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episode 16

“Well, that’s all sorted out.” Martin said cheerfully on his return to the booth, “With a bit of luck we should receive our answer in the a.m.   Possibly before we arrive in Trenthamville … and that should make things a bit easier for us to deal with.   Now, Rosetta, are you feeling a bit better now.   I know the possibilities of what we may find when we get to the farm can make for an endless series of nightmarish scenarios in one’s mind, but we have no choice in the matter.   We will simply have to face up to whatever we have to face up to and deal with each situation as it arises.   For the moment we will just have to wait until we get to the farm to work out what he may have done with the statue.”

   “Thank you, Martin.   Yes, I am fine now,” Rosetta replied with a smile as she looked softly towards Joseph before returning her eyes back towards Martin.   “But, Martin … if my father had opened the crate, or whatever he used to transport the statue to the farm, wouldn’t the remnants of the packaging have been found by the police … or your friend Raji?

   “I haven’t had the privilege of meeting your father, Rosetta,” Joseph interjected, “but although we have been suggesting that the statue may have been stolen, the way you and Martin are describing his capabilities and intelligence I would not be surprised to find that he had taken extremely well thought out precautions as soon as the statue arrived at the farm.   After all, Rosetta, you did tell me that there were certain unscrupulous characters that would go to any lengths to possess this prize find.   He would have known that no matter how many steps he had taken to prevent anybody obtaining knowledge of his find and his movements, he would still have had to involve a variety of people during the transporting of the statue to its new location, and that certainly increased the risk of leaks: information passed on to those that were desperate for the statue to fall into their possession, or simply a case of opportunists taking advantage of the remoteness of the farm.

   “So how would he hide it, Joseph?”   Martin enquired, excited at Joseph’s suggestions.   This is what he had been expecting of the great man.   A quick, reflexive thought processing, mind that would conjure up possible solutions long before he had even been to the location of interest.

   “Firstly, if he had always intended to send the statue to a museum, he would have retained the box it came in for repackaging.   So I would assume that the casing is now part of its hiding place.”

   “I am afraid that I do not understand, Joseph.   What do you mean by a hiding place … surely the statue is too big to hide, and too big to move?”  Rosetta asked.

   Joseph smiled.  “Where is the best place to hide a stolen tree?” he asked.

   Rosetta looked quizzically at him, but said nothing.

   “In a forest, of course,” he explained with a grin.  “Who is going to notice one more tree amongst thousands?    It is quite possible that the box your father used to transport the statue home may have been manufactured in a way that made it easy to disassemble then be reassembled to cover the statue in a completely different way.   I am not offering a probability of how they used it, certainly not without a bit more knowledge of the physical appearance of the barn and the house, but I will give you an analogy.   Firstly, you said that farm was almost derelict which means it is fairly old, and older farms, and their barns in particular, usually have piles of old farmyard equipment and bric-a-brac that the generations of  farmers have accumulated over the years cluttering them up.   Farmers have a tendency to not throw away anything that they think may come in handy in time … the original recycling greenies they were.   And this, of course, means there is probably more junk congested in the barn than there is space.   And piles of exposed junk spread around the building would, in the main, be expected to be ignored by searchers.   They would be looking for something in particular; something more in prime condition … and would expect to find it exposed.   It was large and they wouldn’t think to search in and under every nook and cranny – they would look for something large and have no reason to do a far more thorough search.   And even if they did try to enlarge the perimeter of the search I doubt that there would be enough light in barn for a one hundred percent search – which brings me to my second reason for thinking this way.  

