“It’s a Castille,” Maurice said.
“Yes, I’m familiar with the artist.” Tinsley tried to keep calm as she looked up at Maurice. “It’s stunning. Do you have the provenance papers for it?”
She was expecting the interview to end now, but Maurice reached into his pocket and pulled out an envelope and handed it to her. Tinsley opened it up and looked for Ellery’s signature, but it wasn’t there. The papers were forged. The scary part was that they were forged very well. If it wasn’t that she personally knew the provenance of this painting, she’d never have known it was stolen.
“Can you sell it?” Maurice asked.
Tinsley stared at the papers, trying to decide her next course. Timid Tinsley would say sorry. She couldn’t. Maybe it was the lack of sleep or maybe it was because she wanted to be seen as more than nice, safe, predictable Tinsley, so she nodded her head.
“Yes, I can sell it. I’d be honored to.”
“Do you think you can sell it fast? We need to buy a hospital bed and the nurse said she’d only wait a couple of weeks for us to decide if we can hire her.” Tinsley glanced up at Maurice. He looked so sincere that it angered her.
“I think so. I have a large base of private buyers who have me keeping an eye out for special pieces. We can sign the paperwork if you wish to move forward.”
“Paperwork?” Maurice asked as if he weren’t prepared for that.
“Yes,” Tinsley smiled pleasantly at him. “It authorizes me to sell it on your grandmother’s behalf and keeps the provenance nice and clean. It also lays out a timeline, such as I have ninety days to sell it, and it also states what you’re willing to sell the painting for as well as what my commission is. No gallery can sell artwork without it. Thanks, lawyers,” Tinsley laughed.
“Of course. Let’s do it. I really like you and think you’ll treat this piece of my family well.”
“Then follow me to the desk back here and I’ll get everything in order.” Tinsley walked to the sales desk and fought her desire to call Granger, the town’s sheriff, or to text Paxton to get over here right away. Instead, she’d hand them their case with the thief literally signing on the dotted line.
“My commission is twenty-five percent of the sale price,” Tinsley said as she reached into the folder to pull out a listing agreement. “If you could fill in all the contact information, I’ll copy the provenance for you. I’ll also need your power of attorney.”
“I keep the provenance, right?” he asked as he took a seat.
“I keep the original to pass along to the buyer, but you’ll keep the copy.”
Maurice nodded as he picked up a pen. “I haven’t done this before. I’m not familiar with how it works.” He gave a self-deprecating laugh and Tinsley would have thought charming if she didn’t know he was scamming her.
“I’m here to help. Fill that out and grab the painting while I try to figure out a sale price.”
Maurice nodded as he went to work on the form. Tinsley took the paperwork and went into the office. She sent a text to Granger but didn’t hear back so she sent one to Kord, Granger’s deputy. Still nothing and now the bell had chimed twice, meaning Maurice was back with the painting.
“I have the painting,” she heard Maurice call out.
Tinsley rushed from the office with the copies made. “Oh, it’s just stunning. Castille is so bold that it just moves you.”
“What do you think you can sell it for?”
Tinsley knew what it would go for. One hundred thousand or more. “Well, it depends. Do you want me to hold it for the best price or the fastest price?”
“Fastest,” Maurice answered instantly.
“Castille goes from sixty thousand to four hundred thousand. This one would go for a hundred thousand, give or take twenty thousand, at top price.”
“And for the fast price?” Maurice asked.
“Seventy or so.”
“So, on the contract I’ll authorize a sale from sixty thousand up?” Maurice asked as Tinsley took the painting from him and set it on an empty easel.
“I think you can get more than sixty, but if you want to put that as your bottom price, I will do everything I can to stay away from it. After all, the more I sell it for the more you make, plus the more I make.” Tinsley thought he’d appreciate that and his broad smile showed he did.
“Deal. My grandma could really use the money so if you can sell it fast, that would be best.”
“Bless her heart. I’ll pray for her. If you need any more paintings sold, please let me know. I have a big database of private buyers who would love the first shot at paintings like this.”
“That would be great. Thank you, Tinsley.” Maurice shook her hand and left the gallery with a little pep to his step. Tinsley watched him go and felt a surge of satisfaction that she was going to take him down. Even though he was very polite, the fastest way you could get on Tinsley’s bad side was to steal art. She locked the front door after him and pulled out her cell phone.
“Tinsley, I can’t talk right now. I’m at a crime scene,” Paxton said the second he answered the phone.
“Does this crime involve a stolen Castille?” Tinsley asked with a smile on her face. She knew by his silence she’d surprised him and that was just plain fun.
“How do you know that?” Paxton asked slowly. She heard the background noise fade as he walked someplace more private.
“Because I’m looking at it.”
“I’m coming.”
The line went dead and Tinsley’s giggles evaporated into lust-filled clouds that stormed through her body. Paxton didn’t know that what he’d just said had been featured prominently in her
