Page 127 of Over Her Dead Body

The man behind the desk follows my gaze.

“Everything in this room is mine.”

“The landscape. Did you choose it?”

“Why?”

“Because someone knew what they were buying.”

He looks back at me.

I swallow. My left hand throbs in the guard’s grip.

“This was one of my first purchases.”

“May I take a closer look?”

“Why?”

“Because this one is different.”

His eyes move to the landscape.

“The others are downstairs. They’re meant to be seen.”

“And this?”

“You keep it here.”

He looks back at me.

“Close.”

I let that sit for a second.

“You don’t include this in the collection?”

“No.”

“It’s personal. You keep it in here because you want it close.”

His eyes move to the painting.

“A gift?”

He angles his chair toward the landscape.

I motion toward the painting. “May I?”

His gaze drops to my hand.

“I’m not planning to touch it.”

He considers me.

Then he nods to the guard.

“Let her.”