Chapter Five: The Perfect Counterfeit

It contained red curtain scraps and a paper pattern marked with seven stitch holes. “The shoes were stolen in 2010,” he said by video. “Two years later the auction house claimed they had recovered them. I needed money for my mother's care, so I signed a settlement forbidding me to discuss the theft.” The agreement allowed nondestructive removal of the insole. Beneath a thin genuine-leather patch, ultraviolet light revealed seven filled holes. They contained modern polyester, not red cloth. The evidence closed its circle. The vote reversed to ninety-eight percent counterfeit. “A web photograph and one foreigner's story don't prove I knew,” He snapped. “Correct,” Lin said. “I authenticate shoes, not your criminal intent.” Sirens sounded outside.