Prologue: New York City - 2067
The old gentleman leaned forward, placing his forearms squarely on the desk, as he said, "Ms. Vaughn, I have absolutely no doubt as to the identity of the artist who painted this picture. I do however, question my sanity in admitting this to you. Having said that, I must also tell you that, for professional reasons, I will not admit it to anyone else. When you asked to have the painting identified, you gave us no clue as to when it was painted or by whom. Based on the subject matter, we assumed that it had to have been created within the last hundred years - and we have found this to be true. We have also analyzed everything from colors to brush-stokes and technique. I believe that you know who painted this picture - and he was no unknown artist, was he?"
Allowing an ever so slight Mona Lisa-ish smile to cross her lips, Kerry Ann responded, "No, Mr. Haagan, he wasn't. My Grandfather told me who painted that picture. And it's not that I didn't believe him, but felt that I should have independent verification. At this moment, I'm sure you know why, as well." Pausing to open her thin leather briefcase, Kerry extracted two envelopes. Placing them on the desk before her, she looked up at Mr. Haagan. "The white envelope has a cashiers check in the amount that we agreed upon. The blue envelope contains a note that I wrote to you earlier today when you called and told me that you had reached a verdict."
This time it was Mr. Haagan's turn to smile. "Verification of my verification, Ms. Vaughn?"
Nodding once, Kerry emphatically replied, "In a word, yes!"
"Very well, then, it is my belief that the man who painted this picture of Rock and Roll musicians from the latter part of the 20th century and early 2000's was none other than Leonardo da Vinci." Mr. Haagan appeared to be somewhat ill at ease as he continued, "I know that's impossible, but my staff and I have painstakingly gone over the data time and time again. We believe that our conclusion, as strange as it sounds, is the correct one. Furthermore, I would understand completely if you decided to disregard our finding, take the painting elsewhere and not pay us a cent." Clasping his hands in front of him, the old man sat back slightly and waited for Ms. Vaughn's response.
Wordlessly closing her briefcase, Kerry stood and extended her hand to Mr. Haagan. "Thank you for being so honest with me, I truly appreciate it."
Standing to shake Kerry's hand, a surprised Mr. Haagan could only answer, "You're welcome."
As Kerry left the room, the old gentleman reached across his desk and pulled the envelopes toward him. Opening the blue envelope, he extracted a small piece of paper on which was written, "You're absolutely correct, Mr. Haagan, Leonardo da Vinci did paint that picture - in June 2005!"
