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"Let's talk aboutLa Mano Nera," he said."You weren't a part of it, but you knew of it.Is it possible there are members of the group operating today?"
"I wouldn't have thought so.But from what I heard about this recent robbery, perhaps someone is imitating their use of the black gloves."
"What do you know about the man who started the group, Roberto Falconeri?"Nick asked.
"Roberto was an artist, but when he was twenty-two, his hands were burned in a fire.He couldn't paint after that.He became bitter, angry, and desperate for money.His older brother, Bruno, ran an auto shop, but that was his front for many illegitimate businesses.When Roberto couldn't work at his craft anymore, he went to work with his brother.They didn't start out stealing priceless paintings, but when Roberto was offered a job at a museum, Bruno saw an opportunity to smuggle art to private collectors.Roberto could be the inside man.A year later, two paintings were stolen from that museum and never recovered.The Falconeri brothers had gotten a taste of success, and that was just the beginning.Over the next several years, they were responsible for many thefts in Rome and also a few in Florence."
"It sounds like Bruno was in charge," he said."And not Roberto."
"They were partners.Roberto was much more intelligent, and he knew the art world.He had connections everywhere.He was able to build a crew of thieves and gain access to museums and galleries.Bruno was the seller.During the robberies, Roberto donned black gloves so that no one could use his scars to identify him.Everyone working with him did the same.After one robbery, an inspector dubbed the crewLa Mano Nera, The Black Hand, based on a witness description.From there, they grew bolder and more successful, until they stole a fake and sold it.Just as I had done.But my mistake was mine alone, and I was a small player back then.The entire crew ofLa Mano Nerasuffered because of that counterfeit painting.Their other buyers became nervous.They no longer trusted the crew.There were rumors it wasn't the first time they'd sold a counterfeit copy, and it was suggested that they had hired forgers to copy the paintings so they could keep the originals for themselves and resell them.If a buyer received stolen goods, they had no recourse to get their money back if the painting was fake.They couldn't contact the police.What would they say?"
Nick didn't bother to answer that question because he had a more important one to ask."Were the Falconeri brothers working with Lucinda?Was she copying what they stole?"
"I don't know, but my guess is yes."
"What about Tomas Caruso?"Isabella asked."Was he also a forger?"
"I have no idea.But Tomas and Lucinda were close.It was rumored they were lovers.Since they died together in Tomas's house in the middle of the night, I believe that was true."
"Do you know anything about that fire?"Nick asked.
"Only that it was deemed an accident.However, it seemed suspicious to me.Unfortunately, when you play with fire, sometimes you get burned."
"How can you be so callous?"Isabella challenged."If it wasn't an accident, then someone killed them."
"Murder and stolen art often go together.Staying alive is difficult in that business, especially if you're creating fakes and selling them."
"But you don't know that's what my great-grandmother was doing," Isabella pointed out."You don't have proof."
"Why were you even in Rome when you were in your twenties?"Nick asked."I thought you lived in the UK.Weren't you married there?Didn't you have a child there?"
"I traveled around Europe as a young man.I didn't marry or have a son until long after Lucinda and Tomas died."
"What happened to Roberto and Bruno?"he asked, turning the focus back to the Falconeri brothers.
"Bruno died about six months after Tomas and Lucinda perished in the fire.He was shot in the head.I have no idea who killed him.I heard Roberto passed away a few years later while skiing in the Alps, but his death was shrouded in mystery.Some didn't believe he was actually dead.They thought he might be faking his death so as to escape prosecution of his earlier crimes.That was the last I heard of either of them until this week."
"Francesca told us Bruno had a daughter," Isabella said."But Roberto had no children.Is that true?Was there no one left to take over the family business?"
"That's correct.Bruno's daughter died of a drug overdose shortly after her father's death.As far as I know, the crew's last job was in the early seventies, right before Bruno was killed, which might have been the reason they went out of business.Bruno ran the smuggling network.Roberto was more into the art scene, and after Bruno's death, Roberto was probably running scared.Another reason might have had to do with the creation of the Carabinieri T.P.C.in 1969.Art theft became more closely scrutinized after that.Security measures became more stringent as well.My job got tougher, too, so I moved out of Italy."
Nick thought about that.His knees were cramping from his kneeling position, but he wanted to keep Sam talking as long as he could."Why would someone come back now, imitatingLa Mano Nerabut only stealing a couple of paintings by artists who died a long time ago?"
"The paintings must have a hidden value."
"Like what?"he and Isabella asked at the same time.
"There could be a painting under a painting.That might be how Lucinda and the others moved their art.By covering up the forgeries with original work no one would care about it."
"Wouldn't you have noticed that when you were there?"
"As I said, they had private groups I couldn't penetrate.And I wished I could.I was intrigued by Lucinda.Many dismissed her as a bored wife dabbling in art to keep herself busy, taking up painting so she could spend time with Tomas, her secret lover.But she was much more than that.Her outer appearance was as fake as her paintings.She was much smarter and more talented than people thought she was."
"How do we know you're not lying about everything?"Isabella asked.
"You don't.But you want to find stolen paintings, and who better to do that than a thief?"
Sam was sharp and very smooth.There was almost a hint of humor in his voice, as if he'd found Isabella's question to be ridiculous, and maybe it was.Sam clearly knew more than they did.
