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enthusiasm that was breathtaking and pocket-emptying. And when he’d tried to stem the expenses, she had shown, in the subtle way in which a woman did, that his pleasures depended on her pleasures …
    Paintings bought with black money were not immediately going to be put on display, they were going to be kept under wraps; they would only appear years later when without risk to the owner they could be shown in public as an ego boost or sold to legitimize both capital and profit. So a forgery could be sold to such a buyer in the certain knowledge that it would not be examined by an expert until long after any doubts about authenticity could affect the seller; indeed, even that might not matter since really good fakes were time and again declared to be genuine by experts who were too self-opinionated ever to accept that doubt could be cast on their judgements …
    Charles Field had been carrying out restoration work all his career and was brilliant at this. Several years back, one of Poperen’s paintings had been brought to the gallery by a man who had inherited it from Poperen’s niece, because even in France Oliver Cooper was acknowledged to be the expert on the artist’s work. The niece had obviously been a very prudish woman because she had banished the painting to an attic and there it had suffered so much from damp and dirt that by the time it reached the gallery, it had been in very poor condition. He’d pointed out all the faults and offered a suitably reduced price and this had been accepted. Then he’d handed the painting to Field and asked for as good a job of restoration as was possible. Field was a slow worker and so it had been months before the painting had been returned, but then it was only with the greatest difficulty that he had been able to make out the restoration work … He’d hesitated, then sold it at auction without any caveat and been gratified by the price it fetched …
    His thoughts were abruptly interrupted.
    â€˜I’d say you’ve finally remembered,’ White drawled. ‘So now you know why you’re being asked to repay the million two hundred and fifty grand, plus, for the fakes.’
    â€˜They were nothing of the kind…’
    â€˜Cut the crap. A couple of months back, my principal had an argument and by the time it was over one of the paintings had been damaged. So he sent it to an expert to be repaired. This expert’s a smart guy. Because the tear allowed him to see a cross-section of the paint, something didn’t seem quite right; he began to wonder if the painting might just be a fake. So it was X-rayed, microscoped, spectroscoped, put under infrared and ultraviolet, and finally given something called transverse irradiation. The verdict? It was a brilliant fake. So my principal got to thinking and sent the second painting for examination. Same result.
    â€˜When a man learns he’s spent a million two hundred and fifty thousand for a couple of fakes, he’s not smiling. But he’s a fair man and understands that maybe you were conned when you bought, just like him. All he’s asking is repayment plus that little bit extra.’
    â€˜I sold them in good faith.’
    â€˜Haven’t I just said? So provided the money’s ready for electronic transmission this time Tuesday, everything’s smooth.’
    â€˜But … but that’s three-quarters of a million pounds.’
    â€˜So?’
    â€˜I can’t find that sort of money.’
    â€˜They say that where there’s a will, there’s a way. Try harder.’ White stood. ‘Been a pleasure, Oliver. And I’m telling you, if I lived in this lovely house with a beautiful wife, I sure as hell wouldn’t want anything to disturb the scene.’
    Cooper watched White stride across to the inside door and go out into the hall. After a moment, he heard a car drive off, yet still he seemed to be unable to move.