ARROW - 70. Chapter 70

In the morning after breakfast was over, we drove to Tommy’s school. “Tommy, I may not be at the gallery when you get out of school. Grandmother will be there and she will have a snack for you. As soon as I am finish with the security people, I’ll come for you.”

A hug and he was heading into the school building. I waited until he waved goodbye and enter the school.

Driving to the gallery I thought how lucky Colin and I were with having Tommy as our son. He brings a joy to our lives that I hoped was the same joy we brought to our parents.

I went to the Professors’ office at Yale. He was on his way to a lecture and invited me to go along. I sat in the rear of the class, I had heard this lecture before and I didn’t want to cause a problem. A few of the students knew me. They smiled and waved as they took their seats.

I listened to the lecture. I was tempted to comment, as I had when I heard this lecture the first time. “Armand, do you want to make a comment?” He knew what I would say. When I heard this lecture the first time, I set off a spirited comments that weren’t favorably received.

“No sir, I think you know my reaction to this lecture.”

He laughed and proceeded to tell the class what my reaction was when he gave the same lecture when I was a student.

I was glad he did that as he tempered my comments. I probably would have started the same fight I did the first time I commented on this lecture.

On the way back to his office, “Why did you want to start a reaction like we had when I first heard that lecture?”

“I wanted to see if the response would have changed. They know you, they know about the gallery and have seen your paintings. I would bet that some of my students have come to understand your style of painting. I have two students that originally defended Picasso’s Cubism and have changed their minds after seeing your paintings in the gallery.”

I thought to myself, they have seen the posted prices. There were cubist paintings posted in the gallery of which a few have sold.

“I wanted to discuss your doctor friend’s offer to paint a mural in his office. I decided I’m not going to do it. But, I wonder if you have students that could do it. It would give them experience and if necessary, I would give them ideas. My fees for doing it would be more than he probably could afford.”

“I didn’t think you would do it. But having students do it, is a great idea. It’ll give them experience and they can earn some money. Let me discuss this with them, I think I have two and possibly a third one that could do this.”

“Tell them to come and see me if they have questions. I’m usually at the gallery in the morning. They can leave a note with Mary if I’m not there and I’ll contact them.”

We chatted a little, I left to meet the security guy.

Arriving back at the gallery, I was sitting in the office drinking coffee when the door bell rang. Mary went to see who came in.

Coming back to the office, “A Mr. DuBois is here to see you.” That was the security guy.

Mary and I went to meet Mr. DuBois. I introduced myself, he obvious knew why I had contacted his firm.

“You have no security measures?”

“None, but the value of the paintings and sculpture warrant thief protection. This was a store before we converted it to a gallery. Nothing has changed on the outside of the building since we bought it.”

“Is this the only window for the building?”

“Yes, and the door has a lock. There is a back door, it has a lock as well.”

We walked with him as he walked around the gallery. He checked out the back door asking the purpose of the back door. Mom told him that is were we ship paintings and the door is a personal safety exit in case of a fire. I told him we have recently installed a CO2 fire suppressant system.

“Off the top of my head, I would suggest that you alarm the back door. Make sure that alarm is tied into the police. In the front, I’ll submit a system for the larger glass window. Since you have a glass front door, that door will have to be changed. Off the cuff, a double door would be the simplest. I’ll review some other alternatives for a door and put what I find in my report. This large glass window could be a major problem. Thieves don’t care about breakage. Again, off hand, you’ll need a back up and an alarm system. Give me a few days, I’ll have a proposal for you.”

Mom and I discussed Mr. DuBois’s comments. I wanted to discuss his comments with Colin as well.

Mom wanted to know what I was going to do about the mural. I told her about my discussion with the Professor. She thought that was a good idea. Sitting there drinking coffee, we sort of lost time. That was until a young boy rushed into the office and jumped on my lap.

“Hungry?” Stupid question, what young boy isn’t hungry.

“Mom, you want anything?”

“A salad would be nice.”

“Let’s go Tommy. Grandmother is hungry.”

“As if you aren’t.”

We walked to our usual places, today it was hotdogs with French fries and a salad for Grandmother. Walking back, Tommy saw one of the boys from the orphanage. We had to stop to chat which led me back to get another hotdog and French fries. I had a feeling this would occur often.

Arriving back at the gallery, Tommy gave Grandmother her lunch, he had a soda and Mom and I had coffee.