My grandma smiled.

“You’re outvoted, Al.” Hex clapped his hands.

“I’m not outvoted. I said we don’t get to vote.”

“We should take him upstairs to one of the guest rooms,” Grandma suggested, as if I hadn’t said anything.

“Wait a minute—”

“Okay. When will he wake up?” Elle asked Grandma, completely ignoring me.

“He’ll probably sleep for several hours,” Grandma said. “The vomiting and diarrhea will begin soon after. I gave him some nasty stuff, but at least his system will be nice and clean after these days.”

God help me.

“Okay.” Elle walked over to Michael’s sleeping body. “Let’s get some servants to take him to a room and have one of the guards watch over him. Grandma, do you have all the ingredients for the antidote?”

“Yes. Even the human lungs.”

Elle paused for a minute as if waiting for Grandma to say she was joking, realized that wouldn’t happen, and moved onto Hex. “Okay. Grandma, you make the antidote. Meanwhile, Hex, we need to talk.”

“Do we?” He leaned his head to the side and stuffed his thumb in his mouth.

“Yes. I don’t think you killed anybody, but I do believe you know what’s been going on with everything. When I was talking to Alvarez just now I thought of something.”

“What?”

“You love art installations.”

Hex tensed. It was a subtle movement from him that only someone like me, who’d been around him for years, would have noticed.

“So what? Everyone knows I love art installations. That’s not a big deal.” Hex continued to suck on his thumb.

“When we were in the limo, you told me there was an installation in your collection. Where is it?” she asked.

Hex didn’t say anything.

“Are these deaths connected to the installation?” She smiled, but no one else in the room even dared to see the brightness in the situation. Whatever Elle had on her mind I couldn’t even comprehend. Grandma and I looked from Hex to each other with confused expressions on our faces.

“Okay, Hex. Let’s talk.” Elle gestured to the door. “In fact, let’s go to your studio so you can show it to me.”

“Will you tell my brother everything?” Hex asked.

“Of course she will,” I replied.

Elle shook her head no. “I’ll have to make that decision once I know everything. I’m not promising anything now.”

What? My own lady has teamed up with my family?

“Okay.” Hex took his thumb out of his mouth. “Let’s go.”

“I’m coming, too.” I trailed behind them.

Elle stopped me with her hand on my chest. “No. It’s only going to be Hex, me, and my guards. If he doesn’t want you to know, then I won’t make him.”

“But—”

“No. You told me something that touched my heart today. You said you would leave with me and give it all up just for my love.” She leaned in and kissed me. “Now, let me show you how much I care for you, by helping you out with this crazy load you call a family.”

I seized her waist. “I don’t need your help.”

“Oh, be quiet, Alvarez, and make sure my spelled ex-boyfriend makes it up to the guest room without vomiting all over your expensive carpet.”

Chapter 27

Elle

“The first time we talked about your art collection it was in the limo ride to go shopping. Do you remember that?” I opened the door to Hex’s studio.

Still with the thumb in his mouth, he walked through and nodded.

“You told me about installation art and how when an artist starts the process they first create a mini-model of the whole installation.”

My guards shut the main doors behind us.

“When I saw the mini-model today, it never occurred to me that it could be a model for installation art. I was just on edge and nervous about everything.”

Hex walked into the studio. “What did you think?”

“Nothing clicked. I just got crazy jittery, especially when I saw the tiny figurine of Patricia.”

“How did you recognize her?”

“We hung out during the art gallery opening. She actually wore that same pretty sea green and white flower dress.”

“It was her favorite.” He took his time guiding me to the back room. “I want the guards to be out here while I explain everything to you.”

“That’s fine.”

“Then afterward, I want you to give me a chance to convince you not to tell Al until it’s all done.”

If it’s what I think it is, then you’ll need a lot more than words to convince me.

“Okay, Hex.”

The room was just how I’d left it. I studied the model on the table again. “So this is your art installation?”

“Yes.” He took his thumb out and placed the figurines of the women back into the box they’d been in. “I made this model three months ago.”

“And the little figures of the dead women?” I asked.

“They’re not all dead yet.”

That response delivered chills up my spine.

“But yes, once everyone decided their part in the installation, that’s when I created the tiny figures. The women picked their outfits and everything.”

Tags: Kenya Wright Mystery
Source: readsnovelonline.net