Chapter 7: The Storm
Location: England
Key Date: Wednesday, 28th July, 1999
"This isn't working," Evan said grimly, pacing his hotel room with Elaine and Drew looking on from their places on the couch. It was very early the next morning and they'd congregated in the lounge area to discuss their progress. "We're dealing with professionals here and we're just blindly stumbling around in the dark!"
"What do you suggest then?" Drew asked placatingly.
"The hell if I know," Evan retorted, moving to his favourite spot by the windows. Sighing he turned to look at his companions. "I'm sorry ... this entire situation is beyond frustrating."
"It is," Elaine got up and came over to him, touching his arm lightly. "Are we still convinced this is all a set up? Maybe it really was a coincidence," Elaine suggested hopefully.
"Twice is a coincidence" Evan replied grimly. "Five times is a carefully constructed master plan."
"Evan's right," Drew agreed. "There's no way this can be anything other than a set up."
"But we're not going to find them like this," Evan concluded, leading Elaine back to the couch and sitting down across from her. "The only other thing I can think of is leaving immediately ... if they're not expecting that we might be able to lose them."
"I thought you said you weren't going to let them chase you out of Europe?" Elaine accused.
"I'm not," Evan returned, smiling suddenly at her irritation on his behalf. "But there are a lot of art galleries I haven't been to ... if they don't see me leaving the chances of them finding me at one of them go down drastically."
"And then what?" Elaine persisted. "You just forget you were set up?"
"Of course not, but I'm not willing to be somebody's pawn here," Evan shot back. "We need some breathing space ... without anyone looking over our shoulders. Then we can work out a smarter plan."
"Okay – where to then?" Drew asked casually, his question making it clear he had every intention of tagging along.
"I was going to go to Germany next," Evan said. "That'd be the predictable thing to do. But we're close to England so I reckon we go there instead."
"Sounds good to me – I always wanted to see Big Ben," Drew quipped.
"And the London Bridge," Elaine smiled at Drew, appreciating his levity.
"Okay, England it is," Evan decided, getting up. "Pack your stuff guys ... we're catching the next train out of here."
oOo
Another short journey was between the three travellers and their next destination. This time there was no pretence that Drew was a stranger ... half an hour after deciding to leave Brussels they were on the 7:30am train, tired enough that conversation was minimal as each appeared lost in self reflection.
Lorne hadn't forgotten Drew's cutting words from the night before ... but he was ignoring them, focussing instead on his annoyance with their current situation. As he looked out the window at the concrete of the Channel Tunnel passing by at high speed he found himself wondering what had happened at the Musée des Beaux-Arts after their abrupt exit. Had the theives struck again or had the presence of the police put them off? That was certainly a question he wanted an answer to but the biggest question by far, the one that had been eating at him since Amsterdam, was why him? What had painted the big target on his back that said 'art thief stooge here'? Lorne promised himself grimly that as soon as he caught up with the culprits - no room for doubt that he wouldn't - he'd be sure to ask them.
Sighing, Evan turned his attention from the window back to his companions. He'd noticed the looks exchanged between Drew and his sister as they got ever closer to English soil ... and chose to ignore them too. He might not want the kind of future it seemed his sister was heading for but there was nothing he could do to stop her from wanting to at least allow it as a possibility. And in the end, if the two did end up together he couldn't withhold his approval. His friendship with Andrew Rider was important to him, sure, but his relationship with his sister was much more than that – it was crucial. Whatever the future held Evan knew he'd find a way to live with it.
Three hours after embarking Drew led them from the train at St. Pancras International station in London. It was still Europe but the bustling city had a different vibe to the other places Evan had visited recently. Edgier ... more hurried ... with the feel of a place hiding a large population and a colourful history of secrets.
"Let's find somewhere to stay," Evan proposed once they were out in the street.
"Breaking with tradition?" Elaine asked lightly.
"Tradition?" Drew queried, looking between the siblings quizzically.
"Evan always goes straight from the train to the gallery housing the work that drew him there," Elaine explained. "This time it'd be something from Turner's watercolours." She looked at her brother with a faint smile. "Am I right?"
"I didn't realise I'd gotten so predictable," Evan muttered, spotting a taxi stand and heading straight for it. Drew and Elaine followed, Elaine clearly still waiting for her answer. "Yes you're right," Evan admitted, "although to be accurate I always head in the direction of the gallery I want to see – most of the time I find somewhere to stay before I actually go there."
"I don't mind walking if you want to do that here," Elaine suggested.
