Page 40 of The Silence of Hell

“I’m hungry, and that makes me… oh! Waffles!” I cried, spotting them.

“Not a problem. Doughnuts and waffles after burgers and fries, and there’s also a popcorn stand, and I’ll fetch you a dog halfway through the movie,” Tatum agreed.

A blush started. “I’m being greedy.”

“Nope. Actually, I love a girl who eats and isn’t whining about their figure. Food is meant to be enjoyed. I hate eating with someone and I’m tucking into a juicy steak while they’re picking at a salad,” Tatum stated.

“Words to the wise, my friend!” a man said from behind us, and we glanced behind us and saw a guy about our age with a smiling woman.

“Never a truer word spoken,” Tatum agreed. With a nod, we turned back around and swapped a grin.

“So, not going to lie, Lavender, apart from the movie and a date, I have an ulterior motive. The group wondered if you’d given anymore consideration to joining us?”

“Not really. Could you explain a bit more about it? I have questions like, am I working for the group? Because that’s a no for me. I’ve been independent and built my reputation on my own. I won’t bow tow to someone. How does it work? How do we get recommendations, etcetera?”

“I can explain all that, but first thing, we work as a group, but we’re self-employed, Lavender. Nobody makes you do anything or tries to boss you about. You retain the same status quo as you do now. The only difference is that you have the support of a team around you and one that will recommend you to high-value clients,” Tatum replied.

“Let’s grab the food and discuss it further,” I agreed.

Naturally, I was curious. As I ate my burger and listened to Tatum answer my questions, I had to admit I was tempted. They appeared a good group, and Tatum explained a little history about each member.

“There is someone local. She and her brother recently joined us. Sinclair Montgomery, although her married name is Cutter. Sinclair’s brother is Reid Hershley. Sinclair was the one that discovered the papers on the Hellfire Club and its members. Reid also found some Tudor documents that confirmed several scandals. They’re both well-known in their field. And they live in Rapid City,” Tatum said.

“Yes, I’ve heard of them, but I didn’t realise they were local,” I replied, surprised.

In our field, Sinclair Montgomery was a celebrity near enough. And Reid wasn’t far behind her. They’d had some real finds over the years and were highly respected and sought-after experts. If one of them gave you a valuation, you could take that to the bank.

“I wouldn’t mind meeting them, even if to fangirl over them for a bit,” I admitted, and Tatum chuckled.

“Yeah, Sinclair certainly made waves in the community with the Hellfire Club discovery. But they are two of our members. I could call them tomorrow and see if they’d meet with you?”

“That would be amazing. Thank you.”

“It’s a shame you don’t have any documents for them, amongst everything else,” Tatum laughed, and I blanched.

“What?” he asked curiously.

“There is an office full of papers. Damn, I’d not even considered that,” I said.

“Wow. Anything the manor doesn’t have?” Tatum questioned, and I narrowed my eyes at him.

“How much do you know?” I inquired.

“You have numerous collections at Ravenberry, and they’re stuffed into near enough every room. I’m aware you’ve phoned experts as you’ve told me about them. Ironically, the lady you contacted for the clothing belongs to my circle, too. Val is amazing, and you’ll love her. And I know that there’s a fortune at the Manor. But I signed an NDA. I won’t discuss anything with anyone, and not for fear of being sued.

“Far too many times, Lavender, I’ve seen word of a collection get out and up pop the professional thieves. Not this time. Whether it means something to you or not, you’ve secured the manor and done everything right. If you’d like me to check the names of the other experts you contacted, I wouldn’t mind,” Tatum offered.

Funnily enough, I didn’t hesitate. I explained that Fabergé was sending a pro, and Tatum nodded. He’d already said Val, the clothing expert, was credible. When I told him the names of the others, Tatum winced at some.

“Miles Caven for the alcohol has a great reputation. Nothing dodgy about him. He’s hitting sixty and is as sharp as ever. Naturally, you will be doing the Barbie and Sindy collection. Tasmin Walker for the perfume bottles and pill boxes is one of ours! And I can’t say this for sure, but Roy Denton for the Star Wars collection is sticky. Lavender, reports are Roy undervalues, buys and then sells for the real value.

“Jake Mann, with the toy cars and train sets, would be a great pick. However, for the last two years, something strange has happened around him. Jake does an appraisal, and within six months, the owner is broken into. I can’t say outright that’s Jake’s fault, but it doesn’t appear good. Don’t use Rose Bloom for the Steiff bears, she’s lost her touch. She massively overvalued one bear and valued what turned out to be six fakes for an exorbitant amount for an auction. And the Astolat Dollhouse Castle expert can only be Henry Tumbler.”

“Who do you recommend in place of Roy, Jake, and Rose?”

“I’d suggest Mei Ling Wu for the cars. Mei Ling’s young but has so much experience. Her father designed and made toy cars. You won’t get better than Mei Ling. For the Star Wars collection,” Tatum blew his cheeks out as he considered his answer, “Niklaus Fredrickson. He’s fanatical about them, he has autism, and there isn’t anything he doesn’t know about the merchandise. Niklaus just may seem rude, but he’s not.

“One person springs to mind for the Steiff bears. She is part of the group and is Richard Steiff’s great-great-granddaughter. She’s named for the founder, Margarete Steiff. Margarete knows everything about Steiff Bears. And she’s happy to fly and access any collection,” Tatum explained.

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