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748 Words
Ava spent the rest of the day trying to process the bombshell Martin dropped for her. By the time she returned to her cottage, the weight of everything suffocated her, reminding her of the past she struggled to leave behind.
She looked at the file Martin gave to her, which was on the dining table. Determined not to be bothered, Ava set up her canvas stand in the living room. Painting had always been her haven, the one place she could escape from the mayhem of her life. She crushed a blob of cobalt blue onto her palette and began to work, letting the strokes of her brush suffocate the noise in her head.
But even as she painted, her mind was turbulent. How could someone do this to her? And why?
---
The next morning, Ava decided to do something. She couldn’t let fear weaken her. She needed answers as soon as possible.
Her first stop was the local art gallery where she had agreed to showcase her work in a few weeks. If there was anything unusual about her art sales, Lily would know.
The gallery was quiet when Ava arrived. Lily, greeted her from behind the counter with a warm smile.
“Ava! It’s good to see you,” Lily said, arranging a mug. “How’s the artistic flow?”
Ava hesitated, looking around to make sure they were alone. “Lily, there’s something I need to ask you.”
“Of course.” Lily gestured toward a comfy seating area near the back. “What’s up?”
Ava took a deep breath as she sat down. “Have you noticed anything unusual about my work? Like transactions or anything at all?”
Lily’s brow furrowed. “Not at all. What's happening?”
Ava hesitated before explaining what Martin had told her. She kept the details faint, not wanting to implicate Lily or scare her unnecessarily.
Lily listened carefully, her expression very serious. “I haven’t noticed anything odd,” she said finally. “But if someone’s using your name to launder money, it’s possible they’ve been cautious to avoid suspicion.”
“Is there a way to check?” Ava asked.
Lily nodded. “I can get all the sales and inquiries involving your work. Give me a few minutes.”
---
As Lily searched through the gallery’s records, Ava’s eyes scanned the pieces on display. The vibrant canvases, delicate sculptures, and intricate sketches reminded her of why she had fallen in love with art in the first place.
Lily returned a while later with a stack of papers. “Here’s everything,” she said, handing the documents to Ava. “I highlighted anything that seemed slightly weird."
Ava scanned the pages, her heart sank as she noticed a pattern. Several pieces had been purchased in cash, with no information left by the buyers. The amounts were significant—far more than she expected her work to fetch in Evanston.
“Do you know who bought these?” Ava asked, pointing to the transactions.
Lily frowned. “No names, sadly. Cash buyers usually prefer to stay anonymous.”
Ava’s stomach churned. This was exactly the kind of opening someone could exploit.
“I need to figure this out, Lily,” she said, her voice shaky. “If there’s anything else you notice, please let me know.”
“Sure,” Lily said, her concern evident. “And Ava… be careful.”
---
As Ava left the gallery, her phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out and frowned at the unfamiliar number.
“Hello?”
“It’s Martin.” His voice was tense. “We need to meet now.”
Ava clenched her jaw. “Why? What’s going on?”
“I found something that could change everything,” he said vaguely.
Ava agreed to meet him at the last place they met. When she arrived, Martin was already seated, his laptop open in front of him. He gestured for her to sit, his expression bleak.
"What is it?" Ava asked, her patience running out.
Martin turned the laptop toward her, showing her a series of emails. "These are from a coded account connected to the shell companies using your name. They’re instructions for setting up transactions and whoever wrote them has been keeping close tabs on you."
Ava’s breath seized, and her blood ran cold as she went through the emails. The language was specific, the instructions appeared that this was intentional.
- Writer
