The Portrait of Doreene Gray (28 page)

“Fine,” Baumgartner said. “Let me just gather my things.”

Angus and the others scrambled to get away from the door as quietly as possible, Michael darting back to snatch his digital recorder off the floor.

They tiptoed rapidly back to the room with their equipment, wincing at each creak of the floorboards.

Maureene opened the door to their room a few minutes later. “Oh! I didn't know you were in here.”

Suki removed one of her audio earbuds. “Sorry, what did you say?”

Angus looked up from tapping on his computer's keys. “We were looking for someplace quiet where we could all work together, but it's not a problem to move.” His laptop screen was turned away from the door, so Maureene couldn't see the device was still powering up.

Michael glanced at his watch and closed the lid of his laptop. “I have a phone call I need to make anyway.”

Maureene stood aside as they went through the door.

Angus gave her a smile as he passed. “I hope we didn't disturb anyone. We had a rather heated discussion about pull quotes earlier.”

“I never heard a thing,” Maureene said.

“That's the beauty of these old houses. Thick walls.” Angus nodded at the lawyer. “Mr. Baumgartner.”

“Mr. MacGregor.” Baumgartner gestured for Maureene to precede him, then shut the door behind them.

Angus went to the door through which they had eavesdropped and peeked through. “All clear.” He pushed the door open. “I suppose I should go back to the conservatory and make sure the dog poop is taken care of.”

Suki sighed. “I'll go let Gigi out of Doreene's room.”

“I'm going to see if Detective Kroger is still around.” Michael followed Suki toward the front of the house.

When they got to the foyer, Suki went upstairs and Michael went outside. He spotted Kroger sitting in his unmarked police car, cell phone to his ear.

Michael waited until Kroger had hung up, then strolled down the sidewalk next to the car and waved at him through the window.

Kroger opened his door and got out. “Did you need to talk to me?”

“Not
need,
no.” Michael put his hands in his pockets. “So Maureene inherits after all.”

Kroger chuckled. “Did you ask Lupita, or do you have the house wired?”

“We eavesdropped. Angus is old-school.” Michael flicked a leaf off the hood of the car. “Are you bringing the portrait back?”

Kroger nodded. “I sent Madison to get it. If I tried to hold on to it, Ms. Pinter would get Baumgartner to hound us based on financial need, and I don't want the extra paperwork.”

“So as far as the police are concerned, Doreene's death was either accidental or a suicide.”

Kroger leaned against the side of the car. “The amount of painkillers in her system suggests she took one a little early or forgot and took an extra. She had cancer and a bad prognosis. She left something that could be construed as a suicide note. And finally, she was in a locked room.”

Michael gave him a wry look. “With a key code that everyone in the household knew.”

“Yeah…” Kroger crossed his arms, hunching slightly. “Sounds like they didn't know they knew.”

“And while Doreene died in the locked room, the portrait magically changed.”

Kroger made a face. “That's the part of the report I dread writing most. She must have pulled off all the crap and got rid of it somewhere.” He glanced at Michael. “I don't imagine you guys will go with that explanation.”

“Nooo. Our cover will probably say something like, ‘Portrait of Doreene Gray—Possessed Painting Promised Youth, Delivered Death.'”

“Kind of long.”

Michael shrugged. “Angus tends to be wordy.”

Suki came out the front door with Gigi at the end of a curlicued lead. The little dog took a moment to sniff a weed.

“Is that a phone cord you're using as a leash?” Michael asked as Suki and the dog approached.

“Hey—at least I'm taking her on a walk, which is more than any of them do.”

Gigi milled around Kroger's feet, sniffing his shoes.

“You in the market for a gently used Chihuahua?” Suki asked. “Only walked on Sundays by a little old lady.”

Kroger grunted a laugh. “We already have two Shih Tzus, thanks.”

They heard the front door shut and turned to see Angus coming down the walk.

He joined them. “I wondered where everyone had got to. Suki, is that a phone cord? There was a piece of clothesline on the dresser.”

“I didn't see it.”

Angus turned to Kroger. “So the painting is coming home and the case is closed?”

