The Collector
Page 121
“You leave out the artist,” Ash pointed out.
“No, no. But as I said, it required the vision and the patronage of the tsars for the artist to create. This, all of this, is owed to my family.”
“Every piece is amazing. Even the hinges are perfect. Which is this?” Lila asked, carefully gesturing to the second egg. “I don’t recognize it.”
“The Mauve, from the following year. Again rose-cut diamonds, pearls along with emeralds and rubies. This to accent the surprise, the heart-shaped frame in red, green and white enamel accented with pearls and more rose-cut diamonds. You see it open here into its three-leaf-clover shape. Each leaf with a miniature watercolor portrait on ivory. Nicholas, Alexandra and Olga, their first child.”
“And the Nécessaire. I studied up,” Lila said. “It is a manicure set. Everything I read was just speculation. But . . . nothing you can read comes close to the reality.”
“Who did you kill to get them?” Ash demanded.
Vasin only smiled. “I’ve never found it necessary to kill. The hen was stolen, then used to secure passage out of Poland, a bribe to escape Hitler’s holocaust. But the family of the thief was still sent to the camps, and died there.”
“That’s horrible,” Lila said softly.
“History is written in blood,” Vasin said simply. “The man who took it and betrayed them was persuaded to sell it to me rather than be exposed.
“The Mauve, more thieves. Fortune had blessed them, but the generations that passed couldn’t wash the thievery away. Bloodlines,” he said. “Their fortunes changed when their only son met with a tragic accident, and they were persuaded to sell the egg to me, to rid themselves of the stain.”
“You had him killed,” Ash said. “It’s no different than killing yourself.”
Vasin’s face remained impassive, perhaps faintly amused. “One pays for a meal in a fine restaurant, but isn’t responsible for the dish.”
Lila laid a hand on Ash’s arm, as if to soothe away any spike of temper. In reality she needed the contact.
“The Nécessaire, stolen, was bought by a man who recognized beauty, then was lost through carelessness to another. I acquired it through persuasion again, and fair payment.”
He studied the eggs, shifted to scan the room with a look of hot satisfaction. “We’ll go back, and discuss fair payment.”
“I don’t want your money.”
“Even a wealthy man has room for more.”
“My brother’s dead.”
“It’s unfortunate,” Vasin said, and took a step back. “Please understand if you approach me, make any threatening moves?” He drew a small Taser from his pocket. “I’ll protect myself. More, this room is under surveillance. Men armed with more . . . permanent weapons will move in at any perceived threat.”
“I’m not here to threaten you. I’m not here for money.”
“Let’s sit, like civilized men, and discuss what you are here for.”
“Come on, Ash, let’s go sit down.” Crooning a little, Lila stroked a hand on Ash’s arm. “It doesn’t do any good to get upset. We’ll go talk. It’s why we’re here. You and me and Bali, okay? Okay?”
For a moment she thought he meant to jerk away from her, turn on Vasin and be done with it. Then he nodded, went with her.
She let out a breath of relief as they passed back into the sitting room.
Someone had cleared the tea, the trays. In their place was an opened bottle of Barolo and two glasses.
“Please, help yourself.” Vasin sat again as the door to the collection room closed. “You may or may not be aware that your brother—or half brother, to be accurate—sat where you are now a few months ago. We talked extensively, and came to what I believed was an understanding.”
With his hands on his knees, Vasin leaned forward, cold fury twisting his face. “We had an agreement.”
Then he sat back again, his face smoothed out. “I made him the offer I’ll make to you now—and at that time he accepted it. It was a serious disappointment to me when he attempted to extort a larger payment from me. It shouldn’t have come as a surprise to me, I admit that. He wasn’t the most reliable of men, you must agree. But I was enthusiastic, perhaps overly so, at the prospect of acquiring the Cherub with Chariot.”
“And the Nécessaire,” Ash said. “He told you he could get you both. He changed the deal, Vasin, but so did you when you used Capelli to get the Nécessaire.”
Sitting back, Vasin steepled his fingers again. Tap, tap, tap as his raven’s eyes stared ahead. “The information on the Nécessaire came shortly after our meeting. I saw no reason to use a middleman when I could arrange the deal myself. The payment for the Cherub remained firm.”
“You cut him out, so he upped the ante. And the woman? His woman? Collateral damage?”
“They were partners, so they both said. As it appears you are. What happened to them is tragic. It was, from what I’ve heard, drug- and alcohol-induced. Perhaps an argument taken to extremes by whoever provided him with the pills he was unfortunately careless with.”
“And Vinnie?”
“Ah, the uncle. Again, tragic. An innocent, by all accounts. His death wasteful and unnecessary. It should be clear to you their deaths gained me nothing. I’m a businessman, and I do nothing without an eye to gain or profit.”
Ash leaned forward. “Jai Maddok.”
There was a flicker in Vasin’s eyes, but Lila couldn’t be sure if it was surprise or annoyance. “You’ll need to be more specific.”
“She killed Sage Kendall, my brother, Vinnie and, just days ago, Capelli.”
“What has that to do with me?”
“She’s yours. I’m here on your turf,” Ash snapped before Vasin could speak. “I have what you want. You won’t get it by lying to me, by insulting me.”
“I can assure you I gave no one orders to kill your brother, his woman or his uncle.”
“And Capelli.”
“He’s nothing to you, and nothing to me. I offered Oliver forty million dollars for the delivery of the two eggs, twenty each. As I acquired one myself, the twenty stood. He required a down payment—ten percent. I gave him this in good faith. He made the deal, took the down payment, then tried to double his asking price. Greed killed him, Mr. Archer. I did not.”
