Vermeer Interrupted

Chapter 4: Decrypted

Amsterdam. Saturday, September 15, 2007.

Neal looked up when he heard a familiar voice say, "They're expecting me. Go ahead and check with Interpol if you wish. Now, step aside. I have vital work to perform."

Sara smiled as she stood up. "We're in here, Mozzie."

Neal had called him the previous day from the hospital. His excited friend immediately headed for the airport, and they would be glad for his assistance. No one was better at finding hidden cubbyholes than Mozzie.

After catching a few hours of sleep, Neal and Sara had returned to Rolf's bolt-hole. Klaus was continuing to improve. Later today, he'd return to Paris with Chantal and Marcel.

Mozzie didn't waste time in greetings. "What treasures have you found so far?"

"Two stashes of paintings," Neal reported. "In addition to the Gardner works, we've identified paintings from the Louvre and the Tate."

"All snared by an octopus . . ." Mozzie smiled. "I must visit the shop Diana discovered. I should acquire something with tentacles for my collection. Any tidbits to report from the diamond thieves?"

"A few," Sara said. "The youngest thief, a Thai woman named Chalita, is cooperating in exchange for a reduced sentence. Her information allowed the police to recover Marta's electronics. Chalita also confirmed that Marta wrote the malware enabling them to disable security systems."

"With Rolf's help?"

"More than likely," Sara agreed. "Diana has linked the gang to cases going back to 2002. We know Rolf was working with Ydrus at that time. He undoubtedly also shared in the profit of the jewel thieves."

"What did he do with the proceeds?" Mozzie mused. "Store it in a cave like Smaug?"

"It's still a mystery," Neal said. "Chalita confirmed that Marta helped Rolf escape but doesn't know the details of how she managed it."

Mozzie stood in the center of the room, studying the bookcases. "How did Marta and Rolf communicate with each other? The secret may be here."

"Eventually the room will be disassembled, but until Rolf is found and charged, it will need to remain intact," Neal cautioned.

"Have the books been touched?" Mozzie demanded.

"I've been cataloging them," Sara said, "but I haven't changed their location."

"Excellent, carry on."

They set to work. Neal and Sara planned to fly home on Sunday. Mozzie would go with them to the airport, but he would fly to the space facility in southern Spain. Prestini had given him permission to observe the final preparations for the launch. Mozzie planned to use realistic details in a series of novels to be published as companions to the video game.

Diana joined them later in the day after finishing up with the Dutch police. In exchange for immunity, Chalita revealed the location of the diamond haul from the Antwerp Diamond Heist. Neal suspected the rapport Diana had built up with her was the primary cause of Chalita's cooperation.

"The leader of the ring is from India," Diana said. "She's an interesting case. Her father is a gems dealer in Mumbai. He trained his daughter Nisha in the art of cutting gemstones. She attended the University of London, earning a master's in political science."

"How old is she?" Sara asked.

"Thirty-eight. Chalita told us that she began her life as a thief in 2002, and I see that look, Caffrey," Diana added. "That's the same time you were part of Klaus's crew."