【Cae Detective PARO】Red Dahlia

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Asincereartisttriestocreatesomethingwhichisinitselflivingthing.——

PainterWilliam Dobell

[William Dobell: What a real artist wants to create is a living work. 】

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2017. 8, 4

Aotu City Art Museum Time 10:17

The Oto City Art Museum is one of the landmark buildings in Otoo City. The entire building is built in the manner of the Louvre. It is such a huge square building. Every brick on it is engraved with the words of well-known artists in the long history. The name, the entire building has only one exit from the main entrance, with no windows and no underground entrance. As the largest public art museum in Bump City, because it receives some handed down works from time to time, the security is tight.At night, the museum will change the color of a neon light every 15 minutes, which is not only for tourists to appreciate and take pictures, but also for people who go home in the middle of the night.Although the number of tourists in the Aotu City Art Museum has always been the same, no more, no less, it has not received a large number of tourists, but it has never encountered a situation where no one visits.Compared with itself, the Goddess Square to the north of it seems to be more popular.On the square, the standing statue was built by an outstanding sculptor in the late 90s. There are five sculptures, a statue of Venus with a broken arm is located in the center of the fountain, and four statues of goddesses are located in the southeast, northwest, and north of the square. , they surrounded Venus with the broken arm, watching her.With such a setting, everyone calls the square in front of the art museum Goddess Square, and the four goddesses are also well-known goddesses in Greek mythology. They are Hera, Athena, Demeter and Artemis.

Jin has never had much feeling for art museums. When he lived with his sister Qiu, as a hobby, Qiu likes to take out paints and brushes from time to time to make some oil paintings that he can't understand, instead of spending an afternoon watching her sister To paint an oil painting, he would rather choose to go outside to play basketball or football or hang out with Gray or something.When he arrived at the university, sometimes Rodere or Zitang Huan would take out the free admission ticket of the art museum and ask him if he would like to go to some modern art exhibitions, some classical science and culture exhibitions, etc., but in the end they all ended up playing It ends with Kim evasively digressing about the mobile game.Even for the date with Ge Rui, he would rather choose the snack street than this kind of place with too much artistic atmosphere. He never felt that he was suitable for this kind of place, and he also felt that Ge Rui was not suitable for this kind of place.What artists represent are unrestrained and free. They do whatever they want, and they live with mercy. It's a pity that he can't be that kind of person, let alone Gray.

Gray was able to become a first-class prosecutor at such a young age. The rigor and seriousness of his work is unmatched by ordinary people. As for the paperwork, it would be easier to quickly write a resignation letter or dig a hole on the spot to bury yourself.Along the way, Ge Rui was concentrating on driving the car, and he was also looking up the information of the art museum with his PAD. The two of them were talking to each other, but in fact they were all focused on the case. I don’t know From the outside of the car, you really can't tell that this is a pair of young men who are about to get married. It's more like a pair of young couples who have a cold war and don't want to talk to each other.

Gray took off his suit and changed into casual clothes, still showing a kind of sternness as always, a white shirt with blue jeans and a pair of well-polished leather shoes, a kind of casual look of successful people.Compared with Gray, Jin's dress looks more like a student who just came out to play after a university holiday, with a black peaked cap, white short sleeves with Gabriel's English name printed on it, and a pair of conspicuous angel wings on both sides , blue trousers and soft-soled sneakers, Jin really doesn't look like a 25-year-old Bump City cyber police chief from the outside.After parking the car and walking to the entrance of the art gallery, Jin subconsciously took out his college student ID card from his wallet. He glanced at Gray and said with a smile.

"What's the matter? This trick has always worked, and now they think I'm still a college student and give me a discount."

"Jin, as long as you are happy."

Ge Rui knew that his lover was too young. Before Ge Rui could say anything, Jin rushed to the counter lady and bought two student tickets with a [-]% discount on his young face.Just as Ge Rui was still standing in front of the gate of the art gallery, looking around, a beautiful female voice came from the gate.

"Mr. Prosecutor, it is an honor that you will also visit the humble house."

At the door, a blue-haired beauty holding a lady's cigarette was looking at Gray, and beside her were a group of workers in the uniform of a moving company.The appearance of Victoria and her little green-skinned doraemon was unexpected by Gray. After asking a young man in a suit to direct the employees of the moving company, she walked straight up to Gray with a cigarette in her hand. There are also strong cherry and earthy scents.

"I think you should come here for the case. I didn't expect Mr. Prosecutor to conduct on-site inspections. You are really dedicated."

"I didn't expect you to appear here as the owner of the art gallery. Shouldn't your job be to correct documents in the office?"

"I thought that was your job."

