Chapter Two part Zwei

ENDING OF PREVIOUS POST:

"Thank you. You may leave." Anderson held up his right index finger. "I need to check on one more thing." He pressed a number on his cell phone. "Joe, is my Jaguar parked in its usual spot?" He listened. "Thank you." He put his phone away. "I guess you're mistaken. I'm sure I'm not the only owner of a black Jaguar in New York City. If there's nothing else I can help you with, then I hope you find this lady." He pressed the intercom. "Philip, our guests are ready to leave."

When the butler stood in the doorway, Anderson said, "Philip will show you the door."

Moments later, Philip returned to the den, and Anderson met his gaze. "I take it they left."

"Yes. I stayed with them until they left the building and I made sure I locked the elevator."

"Thank you. I guess I'd better see what our little house guest is hiding. She may not be as innocent as she seems." Anderson headed in the direction of the guest room.

TODAY'S POST:

Chapter 2 part 2

"Drew, you can't just go to her bedroom. It wouldn't be proper. I'll have Jane bring her to you." Philip turned to leave.

Anderson sat and rapped his fingers on the desk. I wonder what Shana has in the satchel. How did she get possession of it? It must be valuable.

A few moments later Philip and Jane entered.

"Why isn't Shana with you?" Anderson said, standing.

"I don't think your office is the right place to speak with her." Jane said as her eyebrow rose. "I think it'll intimidate her."

"I think we're going to be surprised at who this young lady really is."

"She's a high school English teacher born and raised in Peoria, Illinois, and Jewish to boot. I doubt she's an international spy." Jane's hands were on her hips. "I'll bring her to the patio and have Helen bring out a pitcher of lemonade and some fresh fruit."

Shana has Jane buffaloed just as much as she did me. Anderson went to the patio, with the three dogs following.

Helen set two glasses on table and poured the lemonade. "Drew, dinner will be ready around 6:30. Will that be okay?"

He glanced at his watch. "I think so. That's an hour and half away. This talk should be over way before then." As Jane and Shana entered, he stood. "Sorry to interrupt your rest, but I had three visitors."

"Those men found me?" Shana inhaled a deep breath and both her hands came to her mouth. "I need to leave." She turned.

"Sit down." Anderson touched her arm as he held out a chair. "You're not going anywhere. They said you had something that belongs to them and they want it back."

"I don't understand. I have nothing of theirs."

"What's in your satchel?"

"Papers that belonged to my great, great grandpa Haim. They've been in the family cedar chest since he left Germany in 1931."

"Okay. Now you need to go back to the beginning. Why are these papers so important that the Russian Consulate's interested in them?"

"I have no idea." Shana shook her head. "Those men are Russian? No way."

"Who did you think they were?"

"Private-eyes hired by the family who has my family's artwork."

"This makes no sense at all. Why are you in New York City?" Anderson used the intercom to call to the cook. "Plan dinner for 7:00. No make it 7:30. This is going to take a while." He put a slice of pineapple in his mouth. "Helen, please bring some cheese and crackers. Thank you." He faced Shana. "Start at the very beginning."

"I teach high school English. Over spring break a girlfriend and I came to New York City on vacation. One of the places we visited was the Metropolitan Museum of Art. During that visit, I saw a painting, 'Litzberg am Attersee' by Gustav Klimt. He painted it in 1914. Have you heard of him?"

"Yes, he was an Austrian artist who used ornamental gold leaf as a flat two-dimensional perspective reminiscent of Byzantine mosaics."

"You're correct. I have documentation stating that particular painting is owned by my family. This documentation also shows my family owned a medieval stained glass window and a Michelangelo marble sculpture of a slave. I have no idea where those art pieces are now."

"Why aren't they in your family's possession?"

"Great, great grandpa Haim was a professor at Universitat Frankfurt Am Main. In 1931, the German economic crisis worsened and the Nazi party became strong enough to overtake the university system. He brought his family to the US, but couldn't bring the artwork. He left them with his brother, Tomas. They were hidden in a huge wall safe. During Kristallnacht, November 9, 1938, Tomas was arrested and sent to Dachau. He died there. It has always been believed that while the looting and murdering took place that night Grandfather's artwork was stolen."

"That part makes sense. My question is how did the Russians get involved?"