Chapter 4 - The Art Thief’s DownfallThe next morning, Ethan’s tech corporation, Parker Technologies, shifted its massive resources into a completely different kind of battle.
Seated in his glass-walled corner office on the fortieth floor, Ethan stared at a high-resolution digital database screen. Across from him sat Marcus Vance, his chief corporate attorney.
“Ethan, are you certain about this?” Marcus asked, adjusting his glasses. “You want to deploy our private intelligence division and forensic art investigators to hunt down a fly-by-night gallery scammer in downtown Boston? That’s police work, not tech work.”
“It’s personal work, Marcus,” Ethan replied coldly, tapping the screen to bring up a digital photograph of Grace’s stolen artwork. “The man who robbed Grace Miller is Julian Cross—a known art fraudster who hides stolen inventory in a commercial storage unit near the harbor. I want a complete audit of his digital transactions, his shell companies, and his storage locations by noon.”
Marcus sighed, recognizing the immovable look in Ethan’s eyes. “Alright. I’ll mobilize the investigators.”
By 2:00 PM, the trap was sprung.
Julian Cross, a slick, expensive-suited art dealer who thought he had successfully laundered his illicit inventory, was sitting in a high-end seafood restaurant near the wharf when three federal marshals and two of Ethan’s private security directors walked up to his table.
“Julian Cross?” the lead marshal asked, flashing a silver badge.
Cross paled, dropping his wine glass. “I—yes? What is this about?”
“You’re being placed under arrest for interstate art fraud, grand larceny, and operating an unlicensed brokerage,” the marshal stated clearly.
May you like
Within two hours, federal agents raided Cross’s waterfront storage unit. Hidden beneath tarps were over forty original canvases signed by Grace Miller, intact and undamaged.
When Ethan personally called Grace that afternoon to tell her the news, she wept so hard she could barely speak.
