by Olivia Swift
“Fantastic,” she breathed. “Thanks so much, Jerry. That was just what I needed.” Her mother had a slightly softer style, but the two of them were both stunning. Rick was like a cat with the cream when he took his two favorite women out to the gallery. They all sensed that somehow it was important to appear confident and successful. There was a private parking area and they walked together the few yards to the gallery entrance. The gallery was not huge but had all the signs of a successful place that did not need to advertise. It was discreet but opulent at the same time and sparse enough to let the artwork speak for itself. Rick ushered his two ladies inside and handed over the invitations. They were offered drinks and given lists of the exhibition pieces on offer. Young men and women made the usual welcome noises and they moved inside. Jules spotted them across the room and made his way across. He kissed the women on both cheeks and thanked them for coming.
“There is a mountain picture in the exhibition as well, and the black speck on the ice wall is Evan.” He laughed. “You are not the only model here. Come and meet the owner of the gallery---Valeriana Purvis.” He led them to the next room to meet a woman in her forties; she was wearing a smart suit and was keeping her eye on everything that was happening. There were a lot of people already viewing and a hum of conversation joined with the subtle background piano music.
Ms Purvis made a point of knowing who anyone was that had enough money to buy from her gallery. When she was introduced to Rick Hollenbeck, she said she was delighted to have new people look at her gallery. She asked if he was Hollenbeck Wholesalers and positively glowed at the man. Miller was wearing a two-piece suit in the palest of blue with a collar that came across diagonally and made a beautiful line up to her face. The makeup and hair expertly done completely disguised the fact that she was the same girl as the one in the picture. As far as Valeriana was concerned, the two women were just with the man. This was not lost on either of them, and Jules said he would give his friends a tour of the exhibition without saying that Miller was the girl in the picture.
“She never recognized me,” Miller whispered to her mom, and the two women smiled at each other conspiratorially. “She was all over dad like a rash,” she added, and her mother said drily that she had noticed that as well. The picture was displayed as part of photographic works of art and was over a meter high. Miller was a bit taken aback at the size, but her parents were amazed at how striking it was. They were admiring it and looking for the mountain one when Jazz, Evan, and the rest appeared and came over to make quite a large group. Katarina had opted to babysit and Ben was at work, but the rest of the barbecue party were all present and all dressed up for the occasion.
Valeriana appeared and gushed over Evan.
“How lovely to meet you again,” she cooed. Carly made a finger in the mouth gesture to indicate how sickening the woman was. Evan smiled benignly and introduced his wife, brother, sister-in-law, and friends. Valeriana had already figured that they were not rich enough and gave them the briefest of handshakes. Then she saw someone from the corner of her eye and rushed away.
“Ye gods, that woman is vile,” Evan said under his breath. “Can you see why I hate book signings and exhibitions and the like?” The others agreed, but Miller had found the mountain picture and they all looked hard at the tiny black speck that was Evan Sutherland on the Matterhorn.
Jules was standing with the Hollenbecks and Miller, looking at the door photograph, when two women joined them, along with Valeriana. One was an older woman wearing a dress that was too young for her face. She was overly made up but wore so many diamond rings that it was a wonder she could lift her hands. The younger woman was exquisite with a porcelain complexion, black hair that positively gleamed, and a soft wool dress that was so severely simple that it must have cost a fortune. She wore some jewelry but was more restrained.
“Mother,” Jules exclaimed. “This is not your usual entertainment.” He kissed the older woman on the cheek and turned to introduce her when the younger one wrapped herself around him.
“Jules, my sweetheart. Where have you been hiding yourself? I have missed you soooo much.” He extricated himself but she held onto his arm possessively. Still clutching his arm, she gazed at the photo on the wall. “Well, where on earth did you find your little working girl? It is an excellent picture as always. Has she been entertaining you, my sweetie? Time to come home to momma I think.” She reached up to kiss his cheek, but he pushed her away.
“Glenda, do not be ridiculous,” he said. “You are making a fool of yourself.”
“Like you and the little worker in the photo. You did promise to accompany me to Marsha’s wedding, remember?” His mother put in that she expected him to be there and not to disappoint his oldest friend. Valeriana tried to intervene at this point because other patrons were gazing in undisguised curiosity, but Miller took the initiative. She pulled the diamante from her hair and shook out the mop of ginger curls, and then she opened the jacket of her suit and put her hands on her hips. She stood in front of the picture.
“Well, Glenda, whatever your name is, this is the girl in the picture. Some of us have brains to do more than just be a clotheshorse.” Her mother stood beside her and Jazz, with the other friends, gave her a round of applause and closed ranks. In fact, some of the other customers clapped as well. Glenda was nonplussed and found no immediate reply.
“You will pay for that, little peasant girl,” she hissed and stalked away after Jules’s mother who was telling Valeriana that the tone of the place was worse than it used to be.
“Try it,” Miller replied loudly to the woman’s rigid back.
