Chapter Nine
Alek Donovan, owner of the local Grill, wandered around Harlow’s studio studying the various prints she had displayed on the wall.
Her process was to place prints where she could look at them in different lights.
She could catch any flaws or find ways to improve the photograph before deciding whether she would send it to one of the galleries that sold her work.
“Thanks for letting me come,” Alek said.
“I repainted the walls in the restaurant area, and they looked bare. Totally bare. I didn’t like the metalwork I had up before and didn’t want to go in that direction again.
I had the bright idea of displaying some of the local artists’ work.
Stella saved my business by putting the Grill on the map with her customers.
I thought I could help out some of the locals by displaying their work, not that you need much help, Harlow. ”
She laughed at his suddenly embarrassed expression.
Clearly, he was worried he’d offended her.
“Every artist can use help, Alek,” she reminded.
“Especially when they’re first starting out.
I don’t paint; I take photographs. People have amazing cameras on their phones now and don’t have any idea of the amount of work I’ve done to the photos I send to the various galleries willing to display my work. ”
Alek stood in front of the studio display wall looking up at her latest project. “Frost and Venom. Cool title. I actually love this one, Harlow. I wouldn’t want to sell it, even if I got a commission.”
“It isn’t the final artwork, Alek. There are a couple of things I want to do to enhance the frost on the barn and ground without compromising the shadowy rattlesnakes. I want people to have to look for them.”
He stepped closer to the wall to examine the photograph.
“I see them. In the shadows there. That’s amazing.
The spiderwebs in that light are the coolest thing I’ve ever seen,” Alek added, staring up at the photograph.
“They contrast so well with the barn, the way the barn is slowly falling to pieces. It looks like the spiders are trying to hold it up with silk. I don’t think I ever appreciated spiders more than I do just looking at this. ”
“I purposely tried not to highlight the snakes in the rocks, which is where the title of the art came from. Eyes are supposed to be drawn to the spiderwebs. I need something to justify blatantly using the term venom.” She couldn’t help her frustration.
She wasn’t certain how to overcome that flaw, or even if she wanted to.
She knew it was a beautiful and unusual photograph and would sell well.
She really wanted to keep the rattlesnakes a shadowy secret the viewers would have to discover.
It would be nice to have another focal point for anyone viewing the photograph to believe she’d named the art piece Frost and Venom for that reason and not the partially hidden snakes. Not until they were discovered.
“Spiders can be venomous,” Alek volunteered helpfully.
“Those are orb spiderwebs on the barn, and funnel-web spiders made the webs on the ground. Neither species hurts us.”
“I read somewhere that funnel-web spiders are extremely dangerous,” Alek objected.
“Only in Australia,” she corrected. “Not here. We do have black widows, and there are some in the eaves of the barn. I did take some shots of their webs.” She flashed a smile.
“Thanks for the great idea, Alek. I have so many more photos to look through. Black widow webs are shiny and sticky. They would stand out if I captured them on film, even if they didn’t have frost on them.
At least that’s my hope. There were several hanging from the eaves. ”
“Can I buy this particular photograph? I’ll get it framed immediately and hang it with the other paintings. This won’t be for sale. I don’t want to ever give it up.”
“You really like it that much?” She couldn’t help the glow she felt at his obviously honest opinion.
She loved the photograph as well, although she wanted to get it right.
If she had one angle that included a black widow spider’s web, she could justify the title without making the snakes more prominent.
“I absolutely do. I checked the gallery websites in New Orleans and the one in New York that sell your work to get a feel for the prices charged for one of your pieces…”
“Don’t, Alek. This isn’t the finished one that will go into the galleries. You’re my friend. I’ll pack it up for you right now.”
“I can’t just take it.”
“Of course you can. You can display the title, which I’ll add to the back along with my signature and the date.
It will be one of a kind, unfinished, but who knows?
If I have the shot—I hope I do—of spiderwebs in the eaves, maybe this one will go big and your artist proof will be worth tons of money. ”
“I’m going to take it, but the next time you and your friends come in for dinner, it’s on me and no arguments.”
