“Who are the Stricklands?”

“Mr. and Mrs. Strickland threw fabulous parties to raise money for their favorite causes. They helped fund the construction of the River Heights Museum of Fine Art, and they bought nearly half the books in the public library. They were pillars of the River Heights art world, back when River Heights had an art world.”

“How could one couple have such a big impact on the entire town?”

“Money talks, Nancy. Most wealthy people think of art as a tool to make more money. But I don’t think that’s what drove the Stricklands. Duke Strickland made his fortune selling lace and ribbons, then cat toys, then bottled teas and tinctures. He was an innovator, River Heights’s very own Thomas Edison. Duke was a dear old man, and he was very generous with his money. His wife, the Duchess, filled their house with beautiful art and sculptures. She loved to invite art students to study her collection, and she’d give tours of the mansion.”

“So what happened? Why did the Stricklands stop supporting the arts?”

“Duke had a long, terrible illness. While he was in the hospital, the parties stopped and the donations dried up. All the wonderful artsy people who used to visit River Heights stopped coming. When Duke passed away—oh, it must have been about ten years ago—the Duchess was heartbroken. She’d just lost her husband, and not only that, but she must have felt that the artistic community she’d built over the years had abandoned her.

“She disappeared from public life. She vanished into that big mansion and stopped speaking to anyone, even her own family. And gradually, all the artists moved away to big cities.”

“Why did the artists leave?” I asked.

“Big cities have more opportunity for artists. Without the Stricklands, River Heights couldn’t support the galleries and studios the artists needed to survive.”

“So why would the Duchess open her home now?”

“It does seem peculiar,” my dad agreed. “Maybe the River Heights Art Week encouraged her. Maybe she’s seen some of the new murals and the artists visiting town. Maybe she thinks River Heights is ready to bloom again.” Dad took a pensive sip of his coffee.

“Now I’m really curious,” I said. “There’s no way I’m going to miss the Duchess’s party.”

“Wouldn’t it be wonderful to see her collection again? I wonder if she still has those haunting portraits. Too bad I won’t be able to see for myself. The trial for this case is a week from Monday, and it looks like I’ll have to spend the entire weekend beforehand preparing. You’ll have to pay extra close attention and report everything back to me afterward.”

“You know I always do, Dad, but I’m sorry you’re not coming,” I said as I slipped out of the room, leaving him to his books.

I didn’t wait even five minutes before calling Ned. He’d been up for an hour already. I knew he liked to stay in bed and read every morning. I liked that he was studious and quiet, but I had to admit my boyfriend was a little nerdy.