Page 23 of Traitors Gate

‘I look forward to hearing from you, Mr Buchanan,’ said the realtor as he stepped into the elevator. James wondered if the permanent smile was etched on her face. ‘And you only have to call me if you or your designer would like to have another viewing,’ she gushed as the lift doors closed.

Beth was bursting to tell James her news but was prevented from doing so by an elderly lady chatting to her chihuahua about her latest investment in a company called Enron, so she remained silent until the elevator doors opened on the ground floor. James guided her to a nearby café on the edge of the park before he asked, ‘A wasted journey?’

‘Still not sure,’ admitted Beth, ‘and I won’t be certain until I’ve had a chance to get the sample analysed for texture and date. But on behalf of the museum, James, thank you for an amazing, fantastic, superb piece of detective work.’

James burst out laughing before asking, ‘What’s your gut feeling?’

‘I’m bound to admit, as Miles Faulkner’s involved, I’m not optimistic.’

‘What will it take to convince you that the Fitzmolean is in possession of the original and that was nothing more than an impressive copy?’ he asked after ordering two coffees.

‘Rubens’ catalogue raisonné won’t prevaricate on the subject. The exact size of the canvas will be the first clue, and whether it’s in its original frame could well tip the balance.’

‘But Faulkner’s well capable of holding onto the masterpiece while leaving you with the original frame,’ suggested James.

‘Which is why the lab report will be the final arbiter,’ said Beth, tapping her handbag. ‘However, I’ll also have to take a sample from our painting in London and have it tested before I can be sure who actually owns the original.’

‘If I was a betting man …’

‘With that in mind, James, I hope you’ll forgive me if I catch the next available flight back to London so I can find out the truth as quickly as possible.’

‘I’ll drive you to the airport,’ said James as he took out his wallet, extracted a couple of dollars and left them on the table.

‘By the way,’ said Beth as she climbed back into his car, ‘do you have any idea why Faulkner’s selling his apartment?’

‘Sure do. The duplex on the top floor has become available, and he’s moving up in the world.’

‘Clearly the damn man flourishes.’

‘It would seem so,’ said James. ‘Let’s just hope it’s not at your expense.’

CHAPTER 10

WILLIAM WAS SURPRISED TO FINDthe Resident Governor standing by the public entrance to the Tower of London waiting to greet them. Fortunately, they were a couple of minutes early and, despite several protests from the children, all three of them were smartly dressed in their school uniforms.

‘How nice to see you again, Chief Superintendent,’ said the Governor. ‘Will your wife be joining us?’

‘No. I’m afraid not,’ said William, glancing at his watch. ‘But I’m rather hoping she’ll be on her way back from New York by now.’

After the Governor had shaken hands with William, he bent down to welcome his special guests, Artemisia, Peter and Jojo, who then followed their distinguished guide into the grounds of the castle.

‘I don’t want what I have to say to sound like a history lesson,’ the Governor began, ‘but in truth, the Tower of London represents, in its own way, the whole pageant ofEnglish history, from the Roman occupation right up to the present day. So, let’s begin with William the Conqueror, who, having won the Battle of Hastings – in which year?’ he asked, looking at the children.

‘1066,’ said Peter and Artemisia in unison, while Jojo nodded.

‘… set about building the Tower. In those days, Londinium, as the Romans had known it, was a small town on the banks of the Thames with a population of just over ten thousand. A far cry from the seven million who now inhabit the capital. If you look to your right,’ the Governor continued, ‘you’ll see the massive stone wall that surrounds the Tower which is twenty feet high and two miles long and was built to protect King William from his enemies.’

‘Who were the King’s enemies?’ asked Peter.

‘Pretty well everyone,’ said the Governor, ‘including the Germans, the French, the Italians and of course the Spanish, not to mention a few aldermen not so far away in the City of London, who were always causing trouble.’

‘What’s an alderman?’ asked Artemisia.

‘A member of the common council of the City of London, someone who hopes one day to become the Lord Mayor,’ said the Governor, coming to a halt beside a vast stone building. ‘This,’ he announced, ‘is the Great Tower, which we’re fairly sure was built over nine hundred years ago, somewhere between 1075 and 1080. It has more recently come to be known as the White Tower. King William sadly didn’t live to see his great project completed as he died in …?’ The Governor paused, but the faces of all four of his guests remained blank.

‘1087. Funny how everyone remembers when the Battle of Hastings took place, but not when William the Conqueror died.’

‘Did you know that, Dad?’ asked Peter.

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