The Painters Death Wish

On the Case with Pablo

As her surroundings slowly softened to the reality of the situation-she woke up. The blaring television stilled into focus, and she started to twitch her fingers. Feeling the duvet of the railed bed; she tried to shove herself up but got stung by a thinning headache. Her lips were dry; and on impulse, she looked for her phone by extending her arm to the bedside table. When it wasn't there-she scanned the room; moving her neck brought a new wave of pain. She sucked in her teeth as she gently sunk back into the pillow.

She could hear voices beyond the door. She recognized one-being Harry's voice; she called out to him, and the door opened. He rushed to her side, biting his lip he grabbed her hand.

"Dona." His eyes gave away his concern, and she spoke before he could panic.

"I'm ok." Harry was relieved, so much so that he sighed and closed his eyes while holding her hand to his heart. When he opened his eyes, he sat on the stool next to the bed.

"What happened?" Dona looked away from his gaze and searched for an answer, shaking her head.

Her eyes watered without warning and in an instant; Harry hugged her, pulling her from the bed but being cautious of her pains.

"I don't know what it is." She spoke while nuzzling into him. " But somethings wrong Harry." She started to tremble, and he pulled away from her to look her in the eye. 

"What do you mean?"

Before his mind raced, she continued," I didn't do this to myself, Harry."Looking down at her shaking hands; she tried to swallow her tears. "I would never..."

She looked into his eyes for a response but found flustered. He held her hands."You scared the hell out of me my love." He kissed her hands. "I'm trying to understand, but you'll have to help me."

She understood where he was coming from, she too, had no words to explain herself or comprehend the situation-it was frustrating her. She hugged him as her response and spoke over his shoulder. "I don't know." She started to cry. "It felt as though somebody was there." She pushed away from him. "Something was there with me in the room." 

He scanned her expression." We were the only two in the apartment love."

She looked away disappointed. "It was so real." She touched the tips of her thumb with her index finger. The touch sensation erupted a memory, in a second; she could see the red marking her fingers. Then she remembered. "Where is it?."She started looking around the room in a frenzy. 

Harry caught on and tried to calm her by grabbing her shoulder. " What's wrong?" 

She swatted his hands away and tried to stand; Harry was shocked but capable of stopping her. 

"Dona!"

 She looked up at him with a sour expression. "My sketchpad Harry, where is it?"

He replied," Back at home." Dona didn't look too relieved; she looked paler. "What's wrong?"Harry held her by the shoulders, gently.

She spoke calmly," It's not the sketchpad Harry--"

 "It's what's on it..."

 Somebody entered the room as Dona spoke. The voice was female and harsh. "Donatella Claire?"

 Both Dona and Harry looked to the door to see caramel-skinned women wearing a classic button-down with an off-duty chic look. Behind her, a rather robust male wearing a suit wore glasses to shade his expression. 

She entered first; hand-drawn." I am detective Zoe, and this is my partner Pablo."He didn't need instructions to enter because by the time she spoke was already leaning on the adjacent wall. Dona shook her hand hesitantly of course because she was startled by the visit. 

"Ah, and you must be Harry Collins".

Harry shook her hand and let go of Dona but soon retrieved her hand thenceforth.

"Do you mind?" She asked indirectly with a grin if she could sit on the edge of the bed. 

"Go ahead." Dona noticed that her dreads had on beads and that they twinkled when she moved. 

"I have been referred to you by most of the staff at The Lourve." Her nose wrinkled."I'm working on a case that needs the expertise of an art historian."She looked around the room." It seems that you've found yourself in a pickle, is this the wrong time?"

Dona spoke over Harry's concern again. " I'm fine." She looked back at Harry meeting his eyes. 'I'm fine", she said softer. Harry relented but folded his arms; she knew she'd have to still his worry later. Looking back at the detective. " Why would the police need my help?"

She had perked Detective Zoe's interest. Zoe looked to Harry and Dona could read her thoughts. "He stays."

She merely nodded to Dona and continued. " You will be working alongside a psycho-analyst to help create a profile for a killer." She raised her hand before Dona could interrupt. "What makes this killer a subject out of her proficiency is that this killer deems himself an artist."

"An artist?" Harry questioned.

"Now this isn't the Da Vinci code; he doesn't seem to be hiding anything in his work, in fact; he displays them-as is."

Dona's eyebrow curved," You want me to figure out his personality and antics, solely by art analysis?" 

The detective smiled." You catch on." 

Pablo stepped into the light and dominated the conversation. " By the analysis of his artworks, you do not only get a glimpse of his history but his psyche." He continued," By understanding the mind of a killer we can either prevent further murders or capture him."He leaned his hands on the rails of the bed."This could be dangerous, we'll give you a few days to think about it, and if you refuse we can always find another willing participant."He straightened himself and gave a stern look to both Harry and Dona. 

Dona did not feel intimidated; she felt enthralled by the idea," I'll do it." She looked at Harry, and he shook his head; she smiled and squeezed his hand," It's for art." Then she looked down at the patient's clothes that she was wearing," It's for me too."