Two of the attendants at the gallery came and took down the picture of the door and the one of the mountains and took them away. Mrs Callander turned and demanded that her son take her away from all of this uproar. Jules looked imploringly at Miller, but she turned on her heel and stalked to the door.
“Let’s find your father and leave this dump,” Maddie said loudly, and together with the others, they all moved towards the door. When they reached the office door of Valeriana Purvis, she was listening to Rick and holding a check. The attendants were waiting to carry the pictures to the car.
“I know Reg Buttoni very well,” he was saying. “If you want to keep your backer sweet on this gallery, then there will be no mention of this upset or these photos ever again. You’ve gotten a good price; think yourself lucky, Ms Purvis.” He turned to see his wife and daughter waiting with their friends and smiled. “Evan and Dex, if you can carry these to the car for me, that would be great.” They drove away in separate cars, and in the back of her father’s car, the tears started and Miller leaned against her mother in despair.
“Stay here tonight,” Maddie told her daughter. Miller nodded and switched off her phone.
“How could she be like that? “
“Bitch,” her mother added obligingly.
“I still love that picture and I wanted to buy it anyway,” her dad said. “Everything will seem better in the morning. You’ll see.” But although she took an aspirin and snuggled into her old room, he was wrong about one thing. It wasn’t better in the morning.
7
Miller lay in bed and kept her eyes closed. The scene of that ghastly woman came back over and over again as she clung onto Jules’s arm and his equally ghastly mother encouraged it. It had been so unexpected and such a shock to find that Jules Callander had never told her about this creature. He had seemed so genuine, so enthusiastic about her new business and those heart-stopping kisses. She remembered the gallery and Valeriana taking her dad’s check. The woman was money mad and the gallery was awful. She cautiously opened her eyes and pushed up to a sitting position. The misery started to change into anger, and she wrapped a robe around herself and went in search of breakfast.
Maddie and Rick were already eating in the large and superbly fitted kitchen. Miller went and kissed her stepdad on the top of the head.
“Thanks,” she simply said, and poured
a coffee. Her mother started some pancakes.
“Comfort food,” she called, as she cooked and brought them across to Miller.
“Thanks, Mom.” She smiled for the first time. “I am not going to sit still and let it get to me. Jules can go stew himself somewhere with the revolting Glenda.”
“Are you going into work?” her dad asked. “I can call in for you,” he offered.
“Thanks,” she said through bites of her pancakes. “Tell them I need a day of my holidays please.” Rick pulled out a cell phone and asked her for the number.
“The idea about the upcycling was a good one, and I am not going to let the scene at the gallery stop me,” she added.
“I’m glad,” her mom answered. “You are welcome to stay here for awhile if you like.” They both looked at Rick because his reaction to whoever was on the phone was fury--controlled fury but still fury. They waited while he told the person on the other end that it was not legal and they had better prepare themselves for a visit from his lawyers. He switched off and took a deep breath.
“That was Cardoon, the moron,” he said, “and he has fired you effective immediately.”
“What?” Maddie exclaimed but Miller burst out laughing and put her arms around her dad’s neck.
“Thanks for making the call. I am free. I don’t have to go back there.” She did a little happy dance around the kitchen and ate some more pancake. Rick smiled broadly and said he had never liked her working there, but he would still frighten them with threats of a court case.
“I’ll enjoy doing that,” he grinned. “I would like to know who put him up to it and maybe a few phone calls will tell me the answer.”
“So, what is your plan?” Maddie asked her daughter, and Miller said that she would call Jazz and see how they were feeling.
“Then I will collect the console table and sander to start work. I have online sales places to find out about and my phone can stay switched off.”
She rang Jazz and Evan answered.
“Come over,” he said. “We want to see you.” After a shower and finding some clothes that were suitable, she borrowed a car and set off for Chestnut Hall.
Little Molly Kim was in a baby basket, and Jazz came and flung her arms around Miller.
“Oh, I am so sorry it all went so wrong,” she said. Miller determinedly fought back a tear and tried to smile.
“Me too,” Evan said from the coffee machine.
“You haven’t heard it all yet,” Miller told them, as Carly knocked and came through as well.
“What?” The others chorused together.
“Somebody got to the horrendous Cardoon and he has fired me.” The others looked horrified but Miller laughed out loud.
“That is wonderful. I am free of the horrible place.” She danced around the kitchen and kissed the baby on the head. “Dad threatened them with a court case, which he won’t do, but it might give them a shock.”
“And you were magnificent at the gallery,” Carly said. “Magnificent.”
“Have you heard from Jules?” Evan asked, and her face clouded over for the first time as she shook her head. “I’ve tried and tried to reach him,” Evan went on, “but his phone is off. I just cannot believe that awful Glenda means anything to him. He hates the life his parents lead; his mother is particularly horrible, and his father is very much under her thumb.”
“Well, he can just join them and leave his phone off. The idea of the furniture is good and I am not going to give up.”
“That is great,” Carly said. “His mother was absolutely horrible--all those gaudy diamonds in clumsy settings.” Jazz laughed.
“That’s right. Home in on the awful jewelry.” Miller answered. “Didn’t hold a candle to Not a patch your works of art.”
