Art Theft 101

Chapter 1-2

“What did you discover about Mr. Croft?” Duff asked the moment he opened the door to his apartment around five the next evening.

“Let’s get Liddy and Rob and I’ll fill you in,” I told him.

Liddy was easy enough to find. She strolled out of Duff’s kitchen carrying two cups of coffee, one of which she handed to him. “In the office?” she asked, obviously having overheard what I’d said.

“Yep.”

She offered me coffee, even though she knew I rarely drank it. I declined and we went down the hall to the office. I misted in to turn off the security system, then opened the door for them. That was one of the unique things about our private headquarters—there was no way to disarm the security from anywhere except inside what looked like a coat closet along the interior wall. Since Rob, Duff and I could get into it without using either of the doors, we were safe enough from anyone who thought they’d like to explore where they didn’t belong.

Rob appeared just as we were getting settled and once he’d taken a seat I told my partners in crime everything I now knew about Ian Croft.

“Is there anything that says he might not be what he seems?” Duff asked when I finished.

“No. The only proviso is, if he does work for the FBI’s Art Theft unit they would have been damned certain all his credentials matched what he’s purporting to be.”

“How long has his company been in business?” Duff wanted to know.

“He started it when he was twenty-five. He’s now thirty-two.”

“So seven years.”

“Yes, and everything I found through the county assessor’s office verifies he’s owned the property since 2008. As I said, he has a home in the Garden District as well. He bought it two years after he started Croft Design Group. Also verified through the assessor’s records. I talked briefly with Bryce Milton. He says he’s known Croft for four years and trusts him implicitly.”

“Four years would be a long time to be undercover,” Rob stated quietly.

Duff nodded. “But not an impossibility.”

“True enough.” I smiled at my partners. “We’ll have a chance to do our own assessment of him in—,” I checked the time, “—fifteen minutes.”

“He’s coming here?” Duff did not look happy with that idea.

“As a customer. I asked Bryce to call him to suggest he check out the work of the artist we’re featuring in the gallery at the moment. Bryce called back half an hour ago to say Croft would be here at six-thirty. Apparently Bryce convinced him John Alpert’s paintings might be something Croft should consider from a business stand point.”

“They are good,” Liddy said. “I wouldn’t mind having one hanging in my apartment.”

“There, you see, the expert speaks,” I said, grinning.

“Since Croft’s due soon,” Duff said, “I suggest we make ourselves a bit more presentable.”

He had a point. He and I were dressed down, in jeans and T-shirts, while Liddy was wearing very short shorts and a halter top. Rob on the other hand was dressed in his usual attire when he was in the building, the clothes he’d been wearing when he died. He always claimed he was more comfortable in them. I personally think it’s his way of remembering his past and his service to Lafitte. Thankfully, he has no problem changing into modern day clothing when it was necessary for our business. Something he could do in the blink of an eye. Two seconds after Duff’s comment, Rob was wearing nice slacks and a button-down shirt.

“I’ll set the system once you’re out of here,” Rob told us, “since it’ll take you all longer to get dressed.”