Crimes on Latimer: From the Early Cases of Marco Fontana

by DeMarco, Joseph R. G.

I nodded my thanks to him and turned to look at Seamus. Dark and brooding, he wouldn’t meet my eyes.

  “Why don’t you sit in with us, Seamus? I can use all the information I can get.”

  He finally looked at me. Anger, hurt, resentment all flashed across his face. The resemblance to his brother faded more and more as he talked and moved. Cullen, at least the Cullen I remembered, was far more adept at handling people and problems. His movements were also more graceful. Or they had been back in school. I shook off thoughts of Cullen and what I’d hoped for when I was a teenager. That was all in the past.

  Seamus moved with reluctance and sat inelegantly on the loveseat.

  “Tell me what you remember about the day the piece was found missing.” I addressed my remark to Haldane.

  “Truthfully, I don’t remember much. It was a day like any other. Luke’s crew arrived in the morning as they always do and Helen, that’s our housekeeper and cook, let them in. I was here, probably in my office upstairs.”

  “Anything out of the ordinary about that day?”

  “You mean other than having a piece of art worth millions being stolen from under our noses by some kid?” Seamus said.

  “Seamus!” Haldane snapped.

  I noticed Seamus wince. He glanced at the floor, then stole a look at me.

  “No, Marco, there wasn’t anything different about that day.” Haldane blushed. “Other than the theft, of course.”

  “So you don’t remember seeing anyone who didn’t belong here? Or, seeing anything that didn’t make sense?”

  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Seamus squirming, ready with a sharp answer. To his credit he restrained himself and stared at his father.

  “I don’t really know Luke’s crew. I don’t pay attention…” Haldane stopped, embarrassed. “I suppose that sounds callous or—”

  “No. Sounds like you’re a busy man who doesn’t concern himself with things he doesn’t have to.”

  Haldane gave a curt nod. “Nevertheless, I should have been paying some attention. If I had, maybe this wouldn’t have happened.”

  “How long was it before you discovered the sketch missing”

  “A couple of days,” Seamus said. “Dad doesn’t use the den much. Nobody does. I went in there a day or so after they’d cleaned the place. I didn’t notice it at first. Notice it missing, I mean. But I was reading something and looked up to where the sketch was supposed to be and it was gone.”

  “Then…?”

  “Then I found dad and asked him if he was aware the sketch was not on the wall. I thought maybe he’d taken it down for some reason.”

  “That’s how it happened, Marco,” Haldane said. “We both went back to the den and had a look around.”

  “It was just gone.” Seamus leaned on an arm of the loveseat and stared at me. When I looked into his eyes, he turned away.

  “What did you do next?” I asked.

  “I didn’t know what to do,” Haldane said. “Nothing like this has ever happened before. I couldn’t exactly believe that someone had stolen the piece.”

  “I told him to call the police, but he refused—”

  “Just until we were sure that something had actually happened.” Haldane said, defending his action.

  “Is that when you decided to look at the security video?”

  “We tried to figure out who’d been in the apartment over the past few days. Other than family and Helen, only the cleaning crew had been here. That’s when I thought to review the video for that day.”

  “Makes sense. Of course, since none of you use the room much, it could have happened some time before or after the crew was here.”

  “The recorder doesn’t keep material too long. Maybe a few days. I’m not entirely sure,” Haldane chipped in. “We don’t have someone watching twenty-four hours a day, and we don’t want a system that needs a lot of attention. Having the system was necessary to placate the insurance companies, since there’s so much art in this place.”

  “So, what you’re saying is that there may be no record of the time before Mikey was in the den. I’m guessing that after you spotted Mikey, you didn’t look any further at the video?”

  Seamus sat, one leg bouncing up and down nervously. “Y-yes. I guess that’s true. We didn’t think we needed to.”

  “You see, Seamus. Marco’s already pointed out something neither of us considered.”

  I could also point out that Haldane didn’t sound all that confident in his son’s judgment. But I kept my mouth shut.

