Page 13 of Monsters

Chapter 4

NOW

Charlie: You need to get your ass here, like yesterday!

What was the urgency?

Slipping the cell into my handbag, I picked up pace crossing the underground carpark down the road from the gallery. The weather had turned putrid. Its once beautiful blue sky, had morphed into a witch’s cauldron of murkiness. The rain fell consistently throughout the morning, the staircase leading out onto the sidewalk turning into a miniature waterfall.

“Shit!” I cursed, left with little choice but to get wet.

Taking the steps two at a time and managing to avoid the worst of the gushing water, I exited at street level. The rain fell like heavy bullets pelting me from all directions, rebounding off the pavement and smashing against the umbrella. By the time I pushed the door open to the gallery foyer, I was soaked through to my underwear.

“Bloody hell!” Carleen rose from her desk, her usual headset in place. “We’ve been trying to reach you…” She paused a moment too long. “You look like shit.”

I felt like it too.

One look at Carleen however, and I could see she was out of sorts flustered.

“I want fucking answers!” A booming voice raged from upstairs startling us both. Carleen cringed, her nerves on edge.

“Is that Maximus Kline?” I asked, slightly confused while wiping sodden hair away from my cheeks.

“Yes, that’s him. In all his furious glory.”

“Furious glory? What are you talking about?”

Carleen hurried after me as I took to the stairs leaving behind a trail of water.

Maximus’s voice was growing more irate, and David was attempting to placate the situation. Rounding the corner in a hurry, I was met by Charlie who was mid-text, his hands shaking as he typed. He did a double take when he saw me, a sense of relief flooding his frantic eyes. Behind him, Maximus was gesturing widely at the artwork displayed on the main wall, and when I saw the reason behind his anger, I froze in horror. Maximus and David turned to me.

“Gemma!” Maximus barked, stalking forward and stopping just shy of my face. “When I signed the contract to exhibit here I was told security was tight, and there was nothing to be concerned about.”

“I don’t know what—”

“Who the fuck would do something like this? I mean…” he laughed from shock, “… look at what they’ve done.”

We all stood in line facing the destroyed artwork. The canvas had been ripped multiple times, long vertical slashes tearing through the woman’s face. She was no longer beautiful. Recklessly taken to with a knife, she was now wearing permanent scars.

“Do you have anyone in acquaintance who would do such a thing?” David asked, working on a process of elimination. “Any enemies who knew you were exhibiting here? It seems very targeted.”

“Even if I did…” Maximus turned to my boss with a condescending tone, “… your security cameras should have been functioning at the time.”

“The cameras weren’t working?” I asked, perplexed. They were always operational.

David shook his head in resignation. “The early morning storm must have caused a blackout. The tapes stopped running at 2:25 a.m. and didn’t reboot until 4:50 a.m.”

It was time to employ what David had been lacking. Empathy. “Look Maximus, this is an incredibly frightening situation, and I cannot fully express our sincerest apologies. Not that it’s any consolation, but it’s the first time we’ve been targeted since we opened, and usually, our security covers every corner of the exhibition rooms. Our insurance will take care of the damages to your artwork and—”

“What?” Maximus’s eyebrows shot up in amusement. “Just one artwork or all of them?”

I’d been in such shock, I hadn’t looked further than the outside wall.

“Go. Take a look.” He gestured for me to pass into the exhibiting room. I glanced at David, his jaw twitching in agitation. Charlie cleared his throat nervously, wishing he could be anywhere but here.

I left the others, rounding the feature wall, my heels clicking on the tiles, adding to the tension. When I saw it, my heart froze, a cold shiver working up my spine. The walls were closing in, trapping me in a world of subconscious debauchery and benevolent threats. A world I had tried so desperately to escape.

A voice murmured next to my ear, startling me back to the present. “I don’t think this has anything to do with me, do you?” Maximus asked quietly enough so only I could hear.

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