按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
sniffed the air。 No sweet…and…sour…pork smell of a stiff。
Inside； the robbery felt just as old as it did outside。 A week； maybe even two。 He bent down and sniffed the end of a cut piece of lumber lying on the floor。 It lacked that just…cut fresh…wood smell。 He picked up a piece of grass that had been tracked into the house and crumbled it between his fingers…dry。 Clots of mud tracked in by a lugged boot were also thoroughly dry。 Barnaby thought back： Last rainfall was two weeks ago today。 That's when it had happened； within twenty…four hours of the rain； when the ground was still muddy。
He wandered down the huge vaulted central hall。 There were pedestals with bronze labels where statues had once stood。 There were faint rectangles with hooks on the plastered walls where paintings had once been。 There were straw rings and iron stands where antique pots had once sat； and empty shelves with dust holes where treasures had once stood。 There were dark slots on the bookshelves where books had been removed。
He reached the bedroom door and looked at the parade of dirty footprints ing and going。 More dried mud。 Christ； there must've been half a dozen of them。 This was a big moving job； and it must have taken a day at least； maybe two。
A machine sat inside the bedroom。 Barnaby recognized it as a foam…in…place machine； of the kind you see at UPS。 In another room； he found a shrink…wrapping machine for doing the really big stuff。 He found stacks of lumber； rolls of felt； metal strapping tape； bolts and wing nuts； and a couple of skill saws。 Couple of thousand dollars' worth of abandoned equipment。 They hadn't bothered taking anything else； in the living room they'd left a ten…thousand…dollar television； along with a VCR； DVD； and two puters。 He thought of his own crappy TV and VCR and the payments he was still making； while his wife and her new boyfriend were no doubt watching porno flicks on them every night。
He carefully stepped over a videotape cassette lying on the floor。 Fenton said； 〃Lay you three to five the guy's dead； two to five it's an insurance scam。〃
〃You take all the fun out of life； Fenton。〃
Someone must have seen the activity up here。 The house； sitting on its mountaintop； was visible to all of Santa Fe。 If he himself had bothered to look out the window of his double…wide in the valley two weeks ago he might have seen the robbery； the house ablaze all night long； the truck headlights winding down the hill。 Again； he marveled at the moxie of the robbers。 What made them so sure of pulling it off？ It was too casual by half。
He glanced at his watch。 He didn't have much time before the crime…scene van arrived。
He moved swiftly and methodically through the rooms； looking but taking no notes。 Notes； he had learned； always came back to bite you。 Every room had been hit。 The job had gone to pletion。 In one room a bunch of boxes had been unpacked and paper lay scattered on the floor。 He picked up a piece； some kind of bill of lading； dated a month ago； for twenty…four thousand dollars' worth of French pots and pans； German and Japanese knives。 Was the guy starting a restaurant？
In the bedroom； in the back of a walk…in closet； he found a huge steel door； partway open。
〃Fort Knox；〃 said Fenton。
Barnaby nodded。 With a house full of million…dollar paintings； it kind of made him wonder what was so valuable that it had to go into a vault。
Without touching the door he slipped inside。 The vault was empty save some scattered trash on the floor and a bunch of wooden map cases。 Slipping out his handkerchief； he used it to open a drawer。 The velvet bore indentations where objects had once nested。 He slid it shut and turned to the door itself； giving the lock a quick examination。 There were no signs of a forced entry。 None of the locked cases he'd seen in the rooms had been forced； either。
〃The perps had all the codes and keys；〃 said Fenton。
Barnaby nodded。 This was no robbery。
He went outside and made a quick circle of the gardens。 They looked neglected。 Weeds were ing up。 Nothing had been tended to。 The grass hadn't been cut in a couple of weeks。 The whole place had a seedy air about it。 The neglect； it seemed to him； stretched back even more than the two weeks since the so…called robbery。 It looked like the place had been going downhill for a month or two。
If insurance was involved； so were the sons。 Maybe。
3
He found them standing in the shade of the pi？on tree； arms crossed； silent and glum。 As Barnaby approached； the guy in the suit asked； 〃Did you find anything？〃
〃Like what？〃
