An Inside Job

In the days that follow, Gabriel busies himself with working on the Titian and monitoring the press coverage of Montefiore’s murder. The death of Penny receives far less attention, and nobody has made a connection between the two events. Chiara suggests that Gabriel should make an exact replica of the missing Leonardo, which he does after acquiring a walnut panel measuring exactly 78 by 56 centimeters.

As part of his arrangement with Irene’s school principal, Gabriel teaches a dozen students the fundamentals of painting each week. He is surprised that his son, Raphael, doesn’t want to participate in the class despite the boy’s artistic talent.

Julian Isherwood arrives in Venice and meets Gabriel for a drink. Julian owns an art gallery in London and shares a long history with Gabriel. Julian has received an invitation from a dealer in Amsterdam to view a rare find, but the dealer is closed-mouthed about the artwork.

Gabriel explains his theory that this might be the missing Leonardo. He gives Julian the entire story behind Penny’s death. Julian agrees to visit Peter Van de Velde the following day to see the painting for himself. Gabriel plans to follow along. He will be accompanied by former CIA agent and Julian’s current business partner, Sarah Bancroft, to make sure Julian is safe.