I’d honestly thought that by controlling the time, place, and circumstances of the press conference, we’d be able to skate easily through the next week or so. But I was sadly mistaken.
By the following Tuesday, word of the treasures in the caves had spread across the world. We had no idea who had started the rumors—I suspected our friends at the sheriff’s department gave the information to any reporters who happened to call, or perhaps Henri had followed through on his threat to contact the local newspaper—but Guru Bob reported that he’d received inquiries from several more Bay Area television stations, six Southern California newspapers, and another four reporters from the East Coast. Online news magazines were clamoring for photos and interviews. Two Los Angeles–based entertainment channels were sending camera crews up to film around Dharma and the winery. They agreed to be here for our Wednesday afternoon session.
I figured Derek and I could handle the press and the rumors, but when Guru Bob received the telephone call from the current mayor of La Croix Saint-Just, he insisted it was time for us to regroup and summoned us to his hilltop home for a meeting. The most recent calls from reporters had nothing to do with the body in the cave. It was all about the expensive heirlooms. Poor Mr. Renaud, forgotten for seventy years, was again being ignored in favor of the alluring treasure trove.
Robson greeted Gabriel, Derek, and me at the front door and led the way into his beautiful sitting room with the wide bay-window view of the hills and vineyards of Dharma. After serving us coffee and allowing us to get comfortable, he hit us with the news. “The mayor called to let me know that he is representing the families who still remain in the village. He warned me that a few of the citizens are discussing reparations.”
“That’s hostile,” I muttered. “Maybe they’ve been contacted by Henri.”
Guru Bob shrugged. “They are unhappy.”
“That’s not your fault! You’re not the one they should be threatening.”
Guru Bob reached over and patted my arm. “Your fierceness is one of my secret weapons, Brooklyn.”
“Sorry, but it burns me up to hear people blaming you.”
“What do they think they’ll get in terms of compensation?” Gabriel wondered aloud.
“I doubt it will come to that,” Robson said. “The mayor was very accommodating, despite the veiled threat he issued at the beginning of our conversation. He will e-mail us a list of the items belonging to each of the village families. Everyone will get back what is owed to them.”
“Good,” I said. “The sooner everything is distributed, the better.”
“The mayor might’ve calmed down,” Derek said, “but the families may still feel affronted. Have you contacted your lawyers?”
“In an abundance of caution, I have. They are researching the matter.”
“It’s blackmail,” I grumbled.
Derek gave a subtle nod of agreement. “The lists of lost items from the mayor and from the Frenchman’s Hill families will have to be compared and contrasted with Brooklyn’s inventory. There may be some unclaimed items. We should come up with a plan for all of it.”
Guru Bob aimed his gaze at me. “Brooklyn’s inventory?”
“Yes,” I said, trying not to squirm. “I thought it was important to write down everything we found in the caves. Once we get the families’ lists, we can do that comparison Derek mentioned.”
“That is wonderful,” Robson said. “Thank you, Brooklyn.”
I smiled. “I figured I might as well put my list-making obsession to good use.”
Derek exchanged a subtle glance with Robson. “She’s quite organized. It extends to everything in the house, right down to the spice cupboard.”
“Despite a deep-seated inability to cook,” I said, and shrugged.
Guru Bob beamed at me. “All things in good time.”
Derek was desperately trying to hide his smile as he quickly changed the subject. “I think we should consider hiring expert appraisers, maybe from one of the auction houses, in case there are any discrepancies to deal with. They’ll be able to trace the provenance of some of these items if there are disputes.”
“That’s a good idea.” I stood to pace since I could think better on my feet. “What if some of the families have died off? Or maybe one of them came by something illegally. I mean, there are some priceless heirlooms in that cave. I’ve already done a preliminary examination of the books and they alone are worth a few hundred thousand dollars, just at first glance.”
Derek nodded thoughtfully. “I still wonder how these families from a small French village came into possession of some of those works of art.”