Clay Richardson is a well-known artist who owns his own gallery. Quint Hawk, a police detective, makes contact with Clay when he sees a portrait Clay has painted in the window of the gallery -- a portrait of a homeless young man who was murdered just days before. Unfortunately, Clay has no idea who the subject was. Several months later, Quint contacts Clay to again ask about one of Clay's paintings. The subject has been murdered, as has a third man in another of his paintings. The reclusive artist and the handsome detective are drawn to each other as they try to determine what is happening and why. They come up with a plan to catch the killer -- a plan that could end up in their deaths before they can decide if there is more to their feelings than a couple of very good nights in Clay's bed.

The Element Case

Then, Quint told Clay to wait in the living room while he canvassed the other loft owners to see if any of them had buzzed someone into the building without checking who they were or if they had noticed anything unusual.


After Quint left, Clay paced the room, feeling vulnerable now that the security system was non-viable. Needing something to take his mind off that, he went into the studio, planning on…On what? I can’t touch the painting. There’s no other damage and even if there was, I can’t do anything until after the CSI people go over everything.


When he looked at the ruined painting, his stomach clenched with fear and anger. “Who the hell are you? Why are you doingthis to me?” He pounded his fist on the table, wincing in pain, both physical and emotional.


Chapter 22