Page 38 of Whispers of Sin
“You’re right,” Lorelei murmured after clearing her throat. “Bella would have loved this event.”
Chapter Eighteen
Sylvie Deering
December 2023
Thursday — 8:36pm
Sylvieraisedthedelicatecrystal flute to her lips, pausing for a moment to savor the sight of the tiny bubbles that danced up to the surface of the golden liquid. The gallery’s soft lighting had produced shimmering reflections from the numerous glasses being held by the attendees, and the polished floor mirrored the bursting carbonation. She finally tilted the glass, but she only allowed the sweet beverage to coat her upper lip. Her subtle action gave the appearance that she was enjoying the evening’s event.
“I’ve discovered a blind spot in the gallery’s security feed.” Bit’s voice had come through loud and clear in her earpiece. Theo and Brook would have heard his transmission, as well. “The veiled area is right behind the middle wall of the gallery that has Lauren Kim’s featured artwork displayed, which also contains the entrance to the small restroom.”
Theo was currently speaking with Michael Davis, and Brook was having an in-depth conversation with Lorelei Jameson. Neither were near the area that Bit had pointed out, not that any of them expected much to happen this evening. The unsub had taken a year in between her kills, and the murders hadn’t been at random. What could transpire was the unsub caving under the spotlight. If the killer experienced a moment of panic, there was a good chance that such a response would reveal her identity.
Was Maxwell Vanderbilt the reason behind the unsub’s decision to target Bella Kadel and Piper Zimmer? Or was it someone else who had ties to both victims?
Michael Davis could potentially be the killer’s motivation, but after Sylvie’s discussion with Spencer Bullard, he was now in the mix, as well. Spencer’s mother had been very close friends with Piper’s family. Even though Spencer and Piper hadn’t carried over that friendship into their own separate lives, that meant nothing in the grand scheme of things.
“I need a smoke,” Detective Hartley muttered as he stood next to her. Sylvie had noticed the way his muscles had tensed upon monitoring the entrance of the Jamesons. He raised his hand to capture the attention of the individual who’d taken their coats earlier. “I’ll be back in five, Sylvie.”
Hartley began to walk toward the front entrance before Sylvie could respond to him. He’d actually been the one to bring up Spencer’s mother. Bit had no doubt recorded the connection, and the team would go over everything they had learned this evening in tomorrow morning’s meeting. If all worked out as planned, Sylvie would be able to drive back to the city before noon.
“I’ll make my way over to the location of the blind spot,” Sylvie murmured, knowing that Bit would let the others know that she was moving positions.
There was an annoying smudge on her glasses that had come from one of the tiny bubbles in the champagne, but Sylvie did her best to ignore it as she began to make her way across the gallery. The black evening gown that she’d chosen at the boutique a few storefronts down had been elegant yet understated. Since she had an aversion to contacts, she always did her best to ensure that her black-rimmed glasses didn’t stand out too much.
“…where Maxwell went?”
Sylvie heard the question before she rounded the corner of the middle wall.
“Maxwell went out to his car,” Adeline responded quietly as Sylvie came to the edge of the freestanding wall. Thankfully, the woman’s back was to Sylvie. “He said he forgot something, so he should be back any second. I meant to tell you earlier that you’ve outdone yourself tonight, Sophia. The way you chose to display the paintings allows each of them to stand on their own.”
Sylvie stood in front of a smaller painting that most would believe involved death. Some might even say that the artwork represented the darkness of humanity, but Sylvie wanted to believe that the streak of color meant optimism during the darkest of times. While she would never purchase something so unsettling, the differences of opinions regarding Lauren Kim’s work had Sylvie contemplating something else entirely.
“Thank you,” Sophia replied in kind. There was pure surprise in her tone. “I don’t mean to overstep, but I didn’t realize that you and Maxwell were so close. He rarely allows anyone to have a private viewing. He also mentioned this afternoon that you used to be Bella’s neighbor. Were the two of you close?”
“No,” Adeline replied as she shifted her weight. She was wearing a dark green gown that highlighted her long red hair as it rested against the shimmering fabric. “Maxwell and I aren’t close, either. We actually met at another gallery by happenstance. He understands my love of the arts, and he was gracious enough to allow me a private viewing. I’m Adeline Murphy, by the way. I teach art at the elementary school.”
Sylvie continued to study the small canvas in front of her as the two women made proper introductions. The artwork hadn’t been framed like it had on some of the others. There was a small, round sticker that clearly stated the painting had been sold.
Adeline hadn’t technically lied to Brook during their previous conversation, but the elementary school teacher also hadn’t been truthful. Shewasacquainted with Vanderbilt, just as she clearly enjoyed Lauren Kim’s style of art.
“It took me a while to find the footage, but Adeline Murphy arrived at the gallery five hours prior to the opening of tonight’s exhibit,” Bit said, and it was clear from his tone that he’d discovered something else of interest. “She used the back entrance. Get this—she was already dressed in her evening gown.”
Adeline Murphy had remained inside the gallery for the entire five hours beforehand, plus the hours since the event had opened its doors. Sylvie wasn’t well acquainted with how the art world worked, but that seemed a bit extreme to her.
“Vanderbilt is walking back to the gallery from his car,” Bit advised the group.
Sylvie moved slightly to the left so that she could gauge the positions of Brook and Theo. Theo was speaking with Michael Davis, and Brook was near Lorelei as their client mingled with the other guests. Sylvie hadn’t realized that Lauren Kim’s art would be such a huge draw. Unless the majority of the people only attended for the sake of being in the presence of the other wealthy individuals. Why pass up an opportunity to make business connections? This would certainly be the event to take advantage of for such things.
The gallery was now buzzing like a hive, voices blending into a discord of various topics. Some were talking about current events, a few were giving their opinions of the paintings, but most seemed to be focused on Lorelei Jameson.
“…sorry about the delay, Edna. I’d left my heart medication in the car. I don’t want to get another lecture from your husband at my next cardiology appointment.”
“Henry is just trying to keep you healthy, Maxwell,” an older, sophisticated woman said as Maxwell Vanderbilt paused to speak to her after materializing from the back of the gallery. “I must say that I am thrilled you finally allowed Ms. Kim to showcase her paintings. I purchased one of her earlier works. They add an air of mystery to our private library.”
As the two of them continued with their conversation, the stark contrast between Maxwell’s enthusiasm and Bella’s staunch opposition to Lauren Kim’s work gnawed at Sylvie’s curiosity.