"Are you sure?" Evan looked at his sister, concerned at how tired she appeared. "It's probably at least an hour's walk from here and none of us got much sleep last night."
"Then we find something about half way," she smiled. Breaking out of the line waiting for a taxi she started walking. "Are you coming?" she asked over her shoulder.
"Yes," Evan caught up, putting a hand on each of her shoulders and pulling her to a stop. Gently swinging her around, he grinned. "But it's this way," he pointed in the opposite direction to the one she'd taken.
"Oh," Elaine laughed. "Fine, so following a map isn't exactly my strong suit."
"You'll do," Evan wrapped his arm around her shoulder, getting them moving again. When he was level with where Drew stood waiting he let her go, taking the lead and trusting the other man to stick with Elaine. Maybe it was subtle but he wasn't quite ready to declare his approval yet.
It might have seemed risky to just pick a place to stay off the cuff without a reservation but Evan had found there were enough small hotels in every city to find something appropriate. Given that they were trying to be unpredictable that approach might even have worked in their favour - although it hadn't stopped Evan ending up in the situation he was now in. Relying on a random selection of accomodation worked just as well in London as it had elsewhere and Lorne gratefully checked in at the Crown Regent Hotel, again choosing a suite big enough for the three of them to stay together. He was tired after only a few hours sleep the prior night but he couldn't settle, pacing around the living area restlessly as his sister looked on.
"Go," she urged him abruptly.
"What?" Evan frowned.
"Go see the picture you wanted to come here for," Elaine expanded. "I'm just going to go lie down in my room anyway. There's nothing for you to do here ... Drew can go with you."
"To be honest I'd rather stay here and kick back for a while," Drew countered. "I know you guys are big on the whole art appreciation thing but I don't know enough about it to be good company – especially when I'm tired."
"Too refined for you buddy?" Evan teased. Drew just rolled his eyes, not rising to the bait. "Okay ... I'll go," Evan decided. "You guys get some rest ... in separate rooms."
"Evan!" Elaine blushed as his meaning became clear. Drew had mentioned during a brief moment when they'd been alone that her brother knew about their burgeoning relationship but she hadn't seen anything to indicate how Evan felt about it until then. Not that his comment said anything about how he felt ... Elaine would probably have to confront him head on to get him to admit to anything but she knew her brother well enough to make a good guess on what he'd be thinking.
Evan shrugged unrepentantly, exchanging a glance with Drew that had the two understanding each other. Drew would protect his sister ... it was as simple as that. Leaving them alone, Lorne walked down the sidewalk, following the sequence of directions he'd memorised on the way to London.
The Tate Britain was the national gallery of British art, housing amongst other things the most extensive collection of watercolours painted by Joseph Mallord William Turner in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Turner was equally well known for his oils but Evan was more interested in his watercolour landscapes, and in particular one titled The Storm.
From what he'd read, the artist had experienced the storm and subsequent shipwreck depicted in the painting first hand, having himself lashed to the mast for four hours in a deluge he'd felt some fear of surviving, because he wanted to show the viewer what such a scene was really like. That level of realism had rewards ... Turner was acknowledged as unrivalled when it came to the depiction of the natural forces of ocean, storm and rain. Where others struggled to make their seas more than lifeless contrivances of the real thing, Turner's ocean had movement ... the rhythm and weight of the waves, the disorderly deluge of rain falling ... all rendered with startling brilliance. The power of nature itself had captivated Turner and forced him into a new means of expression in his efforts to capture it as art.
Walking along Millbank, adjacent to the Thames, Lorne passed Westminster Bridge and the Victoria Tower Gardens before he caught sight of the Gallery in the distance. Outwardly its facade was not dissimilar to the Musée des Beaux-Arts ... a square entrance jutting out from the main building with large columns supporting its rooftop.
This time he'd brought nothing with him, just his wallet and the mobile phone Elaine had given him that he'd grown accustomed to stashing in his jacket pocket. Taking a floor plan from the main desk he opened it and scanned it quickly before heading to the second floor and the specially built Clore Gallery that housed the entire Turner Collection.
He found The Storm after searching for some time, standing back a few steps to consider the painting he'd only seen in books. It was another one of those times when seeing it for real made you realise how little pictures in a book conveyed. The waves leapt from the paper, their height and fury easily felt, as was the predicament of the ship caught up in the urgency of the storm. It was a tense scene and Evan could feel that tension rising as his eyes tracked the various aspects of the composition.
In a way he could identify with that little ship, caught up in a stormy sea with no real control over direction or where he might end up. Someone else's hand held the reigns ... be it the forces of nature as in the picture, or the unseen menace of an enemy who'd chosen him for no apparent reason.
