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Gabriel’s account of his investigation into the provenance and authenticity ofPortrait of an Unknown Womanwas chronological in sequence and largely accurate in content. It commenced with Julian’s star-crossed visit to Bordeaux and concluded with the destruction of Galerie Georges Fleury and the brutal murder of its owner and his assistant. Absent from Gabriel’s briefing was any mention of his visit to a certain antiques shop on the rue de Miromesnil or the assistance he received from Yuval Gershon of Unit 8200. Nor did he divulge the name of the wealthy American art investor who had purchasedPortrait of an Unknown Womanfrom Isherwood Fine Arts—only that the painting had since been resold to yet another unidentifiedbuyer and that the matter had been resolved to the satisfaction of all the parties involved.
“Is it a Van Dyck or not?” asked Ménard.
“The auction house that brokered the sale says it is.”
“So your investigation was a waste of time? Is that what you’re saying?”
“The death of Valerie Bérrangar and the events of this afternoon would suggest otherwise.” Gabriel looked down at the forgery. “As would this painting.”
“Did you really expect Georges Fleury to return the money based on the findings of a single expert?”
“The expert in question is regarded as the best in the world. I was confident that I could convince Fleury to accept the findings and refund the money.”
“You were planning to threaten him?”
“Me? Never.”
Ménard smiled in spite of himself. “And you’re sure Fleury was dead when you and Madame Bancroft arrived at the gallery?”
“Quite sure,” answered Gabriel. “Bruno Gilbert, too.”
“In that case, who let you in?”
“The assassin, of course. He unlocked the door using the keyless remote that usually rests on the receptionist’s desk. Fortunately, he waited fifteen seconds too long before calling Valerie Bérrangar’s phone.”
“How do you—”
“It’s not important how I know,” interjected Gabriel. “All that matters is that you now have the evidence to link her murder to the bombing of the gallery.”
“The phone’s identification number and SIM card?”
Gabriel nodded.
“Only if they survived the detonation. Still, it was rather reckless on his part, don’t you think?”
“Almost as reckless as leaving that bronze bust next to the door.The man who hired him probably thought that I would be suspicious if it wasn’t there. After all, I spotted three forgeries within a few minutes of setting foot in that gallery.” Gabriel lowered his voice. “Which is why I had to die.”
“Because you were a threat to a forgery ring?” asked Ménard skeptically.
“It’s not a traditional ring. It’s a sophisticated business enterprise that’s flooding the art market with high-quality forgeries. And the man who’s running it is making enough money to hire professionals to eliminate anyone who threatens him.”
Ménard made a show of thought. “An interesting theory, Allon. But you have no proof.”
“If you had listened to Valerie Bérrangar, you would have all the proof you need.”
“I did listen to her,” insisted Ménard. “But Fleury assured me there was nothing wrong with the painting he sold to Monsieur Isherwood, that it was simply a case of two copies of the same portrait.”
“And you believed him?”
“Georges Fleury was a respected member of the Paris art community. My unit never received a single complaint about him.”
“That’s because the fakes he was selling were good enough to fool the best eyes in the art world. Based on what I’ve seen of the forger’s work, he could hold his own among the Old Masters.”
“From what I hear, you’re not too bad yourself, Allon. One of the world’s finest art restorers. At least that’s the rumor.”
“But I use my talent to heal existing paintings.” Gabriel tapped the surface of the forgery. “This man is creating entirely new works that appear as though they were executed by some of the greatest artists who ever lived.”
“Do you have any idea who he might be?”
