“Trudy said that one of her young friends claimed that her father was descended from Louis the Fourteenth and that’s how the family owned one of their dressers. A reputable auction house would be able to prove it one way or another.” I frowned. “The Botticelli is a complete mystery to me.”
“I share many of those same concerns,” Robson said, glancing from Derek to me. He took a sip of coffee and set the cup down slowly. “So this morning I contacted an art appraiser with whom I have worked in the past. He will be here next Monday and will require access to the caves.”
“I’ll be happy to give him the guided tour,” Derek said. “Unless you’d rather do it.”
“I prefer to have you do it, if you would not mind. I think it best if I avoid entering the cave unless accompanied by some of our own people.”
I bristled at the implication: that others would think Guru Bob wasn’t to be trusted.
He smiled at me as if he knew what I was thinking—which he probably did. “I will arrange to have Mr. Garrity meet me at the outer door of the storage-cave entrance, where I will introduce him to you.”
“Sounds good.” They decided on a time, and Derek typed it into his phone calendar.
I knew that the art appraiser wouldn’t be the only one demanding access to the artwork. “Have you considered moving everything out of the caves and into a more accessible space? It would have to be secured, of course.”
“It is a good question.” Robson turned to Gabriel. “You are the security expert. What do you think?”
Gabriel considered for a few seconds before shaking his head. “We’re better off leaving everything in the caves. There’s only one way in and out so it’s easier to guard. I’ve got the entire area locked up and fortified with more security than any bank in town.”
“That’s true enough,” I said. “Never mind my question. It was just a momentary thought.”
“I appreciate hearing any momentary thoughts you may have,” Robson said, making me smile.
Derek tapped his fingers on the arm of his chair, a sure sign that his brain was moving ahead at lightning speed. “What would you say to the idea of taking a number of photographs of the artwork, blowing them up to poster size, and displaying them in the town hall?”
I thought about it for a moment. “But why display photographs of the items rather than wait for folks to give us a description of their possessions? Wouldn’t that give someone a chance to claim an item that wasn’t theirs?”
Derek shifted in his chair, crossing one leg over the other. “One reason to do so is to prove to the Frenchmen that we’re being completely transparent about the treasured items we found. Essentially, we’re telling the world about the discovery we made. And by the time the exhibit begins, we will have received all of their lists of lost items, so I don’t think we’ll run into a problem with cheating or larceny.”
“I guess you’re right,” I said after considering his explanation. “And since reporters will be spreading the word around the country anyway, we could have something concrete to show people who come up here hoping to get a look at the caves and the treasure.”
“I can guarantee those reporters will not be allowed to set foot inside the caves,” Gabriel said.
I nodded. “Good.”
“It would also help us get out in front of the story,” Derek said. “We could advertise the exhibit from here to the Bay Area and give it an intriguing name to draw more attention to it.”
“Something like The Hidden Treasures of La Croix Saint-Just? And then a subtitle with something to do with escaping the Nazis during the Second World War.”
“Excellent, darling,” Derek said with a grin.
“I’m not sure why, but I’m starting to love this idea.” I gazed fondly at Derek. “I had no idea you had such PR and marketing savvy.”
“Hidden depths,” he said with a humble shrug, making me laugh.
My smile faded. “The only problem is that it’s sure to attract a lot of looky-loos to Dharma.”
He flashed a wry grin. “Looky-loos earn their name because they look with no intention of buying. But that won’t happen in this case. Anyone driving all the way up to Dharma to see the exhibit will wind up spending the day here. They’ll tour the poster display and follow it up with a visit to the winery.”
“And they’ll shop and have lunch on the Lane,” I added. “What do you think, Robson?”
He had been listening to us toss ideas back and forth. Now he said, “There must be a greater purpose to the exhibit.”
“There is,” Derek said, all seriousness now. “This is how we publicly demonstrate full disclosure. The French families think we’re hiding something from them, but we’re not. We’ll take pictures of everything exactly as we found it, including the caves themselves.”
“And it’ll be educational and historical, too,” I added.