Given the circumstances he hadn't been sure he'd even be able to appreciate what he was seeing but thankfully that proved not to be the case. As he left The Storm and continued on through the thousands of Turner watercolours displayed at the Tate, Evan found himself forgetting his woes and losing himself in another time and place.
That was until he caught sight of someone familiar out of the corner of his eye and snapped back to reality abruptly. Keeping himself in check Lorne pretended to continue his tour of the collection, spending another hour walking through each room before deciding that would be enough to not arouse suspicion. Walking down the stairs back to the ground floor Evan made a play of checking his watch before leaving the gallery and heading back to his hotel.
He led his shadow all the way there, only able to catch sight of him here and there because he knew he was being followed. Inside the hotel lobby he moved quickly to the windows, standing out of sight as he watched the figure stop outside the hotel, wait for a minute or so and then turn back the way they'd come.
Waiting a few moments more, Evan exited the lobby again, turning the tables and becoming the shadow himself. He followed the man across the street and around the corner, walking far enough back that he almost lost him a couple of times. Finally they arrived at another hotel where the man walked in, Evan on his heels. Inside the hotel, similar in appearance and decor to the one Evan was staying at, Lorne stopped, scanning the room looking for his target.
There ... taking a seat at the bar.
Evan silently made his way over, sitting down on the next stool. The man paid him no notice until Evan spoke. "You're a long way from home Mr Lefèvre," Lorne said conversationally. "Here to pick up a Turner reproduction?"
"Mr ... my apologies ... Captain Lorne," Anton recovered quickly from the surprise of having his target make him.
"Why are you following me?" Evan got to the point up front.
"For the same reason I had them bring you in for questioning in Amsterdam," Anton replied, no hint of guilt apparent.
"Oh you've gotta be kidding me!" Evan regarded the Interpol agent with an incredulous look. "They let me go – surely that tells you I've got nothing to do with these thefts."
"I did not say you were responsible Captain," Lefèvre pointed out. "In fact I believe you to be innocent of any wrong doing. But the fact remains that you are connected to these crimes. I have ... struggled to apprehend these particular thieves for a number of years. Your involvement provides the best lead in some time ... there was no other choice but for me to keep a close eye on your movements."
"You're using me to get to them," Evan concluded angrily. "What gives you the right to do that?"
"Come now Captain," Anton actually smiled. "I've had the opportunity since our last meeting to study your background. You are no happier that the real culprits remain free than I am. Perhaps now that you are aware of my presence we can come to an arrangement."
"What kind of arrangement?" Evan demanded suspiciously.
"One that will advantage both of us," the other man replied. "I made sure it was known before I left Belgium that you were headed to London. We can use that."
"You what?" Evan could feel the anger starting to rise inside as he glared at the Frenchman. "You put my sister and my friend back into the mix with no regard for any of us!"
"Ten years Captain," Lefèvre countered grimly. "Ten years I have chased them, through numerous calculated sprees spanning months, unable to get close enough to prove their guilt."
"You know who's behind all of this?" Anger was sidetracked as Evan realised what the other man was saying.
"I believe so," Anton admitted. "But never is there proof to link them to the scenes ... despite my best efforts I have been unable to convince my superiors to act in this manner based on my word alone."
"Hence your need to catch them in the act," Evan shook his head.
"Yes," Anton nodded. "With any luck the thieves will take the opportunity to implicate you further ... I will tag them much as they have tagged you and finally get the proof I need to be vindicated."
"We already tried that," Evan admitted. "Staked out the museum in Brussels. They never showed."
"They did," Lefèvre countered, "and stole Gossaert's Venus and Cupid from the museum only hours after you and your friend were kindly asked to leave."
"Damn it!" Evan slammed a palm down on the bar in frustration. That was that question answered!
"My thoughts exactly," Anton agreed, raising his glass and taking a large mouthful of what looked like scotch.
"Okay," Evan said abruptly. "I'll help you ... but we keep my sister well clear of this. And you tell me everything. I want to know about the previous thefts and I want to see pictures of these people you think are behind the whole thing."
"I will send to the Paris office for my files," Anton promised. "In the mean time, please, go about your business as you would normally. I will do the rest."
"That doesn't exactly inspire me with confidence Mr Lefèvre," Evan said sarcastically.
"Anton, please," the Interpol officer replied.
"Right ... Anton," Evan sighed. "Okay, tell me what you can recall without your files. How many paintings are we talking about here?"
