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‘Hey,’ she said tentatively.
Lucinda looked up, then wiped her face. ‘Oh, hello. Olivia, right?’
‘Yes, that’s right. I’m sorry, I couldn’t help but overhear what went on in the gallery.’
‘You’re part of this, aren’t you? This art auction business.’
Olivia nodded.
‘Well, you should have a talk with that auctioneer.That’s not an original Yennin hanging at the far end of the gallery.’
‘I’ll discuss that with him, absolutely.’
‘It’s not right. After everything that Kostas went through in his life, he doesn’t deserve to have his memory tarnished like that.’
‘I understand.’
‘I hope so. Or else it won’t just be Stefan that I have a problem with.’
The wind picked up, the coldness of it stealing Olivia’s breath away. Lucinda pulled her jacket closed and headed back inside.
Olivia waited a beat before she followed. Her instinct had been right. There was something wrong with the painting in the gallery. It wasn’t an original, and she had to find out why.
21
When she returned to the gallery, Stefan was regaling Janine with his well-rehearsed spiel. ‘This exhibition is exclusive to this ship, but it’s going to be rolled out to the entire Pioneer cruise ship fleet. Yennin’s art captures the beauty and magic of Antarctica far better than any photograph. He was obsessed with the polar regions, especially the light in these parts of the world. When we cross the Antarctic Circle and you see the midnight sun, you’ll truly see why he is one of the few artists on the planet who has managed to capture the magic of the region. There’s a dangerous edge to his artwork – wild and lawless, a bit like the continent itself. You might say he was trying to hide the darkness inside him with the explosions of light and snow in his painting. But eventually the darkness won.’
‘Amazing,’ cooed Janine. ‘Are these all originals?’
‘Oh no. The originals are worth far too much. His first work sold for millions. But these limited-edition prints have his original signature and they will only increase in value. What a story to tell your friends and family back home – that you bought a masterwork on board. After all, it’s not as if he’s producing any more.’
‘I’m not sure I can afford any of it,’ said Janine.
‘Don’t be so sure. We have some incredible deals on board for Yennin original sketches, also signed by the artist. Things that could become good investments.’
‘Really?’ She arched an eyebrow.
‘Of course! At least you could come away with a postcard.’ He led Janine down the gallery, and Olivia hung back to stare atšviesa.She took a step closer, unease growing in the pit of her stomach.
Once Stefan had given Janine the tour, he returned to the front while she continued to film some pieces to camera.
‘Stefan, I thought this was supposed to be an original Yennin piece?’
‘What do you mean?’
‘You just told Janine we weren’t selling any originals.’
The man coughed. ‘Well, of course.’
She frowned. ‘But isn’t that the whole point of this showcase? I’m sure Aaron said—’
‘Aaron emailed me and told me he’d changed his mind.’ Stefan’s tone hardened. ‘I’m in charge of the sales decisions, and he agreed with me it was the right way forward.’
Olivia was alarmed. Why hadn’t Aaron told her? It didn’t make sense with what they had discussed prior to the cruise. Aaron had always talked about preserving Yennin’s legacy, making sure to keep the value high.
It didn’t feel right.
‘Can I see that message?’ she asked.