John Henry - Part Ten

John Henry

Part Ten

            “Worth?  I didn’t have to do that.” I said.

            “Yeah but... I mean:  Like, you KNOW.”

            “Ah... no... I didn’t do that.  I just found it.”

            “Didn’t do that?”

            “Check it out.”

            “Yeah... but... COME ON; you KNOW.  I know you.”

“I told ’em about it.  I told the one woman that it was good and she’d have to get it appraised.  I think that means you.  Right?”

            “Well... not right yet.  They sent me some photographs.  I mean; I can see it’s good.  But...  Hey:  You know one of them had taken the painting after you saw it.  Did you know that?”

            “No.  Huh.  I’m all done with that.  With them.  I haven’t heard anything about any of this in a while.”

            “Oh.  Well.  When you told them about the painting none of them knew about it; that it was in there.  So... well... I guess ONE of ‘em knew and had, well, let’s say... taken the painting home.   So when the executor found out about it she couldn’t find the painting.  Then the other ones (heirs) got in on it so NOW they all think they found a great one.  I told ‘em to slow down.  I’ll find out I said.”

            “So you haven’t seen the painting?”

            “No, no... they have it.  They’re gonna bring it back up here I guess.  THAT’S where it came from you know; up here.  So... I have photographs.  I showed them to ***** (well known Portland, Me fine arts gallery/auction firm) and ***** (well known Portland area coastal auctioneer/appraiser.  The painting’s DARK so... I can’t SEE it.  Anyway... it’s coming up here.”

            I noted to myself that both of the mentioned ‘showed them’ were ...buddies... of the appraiser and that the two largest Maine painting appraiser/auctioneers were NOT mentioned.  “Well... that’ll be good I guess.” I said endeavoring to slid away from this conversation.

            “Yeah.  Well.  I told ‘em to get that kind of money they (the estate) will have to do some work.”

            “Work?”

            “You know; CLEANING... a new frame.”

            “Oh.  You told ‘em that?”

            “Well... so far.  I gotta SEE IT I told ‘em.  I think they’ve already shown it to someone.  That one woman knows some dealer or something.  In Massachusetts.  I think.  Could have called ***** (prominent outside of Boston auction company) even.  Or sent them photographs.  You know.”

            I do know... and very well know... that this being the SECOND time in the recent minutes of our chat that the appraiser has mentioned ‘photographs’ of the painting being shown around... I know... that this action spells D-I-S-A-S-T-E-R for... regardless of the status, ownership, information and understanding of and about the painting... the painting is... ‘being shown around’.... ‘in the market’.  (Rule to remember:  NEVER take ...or let anyone take... a photograph of ANY painting one ‘finds’ and plans to ‘sell’ until IT; the painting – ‘it’s about the stuff’ - IS FULLY READY to ‘go to market’.  And then ... maybe don’t take any THEN EITHER; for example... a sale by private treaty assuring ‘unexposed’ state of the painting).  (The best part of that for me?  No one has to believe me because... “don’t worry” “they’ll find out”).  “So... WHO has the painting now?” I said.

            “The estate owns it.  I’ve got to appraise it.  But:  That one woman still has it I think.  And... I think she’s sort of in charge of what’s happening to it.”

            “Oh.  OK.”

            “Yeah, well... I THINK she may just make ‘em SELL IT.  You know.  Like the tractor.  So:  I can’t tell what’s going on.  But.  I’m pretty sure she’s showed it to someone and they told her.”

            “Told her?”

            “What to do or something.  I don’t know.  I’ve never seen her but.  Well.  I got the vibes that she has her own plans.”.

            “Oh I see.  Yeah.  I met her but just nothing.  So... seems to me the executor would be the one making the decisions in the end.”

            “Yeah but she’s listening to this woman.  That’s all she’s got.  I mean.  I haven’t even SEEN the painting.”

            And:  I was mentally configuring the lined-up-monkey-whispering-row of ears: I told the lawyer who... understood what I said... sort of... and had his ‘her’ right it down... sort of... so... sort of... what ever that came to was ...sort of... told to the executor ...sort of (?) and she ...’took it from there’... sort of ...and ‘FOUND” the painting ...sort of ...with the other heirs (the two men with folded arms and their seated wives?) ...sort of... ‘coming alive to this (the painting) too... sort of (?).  A lot of ‘sort of’ to ...sort of... sort.  I concluded.  “Nice of you to try and help.  I guess.” I said.

            “What’s that suppose to mean?”

            “Good luck.”

            “What?”

            “Your not gonna see that painting.”

            “How do you know that?”

            “They don’t think your good enough for that painting.”

            “I don’t like you saying that.”

            “Well they don’t think I’m good enough for it either so that means I CAN say that to you.”

            “No: I’m gonna see it.  They’ll bring it up here.”

            “Want-ta make a bet?

            “It’s coming.  I just talked with ‘em.”

            “Like I said; good luck”.

            “Come on; get off.  Just because your out.”

            “Am I out?”

            “Well.  So... HOW MUCH do you think it’s worth THEN?”

            “I don’t have to say anything about that.”

            “Yes you do.  Tell me.”

            “Nope.  The only time I’ll do anything is if that painting’s in front of me in the hand of the actual owner and has a price on it.  Otherwise; forget it.”

            “So tell me.”

            “You have the painting and it’s for sale?”

            “Not yet.”

            “Call me when you get it.

            “Get it?”

            “AND its for sale.”

            “Ok”

            “Not gonna happen.”

            “Will too.”

            “Send me a photograph.”
            “You don’t have one?”

            “NO.  I know better than that.”

            “You didn’t take any?”

            “NO.  That’s not what I was hired to do:  I don’t tell anyone anything until someone pays me.  Then I only tell ‘em what they paid me to tell ‘em.”

            “How do you get off doing THAT.”

            “Because... I know how much the painting’s worth.”