Settling back Lorne listened to the catalogue of regular criminal activity spanning years and covering many works he'd even heard of. Whatever he'd gotten him into it was bigger and a lot more serious than he'd imagined. Spying the time and realising suddenly that Elaine and Drew were probably concerned about him, Evan interrupted.
"Listen, I have to get back to the hotel before they start worrying about me," he said. "How can I get in touch with you?"
Anton pulled out a business card with 'Interpol' and his name inscribed in small text. On the back was a hand written mobile phone number. "This will reach me, day or night," he instructed.
"Okay," Evan took the card and tucked it in his jacket pocket. "So ... act normally."
"Yes," Anton smiled. "And call me if anything unusual happens."
"These days that's a little hard to distinguish," Evan said sharply. Getting up he met the other man's eyes. "Leave a message at the hotel when you get those pictures," he said before turning and walking away.
oOo
Elaine watched her brother leave for the gallery, turning worried eyes to Drew as the door closed softly behind him. "He didn't need this," she said simply.
"No," Drew agreed, moving forward to take her hands. Drawing her into his arms he hugged her close, resting his chin on her head when she settled in with a sigh.
It still surprised Elaine how easily they'd gone from the occasional phone call shared since their first meeting to the easy familiarity they had now. Although maybe it shouldn't ... the few days Drew had spent in LA when he'd come to tell her about John had been a crash course for both of them on each other, on what they could be together ... on the attraction that existed between them and where it might lead. Drew might not have been in Europe when John's plane had gone down, he hadn't been part of the search or recovery teams like her brother had, but that didn't mean he wasn't equally troubled by the loss of a friend. It was something they'd all have to deal with - the six friends who'd started fighter pilot training together with John - and Elaine was hopeful that she'd helped Drew with his own personal journey there.
Like she wanted to help Evan. Sadly, her brother gave a whole new meaning to the word 'stubborn' - he wasn't making it easy for her. After a few moments she laughed suddenly, pulling away to look up at Drew. "I can't believe he actually said that about separate rooms."
"He just wants to protect you," Drew said lightly, his attitude making it clear he didn't have a problem with that.
"I know," Elaine sighed, turning and moving to sit on the couch. "He hasn't worked out yet that protecting me isn't his job anymore."
"He loves you," Drew sat down beside her. "And I'm pretty sure being a big brother isn't a job you ever get done with."
"Maybe," Elaine frowned for a moment before continuing. "Evan's always been too big on responsibility - on thinking that it's down to him if things don't go according to plan. Maybe it was always in him to be that way but when Dad died it only got worse." She looked at Drew a little apologetically. "The reasons for him doing this trip are tragic but in a way it almost makes me hopeful - he actually took a step back and did something for himself that wasn't about being responsible or what he thinks everyone expects him to be."
"As long as he doesn't take it too far," Drew reminded her of her concerns.
"Exactly," she said with a smile. "So ... what did Evan say when he asked about us?"
"Ah ...," Drew shifted uncomfortably. Just because he'd admitted to her brother that his feelings went as deep as they could go didn't mean he was ready to tell her the same. "He just wanted to know what was going on between us."
"And what did you tell him?" Elaine looked at him expectantly, her eyes like dark, mysterious pools drawing him in.
"What would you want me to tell him?" he turned it back on her teasingly, his eyes intent as he raised a hand to cup the side of her face.
"That you're hot for me," she laughed when Drew's brows rose in surprise. "Seriously, it's not Evan's concern. Unless you feel like you need his approval."
"No," Drew pulled her closer and kissed her, gentle and slow. Pulling away, he added "and I think we've talked about Evan more than enough for the time being." Moving in he kissed her again, this time more purposeful ... the beginning of discovering each other on a more intimate level.
Elaine felt that same connection she thought she'd only imagined the first time they'd met ... the one that only seemed stronger the more time she spent wth Drew. It pulled her in, had her forgetting everything but him and what he was making her feel. There was a lot of ground between 'separate rooms' and nothing at all and Drew seemed intent on exploring that to the fullest extent, with Elaine a more than willing accomplice.
Authors Note:
New pictures added to my website pages - The Storm for this chapter as well as the stolen work from Belgium (to the stolen works page - the link on my profile page will get you one click away from there). Also thanks to MackenziesMomma for the request on writing alone time for Drew and Elaine - I added the last scene because once I'd read the suggestion of course I couldn't stop thinking about it! Not sure if its what you were imagining but there you go. *grins* Lastly, I made up the Crown Regent Hotel - if there is one it's entirely coincidental. Hope everyone is still enjoying this story.