“It’s a deal. Thank you, Alek. I needed something good to happen today.”
“I was sorry to hear about Helen McKay. I know the two of you were good friends.” Alek turned completely around to face her, his expression compassionate. “She was kind to everyone. I didn’t know her that well, but that’s what I remember most about her.”
“She was kind,” Harlow agreed.
“Do you have any idea what happened? When I ask, I am just told that there is an ongoing investigation. You don’t think she was murdered, do you? It’s just weird to me that Lawyer died of strange circumstances the same way Old Lady Gentry did. And now Helen.”
A chill went down Harlow’s spine. Knightly had dealt with a very clever serial killer not too long ago.
The small town hadn’t fully recovered from the shock that one of their own had been staging accidents to kill his victims. It made no sense to think that someone could be murdering people she knew without apparent cause, and yet it had happened before.
Even though the thought had crossed her mind that the deaths were related and might be the work of a serial killer, having someone outside her circle of close friends suggest that theory made it even more real.
“Why would you think that, Alek?” But suddenly adrenaline poured into her, making her shaky.
Deep down, she knew the deaths had to be related.
If so, how? To give herself something to focus on, she removed the print from her wall.
The photograph had been mounted on foam board.
It wasn’t her final version, so she hadn’t used an acrylic sleeve to protect the picture from dust or dirt particles.
“I don’t know, Harlow. Giselle Gentry was from one of the founding families of this town.
She was a pillar here. She was generous.
The first person to give if there was a tragedy or fundraiser for search and rescue or the hospital.
But she was a force. You know that. She was entitled and demanded her way in all things.
She made life miserable for anyone who dared to challenge her.
Even the two other founding members’ families. There would be reasons to target her.”
Harlow knew Giselle was considered extremely difficult.
Zahra had to deal with her often because Zahra was an administrator at the hospital, and Giselle had been on the board.
Fortunately, Zahra had a way of talking to the older woman that sounded admiring and respectful, along with a method of sharing ideas, as if Giselle had thought of them.
Most people didn’t have Zahra’s very patient people skills.
Giselle had many enemies in town, but was her entitled, irritating behavior enough to have someone plot her death?
“What about Lawyer?” She wrapped the photograph carefully, taking her time, not looking at Alek.
He seemed to be as uncomfortable with the subject as she was.
The wounds from their friend’s betrayal were still too raw.
“Lawyer was one of the nicest men in town. As far as I knew, he helped anyone who needed it.”
Alek was silent so long she turned her head to look at him. His dark brown eyes were assessing her shrewdly. She knew him to be an intelligent businessman, but other than that, they had a superficial friendship. That was on her. She just held herself apart from most people.
“You do know Lawyer was in love with you.”
She heard the cautious note in his voice. He didn’t want to upset her, but for some reason he felt he had to say it.
“He was in love with the idea of me, Alek. Maybe the way I look, I don’t know, but he didn’t know me as a person.”
“I don’t know you in the way you’re talking about, but I could love you, and you know I’m madly in love with my wife. There’s something very special about you, Harlow. And you have a quality in you that makes me want to take care of you.”
She tilted her chin at him. “I’ve been taking care of myself for a number of years, Alek.
” Still, it was nice to hear his positive opinion of her.
Wilder was making it easier to accept compliments.
She might never get to a place where she felt worthy of what others said about her, but she could hear it without feeling like a fraud.
“I didn’t say you couldn’t take care of yourself, only that when a man is around you, his protective instincts come out. Makes him feel very manly.” He gave her a brief smile. “Lawyer talked about you all the time.”
“I tried to let him down as gently as possible.” Harlow wasn’t certain if she was defending herself or just stating facts. She respected Alek. She didn’t want him thinking the worst of her. “How would the way Lawyer felt about me make him a target?”
Alek shrugged. “I don’t know, Harlow, but you took care of the old lady every time she was in the hospital. She requested you. Even when you had time off, you went in to take care of her.”
That was true. She liked Giselle Gentry in spite of her entitled, off-putting manners.