We got back into Dad’s old truck.
I stared at him.
“You actually gave him a maintenance schedule?”
“Yes.”
“After they refused to pay you?”
Dad started the engine.
“I prepare one for every job.”
Then he looked at me.
“Being professional doesn’t depend on whether the other person behaves professionally.”
He pulled onto the road.
“It depends on whether I do.”
The following afternoon, Martin arrived from New Mexico.
He asked to meet Dad.
So we went to Eleanor’s house.
Martin stood when Dad entered.
“You found something my family believed was lost forever.”
Dad nodded.
“And you did the right thing.”
“Yes.”
Martin explained that the collection had already received a preliminary assessment.
Eleanor had been correct about the rare pocket watch.
It came from a Parisian maker around 1892.
Estimated value:
About $40,000.
The entire collection could be worth between $80,000 and $90,000.
Dad barely reacted.
“I tried not to disturb the box when I excavated around it.”
“I know,” Martin said. “That matters.”
Dad’s photographs and notes had preserved the provenance of the collection.
That history could significantly affect its value.
