There was an expulsion of breath in the room. The excitement of seeing Johnny Pangisar bidding madly and throwing money around had dissipated.

The mining rep quickly snapped up several more Kamasans.

Johnny went quiet and soon, in the few moments between auction items, he disappeared with his entourage.

When the auction had ended, Grace walked over to the film crew. ‘Johnny must be disappointed,’ she said.

Steve shook his head. ‘Something’s not right. This is out of character for Johnny – the flamboyant showman.’

‘I think he was texting someone during the auction, and then went cold on bidding.’

‘Do you reckon he found out the artworks were fakes or something?’ said Steve.

‘Not sure. We’ll find out tomorrow when we go to the hotel, I guess. Don’t forget we’re shooting some of the interiors they’ve just about finished.’ Grace smiled at a couple of very pleased-looking bidders as they walked past her. ‘Johnny was so excited about the Kamasan paintings. And they are stunning,’ she added. ‘They would have looked good in the hotel.’

Steve nodded. ‘Yes, the perfect finishing touch to the foyer,’ he said, looking around at the dispersing crowd. ‘Look, I think we’ve finished here. Will we have a wrap-up drink then go to dinner?’

‘Yes, please. And I really want to talk to you about K’tut’s book, but we’ve been so busy I haven’t had the chance.’

‘Sure, I’ve been meaning to ask you about it too.’

They helped the crew pack up the gear and a small group of them went for a drink. There was a lot of discussion about the auction. Mateo was shaking his head at the numbers being thrown around.

‘Remember, those were millions of rupiah, not dollars,’ said Steve. ‘Except for the big money on the Spies paintings and a couple of others.’

‘Still, I can’t see a picture being worth that much,’ said Mateo.

Henry suggested they could order some tapas with their drinks, but Steve said, ‘Grace and I are going to try out one of the restaurants here. Want to join us?’

The two men hesitated. ‘We kind of wanted to get back,’ Mateo said. ‘By the time we unload and sort the gear and stuff . . .’

‘We want to go for an early morning surf before we shoot at the hotel tomorrow, so we should get an early night,’ said Henry.

‘That’s okay,’ Grace said. ‘Putu is seeing some friends, but he’ll be ready when we’ve finished dinner. Drive carefully, it’s such a bad road.’

‘Yeah, we noticed.’ Mateo grinned.

‘Thanks, guys,’ said Steve, and Henry and Mateo finished their drinks and said their goodnights.

*

‘No way! What an astounding place,’ said Grace as they walked into the 1920s-style restaurant, with its dramatic black and white tiled floor, chandeliers and Art Deco décor. ‘And Andy said that the food lives up to its setting.’