After the Fall
Chapter 7
Journal of James Beckett
Dearest Johanna,
As might have been expected Baron's charges in relation to the stolen painting were bargained down in exchange for information on who sold it to him. He'll be getting a slap on the wrist for that, as well as having to return the art to Loretta Block. That, at least, would put him out a reasonable sum of money except for the fact that he doesn't seem to have been the one who actually paid for it.
Like many of his ilk who are trying to create a philanthropic image for themselves, Baron has a charitable foundation. It paid for the painting and apparently for a lot of other things for his personal use. At best, that constitutes a misuse of funds. The Attorney General of New York, however, is more inclined to look at it in terms of fraud. Baron has hopped from one frying pan to another, and mine isn't even on the burner yet.
The details of his maneuverings are coming out in the media. His dissipated face is everywhere, and except for a couple of tabloids that want to keep making considerable income off lighthearted portrayals of his adventures, most of the press is not at all favorable. As a result, some of the victims of Baron University who opted out of the suit in fear of reprisals have realized that Baron's power is ebbing. They are coming back into the fold. When all is said and done, our class action may be the least of his troubles, but it is looking much more likely that it will cost him considerably, as well as reaping satisfaction for my clientele.
As far as the investigation into Shanley's murder goes, what Victor disclosed led to a black-market art broker, Kit Granholt. Neither the kids nor the police believe that he had anything to do with the murder. As best as they can make out from the timeline of Shanley's disappearance, Granholt was in Las Vegas at the time, unloading some sculptures. But Kit was more than willing to give up the name of the man who sold the painting found in Baron's condo to him, Peter Smithson, in exchange for avoiding charges. It wasn't a simple theft. There was a backstory.
In the late 1800s when the painting was made Peter's great-grandfather, Charles Smithson was studying art in Paris. Like many students, he was the apprentice of a much better-known artist at the time, Claude Roget. According to diaries that Charles kept, he actually did most of the work on, La Petite Fille, the painting that Baron's foundation purchased. He claimed that he did much of the work on a lot of Roget's paintings. Smithson remained in the shadow of Roget, and his work was virtually forgotten, except by Peter. He found Charles' diaries in a trunk and became obsessed with him. Peter obtained a number of works Charles described, through means that are still being investigated, but ran out of money to support himself. So, he sold La Petite Fille, which Charles had designated as his least favorite work, in order to continue his quest. According to his confession, he had no intention of killing Shanley. He just intended to knock him out. But you know the law in such matters, He and Shanley were committing a felony. He was charged with felony murder. Rick is considering the story as fodder for his new detective series, especially since the trail to the art broker was primarily uncovered by Hayley and Alexis. Those two women make quite a team.
I want - no I need, to tell you about what happened at the cabin. I have a caretaker check the place out every few weeks to make sure that the pipes don't freeze and the local wildlife doesn't take up residence. The power was turned on for me, and things were in pretty good shape when I got there. I brought a few staples to stock the refrigerator and the cupboards, but I really wanted to catch some fresh fish. I sold the boat some years back, but I still had my gear in the little shed out back. I set up to fish off the pier. I remember that you had pretty good luck with that, and so did Katie when she was young.
I was just sitting there. The sun was reflecting off the water, so I had a hat pulled down over my eyes. Of course, it was a Yankees cap. I was half asleep waiting for a tug on my line when I felt a tug on my sleeve. It was a little girl with dark hair and hazel eyes. For a moment I thought I was hallucinating Katie as a child. But the youngster was real enough. She came from a cabin about a mile away. She'd just walked around the periphery of the lake and found me. She told me that her name was Kerrie and that her daddy had promised that he'd teach her to fish, but he'd had to go back to the city on business. Her mother was cleaning the cabin and had told her to go out and play, but she didn't want to play, she wanted to fish. She stuck her little bottom lip out and chewed on it, just like Katie.
I was afraid of what her mother might think about her daughter getting fishing lessons from a strange man. If it had been Katie, you and I would have been nervous. I asked her if she knew her mother's number. The mother, her name is Madeleine, did, and I called and introduced myself. Madeleine demanded that we do a Facetime so that she could see who I was and that her daughter was not under any duress. Had we had the technology at the time Katie was that age, I expect you or I would have done the same.
When Madeleine was satisfied that I wasn't a predator, I gave Kerrie a line and showed her how to bait it. She was a natural. She caught more fish than I did. I wrapped them up for her so she could take them back to her own cabin. I cooked mine for supper, wishing you and Katie were there to share them.
Having that time with Kerrie, reminded me of how much I'd enjoyed being a father to Katie and watching her grow from a fierce little girl to the even fiercer woman she is today. I am hoping that she and Rick will be able to give us grandchildren. That may be open to question. I never asked Katie about it, but she was hit in the abdomen, and she did have that terrible infection. It could be that she might not be able to carry a child. I don't know. I don't know if she knows. I might have better luck asking Rick. If there is a problem, he is probably aware of it. The way he loves children, I can't imagine that Katie would keep anything like that from him. I confess that I haven't a clue about how to start a conversation on the subject. I suppose I'll just have to wait and see what happens. Perhaps if you intervened with the Almighty when Katie was shot, you might have a word with him again. If it is possible, Katie and Rick would make beautiful children that I would cherish with my whole heart.
Forever love,
J.B.
