The room smelled of turpentine and rabbit-skin glue.

op layer of the Dutch landscape. Beneath the dull greens and br

She scraped away anot

ir and sorrowful eyes. The brushwork was unmistak

. An early, undocu

g slightly. This painting was wor

file to a secure server, then sent a message to her contact, Mr. Collier, with a single line of code-a specific reference to a lost 19th-century pigm

dio, her muscles stiff, paint smud

sofa, a glass of whiskey in his hand. He looked up, his e

ounts," he said flatly

," Iona

credit card. He placed it on the coffee table. "No limit. I

represented total dependence

is eyes. "No, thank you.

shocked for the first time since she had met him. A woman wi