Phoebe
A fter enough Chinese food to feed an army, they all sat around the dinner table listening to Nick raise his champagne glass in a toast to . She gripped Axel’s hand resting on her thigh as her brother thanked her for helping make their dreams come true. She didn’t feel like she deserved so much credit, but it did feel good to be acknowledged and get to celebrate with them.
“To put an end to my emotional rambling, we have something for you,” Nick said, taking something from under his chair.
“You didn’t have to get me anything,” said, but she unwrapped the square with a stupid grin.
“It’s a mock-up of the album case.” August nudged her excitedly.
She turned it over and saw the list of ten songs written on the tail of a coiled snake.
“It’s beautiful. You should all be proud of yourselves,” she said, only to freeze when she saw the fine print. Under ‘songwriter’, it read ‘ Fletcher’ beside ‘Cillian Hunt’. The work they had done together, immortalised.
He deserved to be honoured. He’d been her inspiration, and those few weeks spent creating this last album were memories she would always cherish. Those moments with him, writing in the sun, his proposal, had been magical. She wanted to remember him as he was in those moments, carefree and so full of passion and love. It was like they’d placed a manifestation of her heart in her hands.
“You didn’t have to do this, but thank you. I know Cillian wasn’t perfect, but he loved all of you, us, and he’d have given anything to see this finished. This can’t be easy for any of you, especially with the upcoming concert and all the harassment, but I’m so happy to have you all in my life and I wouldn’t change it for the world.”
She wiped her tears. If she didn’t get a hold of herself her mascara would be halfway down her face.
“Yes, we did have to do this,” Nick said. “This was long overdue, and this is the first step towards a fresh start for all of us. Cillian will always be a part of us, and we can honour him by standing by each other and giving him the best send-off at the concert.”
They toasted to new beginnings. For the first time since Munich, felt like everything was going to be okay. That was until they left the restaurant and were immediately accosted with blinding flashes and deafening shouts. struggled through the crowd of photographers.
“Back up!” August growled at a pap who got too close to her.
“! Ms Fletcher! What do you say to the person who burnt down your exhibit? Are you going to press charges? The gallery refused to comment, but this is the second time your art has been targeted.” The fragmented questions were pieced together from many voices.
“What are they talking about?” asked Olivier, who was protecting them.
He didn’t answer, too focused on getting them to their cars.
Axel took her hand while the others protected her from the onslaught of questions. She wanted to stop him, to ask what they were talking about. A fire? A gallery? We’ve only been at dinner for a few hours. How could something have happened in such a short time, and how had the press found them? Only those in attendance and their security had known about their reservation at the Golden Elephant tonight.
Axel bundled her into the back of the car and slammed the door with a muffled curse. Nick and August got in the car behind them, and glanced out the back window to see them pull off safely.
“Fucking vultures. Someone at the restaurant must have leaked our location,” Axel said, climbing in beside her.
The driver pulled away from the curb, careful not to hit any of the paps surrounding the car as they tried in vain to snap a shot through the tinted windows. checked her phone and found Lena’s many missed calls and messages. Not wanting to be interrupted with any more bad news, she’d turned it off for their celebration, and instantly regretted it.
“Is everything okay?” Axel asked as she put the phone up to her ear.
“It’s Lena. She left me a couple of voice messages.”
“I’m so sorry, but the Reid Gallery caught fire. I didn’t want you to hear it from the media first. Please call me back. When I’m finished here, I’ll come over.” Lena’s panic sent shivers of dread down ’s spine.
Swallowing the news, she wished she hadn’t eaten so much. The image of her last remaining paintings going up in flames sent a violent spasm through her hand, and she dropped her phone.
“I need to go to the Reid Gallery!” called out to the driver, who quickly turned the car in the opposite direction without argument. She fumbled for her phone, making sure the volume was up high so she didn’t miss another call.
“, what’s going on?” Axel asked, and she wished he’d gone with her brother.
“There’s been a fire at the Reid Gallery, and I need to be there. They’ve got the last of my paintings for next week’s show. Lena’s there, I need to know she’s okay,” fretted, hoping no one was hurt, and that the gallerist hadn’t taken her works out of the protective crates.
