Chapter 24
I had to admit, to myself at any rate, what an interesting—one might almost say exhilarating—past four weeks these had been.
While Bryan’s artist friend selected an appropriate piece of marble and then worked to produce a duplicate of the Leoni Faun, I created the persona of an art appraiser of “notable repute” and fleshed out his cover story.
Our original plan had to be altered slightly when I learned David Mason was one of those who made life difficult for any he perceived as being homosexual. I decided to present him with Archibald Fraser, the most flamboyant art appraiser in Europe. Not only should that keep Mason off balance, but it would see him keeping me at a distance as well, because I’d also learned that in a one-on-one situation, he was terrified by homosexuals. Ta
