Page 51 of In Her Fears
She leaned forward as she emphasized the gravity of the situation.“Mr.Edwards, there’s more you need to know.That painting we asked about earlier—the one showing the man staked to a tree—it exactly matches a murder scene in Pinecrest Cemetery.A man named Martin Holbrook was killed precisely as depicted in that painting a month ago.”
“That’s...that’s impossible.”
“There’s more,” Jake added.“In Elias’s studio, we found a painting showing Alexis Downey’s murder—the exact scene we discovered this morning at the hunting lodge.But according to Elias, he painted it at least a week ago.”
“You’re saying Elias somehow...predicted these deaths?”Eric asked, visibly struggling with the concept.
“Or caused them,” Jenna said.“Or someone else saw his paintings and used them as inspiration.We don’t know which, but we need answers quickly, before anyone else dies.”
Eric was silent for a long moment, processing this information.Finally, he looked up, his decision evident in his expression.
“I’ll go to him,” he said firmly.“If there’s any chance I can help, I have to try.For Lina’s sake as much as Elias’s.”
“Thank you,” Jenna said, relief washing through her.“We believe another murder may be planned for tonight, following the lunar cycle of the previous two.Whatever information you can get from Elias could be crucial.”
“I’ll head over immediately,” Eric said, already standing and gathering his keys.
“Report to Officer Delgado when you arrive,” Jenna instructed.“She’s keeping watch at the house.I’ll call ahead and let her know to expect you.”
Eric nodded, slipping into his jacket.“I’ll do whatever I can to help him open up.”
They walked together through the gallery, Eric pausing only briefly to give Jay instructions about closing up.
As Eric headed toward his car, Jenna pulled out her phone to call Delgado.Before she could dial, the device vibrated in her hand, the screen lighting up with an incoming call.It was Mayor Claire Simmons.
Of course the mayor would have heard about the near-riot at Harrow’s house, probably from multiple sources by now.She could already imagine Claire’s reaction—the sharp disapproval, the political calculations, the thinly veiled accusations of mishandling the situation.
She drew a deep breath and answered.“Mayor Simmons.”
“My office.Now.”Claire’s voice was clipped, authoritative.“You and Deputy Hawkins both.”
“We’re in the middle of—”
“I don’t care what you’re in the middle of,” Claire interrupted.“There’s footage of an angry mob at a citizen’s house on the evening news.We need to discuss this immediately.”
Jenna went silent for a moment, then spoke sharply, “No.”
“What?”the mayor sounded shocked.
“I’m sorry Claire, but I won’t interrupt our investigation right now.Besides, the situation at the house is resolved.The crowd is gone, and so is the media.”
She heard the mayor’s furious intake of breath just before the line went dead.
“Well, that’s a first,” Jake commented approvingly.“And it’s high time.”
Jenna stood on the sidewalk with the phone in her hand, a bit startled at what she’d just done.But she was too exhausted for a political confrontation with Claire Simmons, too foggy to navigate the mayor’s sharp questions and pointed criticisms.And worse, she knew that explaining the bizarre connection between Elias Harrow’s paintings and the murders would only make her sound increasingly unhinged to the pragmatic mayor.
Then Jake spoke firmly, “But you and Iaremaking an important stop right now—just the two of us.No arguments, Jenna.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Elias stood at his living-room window, his paint-stained fingers parting the heavy curtain just enough to create a narrow channel of fading light.Through this sliver of connection to the outside world, he watched as the last hints of sunlight abandoned the overgrown lawn where, hours before, strangers had gathered with their accusatory signs.
ARREST THE KILLER.
JUSTICE FOR ALEXIS.
He let the curtain fall back into place, but the images he remembered remained in his mind.The angry faces.The shouting.The sheriff and her deputy, their expressions grave as they asked about his paintings.