“It’s not safe,” Axel argued. “This might be related to the fan mail—”
“I’m going. You can either get out or come with me.” didn’t mean to snap, but she was on the verge of screaming or crying and wasn’t in any mood to argue.
Axel quietly sat back and zipped his lips. ’s hands shook, and he took her hand in his, nearly breaking her last thread of composure.
Twenty minutes felt like twenty hours. The flashing emergency lights told her they’d arrived. At the busy scene, hurried out of the car when she spotted Lena, wrapped in a blanket and talking with a firefighter. The rancid, burnt air forced her to stop short and stare at the busted gallery window and the blackened edges around it and the doors.
She walked into the ruined building. Axel didn’t try to stop her, but she felt him following.
“This can’t be happening…” Her lip quivered when she saw the charred canvases on the gallery floor.
The rustic gallery, with its low-hanging lights and high beams, was unrecognisable. Heat still radiated from the walls, and she tripped over a ruined canvas. She stared in shock at the ashen piles all over the floor. Are they mine?
“I’m sorry, but you can’t be in here, it’s not safe.” A firefighter placed his hand gently on her shoulder, startling her. He apologised, but she couldn’t speak as he guided her outside. Moving past the police and firefighters, her legs felt heavy, like she was wading through water. A small crowd had gathered by the fire engine and police car.
“Lena will have answers,” Axel said, resting a hand on her back. His calming voice broke her out of her trance. Unsure her legs wouldn’t give out, she followed him.
“We have your report. We’ll be in touch if we have any other questions,” the firefighter said to Lena before greeting them with a polite nod.
“? You didn’t have to come! Tonight was your celebratory dinner. I was going to stop by once we were done here,” Lena said with a sad smile, but from her teary eyes, knew she appreciated her coming.
“I had to come. I’m so glad you’re okay,” stammered, smelling the smoke on her. “You didn’t tell me you were in the gallery when the fire started.”
Lena deflected, turning to the firefighter. “This is the artist—it was her work that was inside,” she said, like he needed to know. figured the fire was more important than her art.
“I’m sorry for your loss,” the firefighter told her. It sounded ridiculous, considering the damage that had been done to the building and what could’ve happened to her friend.
“I’m just glad you’re okay.” gave her a hug, and Lena sank into her like she needed it.
“I should’ve waited to call, but I was worried you’d find out from someone else.”
Lena looked ready to burst into tears when released her. glanced at the small crowd with their phones out and instinctively tried to move away from Axel, but he stayed glued to her side. She shot him a warning glance, but he refused to move without a word, so she gave in.
“How did this happen?” asked, desperate for answers.
Lena took a deep breath before she started. had never seen her so rattled. “The gallerist and I were trying to figure out the layout for the show. To see if we needed to make an interior change, and where we’d put the bar.”
“And?” Axel prompted impatiently. nudged him; considering how shaken up her friend was, she was allowed to ramble.
Lena stared at their joined hands, distracted. She gave a knowing look before getting back to her story.
“Something smashed through the window, and then everything was on fire,” she said. Her nails dug into her silky shirt as she crossed her arms. “It all happened so quickly. The gallerist has already left for the hospital to have her burns treated. She was closest to the window. Her arm got singed, but she’s okay.”
’s heart pounded at the thought that someone had been seriously hurt. Had the gallery been targeted because of her? Her thoughts were cut off by the firefighter.
“From the shards we found, it was most likely a glass bottle filled with accelerant.” Behind him, his team were sealing off the building. “It explains why everything went up so quickly. The paints are flammable, which helped the fire spread. Your friend was lucky to get out with such minor burns.”
“You got burnt?” ’s legs went numb, looking at Lena like she was about to crumble into ash.
“Just my fingers. I tried to save at least one of your paintings, but it got so hot that I dropped it,” Lena said sadly.
“Oh my god, how could you put yourself at risk like that? A painting can’t replace you.” She wrapped her arms around Lena, afraid she could’ve lost her.
