Misplaced (31 page)

“Lea
v
e
tha
t
t
o
me,
”
Elia
s
snapped
.
“What’
s
you
r
best
estimate of their worth?”

“Fi
v
e
million
for
the
pair—maybe
more.
I
’
ll
ha
v
e
to
identify
which
dynasty
they
’
re
from.
If
the
original
owner
w
as
someone
o
f
importance
,
th
e
pric
e
coul
d
b
e
higher
,
muc
h
higher
.
They
look
to
be
Old
or
Middle
Kingdom
at
the
least.”
Arlan
licked
his
lips.
“The
seller
obviously
has
no
idea
what
he
has—
why
would he ha
v
e come to you?”

“Lo
w
er your voice. When will you know more?”

“A
coupl
e
o
f
w
eek
s
a
t
most
.
M
y
god
,
w
e
’
l
l
ha
v
e
t
o
fight
collectors
off
with
a
stick!
I
’
ll
need
to
use
the
shed
behind
the
museum to disguise them.”

“Too risky. There must be some other
w
ay.”

“F
o
r
al
l
w
e
know
,
photo
s
o
f
the
m
ha
v
e
alrea
d
y
been
circulated.
Y
ou
don’t
w
ant
to
take
a
chance
on
losing
them
to
some o
v
erenthusiastic TSA clerk, do you?”

Elia
s
twirle
d
hi
s
mus
t
ache
.
“Then
w
ai
t
un
t
i
l
af
t
e
r
t
en
.
I
’
ll
mak
e
sur
e
th
e
alar
m
i
s
turne
d
off
,
bu
t
securit
y
i
n
th
e
main
buildin
g
wil
l
stil
l
b
e
working
,
s
o
sta
y
a
w
a
y
fro
m
th
e
entrances.”

“I’
m
invisible
,
remember
?
I
n
th
e
meantime
,
promis
e
your
selle
r
anything
.
There’
s
go
t
t
o
b
e
mor
e
wher
e
thes
e
cam
e
from.”

“Doubtful
,
bu
t
I
’
l
l
mak
e
inquiries
.
P
erhap
s
w
e
woul
d
b
e
wise not to look a gift horse in the mouth.”

“Don’t
let
this
golden
goose
go
to
someone
else
for
a
higher
price. Just this once, perhaps I could approach—”

“Absolutely not.”

Elia
s
sa
w
Arlan’
s
sco
w
l
an
d
decide
d
t
o
appeas
e
him.
“
P
erhaps
w
e
could
entice
some
lo
y
alty
with
a
deposit.
Nothing
o
v
ergenerous
,
bu
t
enoug
h
t
o
sho
w
ou
r
goo
d
intention
s
an
d
buy
us some time for the authentication.”

“M
y
thought
s
exactly
.
Woul
d
$50,00
0
do
?
I
’
l
l
sen
d
i
t
the
usual
w
ay as soon as I get back.”

“I
think
that
will
work.”
Elias
nodded,
slung
the
empty
bag
o
v
er his shoulder, and left the court.

Miele
y
stoo
d
up
.
“
W
e’
v
e
go
t
a
goo
d
thin
g
going
,
an
d
it’
s
just
gotten
considerably
better.”
His
gray
e
y
es
had
darkened
like
a
summe
r
stor
m
and
,
fo
r
a
moment
,
Elia
s
fel
t
th
e
blu
e
skie
s
o
f
his
mostly
w
ell-li
v
ed life threatened.

Chapte
r
Fourteen
Miel
e
y

Havin
g
parked his black Land Ro
v
er a block a
w
ay from
th
e
smal
l
sho
p
i
n
Brooklyn
,
Arla
n
Miele
y
pulle
d
dow
n
th
e
brim
of his plaid golf cap. No one would notice him, but this
w
as no time to take chances.

Th
e
excitemen
t
i
n
th
e
voic
e
o
f
Ma
x
Cotts
,
th
e
elderly
authenticator
,
assure
d
Arla
n
tha
t
hi
s
day
s
o
f
livin
g
i
n
the
shadow
s
w
er
e
numbered
.
Ma
x
ha
d
urge
d
hi
m
t
o
come
a
s
quickl
y
a
s
possible
.
Th
e
piece
s
ha
d
ne
v
e
r
bee
n
see
n
or
catalogue
d
before
.
Ther
e
w
er
e
som
e
extraordinar
y
possibilities,
but the respected Egyptologist had se
v
eral questions.