The woman sneered, and the doraemon next to her immediately took out an ashtray from its stomach. Victoria extinguished the cigarette in her hand with elegant and skillful movements, and the doraemon also squatted on the ground after retracting the ashtray very obediently. Standing motionless.Behind her, the movers brought large rectangular objects wrapped in oilcloth paper into the art museum in an orderly manner by carts, hand-carried and disassembled.draw?Seeing the workers sweating profusely, the only thing Gray could think of was the thick wooden frame and the portraits of famous artists inside.Victoria also looked back, seeming to figure out what Gray was thinking, and said.

"It's not some expensive oil painting, and it's not even the painting of a famous artist at all. Those are the paintings of some down-and-out artists in this city."

"Can the paintings of down-and-out artists be placed in the public art gallery in Bump City?"

"Hmph, that's what I wanted to say, but it's really stupid, and you have to thank the mayor, because he and his campaign team have created a so-called fund for art-poor talents for the next re-election. He doesn’t pay a penny for public welfare activities, but he asks us who own museums and galleries to host the work, asks us to bring over the paintings of those artists who can’t get rid of the pot, and gives them some money to show like this The superiority of a public good."

Judging from Victoria's contemptuous smile and disdainful expression, she really hated this matter.

"Aren't you angry?"

"Of course I'm angry, this is the best art museum in Bump City, and I have to pay for it because some politicians are playing tricks to collect votes from artists and make trouble out of no reason, at least that old thing doesn't expect me and my family to vote for him."

Down-and-out artists are indeed a group of very poor people. In history, many artists' paintings became famous after their death. The reason is that because of their death, those paintings became treasures and their names were listed on art. world stage.Poets, painters, musicians, in previous eras, if these people were not rich or noble, it would be impossible for these people to support the expenses of being an artist. This is also applicable now.And the more famous the painter, the worst and least valued painter he was in at that time, just like Van Gogh, who went crazy and shot himself in the field and didn’t get a good one. burial.

"If Sarah hadn't died, those paintings wouldn't have returned to my art gallery so quickly."

"What do you mean?"

Victoria looked at the workers carrying the paintings into the art gallery, and shook her head helplessly.

"This activity was sent to various galleries and art museums in mid-July. At that time, my art gallery had no reason to refuse. To be honest, who would spend money to see paintings by some down-and-out artists? This is very important to my business. It didn't help that the loss-making mayor's team stripped them all of their clothes and sold them to me. Later, Sarah showed up and I was able to block the Lord Mayor's difficult campaign team with a 'perfect photo exhibition of British friends' , so that her picture can be hung in the most conspicuous position and then all those garbage paintings can be sent back to the warehouse."

"But what does Sarah Besson's death have to do with this?"

"As I mentioned to you, she is not only my meal ticket, but also my shield. The time of the city government is at the end of August every year. If she doesn't die, I can let her stay in Bump City until In mid-August, at that time, the votes among the people had already been closed, and what was left was the quarrel and farce that the city government cabinet staged in front of the TV every day."

"The mayor wouldn't care about artist votes at that time, because the voting is over, and you have every reason to refuse any subsequent requests without fear of accidents."

"That's right, that's what I was thinking about. Now that Sarah is dead, her paintings will be auctioned as legacy works in two days, and the rule of the Bump City art world is that the auctioned works must be sold 48 hours before the auction. Disappeared from the exhibition area of ​​the art museum, which is why I had to call those workers to come over today to bring back those paintings at the bottom of the box, I have no more shields."

After a long sigh, the woman took out a cigarette from her pocket. She had a cigarette in her mouth, and the doraemon also took out a lighter from her stomach and handed it to her.After such a long chat, Victoria bid farewell to Gray, returned to the side of the workers of the moving company, and continued to direct them to move the paintings. Jin, who had been playing with his mobile phone and waiting for the two of them, also patted his ass, got up and walked to Grid. In front of Rui.

"She is the curator of the art museum, she looks pretty."

"She told me some things about failed artists."

"I saw the news about 'supporting rising stars in the art world' last month."

On the way into the art museum, Jin told Gray about this matter. In order to be re-elected, the current mayor played the slogan of supporting art and advocating artistic life, and came to hold this event. The event said that as long as there are paintings , Whether it’s portraits, landscapes or even surrealist works, they can be exhibited and displayed at the Aotu City Art Museum. Although the advertisements are similar, they all mention in the end that if the works of those down-and-out artists If they are chosen by famous teachers and celebrities who come to visit, in addition to the auction fee which is completely owned by them, the city government will also give them a bonus, which may be worth more than 100 million.This money is a great temptation for any poor person.

"Actually, when I first saw the advertisement, I thought those artists were quite noble. It stands to reason that they would donate their paintings only if they had to carry eight sedan chairs on their shoulders. But I heard that there were less than three Collected almost 3 oil paintings in one hour."

Jin lamented that the repercussions of this event were so great, beyond the imagination of many people who were not optimistic at the time.