   We could easily presume that the statue would be laying down, face upwards, and still inside its box somewhere in the barn, rather than the farmhouse.   If it was as heavy as it is assumed to be then they could not easily move it around by themselves, therefore they would leave it where it had been placed when it had been unloaded … possibly resting on a bench … perhaps an old, but solid, dining table supported it.   They would have had it a height just below chest level so they could examine it in some degree of comfort rather than having to bend down, or even have to go down on their knees.   That is the scenario that we can easily assume existed at Trenthamville, at least until your father was attacked.   But that is all that we have … assumptions – assumptions based on an automatic interpretation of the scene that plays well in our mind.    However, for just a moment, let us suppose that it was possible to move it, and they now had it standing up: not in the middle of the room, but up against a wall in the barn.  But how then could the searchers not see it?   Let us think a little bit more outside the square … suppose the appearance of the box that it was transported in had a completely different appearance on one side than the other.    Let us now accept the possibility that the casing could be easily dissembled if one knew how, and let us further assume the timber that had been used, although looking quite normal on the shipping side, had an inner casing that was especially designed to look like rustic timber when the casing was reversed.   Remember we are talking about an almost derelict farm by all descriptions, which would mean the barn would have seen better days over the years.   It would, most likely, be at least a hundred years old, perhaps several hundred.   So the side of the timber casing with the rustic colouring could easily have been used to hide the statue in plain sight, perhaps disguised as a wall partition … and in limited light that I expect would have been available inside the barn the rustic colouring could easily have blended with the old wall.   They may have also pinned a calendar from years and years ago on it.   A calendar that they had discovered in the house, or even the barn itself, to give the fake wall even more authenticity of being old.   They may have attached dozens of ancient and now grubby or rusted things like old saws or some ancient and damaged tools to it.   They may even have rested old beams or fencing against it.   Anything to make it appear unused for a long time.   Now, I am not saying for a moment that this is exactly what they did … I am just suggesting that we have to look thoroughly at everything in the barn, and not be discouraged by what appears to be a waste of time.   Your father may have gone to a lot of trouble to keep the statue away from prying eyes, and if he did it right then we will have look even harder until we discover some clue … or the statue itself.”

   “But how could they have moved it, Joseph?”  Rosetta asked in disbelief of Joseph’s suggested scenario,”   My father said it had taken six men to get it on the truck at the site.   Are you suggesting that others may have helped him and Vittorio?”

   “No,” Joseph replied with a small chuckle, “Getting the statue from wherever he found it, and onto the truck without some form of mechanism, would have taken some effort, but that was because they would have been lifting it up.   Your father and Vittorio would have had far less trouble getting it down if was laying flat on its back several feet from ground level.   You said that they had intended to scrutinise it in detail while it was still in their possession, remembering that you also said that they had not arranged for a museum takeover until after they had arrived at the farm.   If the statue was laying at the height that I have suggested, and the box it had been shipped in was dismountable, then once they had removed the sides they could have pushed the statue forward until it reached the floor then pushed it upright.   Once it was standing on the floorboards they could have walked it to wherever it currently is and then used the shipping container to hide it.    If they were lucky they may even have had access to rope and tackle.   It may not be exactly what happened, and it would have taken some effort, but it is a feasible possibility.  

   “Very ingenious,” Martin admitted, “so I guess there is very good chance that the statue is still there somewhere.   Then all we have to do is find it … a piece of cake.   I hope.”

   “I really pray you are right, Joseph.”  Rosetta said, “Knowing that it was there, somewhere, would make me feel so much better – even if it takes a day or two to find it.”

   “Well, don’t forget there is always the possibility that somebody in the village also knows where it is hidden, but has no idea who to contact in the current circumstances.”   Joseph added,   “And don’t forget Vittorio, who may be in hiding after what happened to the professor … he may even have someone looking after him, so we may very well find ourselves conducting a door to door knock with the neighbours.

   “Oh, poor Vittorio … my poor uncle.   I had almost forgotten him with everything going on at the moment.    Yes, we must search for him as well.   We must find him, we just have to.   He must feel lost and frightened in a strange land without my father being here.   He is not of a natural independent nature and has no one to look after him.   I hope he is safe, and nothing has happened to him.”   Rosetta exclaimed in shock, a new tear forming in the corner of her eye which she quickly flicked away as she attempted to retain her composure.   “But he will know where the statue is.”   She added, with a weak smile on her face as the belated thought began to give her renewed hope.

   “Well, boys and girls, seeing we only have seven days to find the statue I think we had better discuss our plans for tomorrow,” Martin suggested.

   “Yes, Joseph. Why don’t we do it over dinner?” Rosetta suggested cheerfully, “You booked a table didn’t you, Joseph?”

