CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE–THE STOLEN PAINTING
jasmine while acconto Diego anding in de betare the supply closet, jaw agape in abject horrer
“Sache bellowed, both hands clutching dramatically at his gaudyt “Treanor bel Someone has committed the most info grable desecration!
Bachanging bewildered look with her equally baffled gaudenes, jasmine took a tentative step forward. “Diego” What’s going on?”
“Going on?” In anguished one was ride with melodramatic flourish as he hung one arm up, pestering wildly at the open supply dose behind him. “Only the menus, pardonable come imaginable – my latest magnam spus has been sale!
With that proclamation, he crumpled to his knees before the doorway in a pary of theatrical woe, flinging his head back and wailing to the heavens. Throughly nonplussed, the set of them could only gape atha thunbed about.
50%, the betrayal! The profound any of this loss Dog’s shrives spiraled up to a fever pitch, ending on a plusman that seemed to last an eternity. “Which black–hearted fiend among as could commit such unforgivable!
By now, Jame’s initial surprise had seed into the distinct suspicion that yet another of Diego’s outrages stints was fout. Before she could me to intervene, however, Marcus w alady posting in his feet with an a
“Ugh, what cringe–worthy meldown in this dude pinching now?
Complessly ignoring Diego’s hysteries, the lankymaged his combat boot disdainfully against the prostrate form, prompting a muffled grunt
“You do know whining won’t magically summon your dumb canvas bad, right?”
“What?” Dup’s mane of wild silver curly whipped back as he jackknited upright, rounding on Marcus with wounded indignation blazing in his bloodshot amber eyes.
“How dare you dimiss my devastation over this unforgivable affront to my artistic sanctity, you uncultured cetin?
Before Marrus coold way back another seathing retort, Jasmine iftly injected in anal mured calm “Let’s not let our emotions get the better al us bern, shall swi
Shified Digicha pointed oolt, keeping to diplomatic yet firm. “one of your pieces is truly missing, I’m sure there’s a resonable explanation. An inventory mishap, perhaps, or imply peing put back in the wrong place. Why don’t we all have a look around, and calmly, and see if it doesn’roup?”
The tension in the matched down a notch a catiality underg’s melodrama. Even the normally unflappable Penelope seemed to me with a slight air of grateful
“Yes, let’s employ a more pragmatic, collected approach here,” the paised blonde agreed in her crisp enunciation
Shelled an arch look at Dugo from behind her stylish frames “Certainly more productter than wallowing in operatic hysteric over something easily resched”
natusque bright, Penelope raised her chin in authoritative manner that oddly reminded Jasmine of a no–nonsense Trigator addressing a courtroom.
“I propose we separate and search the nooks and crannies of this studio in a aptematic fashion. If none of us is withholding something untoward, then we’ll wily get to the bottom of this
ing to make a pupil weep of the room.
Before Dings could voice any wrought protects, the other were already nodding în pragnie aequiescence, rising to
Ages hunimeda jaunty operatie under her breath as she peed under cables with endearing guita
Jacobskurbed along hall–heartedly poking through bins, hood Bobbing to some inscrutable beat on his Pods. Even Penalopetacked her self–appointed role with her una brisk
Relinquishing aloud, and sigh of one profoundly put upon, Diagonally hauled resell up from hisplayed position on the flour,
Just for a moment, it looked like he might launch into a fish toment of impassioned remonstrations – that was, until javninaught his pane with one cool ached brow, as if to say ‘I can
The light seemed to go out of him as muy air from a deflating balloon.
Diego’s shoulders slouched peevishly before he began milling about with purposely exaggerated chaincest, gawing through supplies with the petulance of some desperately wantediomantain their carefully rated aura ofic
wan Marcos, beafhanging through a pile of discarded canvases, who abruptly maightened with a look of contemation wit cross his angular features.
Ys, and something over here under this mess?”
The ochers hastened over as the lanky teen crouched down, tugging
what a large as she be a heavy rain over Wide–eyed, Diego let out a strangled
pasp, both hands flying once more to his chest in an operatic gesture of thick.
“No! cannot be my long–bit masterpiece!“
Tedare anyone could stop him, he’d already fling off the concealing tarp with a theatrical fish, jepping in authened artwork
The rest of them preced closer – only to find themselves regarding what appeared to be an utterly bizarre and indecipherable min of calats, shapes, and testures haphazardly flang upon the canvas’s bead expanse in a frenzied hy
Frankly, it looked more like the result of an abstract expresionist’s mental berakalem than any coherent attempt at crafting beauty,
Jasmine arched one slender bow higher as the observed Diego prostrate himself with due gravitas before the sprawling creation, lavishing a reverent selles pen the lurid paine splatters.
“Ah, my pièce de Résirince he crooned beach lernt a “My precious brutale! long as you have been rescued from the ignominium clutches of your wile
ΠΗ
Agnes leaned over tour discretly in mine’s asjast me, dear, has become nethered to reality in the last the helped bough here?– “I’m alaid untethered barely begins to cover it,” Jasmine muttered bark with away quirk of her mouth.
Meanwhile, they had progressed from worshipfculation tochinching the wildly streaked canvas up against hislerard–dad form like a cherished sabarn.
Heckedback and forth an his heels, withly basking in whatever photia the creation seemed to be invoking as his eyes called bark in his head, completely oblivious to his students skeptical bladdement.
“Such cow, unfiltered passion captured in unrefined pigment and returel The art shapsody poured forth, throughly untrained. “Gaze upon this searing descent into harmonious chos, my children, and be forever seated by its primal, whenal darley
Perlopenaght to fingers to her temple, clearly fighting off the line wings of a on each induced by Dingo excess. Even armed to be operdy gaping in dambarack leciedu lay these days
“Ace me, uh, still pretending this work was recently robbed of a guimterpiece? Or Mac trailed off leadingly, looking vaguely hopeful that come form of unity might
Jasmine heaved an inward sigh, cenognizing an unable bare when she rane. Still, the station demanded attempted and dignity to the proceedings.
CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE THE STOLEN PAINTING
Jasmine cleared her throat, retaining an air of patient diplomacy despite the situation. “Diego, while your passion for this piece is evident, i think we’ve established the matter of its temporary misplacement has been resolved.”
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