“Well, that does take me back. I’m sure he wouldn’t know me. Your father was a big man not only in the law school but in general.” A pause. “What’s he doing now?”

“He was in law. Now he fills his time by managing his inherited fortune from my grandfather. It seems to be a full-time job.”

“Oh . . . right.” Goddard colored slightly. “I know this sounds terribly crass, but if he’s interested in buying or selling . . .”

“I’ll pass the word on.”

He gave Decker a forced smile. “Anything else?”

“I do have a few more questions.”

Goddard sighed. “Can I interject something?”

“Of course.”

“You know Summer Village has a high homicide rate. It’s not unusual for murder to take place in that area.”

“The homicide of a visiting lecturer is not routine for them. And the murder of a college student in Greenbury is not routine for us. Neither are art thefts.”

“Tell me again what happened?”

Decker bit his lip. The guy didn’t need a recap, but he gave it to him anyway.

Goddard tented his hands. “So from a small break-in at a local mausoleum, you’ve constructed this . . . art theft ring that you think is responsible for two murders?”

“We haven’t constructed anything, Mr. Goddard. We’re just trying to make sense of what happened.”

“I don’t know what I could possibly tell you. I don’t deal in stolen art.”

“You deal in antiques. You must get people trying to sell you things.”

“I do and most of what is brought to me is worthless.”

“But not all.”

“I get the occasional gem. And I do my best to make sure the piece is genuine and the ownership is flawless. And that is why most of what I buy is from private clients and estates. Over the years, I’ve worked very hard to establish a list of people who stay with me because I’m as fair and competitive with anyone out there.”

“Fortes fortuna adiuvat,” McAdams said.

Goddard smiled. “Well, fortune certainly doesn’t appear ex nihilo.” An awkward moment of silence. He took his hands in and out of his pockets several times. “My business is strictly on the up-and-up. I wouldn’t deal with scum because it is not only dishonest, but it’s also bad business practice. In this field, all you have going for you is your knowledge and your reputation.”

“You’ve never accidentally bought something with a less than a perfect provenance?”