‘I’m disappointed. I’m sure you know why.’ Serban launched into the attack the moment the other man picked up the telephone. He’d just heard the news about Bourdelet’s suicide from a police contact. Going on the offensive was another trick he’d learned worked well with those outside his own ‘trade’. As outsiders they were unaccustomed to blunt approaches and the abandonment of social etiquette. It confused and wrong-footed them, giving him time to press home the advantage and remind them of his superior position.
‘I’m sorry, Yuri. It was unforeseen, I assure you.’ The tone was calm, but the words came out in a rush. ‘Nobody expected him to… do what he did.’
‘What? Blow his head off? Or am I being too brutal for you, maître?’
‘Please, don’t mention my na—’
‘Please nothing.’ Serban was on a roll. He leant forward as if his words were a physical assault. His use of the other man’s title had been deliberate, to unsettle him and knock his confidence. ‘I have no reason to think anybody is listening to my calls, so spare me the theatrics. Or have you been misbehaving and attracted the attention of the police without telling me?’
‘No, of course not!’
‘Let us hope not. Otherwise your name might just slip from my tongue in a moment of weakness.’
‘There’s really no need for threats, Yuri.’ He sounded angry and resentful, but wisely kept his temper. ‘We’ll proceed with the other two targets as planned.’
‘I’m not talking about them; I mean with Bourdelet. The suicide of a government minister will hardly go unnoticed, will it? Is there anything that could rebound on us?’
‘No. The letter’s source is untraceable. As long as your man made no mistakes in delivering it, we shouldn’t have any problems.’
Serban felt a dig of anger at the implied criticism. ‘My employees do not make mistakes,’ he said heavily. ‘Remember, you said there was no risk. I’ll ask you now, what is likely to be the procedure?’
‘Well, there will undoubtedly be an internal investigation, in view of Bourdelet’s position, based on the contents of the letter. I understand he didn’t speak to anyone after receiving it, but it was on the desk after he… killed himself.’
‘Why would he have left it there?’ Serban muttered. ‘That’s crazy – it will implicate him in theft at the very least.’
‘His memory, certainly.’ The man on the other end sounded unconcerned. ‘Who knows what a desperate man will do when looking over the edge of a precipice? Perhaps he was past caring… or imagined it might regain him a scrap of honour, tainted though it will be. Either way, it will have been gathered up as evidence and the office sealed pending an enquiry.’
Serban said angrily, ‘And that shouldn’t concern me?’
‘No. They won’t want the contents of the letter to come out, believe me. The misuse of government funds in the finance ministry at this level is a scandal they can do without. The government machine will take over and suppress all but the most basic details: namely that Bourdelet took his life while under intense stress or some such medical condition. He won’t be the first official to have done it, nor the last. It will soon blow over. However…’ He paused.
‘Yes?’
‘They might decide to investigate the painting itself.’
‘Why would they do that?’ Serban felt a ripple of unease. While he himself was remote from any connection with the painting, the fact that the man on the other end was connected was reason enough for caution. Their past association was hardly secret.
‘To find out where it came from.’
‘He bought a copy of a known painting; who cares who produced it? I would have thought the misuse of government funds was far more important.’
‘Unfortunately, that’s not how the police think, you should know that. The painting is a forgery, and has brought about a death. As such they will follow it up because that’s what they’re conditioned to do.’ A snort came down the line. ‘They’re like dogs chewing at a bone; they lack imagination.’
Serban felt concern at the open contempt in the other’s voice. He was well aware that the man had no love of the police, but this went a step further. He distrusted people who voiced their feelings too loudly, because inevitably they would come out, and might impact on anyone seen to be connected with them. Something, he decided, to be stored away for the future.
‘Where will it lead?’
‘Nowhere. They’ll go round in circles.’ The reply sounded confident, even dismissive, which worried Serban even more. People who overestimated their own cleverness invariably made mistakes.
‘Who will head the investigation?’ It was an open question. Even if he knew the names of the officers concerned, there was little he could do about it. But he didn’t believe in leaving matters to chance. It was a trait that had kept him out of the clutches of the law so far and he intended keeping it that way. Whoever they were they were unlikely to be ordinary cops, not when it involved the death of a senior ministry official. No doubt some high-flier from internal security would be handed the job, someone unknown to him and therefore untouchable. Even so, it would be good to know the name if he could get it, in case some form of leverage became possible.
‘There’s one man I know of who might become involved, a specialist in art fraud and forgery. His name’s Dreycourt. Marcel Dreycourt. He’s retained by the Ministry of the Interior.’
‘Can he be bought?’ It was Serban’s default position: find a man’s weakness and exploit it to the full. Government servants were not highly paid, a fact he was prepared to exploit.
‘I doubt it. From what I’ve heard he has money and is not interested in more. His job will be to identify the source of the painting.’
‘And will he do that?’
‘He might. But I doubt it. There are few forgers working at the highest level, but pinning it on one specific person is almost impossible unless the artist confesses. I know this particular painter and he won’t say a word. Even if he is identified, there’s no law against producing copies of paintings for admirers. Galleries do it all the time. Once they hit a brick wall, they’ll hand the investigation over to another department, and when they also get nowhere, they’ll close the case down.’