Read Online The Perfect Landscape by Ragna Sigurðardóttir - Free Book Online
Authors: Ragna Sigurðardóttir
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emphatically. “The law doesn’t prevent it.”
Hanna looks back at
The Birches
. Steinn is keen to uncover the truth about this painting. He has been living here and working in the arts, and over recent years he has witnessed justice not being done. Of course it’s intolerable. Steinn is a man who never gives in. Hanna can see herself getting involved in this with him; although the task is far from what she imagined when she took the job as director of the Annexe.
“We need to take a closer look at the ownership history,” Steinn says. “Kristin mentioned that Elisabet bought the painting at an auction of Holst’s estate, but that doesn’t ring true. I’ve asked around.”
Hanna looks at him thoughtfully. “Is that so? Did she say that?” Frowning, she tries to remember what Kristin said at that meeting. Steinn doesn’t wait while she’s thinking.
“It doesn’t matter what she said. The point is that Elisabet bought the painting at a different auction house from the one who auctioned the slaughterer’s estate. That means that someone else bought the painting from his estate and then put it back up for auction. A few months later. With a different auction house.”
“Oh,” says Hanna.
“We need to find the missing link—whoever bought the painting at the first auction. Maybe it was a totally different price then. It’s a pain that auction houses don’t give out that kind of information.”
“Don’t they? Why not?”
Steinn is lost in thought and doesn’t respond, so she doesn’t push it for now. She must be able to find a way forward now that he’s so pessimistic.
The silence between them deepens. Hanna senses his eyes resting on her as though he wants to say something but can’t bring himself to. Not knowing what he is thinking, she starts to feel uncomfortable but can’t ask him straight-out. It’s just the way he is. They’ve only worked together for three weeks, and their private lives have never come up in conversation. Their friendship is purely professional, although it’s also genuine. They don’t know one another well enough for her to ask what’s the matter, what he wants. She will have to work that out for herself, like she worked out that the painting is likely to be a forgery, even though neither of them has said as much out loud.
She looks at the painting on the easel, at the image on the computer screen, at Steinn’s hand on the mouse. Thinking about how Steinn bumped into the doorpost just now, how he leaned forward over the computer screen, how he knocked herknee, it finally dawns on her what this is all about. She suddenly sees his helpfulness in a new light, his friendliness and kindness and the encouragement he’s given her on a daily basis since she joined.
Now it’s her turn. Steinn needs her support. He can’t do this on his own, and he’s also frightened about something, maybe losing his sight or not being able to do his job properly any longer.
Of course, Hanna’s specialist knowledge of Gudrun’s paintings will play a big part in this. Right from the first day, Steinn realized that they would be ideal brothers in arms. Of course I’ll help you, she thinks. We’re in this together. And what you fear, whatever that is, I’ll be there for you. Nodding her head, she sees his relief. He turns back to the computer.
“Here, look at this. Do you remember? The UV image here shows best of all that something has clearly been tampered with.”
Hanna sits next to him, and now she doesn’t worry about sitting close; in this moment they are comrades. All we need now is to swear an oath, she says to herself, to slice our palms and mingle our blood. She smiles to herself. Steinn would look good with a sword.
“I need to get an X-ray,” he says. “An X-ray might show more clearly what’s underneath, but it’s time-consuming. To do this sort of thing properly, we’d really need to send it abroad. Maybe I can sort something out over here. I’ll look into
Hanna looks back at
The Birches
. Steinn is keen to uncover the truth about this painting. He has been living here and working in the arts, and over recent years he has witnessed justice not being done. Of course it’s intolerable. Steinn is a man who never gives in. Hanna can see herself getting involved in this with him; although the task is far from what she imagined when she took the job as director of the Annexe.
“We need to take a closer look at the ownership history,” Steinn says. “Kristin mentioned that Elisabet bought the painting at an auction of Holst’s estate, but that doesn’t ring true. I’ve asked around.”
Hanna looks at him thoughtfully. “Is that so? Did she say that?” Frowning, she tries to remember what Kristin said at that meeting. Steinn doesn’t wait while she’s thinking.
“It doesn’t matter what she said. The point is that Elisabet bought the painting at a different auction house from the one who auctioned the slaughterer’s estate. That means that someone else bought the painting from his estate and then put it back up for auction. A few months later. With a different auction house.”
“Oh,” says Hanna.
“We need to find the missing link—whoever bought the painting at the first auction. Maybe it was a totally different price then. It’s a pain that auction houses don’t give out that kind of information.”
“Don’t they? Why not?”
Steinn is lost in thought and doesn’t respond, so she doesn’t push it for now. She must be able to find a way forward now that he’s so pessimistic.
The silence between them deepens. Hanna senses his eyes resting on her as though he wants to say something but can’t bring himself to. Not knowing what he is thinking, she starts to feel uncomfortable but can’t ask him straight-out. It’s just the way he is. They’ve only worked together for three weeks, and their private lives have never come up in conversation. Their friendship is purely professional, although it’s also genuine. They don’t know one another well enough for her to ask what’s the matter, what he wants. She will have to work that out for herself, like she worked out that the painting is likely to be a forgery, even though neither of them has said as much out loud.
She looks at the painting on the easel, at the image on the computer screen, at Steinn’s hand on the mouse. Thinking about how Steinn bumped into the doorpost just now, how he leaned forward over the computer screen, how he knocked herknee, it finally dawns on her what this is all about. She suddenly sees his helpfulness in a new light, his friendliness and kindness and the encouragement he’s given her on a daily basis since she joined.
Now it’s her turn. Steinn needs her support. He can’t do this on his own, and he’s also frightened about something, maybe losing his sight or not being able to do his job properly any longer.
Of course, Hanna’s specialist knowledge of Gudrun’s paintings will play a big part in this. Right from the first day, Steinn realized that they would be ideal brothers in arms. Of course I’ll help you, she thinks. We’re in this together. And what you fear, whatever that is, I’ll be there for you. Nodding her head, she sees his relief. He turns back to the computer.
“Here, look at this. Do you remember? The UV image here shows best of all that something has clearly been tampered with.”
Hanna sits next to him, and now she doesn’t worry about sitting close; in this moment they are comrades. All we need now is to swear an oath, she says to herself, to slice our palms and mingle our blood. She smiles to herself. Steinn would look good with a sword.
“I need to get an X-ray,” he says. “An X-ray might show more clearly what’s underneath, but it’s time-consuming. To do this sort of thing properly, we’d really need to send it abroad. Maybe I can sort something out over here. I’ll look into
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