucky to find a parking space. Once inside, he walked to the same courtroom he'd been in before. Seeing the doors open, he walked in and saw one of the clerks up near the judge's bench. He told her who he was. “Gerald Young said I may be needed as a witness,” he explained.

  "Then come with me. We have a room for you to wait in because you can't hear anything in court until you testify."

  "Okay.” Dieter followed her to a room with chairs and a sofa.

  "I'll let them know you're here,” she said before walking to the door.

  "Thank you,” Dieter said before sitting down to wait. There was nothing in the room other than a few old magazines, and Dieter sat, letting his mind wander. He sort of lost track of time, but eventually the clerk returned.

  "They've decided you don't need to testify, so you can go sit in the courtroom if you like.” Dieter followed her out of the room and into the back of the courtroom. Gerald was reviewing Dieter's relationship to Anna and Joseph Meinauer, providing paperwork for each point he made. Angus looked bored, and the judge didn't seem particularly interested, but this must have been part of the business that had to be done. Brian sat next to him, watching Gerald as he spoke.

  "Mr. Young,” Judge Ellis said, turning to Angus, “do you wish to contest?"

  "No, Your Honor, we are satisfied that Dieter Krumpf is the only great-grandchild of Joseph and Anna Meinauer,” Angus said, and then Gerald began presenting evidence on the paintings themselves. Dieter noticed that Gerald did not talk about Anna's letter at all.

  Angus and Gerald then got into it about the documentation, and the way they'd obtained the copies. They argued back and forth until the judge intervened. “Mr. Young, the copies were purchased under their own names in an archive that was open to them, so I'm ruling the copies admissible.” Dieter nearly whooped, but kept quiet as the proceedings continued forward.