   “There was no real need to book,”   Joseph replied, “the restaurant has free seating until seven thirty.   After that you need a reservation, but, yes, I booked a table in case it became necessary, mind you, it is only a table for two … I was not expecting Martin.   However, it makes little difference as, I am afraid, I will not be able to stay that long at any rate … a few loose ends to tie up before tomorrow.   But the two of you can feel free to use the booking to your advantage if you wish to stay longer.  It will save you the embarrassment of being asked to vacate your table half way through your meal or a fresh drink when the waiter’s watch strikes seven thirty so they can get the tables ready for the gourmet diners who will begin to arrive at eight.”

   The mention of dinner had brought Joseph screaming back to reality.   He realised dinner conversations tended to loosen tongues, or place one in an inescapable corner, and he knew questions about his non-existent past could be asked.   A subject he was uncertain he would be able to answer easily with evasive replies.   Again he was feeling the pressure of his deception and again felt that he should confess right then and there … even though something was still tugging at his romantic and adventurous sides.   He just hoped that he would have the courage to see the next hour or two out without too many questions being asked … or cracking under the strain.

   “Come, Joseph, I am famished.” Rosetta said, indicating with a cupped hand  for him to evacuate the seat which he did.   “Perhaps we can send Martin home and we can share the table for two, Rosetta continued, a huge grin on her face as she too evacuated the seat, placed her arm under his as she stood upright, and proceeded to escort him to the dining room, with Martin following in tow … and Joseph no longer in control of his own future.

********

‘Wait for me!’   Mary cried out silently as she followed them, issuing another silent outpouring of words as she moved behind them with caution lest she be noticed, her words again a thanks to a higher power for protecting her presence from being discovered by those she followed.  

   As they entered the dining room Mary quickly, silently, moved herself into a table for two directly behind where Joseph and his friends were heading, where a huge, ancient roman styled, sculptured pillar stood between the two tables keeping her completely out of their view, but close enough for her to hear virtually every single word, albeit with a slight tinge of discomfort from the way she was forced to position herself in order to do so.   

   The huge ornate column that now prevented her presence from being discovered had grabbed her attention from the second that she entered the dining room; the shape, size and design of the pillar’s appearance had fascinated her, with its sculptured interpretations of ancient Roman gladiators in battle, horse drawn chariots being pitted against each other in death-defying jousts and Rome’s mighty army conquering half the world, spiralling around and around the tall column from the floor up to the ceiling – where more skillfully re-imagined images appeared at regular intervals around the walls just below the ceiling.    And now, as she looked around the remainder of the room, Mary found herself lost for a moment in the opulence of the late eighteenth century British art that adorned the walls – and the light that shone down from the stunning crystal chandeliers that hung from the ceiling, streaming an endless array of elegance from a time long before her birth into the room.   And as her eyes perused the room Mary found herself surprised, but eternally grateful, that the place was empty barring the four of them.   She knew, should even one table become occupied it was most unlikely that she would hear anything at all … and there were still things she needed to know.   Things like knowing where it was she was going tomorrow – and at what time would she need to leave.

   ‘The advantage of an early arrival,’ she thought to herself, ‘I would never have had  these opportunities of spying on Joseph should I have arrived a bit later.   It was a good thing that I was able to follow him.   If I had arrived much later there was every chance that he would have seen me when I entered the hotel … if he could take his eyes off Rosetta, that is.   But Mary had been lucky and had managed to walk behind Joseph  whose mind was solely concentrating on his forth coming confession to Rosetta, and occupied a seat directly behind Rosetta as Rosetta had risen to greet him.’   Mary was feeling extremely lucky in her little game.  Everything was working in her favour … even to the point that the restaurant offered self-seating between four thirty and seven thirty.   On the downside, however, was the acceptance that the early arrivals would have to vacate their seat by seven thirty so the tables could be reset when the reserved seating crowd began to arrive, so she had been quite pleased when Joseph had said he was going to leave early.   After overhearing Joseph’s conversations back in the office Mary had made some enquiries on the hotel’s layout on their website.   The site had shown there was only one exit, so she said a little prayer that Jimmy would find a spot in the car park so she could be ready in the car and watching out for Joseph leaving should she have to leave the dining room before him.   Mary knew this was a distinct possibility because she had heard Joseph booking the table along with the booth, and she had also noticed the two restaurant opening times which were boldly displayed on the site’s main page, and that would mean that she needed to position the car somewhere near the entrance and wait.   Perhaps on the main road itself – if that was at all possible.   And purely out of curiosity Mary had run a cursory glance over the menus quickly judging the quality of the meals for this seating to be fairly mundane when compared to the prices that applied to the five star courses that the following diners would be offered – however the early meals price list seemed much more suitable to her purse strings, or at least the few prices that she had looked at seemed reasonable.   However she was beginning to wonder if the early crowd ever got fed as she had not seen any sign of a waiter since she had arrived, though considering how much this was in her favour she wasn’t about to complain about the service for once.    No waiters and no more diners would be exactly what she would like to order.

