Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 65862 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 329(@200wpm)___ 263(@250wpm)___ 220(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 65862 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 329(@200wpm)___ 263(@250wpm)___ 220(@300wpm)
I’m shocked again when I recognize it. It’s one I remember from my art history class. I remember the picture because I loved it so much. It’s of a couple lying in bed. The man is wrapped completely around the woman. Her head rests on his chest as he holds her in a protective embrace. What caught my attention in the picture was how at peace they looked, and I wasn't sure who was comforting whom. Sure, he was wrapped around her, but it almost looked like he needed her more than anything else in the world. In some areas of the painting it’s impossible to tell where one of them begins and the other ends. This couple loved each other. They were two halves of one soul coming together and forming a whole.
It was the one piece of art that stuck with me from the class, and I remember a lot about it. The one major thing I do recall is that it was stolen years ago. What I’m looking at right now has to be the original. I can’t see Lilith getting something that’s a knockoff, but would she really be dealing in stolen art? It can’t be the original. I’m sure I’m wrong.
I think for a second and then grab my cell phone out of my pocket to double-check that I have the facts of it straight. Maybe it’s since been recovered and now she has it.
I find the painting online and read about how it was stolen along with several other pieces as part of a big heist. I read the article for a second and scroll down to look at the attached pictures. Then I go to where all the unmarked crates are waiting on me and open up another one. When I do, I find another painting that matches one of the images from the article on my phone.
The hairs on my arms stand up, and for a moment I’m still. Then, unable to resist, I jump over to the next create and open it up. I know nothing about art or how to figure out if they’re fakes. So I do what I know and take a picture of them with my cell. Then I put them in a reverse image search on Google to see what pops up.
One after another, they come up as stolen.
I start writing everything down and taking notes in my folder. I’ve got a list of box numbers and all the shipping information. Then I write down the names of the paintings and their corresponding numbers and I save all the pictures on my phone.
The whole time, all I can think is that Lilith is going to be devastated. These boxes were piled up in the back with nothing on them. Lilith might be a lot of things, but she’s not a thief. She negotiates million-dollar deals all day every day. She doesn’t need to hold on to stolen art.
I go over everything twice to make sure I have everything right. As much as I don’t want to be right about these being stolen, I also don’t want to be wrong and look like a stupid drama queen. These could all be replicas and my Google image search skills could be unreliable. I grew up watching old Perry Mason shows and thought one day I’d become a detective. I don’t need to fuel that fantasy right now, so all I can do is present her with what I’ve found.
This just can’t be right. Maybe no one knows these crates are back here, let alone stocked with stolen goods. I never saw them on any list, and it could all just be some terrible mix up. That has to be it. I worry what something like this could do to Fritz and Lilith.
I take a step back and notice a few of the crates on the shelves have been moved around. I double-check the number on the one I was just working on. It seems familiar.
I rush over to the little desk where I keep my paperwork and search for yesterday’s slips. It’s then I notice my name on everything. On all the slips. It’s even signed in a few places, but it’s not my signature. Maybe my name is on it because I’m running the warehouse now?
I let out a deep breath, feeling my stress level spike. Why is my signature on things that I didn’t approve? This is all a mess, but I’m sure we can get it all cleared up. All I have to do is call the right people. I can make things right and sort this out. After all, that’s my job. I was told this warehouse was a mess, and it’s the truth. This place has been chaotic since I came back here, but slowly I’ve been organizing it all. Of course there would be discrepancies, so I ignore what might be a dozen or so stolen paintings and focus on what I can control.