“I can’t. Maybe Tyler can.”

“Do what?”

“See if the client list was recently updated,” Decker said.

“I told you I haven’t updated it in a while,” Merritt said.

“And you also told me that it isn’t hard to get access to your computer. We’re wondering if this list was updated right before Gerrard left.”

“How would I know that?”

“Check previous versions of the file,” McAdams said. When the dealer didn’t answer, he said, “I could check. If you have an automatic backup, it’s not hard to do.”

“You’re not touching my computer.”

“You can watch me.”

“It’s a murder investigation,” Decker reminded him.

Merritt gritted his teeth. “I suppose it would be okay if I was there.”

“We’ll all come.” Decker smiled. “If it’s okay with you.”

“Oh, for God’s sake.” The dealer marched off and the crew followed him to his office. It was a decent-size office but not meant to accommodate five people let alone a wheelchair. McAdams elected to leave the appliance outside. He hobbled over to the desk chair, sat down, and it didn’t take long to find what he was looking for. “The list was updated three weeks ago.”

“That’s not possible!” the dealer exclaimed.

Decker said, “Tyler, can you pull up an older version of the list?”

“Yep.” A few moments later. “Here we go. Can I press the print button?”

“Yes, yes.” Merritt removed it from the printer and gave it to Decker who put the two lists side by side and started going down the names. Within a few moments, he found his first discrepancy. Two more followed, making it three clients missing from the updated version of the file. He showed the names to Merritt.

“Alex Beckwith?” Merritt said. “Why on earth would anyone delete him?”

“Who is he?”

“He heads the Cultural American-European Liaison Association.”

“Which is?”

“Just what it sound like. Beckwith acts as a go-between when museums want to borrow from each other. For instance, if the Met was having a Renoir exhibit and wanted a painting from the Louvre, he’d liaison from one museum to another. He’s a very prominent individual.”

“Does he buy stolen art?” Oliver said.

“I won’t dignify that with an answer,” Merritt said. “His position is critical. Since Chabad’s challenge to the pieces in the Russian Library, European countries are disinclined to loan anything out to the United States without an indisputable provenance.”

“I should hope so,” Rina said.

Merritt looked incredulous. “Art is above politics, my dear.”

“Not when it comes to theft, sir.”

Merritt bristled. “I’m afraid we are of two minds.”

“Guess my mind comes from being the daughter of Holocaust survivors.”