Page 27 of The Artist

Chapter9

When she arrived at the gallery the next morning, she couldn’t believe her eyes.Fire trucks lined the narrow street and pumping water into her gallery.She could tell they were trying desperately to keep the damage contained.

She leaned with her back against the wall ofThe Gold Miner.a jewelry shop and cried as her dreams went up in smoke and flames.

Peter walked up to her and stopped about three feet away, waiting until she looked up at him.

When she did, she knew he could tell that she’d been crying.Who wouldn’t seeing everything they’d worked for, for the last ten years be destroyed.

He held open his arms.

She clenched her jaw and then stepped into them with a sob.

He wrapped them around her.“I’m sorry.So very sorry.”

“I guess Horace couldn’t wait to ruin me legally.”

Miranda Jacobs, the only female sheriff’s deputy, walked up.She was blonde, blue-eyed and her face was devoid of makeup except for a deep-mauve lipstick.“Alexis.I’m so sorry.”

Alexis looked up at the woman, stepped over to her, and gave her a long hug before turning back to Peter.“Thanks.Miranda Jacobs, this is Peter Kincaid.”

The deputy’s eyes widened.She extended her hand.“The artist?”

Peter nodded and took her hand.“That would be me.”

They shook, but she didn’t release him and instead covered his hand with her left.“I’m so pleased to meet you.I’ve admired your work for years.”

He glanced at Alexis and then back at Miranda, before smiling broadly.“I’m always glad that someone has enjoyed my paintings.”

Alexis smiled.At least something good came out of the fire.Miranda probably wouldn’t have met Peter otherwise.“Miranda used to work for me Sunday and Monday, my days off.”

“Though she never really took the days off.She just worked in the office and let me handle the customers.”The deputy looked down and finally released Peter’s hand.

Peter glanced at Alexis.“Never had a vacation probably, either, huh?”

She blew out her breath.“I don’t think my vacations, or lack thereof, are what we should be discussing at this time.”

Peter sighed.“You’re correct.”

Miranda had the grace to look abashed.“You’re right.I just came over to see how you are and to ask if you knew if Heather was working today?”She pulled a notebook from her pocket.“Would she have had any reason to go into the gallery so early?The investigation is just getting started, but the arson investigator told my boss, he thinks it started in the office.”

“How can they tell?”Peter looked down the street to where the gallery still smoked.“They just put it out.”

Miranda pointed over her shoulder at the gallery.“That’s just residual smoke.The investigator was in there as soon as the flames were out.They’re just watching for hot spots now.”Miranda turned toward Alexis.“You don’t think Horace did this, do you?”

“He couldn’t have, at least, not in person.I just got back from seeing him at his home,” volunteered Peter.

Alexis looked at him.“You were with Horace?What were you doing with him?”Her voice was definitely shriller than normal.How could he betray her like this?Fraternizing with the enemy.

Peter lifted an eyebrow.“Not what you’re thinking.He had his ‘associates’.”He finger-quoted, “come get me from my house.I wasn’t given a choice.”

She felt ashamed for thinking the worst of him when he’d never been anything but supportive of her.“I’m sorry.I shouldn’t?—”

Peter wrapped his arms around her.“You don’t have anything to be sorry for.But the timing of this leaves me with questions.Am I Horace’s alibi for this?What if that is why he had his goons come get me?Did they start this and pick me up afterward?Oh, yeah, I have a lot of questions.”He kept the conversation between him and Beecher private…for now.

The deputy wrote furiously in her notebook.She turned her gaze on Peter.“I’d say you have a lot of good questions.Horace could have easily hired someone to do this.Since he’s already paying Beavis and Butthead, it would make sense for them to start it before picking you up.”Miranda shoved the notebook into her pocket as the radio on her shoulder squawked.

She answered.“Jacobs.What you got?”