  “All right,” Seamus admitted. “But without anything else to go on, that kid, Mikey, seems like the culprit.”

  “Any chance I could borrow the recording device and hard drive from the security system?”

  “Why would you want that?” Seamus snapped.

  “Just to satisfy my curiosity. Maybe there’s something on disk that didn’t get wiped. We all know that nothing ever gets completely erased from drives.”

  “Of course,” Haldane said. “Seamus, can you handle disconnecting the box?”

  “I think so. I’m not at all happy about doing, this but I’ll get it for you.” Seamus stood and walked out of the room.

  “He’s a good man, Marco. Still thinks he has to protect my interests.” Haldane laughed but not so heartily this time. “He gets around, though and knows his stuff. But I’m afraid that he’s a bit emotional about the DaVinci sketch.”

  “Has anyone ever expressed interest in buying it from you?”

  “Many times. I always turn them down. As I said, the sketch is special. Wrapped up in memories of my wife. I could never sell it. But offers come in frequently.”

  “You said that it had been authenticated by others but that there are still open questions about it?”

  “Yes, we’ve had it tested and examined more times than I wanted. Nothing is ever conclusive. That suits me. I don’t care who produced it. I just care that Chloe loved it. It’s as if her spirit still lives in it. That’s why I want it back. Not for the money, not because anyone in particular made that piece.”

  “I understand, sir.”

  Haldane shook his head and stared out the window.

  “Who’s Tom?”

  “Pardon me?” Haldane said still distracted, dreamily staring at the city below.

  “Seamus mentioned someone named Tom.”

  “Oh, Tom. Yes. Tom is my daughter’s fiancé. She has Seamus to thank for him.”

  “How so?”

  “Tom works at Cleary & Daley, the auction house. You’ve heard of them?”

  “Who hasn’t. Didn’t they sell that Cezanne recently for more than a million?”

  “That’s the house. Tom works there as a restorer and a dealer. Seamus got to know Tom and brought him around. He and Megan fell in love soon after.”

  “What’s he think about the DaVinci?”

  “He’s not convinced it’s the real thing. In fact, he’s adamant that it isn’t. Of course, he and Seamus never get along on these kinds of things.”

  “Strange they should become friends, then.”

  “Well, who doesn’t love a good argument? They may be at loggerheads most of the time, but it keeps them both on their toes. Each of them having to prove his point.”

  “What did Tom have to say about the DaVinci?”

  “Only that it isn’t really a DaVinci. It’s a period piece, he says that’s certain. But he points to several things, tiny details, that I can’t make out even with my glasses and a magnifying glass.”

  “What’s the significance of the elements he brought to your attention?”

  “He says those details prove it’s not a DaVinci, that they are not techniques DaVinci used. Seamus, of course, disagrees.”

  “So Tom feels it’s worthless?”

  “Not at all. He says it’s still worth a great deal of money, but since it can’t definitively be proven to be a DaVinci, it’s worth drastically less than it would be otherwise.”

  “Well, I’ve taken up en
ough of your time, Mr. Haldane.” I stood and put my notebook away. “I’ll probably need to bother you again, if that’s all right?”

  “You’ve got my full cooperation, Marco.” Haldane said as he stood to see me out. “But hold on a second while I see what’s keeping Seamus. He should have had that recorder disconnected by now.”

  Haldane left, walking in that odd military fashion I remembered. I remained standing in the wide expanse of the living room. All muted yellows and oranges gave it a pleasant Tuscan feel. The homey scent of bread baking wafted into the room and I guessed that Helen was getting a jump on dinner.

  Voices in the hall brought my attention back to where I was and I turned to see a woman and a man enter together, arguing quietly. They only stopped when the woman noticed me standing there.

  “Who’re you?” she asked with a hauteur not even her father pretended to.

  I extended a hand to her. “Marco Fontana.”

