Van Gogh Reborn!

Chapter 225:

225

Sin and Punishment (1)

The date changed to January 3rd, 2029.

Gosuyeol visited Henri Marso for something related to Demian Carter.

He told him what he had learned through Bang Taeho and added that in 1987, Alan Bond had won the bid for at Sotheby’s in New York.

“What do you think?”

“I’m suspicious.”

Henri Marso tapped the table three times and brought up a screen.

As it was a matter outside the French jurisdiction, Henri Marso, who had been investigating the case privately through Arsen, showed Gosuyeol some of the data he had received so far.

Gosuyeol groaned.

“Out of the people who bought Demian Carter’s stuff, 17 of them got loans from Sotheby’s in the UK.”

Henri Marso deliberately referred to Demian Carter’s works as stuff.

“Was it to raise the price?”

Gosuyeol could hardly believe the facts before his eyes.

That Demian Carter had colluded with the auction house to do such a thing to increase the bidding price of his works.

He didn’t want to believe it.

“That’s not the fundamental reason.”

“No?”

“Do you know the Consumer Credit Act?”

Gosuyeol shook his head.

Henri Marso manipulated the table screen and searched for the Consumer Credit Act of the UK.

It also showed that the Usury Law was abolished in 1854.

“There was a law that abolished the usury limit.”

“They abolished the usury limit? You mean there’s no cap on interest?”

Henri Marso nodded.

Gosuyeol found it hard to believe that a developed country like the UK had no upper limit on loan interest.

“In 1974, they established a basis to regulate excessive credit transactions, but it was ineffective.”

“How can such a bad law remain?”

“It was revised in 2006, but debtors or installment buyers who entered into credit contracts or hire-purchase contracts exceeding 25,000 pounds for business purposes were exempted from regulation.”

Henri Marso explained that there had been discussions to re-enact the usury law, but it had no significant effect.

“Shouldn’t bigger transactions be regulated more?”

“When have the Brits ever been sane?”

Gosuyeol thought that the UK and France were not much different, but he didn’t bother to say anything unnecessary.

“So. What’s the connection between that and Carter?”

“That’s what I wondered.”

Henri Marso swirled the glass of kale juice.

“Demian Carter made something that Sotheby’s in the UK sold for a high price, and some luxury galleries and wealthy people bought it with loans. But, there’s no limit on the interest.”

“…”

“Who would benefit from this abnormal trade relationship? Aren’t you curious?”

“Sotheby’s in the UK?”

Henri Marso nodded.

“Logically, Sotheby’s in the UK would gain the most. They sold the stuff for a high price, so they would get a lot of commission, and they would also get interest on top of that.”

It was a private area to know how much interest Sotheby’s in the UK was getting from the luxury galleries or Carter’s patrons, but considering the UK law, it was obvious that they would receive a considerable amount.

“The second person to benefit is Demian Carter. His stuff sells for a high price.”

Gosuyeol nodded.

“The problem is the third. Why do people like luxury galleries and Jay Jopling buy Demian Carter’s stuff even if they lose money?”

Henri Marso took a sip of kale juice.

“The Consumer Credit Act of the UK solved that curiosity for me. Why did people with assets of billions of pounds buy Demian Carter’s stuff with unreasonable loans? Because Demian Carter’s stuff was worth that much to them.”

It was suspicious to think that it was the collector’s greed.

“Who would want to have a chopped-up shark?”

Henri Marso asserted that Demian Carter’s stuff had no aesthetic value.

“So I thought again from the beginning. Did they really lose money?”

Gosuyeol had been inspired and moved by Demian Carter’s works, so he didn’t agree with Henri Marso’s opinion.

But he wanted to know the truth.

“So you’re saying there’s another reason why they had to borrow a lot of money.”

Henri Marso agreed with Gosuyeol’s point.

“There’s only one thing to do if you’re pouring money into something useless.”

“…Is it money laundering?”

Henri Marso nodded.

“They must have wanted to legalize as much money as possible. Half. No, even 10% would be a profit.”

Gosuyeol opened his mouth after a long deliberation.

“Maybe they really wanted to own Carter’s work.”

“It’s unlikely, but if we keep the possibility open and think about it, the case would end with the collusion of Demian Carter and Sotheby’s UK.”

Even if the Luxury Gallery and Carter’s patrons wanted to own Demian Carter’s work, Demian Carter and Sotheby’s UK could not escape responsibility.

“One more thing. If they wanted to launder money, wouldn’t they have to resell it? It’s rare for the traded works to come back to the market, so it doesn’t make sense.”

“They might be careful, or there might be another reason.”

“Another reason?”

Henry Marso tilted his head slightly, meaning he couldn’t specify yet.

