Wild Fiction

‘Where?’
‘On the Fullroy estate.’
‘What were they doing?’
‘Giving a painting to Sergeant Grovijohn.’
Ogilvie raised his eyebrows. ‘A painting?’
‘The Metamorphoses of Narcissus.’
‘Do you mind telling us what’s going on?’ Conrad cut in.
‘I can give you some information but not all of it,’ Jerry replied. ‘I also have to tell you that everything you’ve said to me must remain confidential until this case is closed. Any leaks to the papers will jeopardise the operation.’ He took a deep breath and tapped his fingers on the table top.
‘It’ll come as no surprise, I’m sure, that the two police officers you met, Grovijohn and White, are impostors and not actually policemen. They’re part of an organised gang that deals in stolen fine art and artefacts. We think a Mafia related syndicate out of Milan heads them and we know that they also deal in Paris and New York. The police impostors, Grovijohn and White, were actually correct about those two men escaping from Belmarsh Prison. While inside, Hog and Corp were very friendly with a Sir Betelgeuse Fullroy, who dealt in stolen art before he was incarcerated.’
Conrad glanced at Genevieve and bit his lip as a signal to keep her mouth shut.
‘So,’ Ogilvie continued. ‘The Grovijohn/White pair are working for their organisation to get their hands on, or control, this art that’s about to come onto the black market. The oh eight hundred number you called is computer operated and they pick up messages from it remotely. We have it bugged so we know anything that they do. That, I’m afraid, is as much as I can tell you at this point. If you wouldn’t mind waiting here, I’m going to get some men together and you’re going to show us this cache.’
Ogilvie pushed his chair away and walked to the door.
‘Do we get a finder’s fee for this?’ Conrad asked.
‘That depends on what the goods are and where they come from. Most of the institutes from which they were stolen and the insurance companies which insured them have offered rewards for their return, so I’m sure you’ll be well compensated.’