The Gauguin Connection

by Estelle Ryan

  I woke up to the heavenly smell of full roasted coffee and breakfast. A glance at the antique clock on my dresser made me groan. How could it possibly be three in the afternoon? I seldom slept in, but to sleep more than half the day away was a first for me. I left my room half an hour later, showered and feeling refreshed.

  “At bloody last.” Manny stood up from the dining table with a welcoming frown. “I thought you would never wake up.”

  “Leave her be, Manny.” My gaze swung to Phillip lounging on a sofa with the Sunday paper spread out around him. He got up and walked towards us. “You only got here fifteen minutes ago.”

  “And he’s already eaten three servings,” Vinnie said from the kitchen. He picked up a mug of coffee and a plate laden with food and brought it to the table. “Here you are, Jen-girl. We’ve already eaten. Except for Millard. He’s still stuffing his face.”

  “Oh, give me a break. I’ve been under the microscope for the last sixteen hours.” Manny sat back down. He was still wearing his tuxedo pants and white shirt. It looked like he had been wearing it for more than twenty-four hours. The shirt had a coffee stain down the centre and looked like it had been lying at the bottom of the laundry pile for three weeks. Manny looked worse than his shirt. His skin was gray from exhaustion, his stubble making him look even more bedraggled. We sat down at the table. The men stared at me.

  “Well, aren’t you going to say something?” Manny asked me.

  I took a sip of coffee. “Where is Colin?”

  “In his room, taking a super secret call,” Manny said.

  “Why are you angry about it?” I asked.

  “He just pisses me off.” He sighed heavily. “And I’m really tired, so everything is pissing me off. Except the food. It’s really good.”

  Vinnie wasn’t fast enough to hide his surprise at the compliment, or his pleasure. “Um, thanks. There’s more.”

  I spent the next five minutes assuring them that I was feeling okay, despite the horrid bruise on my cheek. Phillip needed extra convincing. I spent another five minutes reassuring Colin when he joined us.

  “Enough.” I raised my hands in a blocking motion. “Tell me what happened after we left, Manny.”

  He pushed away his empty plate with a satisfied grunt. “There was almost a riot with all those VIP guests. They didn’t want to be vetted. A few were even under the impression that La Maison Russie was part of the Russian embassy and thus not under French jurisdiction. That was soon cleared up. Altogether fifteen men were taking into custody for questioning. It seems that they were all working either for Piros or for the lawyer.

  “Piros is being held in extra secure holding and very likely will be tried for war crimes, amongst others. The bastard quickly lost his smile when he realised that no one was interested in cutting a deal with him. Interpol will launch a thorough investigation together with the law enforcement agencies of all the countries involved. Another investigation will be undertaken into all the forgeries. I swear that the head of the art crimes division was giggling like a teenager when I told him about all the evidence we have. I wouldn’t want to be someone whose name is on the cruise list or art buyers’ list. The Foundation is also going to be investigated and, of course, Kubanóv.”

  “What about him? Has he been found?” I asked.

  “He landed in Russia today, claiming that he has no knowledge of any wrongdoing. He issued a statement at the airport that he was going to demand a full investigation into the Foundation and find the culprits who used his charity to fund their illegal activities.”

  “Son of a bitch!” Vinnie slammed his hand on the table. “He’s behind it all and he’s going to get away?”

  “We have nothing to tie him directly to anything. It disgusts me, but we will need concrete evidence before anyone would even consider going after a man as powerful as Kubanóv.” Manny waved his hand to change the topic. “That can be a fish we catch on another day. As it is, we’ve caught a mammoth. After so many years reigning in terror, Piros will pay for his crimes. And I’ve been fired.”

  “What the fuck?” Vinnie was the first to react after five seconds of stunned silence. “They can’t do that. Can they?”

  “Why, Manny?” Phillip asked. “Is it because of co-operating with us?”

  Manny smiled. “You mean co-operating with these criminals?”

  “Watch your mouth, old man,” Vinnie said.

  Colin was strangely quiet.

  “No, it was not about working with you,” Manny said to Phillip. “Or working with them. It’s actually a decision that the Head and I had been discussing since the beginning of this case. The EDA is not the type of place to be involved with investigations like this.”

  “But this is what you do,” I said. “This is what you are good at.”

  “I thought that a change in career at the EDA would be good for me, but I can’t seem to get away from the detective in me.”

  “Now what?” Colin asked.