T
w
enty-fi
v
e
y
ear
s
before
,
Arla
n
ha
d
bee
n
a
promising
studen
t
o
f
Egyptology
.
Hi
s
tenacit
y
an
d
intellec
t
earned
admiratio
n
fro
m
hi
s
instructor
s
an
d
peers
.
A
brillian
t
futur
e
had
been
within
his
grasp—tra
v
eling
the
world
in
search
of
ancient
treasure, contributing regularly to
National Geographic
, perhaps
e
v
en
hosting
a
television
show
of
his
own.
But
his
career
took
a
nosedi
v
e
because
he
had
plagiarized
parts
of
his
dissertation.
All
his
dreams,
the
hands
and
minds
that
had
encouraged
him,
suddenl
y
v
anished
.
Th
e
wors
t
humiliation
,
ho
w
e
v
er
,
w
a
s
his
Mid
w
ester
n
parent
s
n
o
longe
r
askin
g
hi
m
t
o
com
e
hom
e
to
manage the family farm.

Hi
s
fathe
r
w
a
s
no
t
th
e
sor
t
o
f
ma
n
incline
d
t
o
belie
v
e
his
son’
s
emotiona
l
outburst
s
w
er
e
a
direc
t
resul
t
o
f
hi
s
superior
intelligence
,
an
d
suggeste
d
tha
t
th
e
structur
e
an
d
discipline
o
f
militar
y
lif
e
woul
d
b
e
th
e
solution
.
I
t
w
a
s
the
n
tha
t
Arlan
disappeared
,
goin
g
to
a
plac
e
n
o
on
e
i
n
hi
s
famil
y
woul
d
e
v
e
r
visit
—New
Y
ork City.

Mos
t
o
f
hi
s
firs
t
hungr
y
month
s
w
er
e
spen
t
i
n a
rat—
infeste
d
apartmen
t
onl
y
slightl
y
large
r
tha
n
th
e
jai
l
cel
l
he
felt
he
deser
v
ed.
He
cleaned
floors
at
a
gallery
specializing
in
the
authentication
of
antiquities
so
that
the
musty
smells
and
tattere
d
page
s
h
e
considere
d
hi
s
onl
y
friend
s
woul
d
b
e
clos
e
by.
Havin
g
note
d
tha
t
no
t
al
l
th
e
authenticators
,
particularl
y
the
youn
g
apprentices
,
cleare
d
thei
r
desk
s
befor
e
leavin
g
fo
r
the
da
y
,
Arlan’s
ni
g
h
t
s
of
disco
v
ery
b
egan,
and
a
different
career
took shape.

H
e
rea
d
e
v
erything—document
s
researchin
g
pro
v
enance,
insuranc
e
appraisals
,
custod
y
forms
.
The
n
h
e
returne
d
them
jus
t
a
s
h
e
ha
d
foun
d
them
,
havin
g
take
n
meticulou
s
note
s
about
sources and collectors.

Too
consumed
to
sleep
or
eat
properly,
he
became
lean
for
the
first
time
in
his
life.
He
pilfered
clothing
from
a
cardboard
bo
x
a
t
th
e
Sal
v
atio
n
Army
,
hi
s
hai
r
gre
w
pas
t
hi
s
shoulders,
an
d
h
e
rarel
y
sha
v
ed
.
A
t
wor
k
h
e
mad
e
sur
e
th
e
floor
s
w
ere
neithe
r
to
o
clea
n
no
r
to
o
dirt
y
whil
e
th
e
scheme
r
i
n
him
,
the
par
t
tha
t
ha
d
stole
n
researc
h
an
d
claime
d
i
t
a
s
hi
s
own
,
steadily
consumed him.

Arlan
Mieley
w
aited
for
destiny
to
tap
him
on
the
shoulder
jus
t
onc
e
more
,
an
d
i
t
too
k
tw
o
soul-killin
g
y
ears
.
Th
e
ke
y
t
o
the
smaller
storeroom,
the
one
with
the
most
v
aluable
pieces,
w
as
inad
v
ertently
left
under
a
stack
of
papers.
After
that,
e
v
ents
fell
into
place
as
if
by
magic.
An
ancient
Sumarian
piece
v
anished
fro
m
th
e
gallery’
s
storeroom
.
Th
e
farme
r
’
s
so
n
kne
w
plenty
about
supply
and
demand;
collectors
w
ere
thrilled
to
pay
less,
e
v
en
if
it
meant
fe
w
er
questions
could
be
asked
about
a
piece’s
origin and how it had been procured.