It was true, thought Gabriel. By the time Christopher Liddell arrived in Venice he was already a skilled craftsman—more skilled, even, than Gabriel—but he had never been able to win Umberto’s approval. Liddell’s work was methodical and thorough but lacked the invisible fire Umberto saw each time Gabriel’s brush touched a canvas. Umberto had a magic ring of keys that could open any door in Venice. Late at night he would drag Gabriel from his room to study the city’s masterpieces. Liddell became angry when he learned of the nocturnal tutorials and asked for an invitation. Umberto refused. Liddell’s instruction would be limited to daylight hours. The nights belonged to Gabriel.

“It’s not every day an art restorer is brutally murdered in the United Kingdom,” Isherwood said. “Given your circumstances, it must have come as something of a shock.”

“Let’s just say I read the stories this morning with more than a passing interest. And none mentioned a missing Rembrandt, newly discovered or otherwise.”

“That’s because on the advice of the Art and Antiques Squad at Scotland Yard, the local police have agreed to keep the theft a secret, at least for the time being. Undue publicity only makes recovery more difficult since it tends to invite contact from people who don’t actually have possession of the painting. As far as the public is concerned, the motive for Liddell’s murder remains a mystery.”

“As it should be,” said Gabriel. “Besides, the last thing we need to advertise is that private restorers keep extremely valuable paintings under less than secure circumstances.”

It was one of the art world’s many dirty secrets. Gabriel had always worked in isolation. But in New York and London, it was not unusual to enter the studio of an elite restorer to find tens of millions of dollars’ worth of paintings. If the auction season was approaching, the value of the inventory could be stratospheric.

“Tell me more about the painting, Julian.”

Isherwood glanced at Gabriel expectantly. “Does that mean you’ll do it?”

“No, Julian. It just means I want to know more about the picture.”

“Where would you like me to begin?”

“The dimensions.”

“One hundred four by eighty-six centimeters.”

“Date?”

“Sixteen fifty-four.”

“Panel or canvas?”

“Canvas. The thread count is consistent with canvases Rembrandt was using at the time.”

“When was the last restoration?”

“Hard to say. A hundred years ago…maybe longer. The paint was quite worn in some places. Liddell believed it would require a substantial amount of inpainting to knock it into shape. He was worried about whether he would be able to finish it in time.”

Gabriel asked about the composition.