The Case of the Artful Assassin in Las Vegas: A Cozy Tiffany Black Mystery by A.R. Winters

Author:A.R. Winters [Winters, A.R.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-09-21T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

One of Mars’s books had been written in collaboration with a professor at the university. We decided to go and see him.

Lionel Noakes was a professor of art history, but the book that he wrote with Mars Russo was about modern digital art, The Paradox of Pixels: Contemporary Art in the Digital Age. Fascinating sounding stuff.

We checked his schedule and found that Lionel had a break between lectures. And fortunately for us, he was in his office.

Lionel was an energetic little man, constantly in motion, bouncing on his feet, fiddling with things with his hands, and usually halfway between sitting and standing.

“Private investigators?” His eyes positively lit up upon hearing what we were. His hands rubbed each other and then he began linking and unlinking his fingers together. “That is exciting. Very interesting. Very. I mean, my work is interesting, but it’s nothing like how I imagine yours to be.”

“It has its moments,” I said with a smile. It was always nice to interview someone who was keen to assist.

“Fedoras, long dusters, whiskey for breakfast, and femme fatales?”

“Not all the time. I had a bagel this morning.”

“No whiskey?”

“Not yet.” I could tell he was about to ask which one of us was the femme fatale. I carried on before we could go down that road. “Can we talk a little about you now?”

“Yes, but I’m a professor of art history. I’m not nearly as interesting.”

“I’m sure you are, but our job isn’t to find interesting people, it’s to solve cases.” Lionel bobbed his head in understanding and eagerness to assist. I carried on. “A person who collaborated with you on a book, Mars Russo, has been helping us with our inquiries. We hoped that you might be able to assist us as well…?”

Lionel’s face fell upon the mention of Mars’s name and took on a stony expression. Not angry, but still without showing any hint of emotion. I took that as a sign that he wasn’t necessarily completely enamored with his writing partner.

“Mars? I haven’t seen him since our book launch. I don’t have to see him, do I?”

“No, you don’t have to see him,” I said, offering reassurance that had an immediate effect. Lionel began to bob his head up and down in renewed excitement.

“Did you fall out? “Rosie asked.

“Oh yes, very much so. When you work with someone on a book for months on end—nearly a year, the worst year of my life!—I think it might be impossible not to fall out. We weren’t friends to begin with, but by the end… phew.” He mimed wiping his brow. “I don’t know how long-time collaborators do it.”

“It probably depends on the people, “I said. “Not everyone clicks. And I can imagine Mars being someone difficult to work with.”

Lionel bobbed his head with even more enthusiasm. “You’ve either spent a lot of time with him or you’re a very good judge of character.”

I let him decide which it was. “I assume you heard about the death of the local artist, Aura?”

“Yes.

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