northernbook Chapter 225:
Chapter 225:
Chapter 225:
225
Sin and Punishment (1)
The date changed to January 3rd, 2029.
Gosuyeol visited Henri Marso for something related to Demian Carter.
He told him what he had learned through Bang Taeho and added that in 1987, Alan Bond had won the bid for at Sotheby’s in New York.
“What do you think?”
“I’m suspicious.”
Henri Marso tapped the table three times and brought up a screen.
As it was a matter outside the French jurisdiction, Henri Marso, who had been investigating the case privately through Arsen, showed Gosuyeol some of the data he had received so far.
“Hmm.”
Gosuyeol groaned.
“Out of the people who bought Demian Carter’s stuff, 17 of them got loans from Sotheby’s in the UK.”
Henri Marso deliberately referred to Demian Carter’s works as stuff.
“Was it to raise the price?”
Gosuyeol could hardly believe the facts before his eyes.
That Demian Carter had colluded with the auction house to do such a thing to increase the bidding price of his works.
He didn’t want to believe it.
“That’s not the fundamental reason.”
“No?”
“Do you know the Consumer Credit Act?”
Gosuyeol shook his head.
Henri Marso manipulated the table screen and searched for the Consumer Credit Act of the UK.
It also showed that the Usury Law was abolished in 1854.
“There was a law that abolished the usury limit.”
“They abolished the usury limit? You mean there’s no cap on interest?”
Henri Marso nodded.
Gosuyeol found it hard to believe that a developed country like the UK had no upper limit on loan interest.
“In 1974, they established a basis to regulate excessive credit transactions, but it was ineffective.”
“How can such a bad law remain?”
“It was revised in 2006, but debtors or installment buyers who entered into credit contracts or hire-purchase contracts exceeding 25,000 pounds for business purposes were exempted from regulation.”
Henri Marso explained that there had been discussions to re-enact the usury law, but it had no significant effect.
“Shouldn’t bigger transactions be regulated more?”
“When have the Brits ever been sane?”
Gosuyeol thought that the UK and France were not much different, but he didn’t bother to say anything unnecessary.
“So. What’s the connection between that and Carter?”
“That’s what I wondered.”
Henri Marso swirled the glass of kale juice.
“Demian Carter made something that Sotheby’s in the UK sold for a high price, and some luxury galleries and wealthy people bought it with loans. But, there’s no limit on the interest.”
“...”
“Who would benefit from this abnormal trade relationship? Aren’t you curious?”
“Sotheby’s in the UK?”
Henri Marso nodded.
“Logically, Sotheby’s in the UK would gain the most. They sold the stuff for a high price, so they would get a lot of commission, and they would also get interest on top of that.”
It was a private area to know how much interest Sotheby’s in the UK was getting from the luxury galleries or Carter’s patrons, but considering the UK law, it was obvious that they would receive a considerable amount.
“The second person to benefit is Demian Carter. His stuff sells for a high price.”
Gosuyeol nodded.
“The problem is the third. Why do people like luxury galleries and Jay Jopling buy Demian Carter’s stuff even if they lose money?”
Henri Marso took a sip of kale juice.
Arsene Leblanc was troubled by his employer’s demanding order.
It was barely possible to follow them, as the law was vague even for tailing, so he didn’t have many options.
Arsene decided that he had to wait for Demian Carter’s work to come in and out of Sotheby’s UK.
‘Do I have to watch for Carter’s work being transported?’
Demian Carter’s work was scheduled to go up for auction in a week, and Arsene spent the remaining time watching who the main figures met, when and where.
“Ah.”
Arsene, who was watching the building across the street at the bus stop, turned his head at the surprised voice.
The fallen child got up quickly and bowed his head.
“I’m sorry.”
He pretended to bump into him without looking ahead, and it was quite good.
Arsene bent his knees and matched his eye level with the child, smiling kindly.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes.”
Arsene dusted off the child’s red-cheeked clothes and took out his wallet.
The child who had stolen the wallet from Arsene’s pocket widened his eyes. He couldn’t understand how the grandfather who seemed unable to run had taken his wallet.
Arsene, disguised as an old man, took out a 50-pound note.
“Your acting is good, but you need more practice with your hand skills.”
The child, whose pride was hurt, pursed his lips and glared at Arsene. Arsene urged him to take the money again, and he snatched it.
He might not have taken it because of his pride.
Arsene remembered his past self from the child who took the money even though he was embarrassed.
“Be careful on your way home.”
Arsene waved his hand with a smile, and the child who ran away as if to escape stopped.
Arsene gestured again to go, and he came back and rummaged through his pocket.
“...Here, take this.”
The boy opened his palm under my outstretched hand. It was a blue gem.
“I bought it. Don’t say anything else later.”
Arsene, who was about to return the money, chuckled and nodded. It couldn’t be a real gem.
“Yes. It’s a very pretty gem.”
The boy hesitated, not knowing where to look, then backed away and went into the alley.
Arsene examined the gem piece in his hand.
‘It looks familiar.’
The thing the boy gave him was a fake that could fool even Arsene, who was familiar with gem appraisal, into thinking it was a sapphire.
‘Where did he get this?’
Arsene smiled and thought he must have stolen or found it somewhere, and put it in his pocket.
Then he looked at the Sotheby’s building in England again and widened his eyes.
He quickly took out the fake sapphire and looked at it a few more times, then headed straight to the hotel he was staying at.
‘No way.’
Arsene entered the room and looked closely at the fake sapphire the boy gave him.
He shone a light on it and observed the inside and outside with a magnifying glass.
As a result, the craftsmanship was identical to the sapphire used in , whose whereabouts were now unknown.
He could recognize it because it was his target when he was a thief in the past.
“How could this happen.”
Arsene Leblanc thought his memory might have been wrong because it was too long ago.
He thought it was just a coincidence.
But he couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was there.
He had to find the boy before it was too late.
1)The name of the real person Ivan Morozov is borrowed, but the content of the novel is different from the truth.