Page 56 of Fast Currents
“Just water.”
We huddled in a corner with our glasses, relieved to be alone, if only for a moment.
“Have you spotted anything interesting tonight?” I searched the crowd for Agent Harris and our friends.
“Nothing overt. But in the permanent installation section, Chaz has a whole new fleet of works by A.A.”
“And?” I prompted, not sure what she was getting at.
“Clay, they’re all new. Even if A.A. is extremely prolific, it’s odd. If nothing else, you’d think they’d want to control the market, not publish too many pieces at once.”
“Is this a scarcity thing?” I asked, never sure how the whole art world functioned. How anyone could pay almost forty-five million dollars for a badly drawn woman just because the artist’s name was Picasso was beyond me.
“Yes. But more than that, I’m surprised at how fast the market for A.A.’s art moves. Most pieces take weeks, months, or sometimes years to sell. Especially the way Chaz has them priced.” She shook her head. “Everything I’m seeing in the display is new. He’s turned over the entire studio in just a few weeks.”
“So, Chaz is really good at marketing A.A.’s work?” I asked.
“Or really good at running a front,” she muttered. “Using the art world to launder cash is as old as time.”
“But on San Juan Island, what could he be selling?”
Across the room, Chaz leaned in to shake hands with the mayor, his wife beaming at his side.
Lucy looked grim. “This is where our good friend 007 comes back into play. It seems like too much of a coincidence that a case with Jordan Dawkin’s initials showed up in Chaz’s back room. And it’s a little convenient that Chaz’s wife is a physician.”
“You know her well?”
“Only from yoga classes at Anya’s studio.”
Rae and the rest of the gang circulated to our corner with Agent Harris in tow. He smiled at Lucy, his gaze briefly dropping to her chest, and I suppressed a growl, wrapping an arm around her possessively.
“Did you finish your rounds?” Lucy asked easily, seeming oblivious to my proprietary move.
Rae’s lips twitched. “Yes. We even made it to the curtained corner.”
Lucy groaned, the long, low sound of pain making me chuckle.
“I’m going to be afraid to check my email tomorrow. How many angry parents made it that far?”
Zach chuckled. “Relax. Gran is back there, holding court. No one who catches a glimpse of her even remembers there’s artwork behind her anymore.”
Drew dropped his chin to his chest, rubbing his forehead. “I still can’t believe we’re related.”
Anya patted his shoulder consolingly. “Neither can anyone else, love. Neither can anyone else.”
“Why is no one paying attention to the art?” I asked.
Zach grinned, his dimple flashing. “Because Gran, in her infinite wisdom, decided to dress as the original temptress for tonight’s show.”
Lucy scrunched her nose. “She’s the Devil too?”
Anya laughed. “Maybe not the one you know – she dressed as Eve.”
The mind boggled. Maybe it was for the best that she’d hidden behind the curtained corner.
“Adam-and-Eve Eve?” Lucy wondered.
Rae nodded. “Yes. But don’t worry – she’s wearing a nude bodysuit and at least four fig leaves.”