“No, no. But as I said, it required the vision and the patronage of the tsars for the artist to create. This, all of this, is owed to my family.”
“Every piece is amazing. Even the hinges are perfect. Which is this?” Lila asked, carefully gesturing to the second egg. “I don’t recognize it.”
“The Mauve, from the following year. Again rose-cut diamonds, pearls along with emeralds and rubies. This to accent the surprise, the heart-shaped frame in red, green and white enamel accented with pearls and more rose-cut diamonds. You see it open here into its three-leaf-clover shape. Each leaf with a miniature watercolor portrait on ivory. Nicholas, Alexandra and Olga, their first child.”
“And the Nécessaire. I studied up,” Lila said. “It is a manicure set. Everything I read was just speculation. But . . . nothing you can read comes close to the reality.”
“Who did you kill to get them?” Ash demanded.
Vasin only smiled. “I’ve never found it necessary to kill. The hen was stolen, then used to secure passage out of Poland, a bribe to escape Hitler’s holocaust. But the family of the thief was still sent to the camps, and died there.”
“That’s horrible,” Lila said softly.
“History is written in blood,” Vasin said simply. “The man who took it and betrayed them was persuaded to sell it to me rather than be exposed.
“The Mauve, more thieves. Fortune had blessed them, but the generations that passed couldn’t wash the thievery away. Bloodlines,” he said. “Their fortunes changed when their only son met with a tragic accident, and they were persuaded to sell the egg to me, to rid themselves of the stain.”
“You had him killed,” Ash said. “It’s no different than killing yourself.”
Vasin’s face remained impassive, perhaps faintly amused. “One pays for a meal in a fine restaurant, but isn’t responsible for the dish.”
Lila laid a hand on Ash’s arm, as if to soothe away any spike of temper. In reality she needed the contact.
“The Nécessaire, stolen, was bought by a man who recognized beauty, then was lost through carelessness to another. I acquired it through persuasion again, and fair payment.”
He studied the eggs, shifted to scan the room with a look of hot satisfaction. “We’ll go back, and discuss fair payment.”
“I don’t want your money.”
“Even a wealthy man has room for more.”
“My brother’s dead.”
“It’s unfortunate,” Vasin said, and took a step back. “Please understand if you approach me, make any threatening moves?” He drew a small Taser from his pocket. “I’ll protect myself. More, this room is under surveillance. Men armed with more . . . permanent weapons will move in at any perceived threat.”
“I’m not here to threaten you. I’m not here for money.”
“Let’s sit, like civilized men, and discuss what you are here for.”
“Come on, Ash, let’s go sit down.” Crooning a little, Lila stroked a hand on Ash’s arm. “It doesn’t do any good to get upset. We’ll go talk. It’s why we’re here. You and me and Bali, okay? Okay?”
For a moment she thought he meant to jerk away from her, turn on Vasin and be done with it. Then he nodded, went with her.
She let out a breath of relief as they passed back into the sitting room.
Someone had cleared the tea, the trays. In their place was an opened bottle of Barolo and two glasses.
“Please, help yourself.” Vasin sat again as the door to the collection room closed. “You may or may not be aware that your brother—or half brother, to be accurate—sat where you are now a few months ago. We talked extensively, and came to what I believed was an understanding.”
With his hands on his knees, Vasin leaned forward, cold fury twisting his face. “We had an agreement.”
Then he sat back again, his face smoothed out. “I made him the offer I’ll make to you now—and at that time he accepted it. It was a serious disappointment to me when he attempted to extort a larger payment from me. It shouldn’t have come as a surprise to me, I admit that. He wasn’t the most reliable of men, you must agree. But I was enthusiastic, perhaps overly so, at the prospect of acquiring the Cherub with Chariot.”
“And the Nécessaire,” Ash said. “He told you he could get you both. He changed the deal, Vasin, but so did you when you used Capelli to get the Nécessaire.”
Sitting back, Vasin steepled his fingers again. Tap, tap, tap as his raven’s eyes stared ahead. “The information on the Nécessaire came shortly after our meeting. I saw no reason to use a middleman when I could arrange the deal myself. The payment for the Cherub remained firm.”
“You cut him out, so he upped the ante. And the woman? His woman? Collateral damage?”
“They were partners, so they both said. As it appears you are. What happened to them is tragic. It was, from what I’ve heard, drug- and alcohol-induced. Perhaps an argument taken to extremes by whoever provided him with the pills he was unfortunately careless with.”
“And Vinnie?”
“Ah, the uncle. Again, tragic. An innocent, by all accounts. His death wasteful and unnecessary. It should be clear to you their deaths gained me nothing. I’m a businessman, and I do nothing without an eye to gain or profit.”
Ash leaned forward. “Jai Maddok.”
There was a flicker in Vasin’s eyes, but Lila couldn’t be sure if it was surprise or annoyance. “You’ll need to be more specific.”
“She killed Sage Kendall, my brother, Vinnie and, just days ago, Capelli.”
“What has that to do with me?”
“She’s yours. I’m here on your turf,” Ash snapped before Vasin could speak. “I have what you want. You won’t get it by lying to me, by insulting me.”
“I can assure you I gave no one orders to kill your brother, his woman or his uncle.”
“And Capelli.”
“He’s nothing to you, and nothing to me. I offered Oliver forty million dollars for the delivery of the two eggs, twenty each. As I acquired one myself, the twenty stood. He required a down payment—ten percent. I gave him this in good faith. He made the deal, took the down payment, then tried to double his asking price. Greed killed him, Mr. Archer. I did not.”