“But it’s all gone! I’m so sorry, . I should’ve divided the collection, it was the last of your work.”
“Don’t apologise, you couldn’t have known this was going to happen.” didn’t want Lena to blame herself for someone else’s evil actions, but thinking of the last of her finished pieces going up in flames made her heart ache. Now there was nothing left of her work from before the accident. Her hand screamed as she made a fist so tight she thought her nerves would fry.
“The gallery has precautions to protect work from fires and a sprinkler system, but given the violence of this type of arson, it was intended to harm and destroy,” the firefighter explained.
“We’ll find out who did this,” Lena assured . “I’ve given my statement to the police, and they’re already looking into it.”
The police? thought, uncertain. Are they going to blame this on me? Will I be framed for this, like the break-in?
All that work… looked at her aching hand and knew she wouldn’t be able to create such a volume of work again anytime soon.
“I have nothing for another show.” ’s thoughts slipped out.
It felt like her career was over before it began.
“Even if you did, I think it’s best for everyone we put a pin in any more public shows,” Lena said.
They should have cancelled this morning when they had the chance. felt like she needed to sit down as she absorbed the information. All those years of work, and she’d only had one successful show.
An officer approached them. “You can go now,” he told Lena. “There’s nothing else we need from you.”
She thanked him, and he left with the firefighter after promising to keep them updated with any developments. shook her head; she’d heard that promise before.
“Could you take me home?” Lena asked. “I don’t want to drive.”
“You don’t even have to ask,” Axel said, and offered her a reassuring smile.
They walked back to the car in silence, the tang of the smoky air stuck in her throat. After a quick text from Axel, the driver pulled up, and Axel got in beside him. Lena climbed in the back first, and went to open the other passenger door, but froze when she spotted Gunther Sheen in the crowd of phones. At first, she thought her eyes were lying to her, but then the headlights of the car highlighted him. He wore a navy baseball cap and a dark jacket, but she knew it was him. Her stomach dropped, and rage replaced her sadness.
This arsehole burnt down the gallery and hung around to watch the show. It’s been him all along. Toying with us.
slammed the door on Axel and Lena and started towards Sheen. He hadn’t noticed her singling him out from the crowd. By the time Axel caught on and called after her, had tackled Sheen to the ground. He grunted as he hit the pavement, and the crowd around them divided quickly.
“Why would you do this?” she screamed in his face.
His eyes wide in sheer terror, Sheen shouted for help. She grabbed him by his collar. He didn’t fight back, which only infuriated her more.
“Why can’t you leave me alone?” wasn’t going to let him play victim, to turn this on her. Some startled shouts and screams came from the observers as she shook him. She kept him pinned. She wanted him to hurt, and the white-hot rage killed her fear and the pain in her hand. She balled a fist ready to strike, and howled as she was ripped away from him.
“Get off him!” A cascade of orders rained down on her, but she couldn’t let him get away.
“Don’t let him get away with this again! He’s the one who did this,” shouted over the sea of voices. Axel had hold of her, while another officer got between her and Sheen.
“Are you listening to me? Don’t help him!” barked, watching in disbelief as a firefighter helped Sheen up and quickly scanned him for any injuries. Sheen refused an ambulance when the firefighter asked. Give me a few more minutes with him, and I’ll make sure he needs that ambulance. She wanted to laugh at the care he was shown. She didn’t care about the cameras on her. Sure, this was probably being live streamed—her only regret was being forcibly removed before she did any real damage.
“, please,” Axel pleaded with her. The haze started to lift as she heard his comforting voice. His eyes locked with hers, forcing her to look at him. “Take a deep breath.”
She hadn’t realised she wasn’t breathing.
“Arrest him!” Axel shouted at the officers.
“Calm down, sir! We’ve no cause. If anything, we’ve cause to arrest her for assault,” the officer sneered.
“Arrest me, but please arrest him too,” snarled, wishing she’d wrapped her hands around his neck. “He’s the one who set the fire, who broke into my studio, who has been harassing me!”
