Page 21 of The Artist

He delved inside where their tongues tangled, warring for dominance and both winning the war.

When she pulled back, he almost followed her.

“That’s quite the way to close a deal,” he said, and then the corners of his mouth turned up.“I like it very much.Perhaps we should start over.”He smiled and ran his thumb over her full lower lip.“Yes, perhaps we should.”He dipped his head and pressed his lips against hers.He ran his tongue across the seam of her lips and delved inside when she opened her mouth on anahhh.

Suddenly the lights went out and they were plunged into darkness.

“What the heck?”She made her way to the door.“Gosh-dang, Horace.I’m going to kill him.”Alexis stopped as the sound of breaking glass reached them.“No!”She ran toward the front of the store where the large picture windows provided the only light.

Peter was right behind her.

When they reached the front of the store they saw a window in a million pieces inside the display.The painting that had been in the window was now on the floor of the display covered with glass.Also on the floor was a brick with paper wrapped around it.

She leaned in to grab the painting.

Peter pulled her back against him.“No!It’s covered in glass.You’ll injure yourself.Do you have any gloves?”

Alexis was silent a moment and then nodded.“I have cotton gloves that I use when I move the paintings so the oil from my fingers doesn’t get on them.”

“Get them.I’ll help you get the painting.I would get it, but you have more experience handling the paintings and I don’t want to damage it more.”

She nodded and ran back to the office as fast as she could with only the light from the windows.Luckily she kept a flashlight in the drawer with her gloves.Why she hadn’t taken it before, she didn’t know.She made her way to the desk, in the dark, and pulled open her right top drawer.Grabbing the flashlight first and turning it on, she then picked up the gloves and hurried back to Peter.The sooner they got that painting out of the glass the better.She was terrified that it was damaged from the fall.

She handed him the flashlight then took the gloves and put them on.They stretched tight over her hands.

She grasped the edge of the painting and brought it out.“I you have a vacuum cleaner in the office against the wall.Would you get it please.Wait.It won’t work without electricity.”She snapped her fingers.“I have a small rechargeable hand vacuum that should work.I was going to use a soft brush, but the vacuum is a much better idea.Would you get it, please?”

Peter nodded and returned shortly with the hand vac.“I hope this will work.”

“It’ll work.Let me have it please.”

He handed it to her.

She turned the machine on and, keeping the nozzle about a quarter of an inch above the surface, ran the small vacuum over the painting.“I think that’s it.”She handed him the vacuum.

He turned it off and set it on the floor before examining the canvas.“I don’t see anything sparkling.”

“Good.Let’s check it with the flashlight first and then take it outside to check it in the sun.”

“Do you think that’s wise?What if?—”

“I have to make sure all the glass is gone and that’s the best way to do it.”She moved to grab the painting.

Peter stopped her.“Let me carry it.With the ornate frame it’s got to be heavy.”

“Okay, but be careful, don’t hurt yourself.”

They walked outside.Alexis reached into the window and grabbed the brick.She blew the glass off of it and removed the paper.

“This is only the beginning.The next one could be aimed at your head.”

Her eyes narrowed into slits.“I’m going to kill him.He probably had Deputy McNubbin throw that,” she pointed at the brick, “through the window.”

“I’d like to bring in security.It doesn’t sound like the police force is up to the task.”

She looked over at him and shook her head.blinking her eyes, returning them to normal.“I don’t want you to do that.This is my problem, not yours.You can’t blame the whole sheriff’s department because of one bad apple.I have a friend in the department.I’ll call her to investigate this.”

“Why would he do that if this McNubbin is the one behind it, as you suspect?”