   ‘Yes,’ she thought, ‘I am having a run of luck.’   For a moment Mary even considered things were running like they were pre-ordained, then decided that was a rather silly thing to think and immediately dismissed it.

   To Mary’s way of thinking the positioning of the two tables, along with the huge Roman styled pillar that centered the room in the gorgeous, beautifully preserved, dining room, offered Mary the perfect cover, while still giving her the opportunity to follow the intriguing conversation she was listening in to.   Though, what she was not privy to was Joseph’s mind which was so high in the clouds at the moment that he most likely would not have even recognized her had she decided to seat herself down at their table.

    But Mary immediately regretted her bragging in regards to her good luck, even if it had only been to herself, as two of the dining room staff finally ventured into the room, fortunately from different sides of the room, each heading to the closest table where they offered their sincerest apologies to the table for their delayed appearances, took the meal orders, and returned with the drinks for both tables in record time, and had done so without the diners at Joseph’s table becoming aware that the table on the other side of the pillar was currently occupied.  

   Mary knew that she hadn’t been outed yet, but she still had to wait for the waiter’s return with her meal to ensure herself that she was not finally discovered and recognised by Joseph.    However she had received an excellent wine which had been delivered without incident; a wine which she was enjoying immensely as she waited for the meal, and it was at that point that she suddenly turned her attention to her meal as it finally dawned on her that she had no idea what she had ordered as far as the food was concerned.   She had gotten such a fright when she suddenly realised the waiter was standing right in front of her while she was leaning her head back as far as she could manage, knowing full well that it would have been quite obvious that she had been listening in to the conversation taking place at the next table, she had simply picked the first number that came into her mind for both the main menu and the wine list.   The waiter complimented her on her choices so she assumed she had chosen well and thought no more about it.   Mary was doing her very best to remain calm in the situation, but the strain was slowly beginning to tell and she hoped the wine would help her settle down and, hopefully, help her keep her cool.     

   Her dining choices, however, were later to make her hope that Johann P Biggs was also supplying her with an expense account for the spying job that she was requested to do, as she was soon to learn that she had ordered the most expensive items on both menus.

   ********

“Salute!   To success!”  Rosetta offered, raising her glass.

    “Salute!   To success!” Joseph and Martin repeated.

   “May this be the start of your father’s recovery” Martin offered.

   “Thank you, Martin.   I am sure, with Joseph at our side, it will be.”

   Rosetta turned to face Joseph, giving him a smile so sweet he felt his heart skip a beat.   He reciprocated without thinking, then, as he sipped on his wine he let his mind wander into a dark void where he saw and heard nothing.    

   Something inside Joseph was snapping.  Something hidden; something pushed away sometime in the unknown past; something buried deep within his soul was now stirring … rising.   He was beginning to believe that he could pretend to be who they thought he was and get away with it.   He began to convince himself that it shouldn’t be too difficult.   He reasoned that he only had to go to this place where they thought the artifacts had been held.   If they found some clue then the rest would be easy.   After all, Martin had said that the Punjani were willing to do a deal.   If they found nothing then they wouldn’t hold it against him. After all, it hadn’t been him who had suggested going to the farm … it had been Martin’s suggestion … and Rosetta’s insistence.   He had simply attempted to comply with their wishes by agreeing to go with them.

