“Bonjour, monsieur,” he began, looking at Adam, the first man who did not show an overt interest in Jeanne. “I understand that you are English,” and without giving either of them more than a glance, he picked up the icon.
He studied the painting carefully for some time before he spoke. Adam felt just a moment’s apprehension. “Most interesting. Yes, yes.” One of the attendants put a hand on his billy club.
“Interesting,” he repeated. “I would be so bold as to sunggest,” he hesitated, “late nineteenth century, eighteen seventy, possibly ‘eighty. Fascinating. Not that we have ever had anything quite like it at the Louvre,” he added. “You do realize it’s an inferior copy,” he said as he handed the icon back to Adam. “The original Czar’s icon of Saint George and the dragon hangs in the Winter Palace in Leningrad. I’ve seen it, you know,” he added, sounding rather pleased with himself.
“You certainly have,” said Adam under his breath as he placed the icon back in its plastic bag. The old man bowed low to Jeanne and said as he shuffled away, “Funnily enough, someone else was making inquiries about the Czar’s icon only a few weeks ago.” Adam was the only person who didn’t seem surprised.
“I was only—” began the senior attendant.
“Doing your duty,” completed Adam. “A natural precaution, if I may say so,” he added a little pompously. “I can only admire the way you carried out the entire exercise.”
Jeanne stared at them both, quite unable to comprehend what was happening.
“You are kind, monsieur,” said the attendant, sounding relieved. “Hope you come again,” he added, smiling at Jeanne.
The attendant accompanied the two of them to the entrance of the Louvre, and when they pushed through the door he stood smartly to attention and saluted.
Adam and Jeanne walked down the steps and into the Paris sun.
“Well, can I now know what that’s all about?” asked Jeanne,
“You were magnifique,” said Adam, not attempting to explain.
“I know, I know,” said Jeanne. “But why you need Oscar-winning show by me when the picture was always yours?”
“True,” agreed Adam. “But I had left it in their safe-keeping overnight. And without your bravura performance it might have taken considerably longer to convince the authorities that it belonged to me in the first place.”
Adam realized from the look on her face that Jeanne had no idea what he was talking about.
“You know, that my first time in the Louvre?” said Jeanne, linking her arm through Adam’s.
“You’re priceless,” said Adam, laughing.
“That I’m not,” she said, turning to face him. “Two hundred francs was our bargain even if it belongs to you or not.”
“Correct,” said Adam, taking out the colonel’s wallet and extracting two hundred francs, to which he added another hundred. “A well-earned bonus,” said Adam.
She pocketed the money gratefully. “I think I’ll take an evening off,” she said.
Adam held her in his arms and kissed her on both cheeks as if she were a French general.
She kissed him on the lips and smiled. “When you next in Paris, chéri, look me up. I owe you one—on the house.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because Antarctic was willing to give Pemberton too many facts?”
“What do you mean?”
“You told me that Pemberton said he would never phone back if you let him down again. Not only did he phone again, but he peppered you with facts. Which way did he say he was going?”
“Back to Geneva. Something to do with the German girl and the bank.”
“The girl’s dead and the bank’s closed today. He must be on his way to England.”
“I would like to rent a car, which I will be dropping off at the coast. haven’t decided which port yet,” he told the girl behind the counter.
“Bien sûr, monsieur,” said the girl. “Would you be kind enough to fill in the form, and we will also need your driver’s license.” Adam removed all the papers from his inside pocket and passed over the colonel’s driver’s license. He filled in the forms slowly, copying the signature off the back of the colonel’s Playboy Club card. He handed over the full amount required in cash, hoping it would speed up the transaction.