“I was asking you who is behind the auction?”
“Ah, yes. It will be difficult for you to believe when I tell you.” Then he stopped as he read the contents of the envelope, and smiled. “Your timing is extraordinary, Mr. Wood.” He handed Henry the invitation. “You may have that, as I have no need of it anymore. Claude, would you please give Arthur a call; let him know that invitation has arrived. Tell him I have decided not to bid.”
Henry read the invitation to himself until he got to the signature, simply, "Patrick."
"Is this Father Patrick?”
“Yes it is. He has been posing as a priest for a long time, has quite the operation set up.”
“How does it work?”
“The auctions are always run the same way: we have an individual viewing, then the next day we call into a phone number he gives us, and bid.”
“Do you know the other bidders?”
“I know of some of them, but not all.”
“Do you know someone who goes by the name ‘The Falcon’?”
Garneau stiffened for a moment, then let out a deep breath. “That name used to upset me greatly. I have lost many fine works to the Falcon, but now I guess those days are over. I would be lying to say I didn’t still feel some animosity, but I am sure those feelings will pass in time.”
“Who is the Falcon?”
“I don’t know who he is, but he’s rich. He has some sort of special arrangement with Father Patrick. I have never even heard his voice. We can hear each other bidding, but the Falcon’s bids come in some other way, because Father Patrick always tells us what he has bid.”
“Do you think Father Patrick is the Falcon, just trying to goose the bidding?”
“I had considered it, but he has won so many auctions, it didn’t make sense. Why would Father Patrick go to such great lengths to hold secret auctions and have half of them ending with the Falcon winning? Where is the profit in that?”
Henry made some notes. “That is a good point.” Henry smiled and asked for another piece of strudel.
Chapter Forty-Nine
“He what?!” Hans yelled.
Arthur had to hold the phone away from his ear. “He has given up collecting. I just got a call; he got the notice for the viewing, and had Claude call me to say he wasn’t going.” Arthur answered with an equal measure of frustration and anger.
“What in the world is going on over there? He was your responsibility.”
“Don’t try to blame me, there isn’t any way I could have seen this coming. He has been yelling and going on for days, screaming at anyone within earshot. He was obsessed.”
“Something must have happened.”
“He was ranting and suddenly took a look at the little Degas, then told me a story about his kid sister. She died when he was young. The next morning, he is writing checks, apologizing for his behavior, and is suddenly everyone’s buddy. It is sickening. I want to kill him more than ever.”
“We need to think. Who else is able to bid with the doctor and Falcon?”
There was a long pause. "I know what you are implying.” Arthur’s short temper was beginning to flare.
“I am not implying anything; we are about to see everything, all the years of waiting on these horrible men, come to naught.”
“You know as well as I do that the others aren’t in a position financially to push the bids. The lawyer from Staten Island, he will bid first and probably be out, the other guy will make two bids at best. The Falcon, Dr. Schaeffer, and Garneau were to battle, driving the price through the roof and keeping them away for hours.”
“The Falcon will be thrilled.”
“Dr. Schaeffer will not try to battle the Falcon head to head, and will drop out after it hits five million. We needed Garneau and the mutual hatred between him and Schaeffer to keep the doctor in the mix. I will make the call, let the Falcon know what has happened. I will meet you in an hour. I am not giving up - we just need to calm down and think.”
“I will meet you. Oh, and ask if the Falcon has gotten the invite yet.”
“One hour.”
***
Henry got in the car and said, “Sorry, buddy, I thought Claude might be hanging out with the car, but he was inside.”
“I figured. I got a cup of coffee and waited. You were in there a long time...learn anything? Is he our guy?”
“My gut tells me no. He had some sort of epiphany and isn’t even going to the auction. So we are back at square one.”
“My money is on the Falcon. The other two guys on the list were both out of town that night.”
“Yeah, and they mostly collect statues. I was sure Dr. Schafer, Garneau, or the Falcon were responsible.”