  “First I need to get back to Interpol’s headquarters. We only took a break after the sixteen hours of discussions about the case. It will take a while to tie this up and hand all the different investigations over. Then I’m going fishing.” He scowled when Colin and Vinnie laughed. “I need to get away for a while. I’ve had a few offers and need to decide what I want to do. What about you two criminals? Ready to change your ways?”

  “Not in this life, dude.” Vinnie took obvious pleasure goading Manny. True to form Manny responded with an insult and it took ten minutes before Phillip stepped in to calm everyone down. I simply sat back and enjoyed the familiarity of the personalities around my dining table.

  “I will miss this,” I said softly.

  “I think we all will, Jenny.” Colin touched my forearm. “This was a unique time for me.”

  “For all of us,” Phillip said. “Genevieve, would you like to take some time off?”

  “Oh no, please. I need to get back to work. To my viewing room.” To safety.

  Phillip stood up. “Then I’ll see you tomorrow. I have to go to a family dinner and need to do a few things before then. Colin, it was a strange experience meeting and working with you. Vinnie, the same.”

  We all stood up and walked to the front door. Phillip left and Manny took his tuxedo jacket from the coat tree. “Doc, I’ll be in touch about some of your lists, but you should be rid of me soon.”

  “I don’t want to be rid of you, Manny.” I felt sad. This seemed so final. “I’ve grown quite fond of your disapproval and frowns.”

  He gave a tired laugh and took a cautious step forward. “I’m going to kiss you on your cheek, but I don’t want you to go all weird on me.”

  “I won’t go all weird on you,” I said and offered my cheek. He placed a gentle hand on my shoulder and pecked me softly on my cheek.

  “Look after yourself, Doc.” He stepped back and shook Vinnie and Colin’s hands. “Crime really doesn’t pay. Next time we meet I might have to arrest you.”

  “In your dreams, Millard,” Colin said.

  “I’ve done it before, Frey,” Manny said as he stepped through the door. “I will do it again.”

  The door closed and it was just me, Vinnie and Colin.

  “Jen-girl, I’m going to abuse your hospitality for a few more days before I fly to visit my auntie Helen in New York. Is that okay?”

  “It’s very okay, Vinnie. Stay as long as you like.” I couldn’t keep the relief out of my voice. I had grown used to having people in my space. Not just people. These two men. Vinnie walked to the dining table and started cleaning up. Colin and I stood in silence looking at him work.

  “Jenny,” Colin started, but stopped when I raised my hand. I took a few deep breaths to enjoy this moment before the inevitable took place. Change. Life was all about change. Something I didn’t like. I sighed my acceptance.

  “You have to go,” I said.

  “Yes.”

  “Was it the phone call earlier?” I asked. “Just after I wo
ke up?”

  His lips lifted in a half smile. “Did you see it on my face?”

  “No, your shoulders. They were tense.”

  He took my hand in his and played with my fingers. I thought of a documentary I watched about specialists who work with traumatised or sensitive animals. Through touch they desensitised the creatures until they were able to function normally in their environment. I wondered if Colin’s touch was desensitising me. For the first time in my life I enjoyed another person’s touch.

  “Jenny?” Colin squeezed my hand to get my attention. “Are you listening?”

  “Sorry. Yes, I’m listening.”

  “I don’t know how long I’ll be gone, but it shouldn’t be longer than a week. Maybe two.”

  “It’s okay. We all have to get back to our lives.” I sounded sad. I was sad. I pushed my shoulders back and raised my chin. “When you get back and Vinnie is back from New York, he can cook dinner for us and we can catch up.”

  “I might be back before him.”

  “Can you cook dinner?”

  Colin laughed. “I’ll bring a pizza. Is that okay?”

  “I prefer Chinese take away.”

  “Good to know.” He pulled at my hand. Slowly, with enough time for me to pull away, he leaned closer. I took a shaky breath and closed my eyes. Soft lips gently rested on my forehead for a long moment. I opened my eyes as Colin pulled back. “Till next time, Jenny.”

  I did not respond. I just stood back while he picked up a black travel bag next to the sofa and opened the door. One last smile and Colin closed the door behind him. I didn’t know how long I stood there looking at the door. Thinking. About life, about change, about touch, about people.

  I had new people in my life. New people who would complicate my life, but also enrich it. They might leave, but they would be back. I knew I could trust them. I knew I could trust Colin. Even though he was a reputed thief, known for breaking and entering. On this thought I frowned at my front door and said, “He used the door.”