Page 105 of Sinful Crimes for the Artistically Inclined
Percy lifted his chin towards the folder Luca’s hand absentmindedly fell upon. “What is it?”
“I…” His fingers tapped the cardboard, then slid away. “No. No, I can’t.”
“Luca?”
“No, I…” But he considered the folder, considered Percy, considered the folder?—
Percy lunged for it and ripped it away from him. Luca was up and around the table in a second, and the second following that found him on the floor with a swift slide of Percy’s shoe beneath his descending foot. Percy’s eyes remained glued to the page as Luca pulled himself up with a great deal of swearing, then Percy turned back, livid. “This has been missing for years.”
“How do you know it’s been missing for years?”
“I’ve seen the mess they put in the gallery,” snapped Percy. “Why do you have this?”
“It’s not quite what it looks like,” Luca attempted.
“How is this not what it looks like?” Percy forced his rising voice back down to a whisper. “I’m an art thief and you don’t give me art theft?”
“It’s not as simple as that.” Luca snatched the paper back out of Percy’s hands and returned to his chair.
Percy dropped into the seat opposite, tapped his cigarette on the table three times, flipped it, and finally lit it. “How much?”
Luca sighed dramatically, but he still said, “Five hundred thousand.”
“Sold.”
“No, you don’t understand?—”
“What is it? Russians? Mafia? Yakuza?”
“You know I don’t deal with those sorts of people.”
“Then what can possibly be so bad?”
It was clear to Percy that Luca was going to a great deal of effort to make himself explain, but he did eventually reveal, very quietly, “It’s the painting itself that’s the problem. It’s no ordinary artwork.”
Percy kept his best poker face, which was a very good one. “I know that. It’s priceless, it’s Edvard Munch, and it’s ghastly.”
“And it’s haunted,” said Luca.
A brief silence ensued, before Percy’s lips slowly, very slowly, curled into a wide grin, so handsome that it was a shame only Luca was there to see it. “Haunted, did you say?”
Luca ran a hand over his brow in embarrassment. “I knew you wouldn’t believe me.”
“Who says I don’t believe you?”
“If you believe me, then why are you laughing?”
He could hardly help it, though he tried again to hide his enjoyment of the whole affair, halfheartedly, from that time.
“Listen, Percy.” Luca leaned forward, elbows resting on the desk, his deep blue eyes just about as serious as Percy had ever seen them. “I know this all sounds ridiculous, but there’s a reason this job has such a big payout.”
“Danger money,” said Percy.
“Danger money,” said Luca. “I know you’re a fancy pants professor guy over there,” Percy shrugged noncommittally, “but…” And a long sigh cut short what was about to be an attempt at a story.
“Out with it,” Percy prompted.
With a glance towards the bar and a lowered mumble, “You know Giordano still has a thing for you, right?”
