Tom Dolby - The Trust

“And that your best friend is actually your brother,” Nick said.

There was an awkward silence before Patch finally spoke.

“Right,” he said. “Can we just not talk about that right now?”

Nick wondered if Patch was upset about the outcome. He seemed so stoic about it-it was strange news, of course, but if Patch had to discover that he had a brother, wasn’t it easier for it to be his best friend?

Maybe Nick had to start acting like a brother before Patch could treat him as one.

Genie looked frustrated as she put down her hot cocoa on the coffee table. “All right, let’s get on with this,” she said. “Where’s this hoard of artwork you’ve been telling me about?”

Nick led Genie, Patch, and Phoebe down to the basement, urging them all to watch their step as they walked through the dank, mildew-smelling passageway. When they reached the metal door, Nick used the key again and the door opened. He flicked the light switch, and everything was just as it was. He did notice one new detail, however: at the far end of the room was a large metal sliding door, the kind you would see on a loading dock. Nick imagined that it led to the outside, as these artworks couldn’t be delivered to this room through the main house.

Genie walked around the antiseptic space, examining the labels on the sixteen pieces that Nick had counted. She shook her head, clucking as she read each one.

“He certainly got around,” she said, shaking her head. “Imagine that. Sixty-something years of doing this. I’d say he relapsed every five to ten years. Probably did multiple hauls. These two are from the same museum,” she said, pointing at two crates. “I remember reading about it in the newspaper.” She turned toward Nick and the others. “So, here’s the question: What are you going to do about all this?”

Patch rested his hand on a crate that contained a Vermeer. “I feel like it’s really up to Nick.”

There was a sound behind them as the door opened. Horatio stood there.

“I was asked to deliver a message to you,” he said. “Your grandfather gave a simple instruction. He said: ‘You must do whatever you think is right.’”

“Typical cryptic answer,” Nick muttered in frustration.

“Well, maybe it is, Nick, but actually he seems to suggest that it is in your hands,” Genie said.

Horatio excused himself and went back upstairs.

“Can I weigh in here?” Phoebe asked.

“Sure,” Nick said, nodding.

“This is just me, speaking as an artist, and as someone whose works have been stolen before. The emotional trauma that you endure when this happens-it’s beyond belief.”

“Most of these artists were already dead when the works were stolen,” Patch said. “I know that doesn’t change anything, but-”

“It doesn’t matter,” Phoebe said. “Collectors donated the pieces to these museums. People worked hard so that they could buy the pieces and then show them to the public. Or maybe they even still owned them outright, and they were on loan. Maybe they were family heirlooms. The point is, they don’t belong in this basement, where no one can see them except for a select group of wealthy Society members. If Palmer even let anyone see them.” Phoebe took a deep breath. “I feel like the only honest thing to do is to tell the world about what your grandfather has done.”

Nick looked at her. How could she be so nonchalant about this? It wasn’t her family they were talking about. Maybe she couldn’t understand. Her family wasn’t well known. No one had any expectations for them.

“Phoebe, you have no idea what this is like,” Nick said. “I don’t want people knowing this about my grandfather. I know it isn’t right, but it’s just-well, honestly, it’s embarrassing. It was one thing to return that necklace anonymously, but to return all of these major paintings, and for the world to know about it? It would tarnish our entire family name if word got out that Palmer Bell was an art thief. I’m not proud of many of the things my family has done, but that doesn’t mean that I want everyone to know about them. In fact, I’d appreciate it if we kept all this between us until I decide what to do.”

“Nick, aren’t you perpetuating the cycle?” Phoebe said. “Aren’t you just making it okay for other people to do the same thing that your grandfather did? I mean, whoever actually took the artwork for him-I’m sure they’re still alive. Do you really want them doing this for more rich people? More people who get off on owning stolen art?”

“No, of course I don’t,” Nick said. “But my question is, why would Palmer lead us to all this?”

“I think he wanted the art returned after his death. He didn’t have any use for it anymore,” Phoebe said. “There’s no other reason he would have told you about it.”

“Maybe he was looking for redemption of some sort,” Genie mused. “Of course, it’s just like Palmer not to do it himself. Never wanted to get his hands dirty.”

“Okay, but now that my grandfather’s gone, how is it supposed to get us out of the Society? Like Horatio’s going to wave his magic wand and somehow get us out? I feel like we don’t have any hope of getting out, at least not this time around.”

“There’s only one person who can get us out now,” Patch said.

“Who’s that?” Nick asked, turning to him.

“Our father.”

Phoebe was grateful when it was finally time to leave Eaton House and return to Nick’s parents’ house in Southampton. The two properties were so different in style; while Eaton House was cold and foreboding, the Bell compound was as warm as a house on twelve acres could get. It was a classic shingle-style house, and unlike Eaton House, which was anonymous in its furnishings, it actually seemed like a family lived there.

Genie sat in the front seat, once again bundled up in a dozen layers, while Nick drove. His old Jeep ground its wheels onto the gravel driveway.

The four of them got out, and Nick pulled out his monogrammed key ring, picking one and using it on the front door.

A persistent beeping started from somewhere in the house.

“What is that?” Phoebe asked. After everything they had been through, she didn’t feel like she could take any more surprises.

“I don’t know,” Nick said. “Is it an alarm system? We never had one before.”

Genie observed the situation with curiosity, and Phoebe gave her an awkward smile. After all these months of avoiding the truth, it was a relief finally to hear Genie be honest with them.

“Patch, is there something you can do?” Phoebe asked.

“Alarms aren’t really my thing,” Patch said. “Thad taught me the basics, but I don’t really know enough-”

At that moment, a loud shrieking began, a whooping alert that resonated over the potato and cornfields and seemed to shake the walls of the house.

Nick was blushing furiously as he tried to figure out what was going on; he had located a panel in a coat closet to the right of the front door. “I can’t believe they wouldn’t mention this to me,” he said. “I don’t even know how to work one of these things!”

Within five minutes there was a patrol car parked in their driveway. Nick and Phoebe stood dumbly near the front door, while Patch sat nearby on an iron bench with his grandmother. Nick had his ID in hand, and he handed it to the officer who approached them.

“This is my parents’ house,” he said nervously. “We were just coming here for the weekend. I didn’t know they had installed an alarm system.”

“Don’t worry about it, kid, we’re not going to shoot you. Let me just turn this thing off.” The two cops laughed as the officer went to a control panel in the foyer and punched in a few numbers. Phoebe imagined that Southampton in the winter was probably pretty slow when it came to crime.