   He also knew he could always pull out of the deal if it all got a bit too unnerving for him by pretending that he was whoever it was they thought him to be and say that he had been called to another country on an emergency, or something similar.   It wasn’t as if he moved in the same circles as them, so they were most unlikely to run into each other again.   If anything went wrong it would be most unlikely that they would ever meet again – and they had absolutely no idea who he really was.   Then Joseph had a worrying thought … he had completely forgotten that he had mentioned Johnson’s to Rosetta and he hoped, under the circumstances of their initial meeting at the restaurant, she would have been too stressed out to remember such a trivial detail, ‘But then again’ … he thought.

   Joseph forced his mind to cleanse that pessimistic thought from his mind, and to his initial satisfaction he succeeded in his third attempt – however, the demolition of one singular inconvenient thought did no more than make way for the continuation of the strangest notion he could imagine.   A voice that had rolled through his mind ever since he had passed through the hotel entrance door: a thought that he couldn’t understand.  Nor did he know where it was coming from – a thought – words – a sense that he needed to go with them … it was imperative that he went.   The voice was telling him that it was important that he accompanied them – to be involved, however it was not to help Rosetta’s father … but for something far, far more important.   And it was for this reason that he had let his mind wander off by itself to deal with the strange opinion that his mind itself had conjured up from nowhere and was now beginning to dominate his thoughts.

   But Rosetta was not about to give him that moment of solitude he felt he needed so badly as she reached over and squeezed his hand.   “Thank you once again, Joseph.   I don’t know what I would have done if you had decided not to help.”

   Rosetta’s words struck at Joseph like a bolt of lightning.   For a second he was speechless.   He felt naked … his guilt exploding in his heart and mind and it took him an almighty effort to try and act natural to avoid giving himself away with a guilt stricken confession.   “It is my great pleasure to be of service to you, Rosetta,” he said finally, instantly admonishing himself for the condescending words he had chosen, though, in reality, he had no idea how to correctly communicate at the moment.   Yet somehow, despite the shame and embarrassment that spun uncontrollably inside his heart and soul, Joseph unexpectedly found the courage to go on with his lie, and as he did so he also found the words to continue his attempt to deflect the conversation from himself.   “So, Rosetta, tell me all about yourself, about what do you do with your life when you’re not gallivanting all over the world trying to save your father?”  

   “I am not interesting, Joseph.”  Rosetta purred.  “It is you that I want to hear more about, darling.” 

   ********

‘I do too, darling.’   Mary thought to herself.   Mary was hoping nobody else would come into the restaurant.   Her act of listening in to the ongoing conversation in the booth behind her was now totally obvious to anyone that could observe her.   Leaning sideways, her hand cupped to an ear, there was nothing casual about her appearance.   She was listening in, and that was that.  Her only concern was a sudden appearance of a waiter with the food.   Or Jimmy with her car keys.

********

   “I am afraid the details would only tend to bore you,” Joseph replied taking a stab in the dark,   “Help me here, Martin.   Explain to her that most of my work is fairly mundane … a lot of leg work … mostly paperwork.”

   “I am afraid that he is telling the truth, Rosetta.” Martin replied with a wink to Joseph,”   It is normally routine and monotonous work.”

   Rosetta looked at them both in turn, scalding them both with her eyes, as if they were naughty schoolboys.   Then her face turned to a smile. “   You are trying to fool me, aren’t you?    Well it doesn’t really matter,” she tucked her arm under Joseph’s and snuggled up close to him and whispered softly in his ears, “this time I shall be able to share the adventure with both of you as we rescue daddy.”

   Their food arrived in a similar manner to the wine.   Mary, who had sensed the arrival of the waiter quickly moved her hand from her ear and ran it through her hair just as the waiter came into view.   She felt herself blessed that nothing had been said loudly enough to bring attention to her existence to the next table as she began to tuck into her meal with both ears wide open … and, as she ate her meal with vigour and gusto, once again a pre-ordained thought bubble began floating above her head … and this time, with all things considered, she accepted the thought as possibly being the truth.

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