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Inspector Aliette Nouvelle received an email communication from Basel Lands Police, Criminal Investigations Brigade: FYI: We now have a solid majority expert opinion as to the authenticity of J. Aebischer’s first commission for the Federer family: Caresses, F. Snyders, Antwerp, c.1625. We will be holding a press conference at the Oberwil garrison Wednesday next at 11:00, at which time we will be making an announcement re. positive identification of the piece returned by J. Aebischer to the Federer collection as a reproduction of the original work. Hildegarde Federer, registered owner of the work in question, has fully consented to a public announcement of this finding. I believe this act of stepping forward in public could lend new support to our investigation. I note Marcus Streit was right in his original suspicion. I am taking this as circumstantial proof that Streit was not part of the scheme and is therefore not absconded but dead. We owe him a debt of gratitude and will ensure the public is made aware of Streit’s contribution. You and interested colleagues will be most welcome.
Inspector Hans Grinnell did not ask how she was. He did not even bother to add his name. That stung, though not much. The man was a soccer coach, with a wife and two sons. This was work. Well into dreary November in Alsace now, the Martin Bettelman case had gone quite dormant. Regular calls to Zup had yielded no sign of Greta and/or Fred. Her shoemaker remained unknown as he made his slow return to life in the studio of Gregory Huet. Grinnell’s case, murders included, was not her case. She had been coming to accept that, if only because he had not communicated and she been feeling too guilty, soul weary, whatever, to force the issue. But she was needing something to kickstart the spirit and she would go.
But Wednesday next was tomorrow!
…So she was an afterthought. That stung too.
So what? She would go. She even managed a positive thought — Good, Hans, good work — before calling to cancel her scheduled hour with J-P Blismes.