Chapter 14
Morgan breezed into the gallery the next morning, only moments after it opened. She found Quinn and Elizabeth near the coffee machine, talking in low voices.
Her grandmother was the first to notice her. “Good morning, Morgan. You’re out bright and early.”
“I wanted to be here if or when Ryze makes an appearance.”
“He’ll show up. He wants his money.” Elizabeth told them she’d talked at length with Marti, the Artisan Shore Gallery’s owner who had traded the Pietro Chardeux painting. “Marti insists the piece we sold Ryze is authentic.”
“You could always refuse to pay him and let him take you to court,” Morgan said.
“It’s a thought, depending on his attitude. Given the fact he’s tried this stunt before, I am leaning toward telling him to go pound sand.”
“Good for you. You’re certain the artwork he carried out of the gallery is legit. He needs to hire a lawyer if he wants to prove you sold him a fraud.”
“We keep detailed photos of every piece we sell,” Quinn said. “I don’t think it would be an unreasonable request to ask to take photos of the artwork he’s trying to return for comparison.”
“That’s an excellent idea.” Elizabeth patted her arm. “I knew we kept photos of each piece for a reason.”
Morgan looked around. “Where’s Can-dee?”
“She wanted to hang out in her crate, her safe space,” Quinn said.
“How did she do last night?”
“Great. She’s an awesome dog who reminds me of Chester in so many ways.”
“Speaking of Chester, he was sniffing me like crazy when I got home. It will be interesting to see what happens when they meet.”
The conversation ended when the front door opened and Edward Ryze appeared.
“Good morning, Mr. Ryze,” Elizabeth coolly greeted him.
“Ms. Easton.” He approached the counter, artwork in hand. “I’m here to return the fake artwork and collect my refund.”
“I would like to examine the piece.”
He placed the painting on the counter.
Quinn pulled her cell phone from her pocket and snapped a photo of the front.
“What are you doing?”
“Taking pictures.” Elizabeth motioned to Quinn. “Don’t forget the back.”
“Hold on.” Ryze reached for the painting.
Morgan, anticipating his move, blocked him. “Surely, you don’t have an issue with them taking pictures to compare this to the one we had here in the gallery?”
“It’s the same painting.”
“We shall see.” Elizabeth carefully lifted the frame so Quinn could photograph the back. “The artwork you purchased was authentic. I would bet my gallery on it. Therefore, you’re either returning the original for whatever reason and want your money back or this is a fake and you’re trying to pull a fast one.”
Ryze’s face turned bright red. He began sputtering, swearing, and hurling random threats.
“I suggest you calm down before I call the police.”
“I want my money back.”
“Due diligence first. Refund second,” she said. “I’m not paying you a penny until I confirm this piece is the one we sold you.”
“Something told me you would try to pull a stunt like this. You’ll be sorry,” he huffed.
Elizabeth reached for the desk phone. “You can leave on your own or be escorted out.”
Reaching around Morgan, Ryze snatched the painting off the counter. He stormed across the room and flung the door open. “You have two hours. I’ll be back in two hours for my money.”
“That’s not…”
It was too late. Ryze was long gone.
“That went as well as I expected.” Elizabeth briefly closed her eyes. “Two hours is not enough time to compare the two. I suppose we should let Grady know that he may have to come by to escort Ryze off the premises.”
“I’m already making the call.” Quinn called the Easton Harbor officer, briefly explaining the unhappy customer had returned, and they needed backup in case things got ugly. She thanked him and ended the conversation.
“Grady promised he’ll be here before noon.”
Morgan glanced at her watch. “I need to run a couple of errands and should be back in about an hour.”
“You don’t have to. With Grady here, I’m sure it will be a civil discussion. Mr. Ryze must understand it will take time to resolve his complaint.”
“Based on how he’s acting, I doubt the word civil is in his vocabulary.”
“True. But what can he do?” Quinn asked. “Short of pulling a gun and robbing us.”
“I just don’t trust him.” Morgan headed out, insisting she would return. After stopping by the post office and hardware store, she swung by the local deli and grabbed soup and sandwiches for lunch.
Returning to the gallery, she found it unusually quiet for a Friday. Quinn wasn’t there. Only Elizabeth.
“Where’s Quinn?”
“She’s home checking on Can-dee,” Elizabeth said. “What’s in the bag?”
“Chicken noodle soup and toasted BLTs.”
Elizabeth ran to the back to grab sodas from the fridge. By the time she returned, Morgan had emptied the bag and set everything out for their impromptu lunch. “I guess we won’t wait.”