"I can't even eat, and now I have a chance to make my name go down in history. The nobility and dignity of an artist can't beat the hunger at this time."

According to the guidebook issued by the staff at the front desk at the gate, the two of them took the elevator to the photography exhibition area on the third floor. There were few people in the exhibition area, and there were very few tourists. Unloading Sarah Besson's photography.Poor Miss Besson, I really don't know what she would think if she knew that her photography would be thrown into storage after her death.While expressing sympathy for the poor photographer, Kim was also admiring Sarah's superb photography skills during her lifetime.

In the vast and boundless African prairie, a male lion stares quietly into the distance. As the sun sets, the sunlight casts a very long shadow on it. As the overlord, is it staring at its prey or its own? family?

In the depths of a deserted mountain, two elk stand beside a tree. They seem to be feeding each other, and they seem to be licking each other's wounds. Under the background of dark clouds, a beam of sunlight is projected in, attracting disasters beside them, making them look extraordinarily special. dazzling.

On the rough sea, several dolphins jumped out of the water with the sunrise, and their swift and energetic appearance was recorded in the camera. Standing in front of the photo, it seems as if you can hear their cries, and you can also see them. Smell the sea.

"To be honest, her photos are really good. I have the urge to buy a photo of her the day after tomorrow."

"Well, indeed."

The two of them visited all the paintings on this floor that were taken by the deceased Sarah Besson, including deserts, icebergs, cliffs, and skies.Every photo is a masterpiece, and every photo makes people wonder whether it is something made by computer special effects.Thinking of how a genius with such a talent for photography ended up being hacked to death with a safety ax from behind and stuffed into a closet, Kim couldn't help but lament that the world is impermanent.As the two of them finished looking at the photos on this floor, the staff also packed the posthumous works of Sarah Besson, which will be used for auction the day after tomorrow, and put them on a dedicated push cart. Sent away in batches.Soon, another car came up from downstairs, and Jin and Gray knew that these were the works of those down-and-out artists that Victoria was talking about.

These works are not as bad as King imagined, there are oil paintings, drawings, ink paintings, and surreal paintings.The frames of these paintings all use the cheapest ordinary wooden frame on the market without exception, which shows that those people are living in poverty.However, compared with the shocking, realistic and beautiful photographs just now, these paintings lack a lot of things, and it can even be said that they cannot be put on the table.It’s no wonder why, as the owner of the museum, Victoria resisted the flow of these artists’ paintings into the museum.

"So-so painting."

"That's it."

Compared with carefully looking at Sarah's works just now, Jin and Gray just glanced at these newly sent pictures and didn't want to look at them again.I really don’t know what kind of mentality those artists have to send their paintings to the art museum. It’s so sad that so many paintings have been selected as the winners of 100 million. At least how many painters are there to display their works? 100? 150?It is true that only one or two of these painters can go down in history, and the rest should not go to the shelter, and those who should change their careers should still change their careers.

Thinking about it this way, Jin thanked himself for not being an artist. He preferred working on a computer to painting, and his sister also liked legal matters more.After watching it for a few minutes, he became a little impatient, and it was time for dinner, so he told Gray that the two planned to leave the art gallery and go to a nearby small restaurant to settle things.During the meal, you can also ask about the situation of other groups, such as the group of Lei Shi and An Mixiu who just sent a message.

"Gerry, I'm hungry, let's go eat."

"Well, okay."

Gray also nodded in agreement. When the two of them walked to the door, two employees of the moving company were carrying a portrait into the exhibition hall.Because the staff had to pass through first, the two waited by the side, which also gave them time to observe the newly moved painting.The painting is an oil painting, and on the top is a woman, a young woman in a red cheongsam, holding a dancing fan, with a handsome face and a firm expression, which makes people feel like a strong woman.Compared with some other paintings that are not eye-catching, this painting is particularly outstanding. It can be seen that the artist's skill is high and the characters are vivid. If you want to say that it can get 100 million among so many paintings, it is probably it.

The staff had already moved the painting into the exhibition hall, but when Ge Rui was about to take Jin away, Jin grabbed his sleeve and looked at the painting with a shocked expression.

"What's the matter, Kim?"

Gray also felt something was wrong with Jin, but the latter didn't speak, he just quickly took out the PAD and clicked the icon on the screen.

"Gary, look."

On the PAD, the photo of Margaret Zabo, the second person who died in the Yunwu District, was displayed. At first, Gray didn't realize it, but after comparing it with the newly hung painting, he immediately Understood.

The woman in the cheongsam in the painting is Dr. Margaret Zabo, and this also shows that what is happening now is connected and cannot be a coincidence.

Both hurried to the portrait, looking for the author's name at the lower end of the frame.

Author: Tobias Arnold

Title: "Red Dahlia"