Free Goddess of Death by Roy Lewis

highly regarded. He had spent some years working for various international auction houses and he came recommended to the position of administrator in the Prado Museum. He remained there for about ten years, and built up a good reputation as an excellent administrator, but it was there that he carried out his depredations.’
    Arnold could hear the drone of the cicadas in the trees rise to a crescendo like the buzzing of a manic electricity generator. Then, abruptly, they all stopped as one. ‘How did he carry out his thefts?’ Arnold asked.
    ‘He was eventually placed in charge of the museum paperwork as far as buying and selling of antiquities was concerned.He controlled the transfer of funds in and out of the museum also. He had access to all confidential information in that respect, and oversaw financial transactions between the company and its customers.’
    There was bitterness in her tone. Arnold recalled how her colleagues had opposed her meeting the man they clearly all despised. ‘What exactly did he steal?’
    Carmela was silent for a little while. Then she shrugged. ‘It was not exactly what he stole that was important. We were able to identify certain items: a bronze
maenad
, a third-century helmet, several vases and a stone head of Etruscan origin but it was the
manner
in which he took them that was important. He had forged a release note which stated that he had official permission to have these objects at home. But we all felt that this was merely the … tip of the iceberg, is that what you say?
    ‘How do you mean?’
    Carmela scowled. ‘There was some evidence that the artefacts I have described, they were merely the last items in a much longer list that had been removed. And it was clear that Steiner had hidden his trail. Records had been deleted with deliberation, traces removed of doubtful and criminal transactions … When the authorities finally got hold of him Steiner was charged with twenty false accounting activities, though most of those were eventually dropped as the investigation proceeded.’
    ‘Why?’ Arnold asked in surprise.
    Carmela turned her head to stare at him. Her glance was stony. She was silent for a little while. ‘That was never fully explained to me and my colleagues in the
carabinieri
. It is my belief that certain pressures were brought to bear. It is likely that political careers were involved, important people did not wish their private affairs to be exposed. We never did find out who was involved in the decision making we suspect was done with Steiner as a front man, and Steiner himself never spoke out. After his arrest, he gave no more information than he had to. Itis why my colleagues are so bitter about him. If he had co- operated , he could have helped trace many items, disclose links in the
cordata
, expose people who were using their high positions to hide their crimes. He chose not to do so.’
    ‘But he served a prison sentence?’
    ‘Three years.’ She bared her teeth wolfishly. ‘It was far less than he deserved. If all the charges of false accounting had been proceeded with…
    They sat in silence for several minutes, staring at the villa. Finally, Carmela switched on the engine again, and they proceeded down the hill to cross the
barrancas
on narrow tracks and make the short climb up the far hill beyond to the villa that sheltered Peter Steiner.
    When they reached the gates that sheltered the house Arnold got out of the car and pressed the button set into the wall. After a short delay there was a click and the black-painted, wrought iron gates began to move. He returned to the car. Carmela drove past the gates to the gravelled drive flanked by a small grove of lemon and orange trees and parked at the foot of the steps that led up to the villa. When Arnold looked back he saw the gates closing behind them. Peter Steiner was clearly security conscious.
    They left the car and climbed the steps. As he followed Carmela, Arnold glanced back to the vista beside