“It’s a process of connecting the pieces we found, so we have to keep all the possibilities open. If more conclusive evidence comes out, such as a contract between Sotheby’s UK and the bidder, it will be clear.”

Gosuyeol was in pain.

His trust in Demian Carter was already shattered.

He only had the desire to believe, so the more he approached rationally, the more his heart was choked.

“If the work they bought doesn’t come out to the market, then the work.”

Gosuyeol closed his eyes tightly and continued.

“…There must be a separate place to dispose of the loot.”

“That’s possible too.”

Gosuyeol took a long breath and put the past in his mouth. It was something he had to reveal clearly, even if it was painful.

“Wouldn’t the tail be caught if I traced back the person who owned my old painting?”

Henry Marso narrowed his eyes.

“There wouldn’t be many people doing that. Even if they’re not the same person, they might know each other.”

“Who is it?”

"Ivan Morozov."1)

He was a Russian tycoon who had bid up to $5 billion at the auction.

“He has my painting that disappeared.”

“Are you sure?”

“Jansen is friends with him. He told me he saw it at his house before.”

Henry Marso nodded.

Arsene Leblanc, the secretary of the Marso family, had been investigating Demian Carter, Sotheby’s UK, and the Luxury Gallery for a month under Henry Marso’s orders.

The first goal was the contract for Demian Carter’s work at Sotheby’s UK.

He tried to find out the conditions by disguising himself as a wealthy old man and attending the auction himself, but he always failed as the New Tate Modern Gallery did.

‘This way is difficult.’

He could infiltrate the inside as much as he wanted.

He had been a competent thief for 10 years, and he had completed all the necessary preparations, such as obtaining the floor plan of the Sotheby’s UK building and checking the patrol routes of the guards.

But he had to endure it because Henry Marso forbade any actions that violated the law.

Arsene Leblanc was troubled by his employer’s demanding order.

It was barely possible to follow them, as the law was vague even for tailing, so he didn’t have many options.

Arsene decided that he had to wait for Demian Carter’s work to come in and out of Sotheby’s UK.

‘Do I have to watch for Carter’s work being transported?’

Demian Carter’s work was scheduled to go up for auction in a week, and Arsene spent the remaining time watching who the main figures met, when and where.

“Ah.”

Arsene, who was watching the building across the street at the bus stop, turned his head at the surprised voice.

The fallen child got up quickly and bowed his head.

“I’m sorry.”

He pretended to bump into him without looking ahead, and it was quite good.

Arsene bent his knees and matched his eye level with the child, smiling kindly.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes.”

Arsene dusted off the child’s red-cheeked clothes and took out his wallet.

The child who had stolen the wallet from Arsene’s pocket widened his eyes. He couldn’t understand how the grandfather who seemed unable to run had taken his wallet.

Arsene, disguised as an old man, took out a 50-pound note.

“Your acting is good, but you need more practice with your hand skills.”

The child, whose pride was hurt, pursed his lips and glared at Arsene. Arsene urged him to take the money again, and he snatched it.

He might not have taken it because of his pride.

Arsene remembered his past self from the child who took the money even though he was embarrassed.

“Be careful on your way home.”

Arsene waved his hand with a smile, and the child who ran away as if to escape stopped.

Arsene gestured again to go, and he came back and rummaged through his pocket.

“…Here, take this.”

The boy opened his palm under my outstretched hand. It was a blue gem.

“I bought it. Don’t say anything else later.”

Arsene, who was about to return the money, chuckled and nodded. It couldn’t be a real gem.

“Yes. It’s a very pretty gem.”

The boy hesitated, not knowing where to look, then backed away and went into the alley.

Arsene examined the gem piece in his hand.

‘It looks familiar.’

The thing the boy gave him was a fake that could fool even Arsene, who was familiar with gem appraisal, into thinking it was a sapphire.

‘Where did he get this?’

Arsene smiled and thought he must have stolen or found it somewhere, and put it in his pocket.

Then he looked at the Sotheby’s building in England again and widened his eyes.

He quickly took out the fake sapphire and looked at it a few more times, then headed straight to the hotel he was staying at.

‘No way.’

Arsene entered the room and looked closely at the fake sapphire the boy gave him.

He shone a light on it and observed the inside and outside with a magnifying glass.

As a result, the craftsmanship was identical to the sapphire used in , whose whereabouts were now unknown.

He could recognize it because it was his target when he was a thief in the past.

“How could this happen.”

Arsene Leblanc thought his memory might have been wrong because it was too long ago.

He thought it was just a coincidence.

But he couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was there.

He had to find the boy before it was too late.

1)The name of the real person Ivan Morozov is borrowed, but the content of the novel is different from the truth.