The Mystery of the Third Lucretia by Susan Runholt Read Free Book Online

to the building’s big entryway, it had stopped raining. We went outside and hung over the railing at the top of the entrance steps and looked over Trafalgar Square. Part of the reason we did that was just because it was a great view: the square with its pigeons and tourists, the huge, enormous column with the Lord Nelson statue on top of it, the other statues, the big fountain spurting up and landing in a pool, the red double-decker buses and all the other traffic racing around.
    But mostly it was because we hoped if we got out where there were lots of people and hung way over the side of the railing, Gallery Guy wouldn’t notice us if he came out before Mom got there. Somehow, although neither of us could explain why, we just didn’t want to be noticed.
    â€œI think Gallery Guy is doing something suspicious,” Lucas said. She kept her voice low so the people around us couldn’t hear.
    â€œI think you’re right. But if he is, it’s something we don’t want to know anything about.”
    I could have been talking to a wall.
    â€œIt’s probably even against the law, or he wouldn’t be so worried about being recognized. And we’re maybe the only people in the entire world who know there’s something fishy going on.”
    I hadn’t thought of it that way, and I had to admit, it was pretty cool being one of the only two people who knew that something against the law was happening. Somehow Lucas always finds a way of getting me interested in whatever she’s interested in.
    â€œIf we only knew what the crime was,” Lucas said. “Let’s think. What kind of crimes have to do with art?”
    â€œThere’s stealing paintings.”
    â€œArt theft,” Lucas corrected.
    â€œThat’s what I said. Stealing paintings. He could be, like, planning to . . .”
    Suddenly somebody was pressing up behind me, and just for a second I was sure it was Gallery Guy and he was going to push me over the edge. I turned around, but it was only a very overweight man trying to work his way between some other people and me.
    I started my sentence over again, still keeping my voice down. “He could be planning to copy a couple Rembrandts, then replace the real ones with his own fakes in museums and sell the real ones.”
    â€œThat’s way complicated,” Lucas said. “I think it’s more likely he’s going to try just plain art forgery, painting something and pretending it was by Rembrandt.”
    â€œBut why would he need to go to two museums?”
    â€œI don’t have a clue. But if what he’s doing turns out to be big, we’ll probably hear about it. If anything new happens about a Rembrandt painting, the story will probably be in Time.” Lucas has to read Time magazine every week for her social studies class.
    â€œI suppose.” It was a relief to think about this. If it was going to be in Time magazine, that meant it would be a big, famous story. Lucas and I were just two normal fourteen-year-old girls, so it wouldn’t have anything to do with us.
    â€œOne thing is for sure, he has something to hide,” Lucas said. “If he was doing something normal, he wouldn’t be so paranoid about having somebody see what he’s doing, and he wouldn’t be wearing a disguise.”
    â€œMaybe we should ask Mom what he might be up to.”
    She turned to look at me. “I don’t think we should tell your mom about this.”
    I thought for a minute. “Yeah, she might think it was just one of those kid things.”
    â€œMaybe, but your mom has a suspicious mind. I think she might believe something was up, but she’d probably make us promise not to come back here.”
    â€œSo?”
    â€œWe have to come back!” Lucas said. “Tomorrow.”
    â€œWhat do you mean, we have to come back?”
    â€œWe have to find out what Gallery Guy is up to. It will be fun, Kari!