The Eden Inheritance Read Online Free Page A

And not content with that, the bastards turned my grandparents out of their home, lived there themselves, and then looted the place when they saw the war was going against them. God knows what happened to the treasures – things that had been in the family for generations just disappeared. They got them out of the country, I suppose.’
    â€˜To places like South America and the Caribbean.’ Bill shifted himself to an even more comfortable position. ‘I went to this German geezer’s place once – he invited me for drinks. Just drinks, mind you. I thought I’d be getting dinner as well and didn’t bother to eat, but no, at seven-thirty sharp I was thrown out – still hungry. That’s the form over there, I’ve since learned. But at least I got a good insight into how the other half live. I’ve never forgotten that villa. Beautiful place – and stacked to the eaves with treasures I wouldn’t mind betting were looted from France. Silverware, porcelain, a bronze, a triptych …’
    â€˜A triptych?’ Guy repeated, his tiredness forgotten. ‘What kind of triptych?’
    â€˜Is there more than one kind? Very old, glowing colours, religious pictures highlighted with gold leaf … you know the sort of thing.’
    â€˜Yes,’ Guy said. ‘I know.’ He was experiencing a strange prickling sensation, as if an electric force field had come into action on his skin. ‘It couldn’t have been scenes from the life of the Maid of Orleans, could it?’
    â€˜Could have been, I suppose. I didn’t study it that closely. But now you come to mention it, I think I do remember a bonfire.’
    Guy ignored the irreligious reference to St Joan’s burning at the stake.
    â€˜What did you say this German’s name was?’
    â€˜Brandt. Otto Brandt. But I don’t suppose that’s his real name.’
    â€˜What did he look like?’
    â€˜Tall, white hair, scar on his left cheek, a limp. Why?’
    â€˜You don’t happen to have a photograph, I suppose?’
    â€˜God no! I only met him two or three times – him and his wife. I did hear he had a daughter – very beddable by all accounts – but I never got to meet her at all, more’s the pity. She’s in the States, I understand, but I thought it was a bit peculiar she never came home for holidays. And there were rumours that there was something funny going on on the island.’
    â€˜Funny? What do you mean – funny?’
    â€˜Couldn’t really say. Just the suggestion that there was more going on there than met the eye – something not quite as above board as they’d have you believe.’
    â€˜The German visitors, you mean?’
    â€˜No, no, nothing to do with them. Something else entirely …’
    â€˜Well it’s the Germans I’m interested in,’ Guy said. ‘And your Herr Otto Brandt, with his triptych, in particular.’
    â€˜What are you getting at?’
    Guy drank savagely at his whisky.
    â€˜I am probably going quite mad. But for one moment there I wondered if you might actually have stumbled on the Nazi who was responsible for my father’s death.’
    Bill whistled softly.
    â€˜Bit of a long shot, surely? I mean – there must be hundreds of them scattered around the globe.’
    â€˜True. But from the sound of it your Nazi was probably a high-ranking officer, which narrows the field a bit – the one I’d like to get my hands on was responsible for the whole district where my family live. And when you mentioned the triptych – well, that certainly rings bells.’
    â€˜Your family lost one?’
    â€˜Yes. Very old, very valuable. Depicting scenes from the life of the Maid of Orleans. If the one you saw showed a bonfire, as you called it, I should think there is a pretty fair chance that it was St Joan burning at the stake, wouldn’t you say? Most