Page 58 of Two Hearts Reunited

With the painting in hand, Anya made a quick announcement. “Okay, I have a loupe upstairs in the art studio. I’ll take the painting upstairs and take a good look at it now, and then I’ll return in about twenty minutes.”

“I want to know what’s going on,” Eric muttered, frowning.

Anya walked over and kissed him gently on the cheek. “You’ll have to wait with everyone else, I’m afraid. If I’m right, we’ll need to get in touch with Jake.”

Suddenly, everyone’s expression turned serious.

“I’ll be back soon,” she said, climbing up the staircase.

Another ten minutes later, Anya laid the painting back down, her eyes filled with tears. Luckily, Jake would have records of all the other paintings in this same collection that had been sold. He wouldn’t necessarily have to confiscate them, but he would have to take samples of some of the materials used in the paint.

“But wait a minute,” she muttered. “I wonder…”

Anya inspected the paint again closely, reaching for some plastic forceps included in the artist’s kit she was using. Gently, she peeled away a layer of what appeared to be paint, but was in fact something far more disturbing, realizing it had been artificially applied to the upraised layer beneath with some type of special adhesive that allowed it to cling to the oils without damaging the paint. “Shanna you’re a master artist. How in the world did you learn how to do these things?”

Anya walked downstairs with the painting in hand and the loupe and forceps in her pocket, carrying a small easel.

“Well?” Ashley asked, biting her lip.

“I was right,” Anya confessed. After placing the easel on the coffee table and resting the painting against it, she walked over to the buffet across the room, reaching inside one of the drawers for the powerful flashlight she’d left inside earlier.

“Here’s the first thing I’d like you to see,” Anya said, turning on the flashlight and placing it in front of the easel.

She gripped the painting, gently inching it left and then right, so it could be hit by the light.

Ashley gasped. “Is that a hologram I see?”

“That’s exactly what it is, Ash,” Anya said grimly. “I found the special materials upstairs in the supply closet that can be used to create them in artwork.”

Eric peered closely. “It looks like heads of women and children, all of them screaming.”

Brian cleared his throat, his eyes going wide. “Anya? Why does that paint look so clumpy? Do I see pieces of hair mixed inside the paint?”

“It seems morbid, doesn’t it?” Anya’s eyes filled with tears. “I suspect there’s not just hair mixed in, but pieces of bone. It’s been carefully applied onto some special holographic images on tape, which has been strategically placed over the oil paint on the canvas.” She pulled out the forceps, carefully resting the painting flat on the table, gently lifting the edge of one of the pieces of tape to demonstrate. “See? The painting itself still remains undamaged beneath. Doing something like this requires some serious patience and skills.”

Eric looked horrified. “But why?”

“I believe that it was Shanna who painted these, and this was her way of providing DNA of those who’d been trafficked and probably killed. I also believe that every painting she’s provided for us are places where she’s been that trafficking has occurred. I think that she was the one who removed some items from my office before I noticed things were missing in January. I don’t know why Shanna would be freed and not come forward since she knows we’ve been trying to find her, but I believe that she took some photos from the pin up wall that Mom had left there. She’s painting all these old homes from the pictures Mom took of the houses she investigated after Shanna disappeared. Most of these houses had been left abandoned before they were restored.”

There was a long silence afterwards before Anya began to cry.

Eric wheeled the chair over to where she was standing, tugging her onto his lap and into his arms.

Brian cleared his throat again. “I’m going to go give Jake a call, guys. Okay?”

“Thank you,” Eric replied hoarsely.

Epilogue

They chose to have their wedding on Christmas Eve. Despite deciding to have a small wedding, it had turned into a huge magical event taking place at the Dragonfly Pointe Inn.

Anya hadn’t had to do a thing, and as much as she loved special events and planning, when Penny and Danielle had insisted on hosting and designing everything from the flowers for the wedding and reception and even choosing her gown, she’d let them have their way.

They’d treated her like a daughter.

“You look beautiful,” Eric said softly, several hours into their reception. The band would only be playing another set and then the guests would soon be departing, although a few of them were booked at the Inn.

“Thank you. I feel beautiful too. I never envisioned wearing such an extravagant gown.”

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