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

That idea didn’t sit well with Quint, much to his surprise. In that moment, as his fear for Clay’s safety ramped up a notch, he realized that he’d begun to care about the fairly reclusive artist as more than just a possible friend. Even though that’s all he sees me as, I’m sure. If that.


He slammed his fist against the door again—fear, anger, and frustration raging through him


“You’ll break it down, setting off the alarm,” Clay said from behind Quint, a trace of amusement in his voice.


Quint whirled to look at him. “Where the hell were you? I thought I told you not to leave the loft.”


“I was restless and had to get out of there, so I went up to the patio,” Clay replied defensively. Then he said with more than a touch of anger, “Besides which, you don’t tell me how to live my life.”


“I do if I want you alive at the end of this,” Quint retorted. “And I do. I’m not losing you to some insane madman.”


“Is there such a thing as a sane madman?”


Chapter 26