The man scowled。 〃Do you have any idea what's been stolen here？ We're talking hundreds of millions。 Good God； how could anyone expect to get away with this？ Some of these are world…famous works of art。 There's a Filippo Lippi worth forty million dollars alone。 They're probably on their way to the Middle East or Japan。 You've got to call the FBI； contact Interpol； shut down the airports…〃
He paused to draw in air。
〃Lieutenant Barnaby has some questions；〃 said Fenton； taking up the role he played so well； his voice curiously high and soft； with an undercurrent of menace。 〃State your names； please。〃
The one with the cowboy boots stepped forward。 〃I'm Tom Broadbent； and these are my brothers； Vernon and Philip。〃
〃Look； officer；〃 the one named Philip said； 〃these artworks are obviously headed for some sheik's bedroom。 They could never hope to sell these paintings on the open market…they're too well known。 No offense； but I really don't think the Santa Fe Police Department is equipped to handle this。〃
Barnaby flipped open his notebook and checked his watch。 He still had almost thirty minutes before the crime…lab truck arrived from Albuquerque。
〃May I ask a few questions； Philip？ Okay if I use first names here？〃
〃Fine； fine； just get on with it。〃
〃Ages？〃
〃I'm thirty…three；〃 Tom said。
〃Thirty…five；〃 said Vernon。
〃Thirty…seven；〃 said Philip。
〃Tell me； how is it that all three of you just happened to be here at once？〃 He directed his gaze toward the New Age type； Vernon； the one who looked like the least petent liar。
〃Our father sent us a letter。〃
〃What about？〃
〃Well 。。。〃 Vernon glanced at his brothers nervously。 〃He didn't say。〃
〃Any guesses？〃
〃Not really。〃
Barnaby switched his gaze。 〃Philip？〃
〃I haven't the slightest。〃
He swiveled his gaze to the other one； Tom。 He found he liked Tom's face。 It was a no…bullshit face。 〃So Tom； you want to help me out here？〃
〃I think it was to talk to us about our inheritance。〃
〃Inheritance？ How old was your father？〃
〃Sixty 。。。〃
Fenton leaned forward to interrupt； his voice harsh。 〃Was he sick？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃How sick？〃
〃He was dying of cancer；〃 said Tom coldly。
〃I'm sorry；〃 said Barnaby； putting a restraining arm on Fenton as if to stop him from asking more tactless questions。 〃Any of you got your copy of the letter？〃
All three produced the same letter； handwritten； on ivory laid paper。 Interesting； Barnaby thought； that each one had his copy。 Said something about the importance they attached to this meeting。 Barnaby took one and read：
Dear Tom；
I want you to e to my house in Santa Fe； on April 15； at exactly 1：00 P。M。； regarding a very important matter affecting your future。 I've asked Philip and Vernon as well。 I have enclosed funds to pay for your travel。 Please be on time： one o'clock sharp。 Do your old man this one last courtesy。
Father
〃Any chance of a recovery from the cancer； or was he a goner？〃 Fenton asked。
Philip stared at Fenton and then turned to Barnaby。 〃Who is this man？〃
Barnaby shot a warning glance at Fenton； who often got out of hand。 〃We're all on the same side here； trying to solve this crime。〃
〃As I understand it〃 Philip said grudgingly； 〃there was no chance of recovery。 Our father had gone through radiation treatments and chemotherapy； but the cancer had metastasized and there was no getting rid of it。 He declined further treatment。〃
〃I'm sorry；〃 said Barnaby； trying unsuccessfully to summon up a modicum of sympathy。 〃Getting back to this letter； it says something here about funds。 How much money came with it？〃
〃Twelve hundred dollars in cash；〃 said Tom。
〃Cash？ In what form？〃
〃Twelve one…hundred…dollar bills。 Sending cash like that was typical of Father。〃
Fenton interrupted again。 〃How long did he have to live？〃 He asked this question directly at Philip； thrusting his head forward。 Fenton's was an ugly head； very narrow and sharp； with thick eyebrow ridges； deep…set eyes； a huge nose with each nostril projecting a thicket of black nosehairs； crooked brown teeth； and a receding chin。 He had olive skin； despite the Anglo name； Fenton was a Hispano from the town of Truchas； way back up in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains。 He was scary； if you didn't know he was the kindliest man alive。
〃About six months。〃
〃So he invited you here for what？ To do a little eeny meeny meiny moe with his stuff？〃
Fenton could be awful when he wanted。 But the man got results。
Philip said icily； 〃That's a charming way of putting it。 I suppose that's possible。〃
Barnaby broke in smoothly。 〃But with a collection like this； Philip； wouldn't he have made arrang