Page 99 of Close Up

The sensational photo of the owner of one of the most respected art galleries in Southern California dead on the floor of her own back room, with Detective Archer and an imposing bronze nude gazing on somberly, went national.

Some of the family newspapers cropped out various portions of the nude goddess’s anatomy.

Regardless, this time there was a photo credit—Vivian Brazier.

Chapter 47

Vivian thought the day would never end but eventually she found herself in the hotel dining room with Lyra and Nick. She wasn’t hungry but Lyra was anxious that she eat something. Fortified by a couple of sidecars, she managed to nibble her way through most of the whole artichoke served with hollandaise and some of the baked fresh halibut that followed. She drew the line at dessert, preferring to sip on an after-dinner brandy while Lyra and Nick finished the ice cream.

She was dreading the thought of going upstairs to the room she shared with Lyra because she knew she would not be able to sleep. She would probably be up all night, and that meant Lyra wouldn’t get any sleep, either.

“Why don’t you and Nick have another brandy in the bar,” Lyra said. “Take your time. No rush. I won’t worry about you unless you don’t show up for breakfast.”

“You just read my mind, didn’t you?” Vivian said.

Lyra smiled. “That’s what sisters do. Take good care of her, Nick.”

“I will,” Nick vowed.

Lyra gave Vivian a hug and crossed the lobby to the staircase that led to the upper floors.

When she was gone, Nick took Vivian’s arm.

“Do you want that brandy now or would you prefer to take Rex for a walk along the beach?”

“Let’s get Rex and go for a walk.”

A short time later the three of them were on the beach path. The night was clear. The ocean was paved in moonlight. Strings of lights illuminated the pier.

For a time there was silence but Vivian found it a comfortable silence. She did not have to make conversation with Nick. Rex paced alongside them, content just to be with Nick.Like me,Vivian thought.I’m content to be with Nick, too.Tonight she would not allow herself to contemplate the possibility that tomorrow or the next day or the day after Nick would be going home to San Francisco.

“I wish I could say something reassuring,” he said. “Something comforting about what you’ve been through lately. But the truth is, I don’t think you ever get over the shock of knowing someone wants to kill you and is prepared to do it.”

“But eventually you get some perspective, right?”

“Eventually. Doesn’t mean you won’t have some bad dreams now and again.”

“You were attacked. Shot. Think you’ll have bad dreams?”

“Maybe. But I’ve had them before.”

“She never even screamed, Nick.”

“Fulton Gage didn’t scream when he went off the roof of that hotel.”

They walked in silence for a while. When they reached the pier they followed the strings of lights past the closed hot dog stand and the darkened carousel to the far end. There they stood close together looking out over the moon-silvered sea.

“Are you sure you’re over Patricia?” Vivian asked.

“Absolutely positive. Are you sure you’re over Winston Bancroft?”

“Yep.”

“There are a few things you should probably know about me,” Nick said. “I’m going to keep doing this investigation work because it’s the one thing I’m pretty good at. I can’t think of any other way to use my talent, and Uncle Pete says if I don’t use it, my talent will destroy me.”

“It might not destroy you but you would probably be a very unhappy man if you did not use your talent.”

“I’ve got it under control for the most part but sometimes I still have nightmares.”

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