“Or yours,” Carly added. “And if you would like to work in the back of the shop or on the first floor, you are very welcome. I’m on my way there in a few minutes.”
“Wow. That is a lovely idea. Thanks,” Miller answered. “I would love that. I don’t want to stay in the house by myself.” Carly agreed to follow her to the house and help take her things to the shop; she went back into her own end of Chestnut Hall to collect her things. Jazz hugged her friend.
“It will work out in the end,” she said.
“Thank goodness for friends and great family,” Miller answered. Carly shook her car keys to say she was ready.
“I’ll still try and reach him,” Evan called as they left. “I cannot believe he would just walk away. I know him too well. Something must be wrong.” He picked the phone up and dialed even as he finished speaking.
The two girls parked and walked towards Miller’s house, then they stopped short. The beautiful door was still in place but covered in black paint where somebody had thrown great splotches at the door, and it had run down in ugly streams. Carly grabbed Miller’s arm.
“Oh, no,” Miller cried and rushed forward.
“Don’t touch it; we need the police,” Carly told her. “Try and open the door without touching the woodwork.” Miller turned the key and stepped inside. She held her breath in case someone had been inside the house as well, but all seemed untouched. The pieces she would sell were safe and sound. She sank onto a chair and Carly called Dex.
“On our way,” he said. “Sit tight.” Carly started to make some coffee as Miller sat and shook on the chair.
“How can anything that seemed so right, go so badly wrong?” she asked the air around her. Carly handed her a coffee.
“Take a few sips. The others are on their way.” Then she pulled open the front door. “This paint is still wet; it cannot have been done very long ago.”
“I’ll call Dad before I call the police,” Miller said. She pulled out her phone and took photos of the door. “I learned one thing from Jules. Take photos of everything.” Then she stomped up and down. “I am so angry now. Who would want to spoil a perfectly good door?”
“Good question,” Carly said. “What about Valeriana Purvis or Glenda whatever her name was?”
“Or even the awful Cardoon,” Dex added as he had heard what Carly was saying as he arrived. Evan and Jazz followed with the baby in a sling, and they all gazed at the door in horror.
“Whoever it was, they were idiotic and brainless,” Miller told them. “The priceless and irreplaceable part of the door is the glass and they left that untouched.”
“Is everything else all right?” Evan asked. “Have you checked the whole house?”
“Not everywhere,” she answered, and they walked through the whole place. “Nothing seems to be missing.”
“I think you should move all the items to sell and to be worked on down to the shop. We can use all of the first floor. It’s not being used for anything else,” Carly suggested, and Miller said that would be a good idea. Rick Hollenbeck arrived with a screech of wheels and stared at the ruined door. Miller came and put her arms around his waist.
“There seems to be a bit of a pattern, don’t you think?” he asked them all. “She gets the sack and someone ruins the door. Who might be behind that?” The others went over what they had already thought, and Miller asked if she should call the police. Rick shook his head.
“Let’s make sure we have photos and keep everything safe, then we’ll wait and see if anything else happens. We need to keep you safe.” They all agreed and started to collect the things to take to the shop. Miller packed her personal things as well and gave them to Rick to take home.
“I’ll let that dry and then sand it all off again. It is mendable,” Miller said as she locked the door. “Sad that two weeks ago Jules and I hung the door and took the photo,” she sighed, and Carly said that she would read the crystals for her. “Things will turn for the better.” Miller didn’t think so, but took the last of her tools to the car and didn’t look back at the spoiled door. They had used Dex’s car as well and he followed them down the road.
Evan let his wife drive and put the baby in the car seat. She waved her little han
ds and he kissed Jazz
* * *
“We are so lucky. I have to find Jules. There is something strange here.”
“Try again then,” Jazz said as she set the car in motion. “Try the main house instead of his cell.” That seemed another avenue to pursue, and he looked up the number the family home of the Callanders. It rang several times and then a smooth female voice asked if she could be of any assistance.
“I would like to speak to Jules, please,” he said but was told there was no one of that name there.
“I am a friend of his and need to contact him about a photo shoot,” he lied, but the woman persisted that there was no one of that name at that address.
“May I speak with Mrs Callander then, please?” he asked. “It really is important.” He was told to hold the line and she would see if someone would speak to him. The voice that spoke next was definitely Jules’s mother. Evan recognized the tone.
“Hello, Mrs Callander. I would like to talk to Jules about some photographs, but he is not answering his telephone,” Evan said as civilly as he could manage.
“I am sorry you are having problems, but there is no one by that name at this address. I do not have a son any longer, and I do not need any more disturbance.” There was a click and Evan sat motionless and staring into space.
“What? What?” Jazz asked.
“Turn around and go to the shop,” he said, and told her what the woman had said. Carly and Miller were surprised to see them so soon and took the baby into the rear of the shop.
“There must be something wrong,” Carly said. Miller stood with her hand to her mouth and wondered what on earth could go amiss now. Evan told them that he had tried to find Jules.
