Flames danced in the fireplace, roasting the pine logs and squeezing more turpentine.

The graceful tall candlestick with its flickering candle flame replaced the electric lighting and hid behind a "Mona Lisa" oil painting on the wall. The oil painting was clearly a fake, but the painting was exquisite.

A man in a silver suit and black tie stood in front of the oil painting. He had a cane in his hand, which he used to support his tall body.

There was an ...