  “Should I know you? Are you here about the leak in the upstairs bedroom? I called over a week ago but—”

  “Your father hired me to investigate the stolen DaVinci,” I said.

  At that, she blinked a few times then frowned.

  “I’m Tom,” said her companion. “And this is Megan.”

  Tom and I shook hands while Megan continued to stare at me.

  “I don’t believe he actually went through with this. We know who stole the thing. What’s he hope to gain?” Megan finally found her voice again.

  “I guess he’s looking for justice,” I said. “From what I remember about him, your father’s a fair man. Doesn’t jump into things before he checks them out. And he’s not the kind who calls in the cops before he’s sure.”

  “Well, I’m sure…” Megan mumbled.

  “You know Mr. Haldane?” Tom asked.

  “I went to school with Cullen, and I’ve met Mr. Haldane a few times. I know enough about him to respect him.”

  “You went to school with Cullen?” Megan asked. “High school? St. T’s? You went there?” She sounded surprised that the hired help actually attended a private school. One more illusion shattered.

  “Class of ’96, same as Cullen.”

  “So can we help you with anything? Have you spoken to Mr. Haldane yet?” Tom was either being hospitable or wanted to get me out of his way and get on with his day.

  “We’ve just finished, but now that the two of you are here, I have a few questions.”

  “I’ve got a lot to do this afternoon,” Megan said but didn’t make a move to leave.

  “We’re pretty busy. Wedding plans, you know?” Tom winked at me and I smiled.

  “Won’t take a minute,” I said. “Maybe we can sit over there.” I pointed to where I’d just been with Haldane.

  Tom took Megan’s arm and they reluctantly moved to the loveseat. I followed them and sat back in the soft green chair again.

  “I don’t know why he’s making a fuss about that worthless piece of paper,” Megan fumed.

  “It’s not worth what your brother thinks, Meg. But it’s not exactly worthless, either.”

  “How much would you say it’d go for at auction?”

  “At auction, it’s always hard to say, but without proof that it’s a DaVinci, it’d be worth thousands. Just how many thousands is up to the buyers and collectors. Some collectors just have to have these things. And they’ll pay whatever it takes.”

  “You have some experience, I was told.”

  “Sure do.” He smiled that smile again. I was sure he was good at his job. “I work for a big auction house. I’ve learned that it’s not always the piece of art in itself that fetches a big price. Sometimes there are collectors who want everything and anything to do with the area they collect in. I think they’re unbalanced. But I guess any obsessive collector isn’t exactly totally sane. They’d pay almost anything to have what they want. Assuming they have the money to throw away.”

  “Are there a lot of people like that? You’ve actually met some?”

  “There aren’t a lot who have enough money to get everything they want. I’ve rubbed elbows with some of them. Can’t say I know any of them personally.”

  “What about dad’s sketch? You think it can be recovered from that kid, or did he sell it already?” Megan asked, obviously not wanting to hear more about her fiancé’s work.

  “The kid may not have stolen the sketch,” I said. “I was hired to find out who did steal it. If we can recover it, that’ll be a bonus. Your father’s attached to that piece, no matter what it’s worth.”

  “We don’t really know much of anything, Mr. Fontana,” Megan insisted. “I don’t see how we can help.”

  “Were either of you in the den before or after the theft occurred?”

  “The den? I never go in there. It’s daddy’s preserve. More like a ‘males only’ kind of room. I don’t feel comfortable there.”

  Tom shot a look at Megan which said she wasn’t being entirely forthcoming. He let it drop, though, and his eyes snapped back to looking at me.

  “What about you, Tom. May I call you Tom?”

  “Sure,” he said and stared directly into my eyes. “I’ve been in the den now and again. Some wonderful art on those walls. I don’t remember being in there around the time of the theft.”

  “But you’ve both been in and out of the condo over the past couple of weeks?”

  “Well, of course,” Megan snapped. “I live here, and Tom may as well live here, he’s in and out of the place so often.”