“She’ll be along soon, I’m sure.” Elizabeth climbed onto the barstool and reached for her food. “How much do I owe you?”
“Nothing. Lunch is on me. I was thinking about Chester’s new role in the wedding and how Mrs. Arnsby might be able to help.” Morgan pressed the edges of her sandwich together and took a big bite. “We have a couple of options for the ring holder. I found a few potential contenders online…or I might ask her to make some sort of box to tie around his neck. It needs to be something he can’t chew off.”
“Piggybacking off his collar might be best.” Elizabeth stirred her soup. “He can be finnicky about his clothing and accessories.”
“Which is why I think a custom piece would work best.” Morgan plucked a piece of chicken from her soup and fed it to her pup.
“I mentioned it to Gerard. He thinks it’s clever and is on board for him to be the ring bearer.”
“Good. I mean, I don’t want to hijack your wedding.”
“You aren’t in the least. I think we’ll come in under the wire as far as the weather is concerned. Any later in the season and I’m afraid we would be dealing with iffy conditions.” Elizabeth filled her in on recent developments and decisions. It was clear she and Gerard knew exactly what they wanted.
The front door opened. Quinn appeared. “I thought about calling to ask if you wanted me to grab lunch.”
“Morgan beat you to it.” Elizabeth patted the empty spot next to her. “We weren’t sure how long you would be. The soup is still warm.”
“Thanks.” Quinn washed her hands in the sink and joined them at the counter. “Can-dee wanted to explore the backyard some more. Not to brag, but she’s so stinkin’ smart. I told her about Chester.”
Chester, hearing his name, trotted over to greet her.
“Would you like to meet Can-dee tomorrow during our girl’s night?” she cooed.
“Are you sure she’s ready? I can always leave him with Mrs. Arnsby.”
“She’s settling in. I don’t see it being an issue.”
“A girl’s night?” Elizabeth echoed. “I believe Morgan may have mentioned it the other day.”
“It’s a housewarming party extended overnight,” Quinn said. “Ariel from Bean Brewing, Grace Coates, Morgan and me…and the pups.”
“I’m sure you’ll have a splendid time.” Elizabeth wrapped up her leftovers and placed them inside the bag. “Thank you for the tasty lunch. I want to freshen up before Mr. Ryze arrives for round two.”
Morgan watched her grandmother disappear down the hall. “I hope this guy has calmed down enough to realize he can’t waltz in here and start demanding money. No one in their right mind would give him a refund before verifying his claim.”
“Honestly, he doesn’t strike me as reasonable,” Quinn said. “Especially if the other art gallery caved and gave Ryze what he wanted.”
“Unfortunately, I don’t think he’s used to hearing the word no.” Morgan polished off the rest of her soup only moments before Grady arrived.
“Any sign of your disgruntled customer?”
“Not yet.” Quinn tossed the empty wrappers in the trash. “He said noon, so I’m guessing that’s when he’ll show.”
While the trio chatted, Morgan kept an eye on the clock. Noon came and went. At 12:10, she was beginning to wonder if they had called his bluff. He knew he had a fake and decided not to press his luck.
Her hopes were dashed when at precisely a quarter past, Ryze stepped inside the gallery. His eyes flitted from Elizabeth to Grady MacDonald. “I’ve come for my refund.”
“And as I told you earlier, I’ll need time to verify the piece I sold you is the same one you’re trying to return,” Elizabeth calmly replied.
“You’re running a racket,” Ryze ranted. “I knew I never should’ve purchased the Pietro piece from you.”
“And I sincerely wish you hadn’t,” Elizabeth sighed.
“How long do you need?”
“Two weeks. I will appraise the piece and also plan to get a second opinion.”
“I want my money.” Ryze muttered something unintelligible under his breath.
Although Morgan didn’t catch what he said, Grady must’ve heard him loud and clear. He put a light hand on his holster. “It’s time for you to leave. Mrs. Easton has asked for a reasonable amount of time to appraise the piece. You’ll need to come back after she’s done.”
The man marched out of the building, complaining loudly.
“Thank you, Grady,” Elizabeth said. “With any luck, he’ll calm down.”
“And realize he can’t pull a fast one,” Quinn said hopefully.
A commotion outside the front window caught Morgan’s attention. “I knew it was too good to be true. Ryze is back.”
Quinn eased past Grady. “Great,” she groaned. “He isn’t alone.”