“Yeah.”

Angus rubbed his hands together briskly. “This story is going to catapult
Tripping
into the ether. Bizarre happenings surround uncanny artwork. A rich socialite dies mysteriously. Shocking return of a supposedly dead spouse. The exotic young lover, disinherited.”

“Exit, pursued by a bear,” Michael said.

Angus's smile faded. “I do feel a bit sorry for Reynaldo. Do you think Maureene will help him get back to Brazil?”

Kroger raised his brows. “You don't think he'll stay here with the daughter?”

Suki gave a bark of laughter, startling Gigi. “Lyndsay will kick him to the curb now that he's broke.”

Kroger nodded once. “Maybe the town will take up a collection for him.” He pushed away from the car and looked down the block as a white van approached. “Here comes the portrait.”

“That was quick,” Michael said.

“It was already packed. Max Thorne came to the station with the shipping case and gave us hell about how we were storing it.” Kroger sighed. “I'll be glad to be done with this case.”

The van pulled up behind Kroger's car and parked next to the curb. Officer Madison got out and pointed the key fob at the van to unlock all the doors.

He and Detective Kroger walked to the back of the van and opened it. Madison climbed in. The crate lay on its side, and measured about six inches on a side larger than the painting's roughly two by two-and-a-half-feet dimensions. Madison raised the crate to sit on one end, then scooted it across the floor to the edge. Kroger held it steady while Madison jumped to the ground. They lifted it out together.

“Can someone get the door to the house?” Kroger called.

Michael trotted to the house and held open the door. Angus followed more slowly. Suki stayed back, making sure Gigi didn't get stepped on. When everyone else was inside, she picked up the dog and followed.

Kroger and the cop shuffled to the middle of the floor and carefully lowered the crate to sit on its edge.

Suki trotted past them and up the staircase, carrying Gigi.

“Where are you going?” Angus asked. “You'll miss it!”

“Camera!” Suki called down, already on the second landing.

Lupita came in, looking curious.

“Where's Ms. Pinter?” Detective Kroger asked her.

Lupita stared at the crate, her eyes narrowed. “Still with the lawyer, I think. I'll tell her it's here.”

While they waited, Kroger examined the top of the crate. “I suppose Ms. Pinter will want to check the portrait for damage.” He flipped up a couple of hasps. “These must be for padlocks.”

Suki came running down the stairs, carrying a camera and tripod. She set them up in a few deft movements, powered on the camera, and flipped out the LCD screen. Then she picked up the camera, still staring at the screen, and moved around the room before settling on a spot.

Michael looked toward the interior of the house and saw Maureene and Baumgartner walking through the rooms toward them. “Here they come.”

They waited in expectant silence until Maureene entered the room.

“Do you want to see it?” Detective Kroger asked.

“Yes, please.” Maureene clasped her hands together and rubbed the fingers of one hand with the others.

Michael leaned toward Angus and whispered, “Someone should really approach this family about doing a reality TV show. All this scene lacks is a minor-key soundtrack, heavy on the drums.”

“Shh,” Angus said.

Kroger flipped back the hinged, wooden lid and looked inside. “Officer Madison.”

“Do you want me to lift it out, sir?”

Kroger jerked his head toward the opening of the box.

Madison came over and looked into the crate, hands poised to grasp the portrait's edge. He looked up at Kroger instead, and blinked. “I saw him put it in the box, sir. I
helped.
”

“Then where is it?” Kroger asked.

“Are you saying it's gone?” Maureene cried.

Everyone but Suki crowded around the shipping container, jockeying for a better view. Ridges of molded foam jutted from the inner sides of the crate, affixed to strips of Velcro. The space between them was empty.

Michael whipped out his digital recorder as everyone babbled questions. Then he gave his place to Suki, who had taken her camera off its tripod.

She held it over the crate while it flashed several times in succession.

Kroger winced and held up both hands, leaving his officer to grab the crate and steady it. “Everyone be quiet, please!” In the ensuing silence, he addressed Officer Madison. “When did you last see the painting?”

