Page 9 of Built of Illusions

Josie knew he didn’t have a clue how that comment cut her. She’d worked too hard over the years to make ends meet and to create a name for herself in the art world to have cultivated a group of friends. She had lots of people she knew and liked, but no one to call for something like this. Her life wasn’t anything like his, or like the lives his friends were living up at Midnight Lake, Vermont. “No crew. I’ve got it covered.”

His frown deepened. “Not if you don’t have a crew.”

“I’m fine, Nico. Turn left here and then it’s halfway down the block on the right.”

He followed her instructions, both the directional one and the one to change the subject. When he slowed down near her building, she pointed and he pulled over into an empty spot.

She hopped out of the car before he’d put it in park.

“I’ll walk you up.”

“No need. Thanks for the lift, Nico. See you later.”

She closed the door but the window zipped down before she’d reached the building’s door.

“I’ll be here tomorrow at nine. I’ll bring coffee.”

She whirled around. “You don’t have to—”

But the window was closed again and Nico waved as he pulled into traffic.

Josie moved into the building and jogged up the stairs to her apartment in a daze. She could call him and tell him not to come, but she knew he wouldn’t listen. He probably wouldn’t even answer her call.

She bolted her apartment door and leaned against it. At least the tiny space was clean. Most of her boxes were already packed and stacked in the living space.

What would Nico think as he looked around?

And why did it matter?

Chapter 4

Low Profile

Nico woke up from a crappy sleep in an equally crappy mood. He was a selfish jerk. He’d never realized Josie struggled for money. It had never once crossed his mind. She was always happy and put together. She refused money for her time working with the FBI. A job she continued to do despite the enormous emotional toll it had on her every single time.

He’d wondered about her past before. There had to have been something that triggered her offer to assist with sketch artist's duties. But Josie Ellis was skilled at deflecting attention from herself back to the person asking the questions.

As a profiler, Nico had respected her skill and hadn’t pushed for more than she was comfortable giving.

Her apartment building had at least had a buzzer system, but it appeared there’d been no effort to clean the door or the lobby in a long time. Litter gathered in the corners. Some of the windows were cracked and there’d been more than a few sidewalk sleepers huddled in doorways along the street.

After moving into traffic so she wouldn’t argue with him, Nico had made a U-turn and ensured she’d entered the building safely. Then he’d waited to see if a light had turned on in what he could see of the building. Less than a minute after she’d entered, a light had lit behind a curtain on the fourth floor.

Once he’d returned home, he’d typed Josie’s name into the search box on his laptop. She was a talented artist, which he’d already known. He didn’t know much about the art world, but he assumed it was a difficult one to enter.

Sure, lots of art sold for millions, but that was only for those who’d reached the pinnacle and most of those people were dead. More research told him that the vast majority of artists didn’t make enough to live above the poverty line.

Josie’s website was clean and classy, showcasing her work. Sculpture, paintings, sketches, and photography. There were mentions of a few showings at one of the galleries in the city.

Nico knew one of Tansy’s cousins in Bloo Moose was a photographer as well. Maybe he should hook Lil LaChance up with Josie. She’d had a successful gallery showing up in Boston. Nico had gone through the exhibit with Joe, Tansy, and Sam. It had been his first exhibit and he hadn’t expected to have such an emotional reaction to art. But the power of Lil’s message had stuck with him. He could still see many of the photos in his head.

Josie’s work on the website caused similar reactions. She showcased both the dark and the light while focusing on humanity and all of its foibles.

Deciding he liked her work and that his floor of the house he shared with Joe could use some sprucing up, he ordered a few prints and a smooth black sculpture that didn’t have a shape he could name, but that called to him regardless. Contained power waiting to be unleashed.

When his timer beeped, he closed up the laptop and grabbed his keys. He’d given himself time to grab coffee before arriving at Josie’s early in case she decided to bail even earlier to avoid him.

He pulled into a nearby slot and prayed to the car gods that his baby would be in good condition when he returned. As he stepped on the sidewalk, he spotted two teens ogling the car. With a grin he walked to them and held up two twenties. “I’m going to be less than an hour. If my car remains untouched, there’s two more of these coming your way. Deal?”