Introductions, Emerald Eyes part 2

“You got any cigarettes?” Samantha let her eyes rove over the new guy. He was older, late fifties, slight for men, but in good physical condition. She guessed that he could keep pace with her for over an hour without falling behind. He dresses smart, old school smart, she thought as she saw that his uniform was buttoned all the way up and starched into stiff lines. He’s dangerous; I need to keep away from him if I can. He could screw everything up.

“No, I don’t have any cigarettes,” Takashi replied.

“Gum?”

“No.”

“Then what good are you?” Sam snapped back. “Get the hell out of my interrogation room.”

Takashi pulled out the steal chair across the table from Sam and sat down. “We are going to be here for awhile Ms. Ray, you should get comfortable.”

Sam’s red boots landed on the table with a thunk, Takashi didn’t even blink. Well he’s a tough cookie. I wonder how much it would take to shake him up.

“How do you like your coffee, Ms. Ray?”

“Black, but bring two sugars.”

A sleek black phone slid out of Takashi’s pocket. He set it down in the middle of the table, next to the phone he placed a manila folder. Leaning forward Takashi whispered into Sam’s ear, “Read the file. Then decide what you want.”

“I’ll be back with your coffee,” said Takashi as he walked out the door. “Don’t take to long to decide.”

Sam leaned forward and grabbed the folder, but she didn’t open it until she had checked who was sitting behind the two-sided mirror. Just the security guard … Hmm … If I move my legs like this he won’t be paying any attention to what’s in the folder.

“Oh, my god,” Sam whispered when she looked at the first page. Inside the folder were pictures of several works of art and detailed reports on how they were stolen. “They’re all Monet’s.”

Flipping back to the front of the folder Sam went through the pictures slower this time, listing of all the paintings. The woman in the Green Dress, Woman in the Garden, the 1867 version, Poppies Blooming, Train in the Snow, and The Boat Studio. “It’s a very specific mark this guy goes after.”

Two packets of sugar slid across the table followed by a steaming cup of coffee. Takashi sat down across from Sam and handed another folder to her. “This is a recent hit. It happened while you were, lets say, previously occupied.”

“You mean blowing this up,” replied Sam. “Am I right?”

Takashi nodded his head and watched Sam open and smell each sugar packet before pouring them into the coffee. She stirred it twice to the left and three times to the right before leaning back and taking a slow sip.

“Peculiar way to drink your coffee.”

“This is a peculiar way to ask for someone’s help, Mr., I didn’t catch the name the first time.”

“The name wasn’t offered the first time.” Takashi slide the newest information across the desk, a picture of Starry Night slid out. “It had his calling card.”

“No.” A white business card landed on the table next to the picture, the initials JP.R. printed in black stared back at Sam. “No.”

“Why not?” questioned Takashi. “It fits right up his alley. Late eighteen hundreds impressionist painting, fits with the rest of the marks.”

Sam shook her head and took a sip of coffee. “This is too out of character. Someone is setting JP up, either that or they coerced him into stealing it.”

“How do you know that?” replied Takashi. “JP.R. could have finally decided to play in the big leagues. We both know he is capable of stealing he wants. So what has stopped him so far?”

“He has no interest outside of Claude Monet,” Sam countered. “And his early works at that. I could see him, maybe, and I mean maybe, going for one of Monet’s later works. But Vincent Van Gogh? And to top it off Starry Night by Van Gogh? No. It’s to famous. Stealing it would do him no good.”

“Well it doesn’t matter if he stole it or not. People think he stole it, and they want it back,” said Takashi. “You have a decision to make. In or out?”

“Who are you?”

“Does it matter?”

Sam stared at him, he looked familiar, bad familiar, the kind of face you see and remember so you can avoid it the next time around. “Are you stupid?”

“I’m Takashi,” he replied. “For this assignment that is all that matters.”

“So this is strictly off record then?”

“Yes.”

Sam grabbed her leather duster off the chair and headed out the door. “Well isn’t
this going to be fun,” she mumbled. “Finding someone who set up the best thief in the world right now. Yeah definitely my idea of fun. You sure know how to pick the good ones Taka.”

“Just keep walking. And it's Takashi.”

“I can't go back to working until this solved can I?”

“Nope.”

“Well, fuck.”

Part 3