‘So, he packs up, walks out and leaves you with no way to contact him? I don’t believe you. I don’t believe he just woke up one day and walked away from all of this. From you.’
‘Believe me, it has been this way for ten years. He could be with his wife in France. He has three children aged two, four and six. It seems a child appears always after a length of time he has been absent. He leaves her pregnant, but I have no idea where she lives or any of the other women in his life. You may not be able to understand that I am content with what I have when I am with him. When we are together, he is everything to me, and I live for the next time he calls. That is all true.’
Jack didn’t know whether to believe her or not. But he still needed to find Adam. ‘Did you help him move his stuff from the old school studio?’
She sighed with impatience. ‘Do I look like someone who would do that? You are so naive, Detective. Adam has many people working for him, ready to jump to it when he wants something done. They too enjoy the life he gifts them.’ She could see the deepening furrow between Jack’s eyes. ‘Adam is worth a fortune, Jack. And don’t ask me what bank, because I do not know. You have to believe that as much as I adore him, and love him, he guards his secrets with his life. I would never question him.’
‘He pays you to be with him?’
‘You are a very silly man, Jack. Some women are happy to be bought. Tickets, jewels, expenses, anything I needed. He is the most generous and considerate man.’
‘I may be silly to you, but it’s hard for me to grasp how such a beautiful woman can be at the beck and call of a man who just fucks off when he wants and picks you up again in the same way. Do you really think he loves you?’ She tensed, declining to reply. ‘Helga,’ Jack’s tone was gentler now, ‘I am here because I think Adam’s been involved in a terrible crime. So I really need to know where he is. I liked him too. All I am trying to do is find out if he’s in danger.’
For the first time, she showed a flicker of emotion, though she hid it well behind the action of taking out a cigarette case and lighting a cigarette. ‘Let me give you a warning, Detective. Adam has many friends, many helpers, and if you attempt to trace him, he will turn on you. Believe me, you don’t want that to happen. Don’t for a second think that you know him or have any idea what he is capable of. No one does.’
‘Tell me about the last time you were with him. When he did his disappearing act.’
She hesitated, drawing on her cigarette before pushing the smoke out through the corner of her lips. ‘Honestly, I had never seen him be so concerned. As you probably know, he was usually easy-going, but two weeks ago he came home in a terrible rage. I didn’t really understand. He paced up and down, not really talking to me but more to himself.’ She crossed to the sink and ran the water to put out her cigarette. ‘As far as I can recall it was something to do with telling a forgery from a real thing. He said something about radiocarbon dating techniques to analyse paint chips from paintings too old to easily determine their age.’ She smiled at Jack. ‘I looked it up. Scientists have been working on carbon-14 radiation dating to detect fake artworks since 1972.’
Jack had never heard of this technique, nor did he understand what it meant.
‘Whether or not it was this that had made him unusually anxious, I don’t know. Then there was a phone call. I was on the landing upstairs when I heard him... I’ve never seen Adam that angry. He was blazing, screaming abuse at the caller, saying that he was a leach and could destroy everything because of his greed. He repeated that he needed at least two years, at the very least, to accomplish what he intended to do and that any interference would cost him dearly. Adam was threatening to crucify this person on the phone.’
Jack could hardly believe what she had just said. ‘Do you know who the caller was?’
‘There was someone who acted as Adam’s dealer. I never met him, but I know Adam hated him. I think he put pressure on him to produce more paintings.’
‘Fakes.’
She gave Jack a cool blink of her eyes before turning away. ‘I have no recollection of any fakes produced by Adam. To the contrary, he is a brilliant artist. His work is bought by many dealers around the world.’
This was the equivalent of Helga saying ‘no comment’ so Jack let it lie and changed the subject. ‘Does the name Detmar Steinburg sound familiar?’ Again he saw the slight glimmer in her eyes.
‘No. Now I think this has gone far enough, Jack. I stick to my side of our bargain, he leaves, and I don’t question when or where I will see him again. That’s all I have for you.’
He was sure she was lying, but he had already gained a lot from her and didn’t want to alienate her by asking any further questions. She picked up his mug of cold coffee, poured it into the sink and rinsed out the mug. ‘Everything has to be left in perfect order, part of the lease specifications.’ She picked up her passport and put it back in her bag.
The doorbell rang and she hurried to the door. ‘That’ll be my driver. Oh, I still need my cases bringing down.’ Jack walked into the hall to see a burly man heading up the stairs, following Helga. Jack watched as the driver returned with two of the cases.
‘Can I help?’ Jack asked, looking up to the landing.
‘There are only two more suitcases and my travel bag. He can do it.’ The driver returned and hurried up the stairs. He came out of the bedroom with the last two suitcases and Helga turned off the bedroom lights, following the driver down the stairs clutching a small holdall and her shoulder bag.
She walked past Jack and slipped the house keys, car keys and a handwritten note in an envelope which she put on the hall table. ‘There. That is it... unless you want to stay on here to look around?’
‘No, thank you. You’ve been very helpful.’
‘There was one thing, it may not mean anything, but after that night when he was so angry, he was different. Usually, that was a sign to me that he was going away, but he said...’ She frowned, running her finger over her lips as she tried to recall Adam’s exact words. ‘He said the radiocarbon dating was no longer an issue. Then we had a wonderful night together. He was so excited, and for a while, I believed he wouldn’t do his usual disappearing act. But I woke up the next morning and he had gone. I truthfully don’t know where he is, Jack.’ She was about to walk out when she hesitated. ‘You haven’t told me why you are concerned about Adam... other than rather dramatically mentioning his possible involvement in a terrible crime.’
‘The shop he used to acquire the old frames for his paintings; a body was discovered there.’
She laughed in relief. ‘Then it is obviously nothing to do with Adam. He would have already left England.’ She waited for Jack to pass her before turning the hall lights off and closing the front door. Jack walked around to his car, watching as the driver opened the rear door of the Mercedes so that Helga could climb inside. After following them out, Jack drove past them, as the driver had stopped to close the big iron gate and attach the padlock.
Jack had a long journey home which gave him time to think over his interview with Helga. She had not asked when the body had been discovered before saying that Adam had already left the country. Did that mean she was lying? Did she know Adam was involved in the murder? Or... even worse... was he the man who had been crucified?
Chapter 18
It was after eleven when Jack arrived home. Maggie had left his dinner covered with cling film on the top of the oven. He wolfed down the congealed roast beef with soggy roast potatoes and veg before opening a bottle of wine. He filled two glasses and headed up to the bedroom. He elbowed the door open, relieved to see Maggie sitting up in bed reading Eric Hebborn’s The Art Forger’s Handbook. She lowered it as he slunk into the room.