Julien used a payphone in the staff changing room to call Nadia Belkacem, a systems manager who had always distrusted Vasseur. She agreed to meet them at a café near the Place des Vosges.
“You’re saying the museum database has been altered at scale,” Nadia said.
“Not just the database,” Camille replied. “Paper records, provenance files, even conservation photographs. They’ve built an entire false history around looted objects.”
Nadia sipped her espresso. “I can trace digital modification timestamps. But if Vasseur’s people did it properly, the logs will be clean.”
“Unless you look at the backup server in the Denon basement,” Julien said.
Nadia’s eyes widened. “How do you know about that?”
“I’ve spent eight years walking this museum at night. I know where the old machines are.”