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50
Villa dei Fiori
They made their way down the gentle slope of the drive, beneath the canopy of the umbrella pine. The first brushstrokes of dawn lay over the hills to the east, but overhead the stars shone brightly. The air was cool and still, not a breath of movement. It smelled of orange blossom and jasmine and the cigarette that Magdalena had charmed from Luca Rossetti.
“Where did you learn to paint like that?” she asked.
“In the womb.”
“Your mother was an artist?”
“And my grandfather. He was a disciple of Max Beckmann.”
“What was his name?”
“Viktor Frankel.”
“I know your grandfather’s work,” said Magdalena. “But good genes alone can’t explain talent like yours. If I didn’t know better, I would have guessed that you were an apprentice in Titian’s workshop.”
“It’s true that I served my apprenticeship in Venice, but it was with a famous restorer named Umberto Conti.”
“And you were no doubt Signore Conti’s finest pupil.”
“I suppose I have a knack for it.”
“Restoring paintings?”
“Not just paintings. People, too. I’m trying to decide whether you’re worth the effort.” He gave her a sideways glance. “I have a terrible feeling you’re beyond repair.”
“The damage is self-inflicted, I’m afraid.”
“Not all of it. Phillip targeted you for recruitment. He groomed you. Preyed on your vulnerabilities. Got you hooked. I know his techniques. I’ve used them a time or two myself.”
“Are you using them now?”
“A little,” he admitted.
She turned away and expelled a slender stream of smoke. “And what if I told you that I willingly stepped into the trap Phillip set for me?”
“Because you wanted the money?”
“It certainly wasn’t for the sex.”
“How much is there?”
“In addition to the million euros in the suitcase in my apartment?” She lifted her gaze skyward. “I have another four or five scattered around Europe, but the bulk of my money is invested in Masterpiece Art Ventures.”
“Current balance?”
“Maybe fifty-five.”
“Million?”
“It’s a fraction of what I deserve. If it wasn’t for me, there wouldn’t be a Masterpiece Art Ventures.”
“It’s not exactly a résumé enhancer, Magdalena.”
“How many people can say they built a multibillion-dollar global forgery network?”
