Chapter 13

In Crooked Lane, Gabe protects Sylvia as Willie fires a warning shot to scare off journalist Scarrow. The outburst rattles everyone and exposes Sylvia’s former career as a reporter, provoking Willie’s suspicion. Gabe defends Sylvia and apologizes for Willie, but Sylvia resolves to keep her distance, and Gabe leaves.

Inside the library, Professor Nash offers tea and support while Sylvia recounts recent events to Daisy. While reshelving, Sylvia studies a book on art magic and learns two distinct types exist: magic in the paint (created by a paint-mixing magician) and magic in the surface, often canvas made by a cotton magician. She decides the distinction may be relevant to the Delaroche theft.

Sylvia phones Gabe and learns there was an attempted theft of the seascape at Burlington House that failed. She rushes there, where Mr. Driscoll is caught eavesdropping outside Mr. Bolton’s office. Inside, Bolton reports seeing Tommy Allan with the seascape off the wall before Allan fled while the constable was momentarily elsewhere.

Freddie Duckworth arrives to test the seascape. He senses magic only from the painting’s front, unlike the Delaroche, which felt magical on both sides. Prompted by Sylvia’s book, the group concludes the seascape likely uses magical paint while the Delaroche’s magic resides in its canvas—implying a cotton (canvas) magician was involved in the Delaroche.

As the painting is re-hung, Gabe lingers and pointedly refrains from touching it. Sylvia observes that Gabe seems troubled, likely by his inability to feel the magic, underscoring his personal struggle as the artless son of a powerful magician. The investigation now pivots on identifying paint versus canvas magicians and Tommy Allan’s role in the attempted theft.