Telling Lies Read Free

mind.”
     
    “ Holy shit,” Aaron pulled back from the table. “What a cocky bastard. A take it or leave it payment of fifteen million? That’s a pretty hefty number to fork over, just for the opportunity to get a peek at the goods. Hammersmith must have really wanted it bad. So, with fifteen million as the ten percent down, we’re talking one hundred fifty million.” Laurel nodded in agreement. “Jesus, what was Hammersmith buying, the Holy Grail?”
     
    “ I’ll get to that in a minute. Jeff already had a relationship with Hammersmith. He’d purchased other paintings and sculptures for him in the past but, obviously, nothing of this value. When Hammersmith asked him to go to Japan to oversee the sale and turn over the access codes that would open the door to the holding account, he jumped at the chance.”
     
    Aaron’s voice dripped with sarcasm. “You think? Imagine the commission from brokering a sale like that.”
     
    “ I’m sure that was a major factor. So was the opportunity to meet Moto and establish an alliance with him. Buying and selling for Moto would definitely have put Jeff at the center of the art world.”
     
    “ He’d never met him before?”
     
    “ No, and he was dying to.” Laurel sighed, realizing her unfortunate choice of words. “Jeff was scheduled to leave for Japan on Hammersmith’s private jet immediately after their business had been concluded. In Tokyo, he was going to be met by a well-respected European art appraiser, also chosen by Hammersmith. The two were scheduled to travel by helicopter to Moto’s estate in the country, where the appraiser would authenticate the painting. After Jeff was satisfied with its provenance, he would turn over the codes that would allow Moto to access the fifteen million that had been transferred.”
     
    Aaron was shaking his head in disbelief. “Not only do they have to come to him on his turf but also pay him no matter what happens. No wonder the guy’s a billionaire.”
     
    “ Well, obviously things didn’t go as planned.” The sadness slid back into her voice. “Jeff was with Hammersmith when the plane hit the tower. He called Monica on his cell right before all the phones went down.” Her voice had become so soft as she spoke these last words that Aaron had to lean forward to hear her. “He told her the building was on fire and that people were trapped, confused and trying desperately to get out. What little she could hear in the background sounded like bedlam, with people screaming and crying. Then,” her voice cracking, Laurel struggled to continue, “the phone went dead. That was the last time she spoke with him.”
     
    * * *
    Questions spun around in Aaron’s head. How did Laurel know all this? Had anyone else been in the meeting? If so, did they make it out of the tower? These were a few of the ones he wanted to ask, but the one uppermost on his mind was the one he’d already voiced. Everything had revolved around the painting. It was the key to all that followed. “Laurel, what was the artwork Hammersmith was buying from Moto that made it probably the most valuable painting in the world?” She shook her head. “A Picasso or a Van Gogh like the two that brought those record numbers at auction? Or, was it some other masterwork that Moto had under wraps?”
     
    “ That’s just it, no one knows. Hammersmith had insisted on complete secrecy on that point. He and Jeff were meeting that morning to go over the final details, including the name of the painting and the procedure for releasing the funds.” Laurel stopped speaking while the waiter came to their table and cleared away their plates.
     
    “ Signorina, che fá? Non le piacciono i nostri antipasti?” He looked at her with concern, seeing that she’d barely touched her food.
     
    Laurel smiled up at him, “No, no, it’s nothing. Il cibo è molto buono. The food is delicious. I’m just not hungry.”
     
    The waiter turned to Aaron, pointing a finger at