Page 26 of One Last Secret

“So you two argue about his work?”

“Every artist argues with me about their work. I’ve handed people one-hundred-thousand-dollar checks that I’ve earned for them selling their paintings, and they’ll start an argument about how they can’t ‘suppress their vision’ anymore.” She releases another sigh, then gives me a tight smile. “But that’s the job.”

“I still don’t see what this has to do with Celeste.”

She takes a deep drag on her cigarette. I see her hands are shaking again. “It’s really not my place to comment on Victor’s parenting, but he’s made damned sure the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”

“How so?”

She takes another puff, then says, “She’s moody, she’s manic-depressive, she has a very… I’m not sure how to put this… different understanding of reality. To Victor and Celeste, artislife. It’s everything. More important than eating, breathing,paying bills, everything. They harbor deep resentment to anyone who suggests that anything should ever get in the way of their artistic expression. Victor resents me because I’m the voice of reason who has to tell him that an abstract painting of someone disemboweling themselves and laughing about it isn’t going to pay his mortgage. Celeste is a child, so she hears us argue and mistakes Victor’s resentment for hate. So she amplifies that hate because he’s her father and the only family she has.”

She drops her cigarette and stamps it out, then stoops to pick up the butt. “That’s my opinion, of course. I could be wrong, but that’s what it feels like to me.”

Her curt tone and stiff shoulders make it clear to me that this subject is closed. I still think she’s deflecting and avoiding an honest answer to my question, but I leave it for now. “Has Victor always been this way?”

“More or less. It got worse when his mentor died.”

“Elias Blackwood.”

“Yes.” She raises her eyebrow. “Are you familiar?”

“I heard him mention Elias once.”

“Ah. Well, yes, it got worse after Elias died.”

“They were close then.”

“In the most dysfunctional way I’ve ever seen two people be close, yes.”

This is surprising to me. “Really?”

"Oh yeah. Elias was like Victor is now but without the anxiety. That made him even more demanding and inflexible. Anything that didn't meet his standards of beauty or brilliance was worthless. There was no in-between. Hell, I used to have Victor crying on my shoulder because of something Elias said to him." She pulled a new cigarette from her pack and lit it. "Good times."

“Was there anyone else in Victor’s life?” I ask, “someone he lost that might have contributed to his behavior?” It’s as close as I want to get to asking explicitly about Annie.”

“Well, Julia, but he didn’t really change after losing her. Or rather, he changed when he had her and went right back to who he is now when she passed on.Shewas a smart woman. If she hadn’t gotten sick, things would besomuch easier now.”

She takes a heroic puff from this cigarette, then puts it out. “I should get going. I pushed back a lot of work to come check on Celeste. My mistake.” She smiles one last time. I can’t tell if the frost in that expression is for me or just general irritation. “It was nice talking to you, Mary.”

She stalks off, leaving me with more questions than answers. I suppose it’s not all that surprising to learn that Victor’s relationship with Elias wasn’t entirely healthy. It certainly explains why his personality shifted permanently upon his loss.

But I still don’t know what might have finally pushed Victor over the edge. I still don’t know where Annie fits into all of this. I still don’t know who might have been motivated to hurt Victor.

One thing I am certain of. She avoided giving me a real answer to why Celeste hates her. She’s hiding something, and whatever it is, I feel that uncovering it will solve this mystery.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

I return to the house to find Celeste and Evelyn sitting on the couch. Evelyn has her arm around the young woman and looks at her with a mixture of sadness and sympathy.

Celeste stares mutely out at the ocean, toward the vanishing point. I give Evelyn a look, and she nods and gets to her feet. “I’m going to shop for some food for lunch, okay?”

Celeste doesn’t reply. Evelyn looks at me again, then leaves the house. When she does, I try to talk to Celeste.

“Hey. What happened earlier? Why are you so upset at Lisa?”

Celeste’s jaw tightens a little, but she doesn’t answer. I try a little firmer hand.

“I know you’re upset right now. I understand that this is very difficult for you. I’ve lost both of my parents, and my sister disappeared without a trace when I wasn’t much older than you. But your outburst earlier wasn’t acceptable. I’m not upset with you, but I need to understand why you behaved like that.”

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