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Yes. That description was startlingly close to the listing in the Dissius catalog.
And yet, as the poets said, so far away.
“I wonder why it was untitled,” Jason mused.
De Haan chuckled. “I think you are secretly an art historian, Jason.”
“It’s no secret,” Jason said. “I have a master’s in Art History.”
“Ah! I see. But that explains your conscience about seeing these works returned to their rightful owners.”
“Everyone on the ACT has that same conscience,” Jason felt obliged to point out.
De Haan shrugged, unconvinced. “As for the painting, it only appears in the Dissius catalog, and that is twenty years after Vermeer’s death. It would have likely come from the collection of his patron Pieter van Ruijven.”
“Not necessarily. Maybe it was one of his last works,” Jason said. “Maybe that’s why it was untitled. It might even be unfinished.”
“Titles were not Vermeer’s strength,” de Haan pointed out.
“True.” Jason was silent as their meals arrived. “California” steak sandwich for de Haan and steak salad for him. It took effort to eat healthy on the road. These days it took effort to eat at all. When the waitress left with the promise of condiments and another round of drinks, Jason asked, “Have you ever imagined what the painting would look like?”
De Haan’s face brightened. This kind of discussion was meat and drink to art historians. “Something like The Love Letter, I think. Vermeer experimented with the perspectival room at least twice, but The Love Letter was his best effort.”
“He tried earlier with A Maid Asleep,” Jason agreed. “But the use of the pictorial device is not as striking.”
“Doorkijkje.”
“Doorkijkje,” Jason repeated, “is used a lot in Dutch painting of the period.”
“It is, yes. You know what is not used in the genre painting of the era? What theme or image does not show up in a single Dutch painting? A gentleman washing his hands.”
“Is that true? I had no idea.”
“It’s true. This painting is unusual for many reasons. Do you know it sold for 95 guilders at the auction? One of the highest-priced works of the auction.”
“Yes. That I did know.”
For a moment they sat in silence, both smiling a little at the idea.
De Haan seemed to come back to reality. He gave his head a little shake, once again reminding Jason of a stork—this time, a stork waking from a pleasant daydream. “I fear that Quilletta McCoy will not appear tomorrow.”
On Tuesday they had a meeting scheduled for eleven in the morning with Captain Thompson’s niece at her lawyer’s office.
“I think she’ll show,” Jason said. “I think that’s the reason we’re meeting at her lawyer’s.”
“She has not kept her word so far.”
That was unfortunately true. When the Aaldenberg van Apeldoorn Museum had got wind that the van Eyck had come on the market, the curator had attempted to strike a deal with the Thompsons. The Thompsons—or at least Quilletta—had ostensibly considered the museum’s offer but ultimately decided to go with a higher bid from a private collector. Nothing personal. Just business. Except it was personal to the museum. Very personal. And so, a civil lawsuit had been filed and the FBI had been contacted.
That was when Jason learned that the family insisted they had a legal right to the art and artifacts brought home by Captain Thompson because he had been given permission to do so by the Deputy Chief of the MFAA. A man who happened to be very well known to Jason because he was the man who had taught Jason to swim, to fly-fish, to shoot, to shave, to tie a bow tie, and, most importantly, to appreciate art, history, and even civilization itself. No one had influenced and shaped Jason’s life more than his Grandpa Harley.
He said now, “I know. I got the impression after speaking with Thompson today that they truly believed they couldn’t be sued by a foreign entity. Now that the US government is involved and the FBI is knocking on their door, I think we’ll see movement. We’re not dealing with hardened criminals.”
“If she fails to show up tomorrow, I’ll go to her home and insist she speak to me.”
“I strongly recommend you don’t do that.”
“I will not let these thieves get away with their crimes.”