“Think what you want, but I didn’t set the fire,” Sheen argued, shaking his head violently. He didn’t deny her other allegations.
“Then what the hell are you doing here?” Axel barked, and the officers got between them.
“I got a text to come here. I didn’t know who it was from, but I was curious,” he said, fumbling for his phone.
“You’re a shitty liar,” shot back. Once again, he was blaming some secret shadow to cover his tracks. “You get a random text, and you just show up somewhere that happens to be a gallery showing my work?”
“When money’s promised, yes.” Sheen’s smug reply nearly sent her back into attack mode.
“What the hell is wrong with you? You did this for money? You could’ve killed someone. Were you going to try and pin this on me like you did my studio? Why can’t you get the fuck out of my life!” The words burnt her lungs. What the hell had she done in this life or the last to be tormented like this?
“No! I would never hurt anyone. When I got here, the fire had already started. I’m the one who called the police,” he explained, pointing to the officers, who were listening in. “I helped your friend get out, and how do I know you didn’t pay me for the studio? I don’t know who did.”
“Maybe you get off on this! Being the hero after nearly killing them. No one else was involved, this is all part of your sick game!”
Axel held her tightly, and she was glad he was there, or she would’ve torn Sheen’s eyes out.
“If you didn’t do this, show us that envelope from the first time, or the text you got to come here.”
Sheen shook his head. “I burnt it as instructed. I’m not saying anything more without a lawyer.”
let out a long sigh. “You burnt the evidence that could prove another person was involved?”
He didn’t get a chance to respond before the officer in charge of the scene grew tired of the back and forth.
“I don’t know what is going on here, but you all need to calm down! Or you’ll be arrested. This is a crime scene, so act like adults,” the officer barked, and the crowd around them backed up.
Sheen took his phone out of his jacket.
“Do you have any evidence this man set the fire?” the officer asked .
“No.” gritted her teeth.
“You wanted proof? See for yourself. The text came in after the fire had already started, and I called the police.” Sheen showed them a text from an unknown number, and a call to emergency services. The officer handed him back his phone, swallowing Sheen’s story.
“You could’ve sent that to yourself from another phone.” repeated her suspicions, hate rising from her gut. “Calling the police doesn’t mean you didn’t set it.”
The officer stared at her like he wanted a reason to cuff her.
“Are you going to arrest me?” she asked, wanting to get out of there before she did something she regretted.
“Are you pressing charges?” the officer asked Sheen sternly.
Sheen hesitated, and she thought she saw a hint of worry in his eyes.
“No. This is all a misunderstanding.” Sheen shook his head.
It was ’s turn to grab Axel’s sleeve before he struck him.
“You’re free to leave the scene,” the officer instructed and Axel.
“You can’t believe him!” pleaded, but it fell on deaf ears.
“We will investigate and come to our own conclusions. Now, if you don’t want to be arrested for obstruction, please leave, and we will contact you,” the officer said, not giving them an option.
She hated to leave and let Sheen slip through her fingers again. She could only hope that he’d messed up this time, that he’d left some trace of his involvement behind. She needed to know if he was lying about helping Lena.
Lena waited in the car, and from her pale expression, she had watched the whole scene.
“Is everything okay? I’ve never seen you go off like that?” she asked as Axel and reached the car, a safe distance away from Sheen.
“That’s Sheen, talking to the officers. He was in the crowd, watching,” said, putting on her seatbelt.
Axel didn’t say a word, and she worried that he would hop out of the car and beat the answers out of Sheen if they didn’t leave soon.
Lena glanced out the window to where Sheen was still with the officers. “Him? That’s the guy who broke into the studio. He helped us get out. The door got stuck and he busted it in so we could escape.”
“Are you sure?” asked, needing to be certain. Shock could distort things.
“I’m positive! We wouldn’t have got out without him,” Lena said, as shocked as she was.
What if his target was the art and when he realised people were inside, he didn’t want to add murder to his charges? considered, and she felt Axel watching her in the mirror. She closed her eyes, trying to calm her mind, but the sight of her charred canvases on the ground invaded every inch of her peace.