Chapter 123: The Artist XI
8 hours ago
Levi saw the flash of rage in Sam’s green eyes seconds after seeing the painting, and he knew she saw something he didn’t. He smiled at Charmaine, "Thank you so much for showing this to us. It’s magnificent." he said.
Then he turned to face Sam, "What do you think, Dr Gray?" he asked, getting her attention. They exchanged looks, and she knew what that look meant. He was telling her to stay calm; he was telling her she needed to think rationally. And that he knew the killer was among them, he had a hunch for quite some time now.
Sam faked a smile, something the slicked blond was quite proud of. At least she learned a thing or two from him. "It’s amazing. Michael truly was talented." the redhead said.
The group continued with the interview until it was time to depart. While standing by the door, Levi asked if they would come to the show in a few days. Mother and daughter confirmed their attendance, saying they will make time after making final arrangements for Michael’s funeral. They’ve delayed it long enough for the investigation.
The second Sam turned away, her mask fell, and her face morphed into rage. The three walked towards their vehicles; Sam paused in front of her motorcycle, "I’ll meet you guys at Eastbourne." she said, grabbing her helmet and putting it on. Leaving promptly before she did something she would inevitably regret.
Sam sat inside Levi’s office, her long coat forgotten on one of the chairs. She passed Joe before he left for surveillance for one of their everyday cases, leaving her alone in the agency. Not long after, Levi entered with Marco, the door dinging behind them.
The duo saw the fire in her green eyes. She opened her hand to Marco, "Camera, please." she said. And the bearded man handed it to her. She transferred the image to Levi’s computer, and she fiddled with it.
Levi and Marco stood behind, watching her work as she took all eight images and started connecting them. She was showing them how it all worked in her mind, showing them what she saw.
She flipped some of the images, for it was actually painted invertedly, which fascinated Levi and Marco. Michael’s mind was absolutely amazing. It was a real shame he died so young. Two of the paintings were even twisted, and she worked on arranging each, one after the other.
Images overlapped each other.
And finally, as a whole, they saw it.