“Yesterday, sir. I accompanied Mr. Thorne to the evidence room.”

“Good. Now tell me exactly what happened.”

“He brought a protective bag, in addition to the crate. I held the bag while he put the painting in it. He slid the painting into the crate, which I held. He adjusted some of the foam pieces and closed the crate.”

“And then both of you left.”

“Yes, sir.”

Kroger took a deep breath. “You didn't leave him alone in the room at any time?”

Officer Madison looked wounded. “No, sir.”

Maureene broke in. “One of your people must have stolen it. Everyone knows how valuable it is.”

“That is extremely unlikely.” Kroger flipped the top of the crate closed, narrowly avoiding Officer Madison's fingers. “There's a security camera inside the evidence room. We'll be checking it.” He turned to his officer. “Did you stop anywhere on your way here?”

Madison flushed red. “The van was low on gas, sir, so I stopped at a filling station. But I paid at the pump! I never left the van.”

“We'll check their security footage, if they have any.” Kroger thought for a moment. “You did
lock
the van, right?”

“It's an automatic lock, sir.”

“And we're sure it's functioning correctly?”

Officer Madison looked panicky. “If you can hold this, sir, I'll check right now.” He left the crate in Kroger's grip and trotted out the door.

Kroger caught Michael's eye. “Grab the other end of this, will you? Let's put it against that wall.” He jerked his head toward the wall opposite the stairwell.

Michael stashed his recorder in his pocket and took the other side of the crate.

He and Kroger lifted it and leaned it carefully against the wall.

“You'll take fingerprints from that, right?” Maureene asked.

“From the metal parts,” Kroger said, brushing off his hands. “But I doubt it will come to that. There's got to be some logical explanation.” His dour expression lightened slightly. “Maybe Denton took the wrong crate out of the room. There's a ton of stuff in there, and things get moved around a lot.”

Maureene looked relieved. “That must be it.”

The front door opened and Lyndsay and Reynaldo came in.

“What's going on now?” Lyndsay demanded. “That policeman outside keeps starting and stopping a van and then running around to check the back doors.” She caught sight of the crate and her mouth pursed as if she tasted something sour. “I see the portrait is back now that Reynaldo doesn't inherit.”

Kroger looked at Maureene, as if hoping she would explain the situation. When she didn't say anything, he squared his shoulders slightly. “The painting isn't where we thought it was. We're—”

“You
lost
it?” Lyndsay's expression transformed from disbelief to rage.

Kroger went on, his voice a little overloud. “We're looking into the situation and expect to have it resolved shortly. There may have been a mix-up in the evidence room.”

“Are you saying you got the painting confused with some
other
portrait of my aunt?” Lyndsay caught sight of the crate and went over to it. “Is it in here? Because I would love to see what you thought was the right painting.” She lifted the lid and looked inside. “This is empty.”

“That's the problem,” Kroger said stiffly.

Lyndsay began to laugh. “Doreene kept that painting in a locked room that everyone knew the code to, for decades, and someone stole it while it was at the police station!”

“Perhaps it wasn't stolen,” Angus said over her laughter. When all eyes were on him, he went on. “Perhaps with Doreene gone, it has been slowly disappearing.”

Maureene pointed at him. “Get your things and get out.”

“I understand that you're distraught,” Angus began.

Maureene turned to Detective Kroger. “If they're not out in fifteen minutes, I want you to arrest them for trespassing.”

 

Twenty-three

The staff of
Tripping
magazine trudged down the sidewalk, away from the house.

Michael tried to fasten the closure on his leather carry-on bag as they walked. “Couldn't resist, could you? Had to go for the dramatic statement.”

“Ach, someone was bound to kick us out sooner or later,” Angus said.

Suki glanced back and groaned.

“What?” Michael asked. He and Angus turned to look.

Framed in the front window, Gigi stood on the back of a chair, gazing out at them. As they watched, she lifted one paw.

Suki hung her head and turned away. “I'll call Kroger and tell him he has to get her out of there.” Her voice was husky, and she cleared her throat as she walked on. “There's no way she can stay with those people. They're unfit.”