  “And neither of you saw anyone who might not belong here? Or, who may have been here for some other ostensible reason?”

  Tom shook his head.

  “Maybe the security cameras picked something up.” I said just to see if there was any reaction. Neither of them blinked.

  “I wouldn’t bet on it,” Tom said. “The system doesn’t hold its recording very long. We were lucky that boy was caught on video going in and out of the den. If we’d waited another few days, that recording might’ve been lost. I don’t remember seeing anyone else on the video.”

  “They say computers never really erase everything. Who knows? There may be something left. I know some people who can find whatever might be lurking on the drive.” I didn’t know if this was strictly true, but it’d get the pot boiling.

  The moment I said this Haldane and Seamus entered the living room. Haldane smiled when he saw us sitting together. Seamus, carrying what looked like a small DVR box under his arm, didn’t look happy.

  “That the security system?” I asked and stood to greet them.

  “This is it, for all the good it’ll do you,” Seamus said. “You can’t possibly think they’ll find anything.”

  “Let Mr. Fontana do his job, Seamus,” Haldane said without a bit of condescension in his tone. Turning to me, he smiled. “The sooner you can get to the bottom of this, the better for everyone, especially that young man.”

  Seamus handed the box to me and I made a show of accepting it. As I did I glanced around at all of them. No one seemed especially ruffled, but none of them, except Haldane himself, seemed happy.

  “I’ll take this to my office and get the tech people I know to give it a going over.”

  “How long will this take,” Seamus asked. “The sooner we get the police involved, the better the chances of getting the sketch back.”

  “I’ll get the guys working on it right away.” All I had to do was find the “guys” I kept mentioning.

  ***

  Walking back to my office, I hefted the recorder box and thought how light it felt and how much weight it could have in determining Mikey’s fate. Whether or not it contained exculpatory evidence, I had no idea. I wasn’t even sure my tech friends would actually find anything. But just having the box was part of a plan I’d devised. Getting the word around as to the whereabouts of the box was next. The news that I had the box in my office might just lure the real thief to try and get it before the techs had a chance to find anything.

>   I walked away from the condo tower and headed for Twelfth and Latimer. I decided to head over on Pine since it was classy and sedate, particularly in the older part of town. Things were still quiet in early April before the really good weather arrived bringing with it tourists, joggers, and strollers. One red brick structure after another gave the area a mellow symmetry. Street lights, made to look like old gas lamps, lined the sidewalks and windows sporting shutters gave each home a stately feel. It was easy to imagine walking the same street more than a century before.

  There was still a good bit of the afternoon left, and I had more than enough work to fill it. I reached my building and climbed to the third floor. The creaky steps announced my movements but the few people in other offices paid little attention.

  I unlocked my door, swearing once more to find a new location, one that wasn’t forlorn and dismal. Moving to my inner office, I placed the security device on a table then got the coffeemaker going. I sat at my desk to map out my next moves and make some calls.

  I reached Luke at his office.

  “Make any progress?”

  “Not yet,” I said and that was true. “I spoke to Haldane and his family.”

  “How’d that go? Was he still willing to let you investigate before he calls in the police?”

  “He is, but his family…” I allowed the comment to hang. “Anyway, we’ve got a little time, which means we’ve gotta use it well. I’ll need to talk to the guys on the crew for Haldane’s place, especially someone named Ramon.”

  “You can talk to them all. Why Ramon in particular?”

  “Something one of my contacts told me.”

  “Is he, I mean, do you think he’s involved?”

  “He may know something. I don’t know any more than that, Luke. But I’ll keep you in the loop.”

  “I’ll have them in your office first thing tomorrow.”

  “And let them know I’ve got Haldane’s security video recorder.”

  “He let you have it? But what can that tell you? As far as I know the video only makes Mikey look worse.”

  “My tech friends tell me that computers remember lots more than we’d like to think. Maybe there’s something on that drive that’ll point us in another direction.”

  “As long as it’s not one of my guys,” Luke said.