“Why?” Gypsy frowned.
“Brandon and Douglas are police officers back home,” Angie said as she kissed her daughter’s temple. “Brandon stayed to talk to the police with Douglas, more in a support role because he wasn’t there. What happened?”
“No clue.” Wanda leaned back and winced. “All I know is we were at the gallery and Sean, and his datejoined us. Douglas and Trish walked up, they seemed angry and the next thing I know I’m on the floor in pain. I looked over, and Sean was bleeding on the floor, and Trish was trying to help him. Oh my god, where’s Trish, she isn’t hurt, is she?”
“No. She sent me with you. She was staying with Douglas to give her statement. Remember when you hired me, a couple weeks later I went to Seattle to talk with Trish?”
“Yes, what about it?”
“I didn’t tell you, because I didn’t think it was relevant at the time, but Amy, the woman from tonight, was fired right in front of me. She’s the one that kept trying to find you, wanted to represent you. Trish told me later that ever since Amy was hired, she was like a dog with a bone trying to get Trish to hand over your account to her. She was finally fired over it.”
“I still don’t understand,” Wanda said, and the mild pain reliever began to kick in.
“Let’s let her rest while this dries,” the doctor said. He indicated for them to go out in the hall. “Once that dries, we’ll get her up and use crutches. After she can make a couple successful passes up the hall with the crutches, I’ll release her.”
“Doctor, will she be able to fly?”
“What do you mean?”
“We,” Gypsy said as she pointed to herself, and Wanda behind the curtain. “Live in Arizona. They live in Oregon, and he lives here. We’re supposed to fly home on Monday. Should I keep the flights or cancel them and rent a car and drive home?”
“I’ll leave that decision up to you,” the doctor said. “It’ll take the cast at least an hour to set, then I’llrelease her, but I’m confused. You’re calling her Wanda and Willow, what’s her actual name?”
“Wanda Perkins,” Angie said. “That’s her real name given at birth. But she’s an artist, and her artist’s name is Willow Raintree.”
“The potter that had a showing at the SoHo Gallery? Opened last night?” He grinned at their shocked expressions. “I was there. My wife’s sister is Gabby. And you’re saying that woman in there is Willow Raintree?”
“Yes,” they all said at once. The doctor laughed.
“Well, at least I was able to see her. I bought several of her items last night and ordered several more.”
“Don’t plan on getting them as Christmas gifts,” Gypsy spoke. When everyone stared at her in confusion, she sighed. “She sold everything. Except for those two tall items she sent at the last minute, she had shipped five of everything on display. Everything sold. Gabby’s keeping the last items, and once Willow gets home, she’s going to make new ones and ship them to Gabby, so the owners can get their items. The exhibition’s running all month. I have to finalize the details tomorrow, but we think it would be better for Willow to make the items, then ship them to Gabby. She’ll get them to their owners since most of them are from here in the city.”
“Everything?” Randall asked in shock. “She had a lot of items on display.”
“Fifty of them. They’d started with only thirty, but it was Willow that raised it to fifty.”
“Wow.” They were awed.
Christopher looked at Sean and said, “How you holding up?”
“Getting tired. I think I’ll grab a cab and head home.”
“I’ll drive you. The police are going to want your statement,” Christopher said. He turned to the Perkins. “Could you see Wanda to her hotel room? When I’m done taking Sean home, I’ll be there.”
“Yes,” they said, and watched as the men left.
Chapter 24
Everyone was sitting around the living room in Christopher’s condo, talking and waiting for the men to return. Earlier Douglas and Christopher had been called back into the police station, along with Trish. Wanda never did get that brunch with her agent or the other artists, but Douglas was going to bring her back to the condo for dinner.
“What are we eating?” Brian asked. “Because it smells like Grandma’s house at Thanksgiving.” He grinned and rubbed his stomach.
“Actually, we are having a Thanksgiving dinner,” Christine said. “I thought that because we haven’t been together like this in more than twenty years. And I don’t know what everyone’s doing for the holidays, so I have this.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Angie said. “I would have gladly helped you.”
“I’m happy to do it. I’ve been having the time of my life. I haven’t cooked like this in so long.”
