“You wouldn’t want your client to see this.” Morel probed at the bullet hole with his fingertip. “I’m afraid I’m also going to have to reline it. Looks to me as if the last restorer used a technique called a blind canvas.”

“What’s the difference?”

“In a traditional relining, the glue is spread across the entire back of the painting. In a blind canvas, it’s only placed along the edges.”

“Why would he have done that?”

“Hard to say. It’s a bit easier and much quicker.” Morel looked up and shrugged. “Maybe he was in a hurry.”

“Can you do that sort of thing?”

“Reline a picture?” Morel appeared mildly offended. “I reline all my forgeries to make them appear older than they really are. For the record, it’s not without risk. I once ruined a fake Cézanne.”

“What happened?”

“Too much glue. It bled through the canvas.”

“Try not to put too much glue on this one, Yves. She has enough problems already.”

“I’ll say,” Morel said with a frown. “If it would make you feel better, I’ll remove the blind canvas right now. It won’t take long. Make yourself comfortable.”

“I haven’t been comfortable in twelve years.”

“The back?”

Durand nodded and eased himself into a paint-smudged wing chair while Morel laid the painting facedown on the worktable. Using the tip of a utility knife, he carefully detached the top left corner of the blind canvas from the original, then worked his way slowly around the entire perimeter. Ten minutes later, the separation was complete.

“Mon Dieu!”

“What have you done to my Rembrandt, Yves?”

“I didn’t do anything, but someone else did. Come here, Maurice. You’d better have a look.”

Durand walked over to the worktable. The two men stood side by side, staring silently down at the back of the painting.

“Do me a favor, Yves.”

“What’s that?”

“Put it back in the tube and forget it was ever here.”

“Are you sure, Maurice?”

Durand nodded and said, “I’m sure.”

CHAPTER 30

30

MENDOZA, ARGENTINA