Hidden Talents

nude photos of any kind.”
    “I suppose you're right. There are a lot of people out there who don't appreciate fine art.”
    He ignored that. “I've got a strong hunch, however, that there are relatively few families that would, to use your phrase, go completely bonkers over those photos the way the Ventress family is guaranteed to do.” He paused. “The way my uncle is doing now.”
    Serenity frowned. “I think I'm beginning to see where you're going with this.”
    “Whoever has those negatives knows a great deal about me and my family's past. And we now have to deal with the fact that the creep pulling this stunt is not Ambrose Asterley. So much for the theory that he got my name out of the newspapers.”
    “Perhaps someone found those negatives after Ambrose's death, just as we originally feared.” Serenity shivered. “Or maybe the real reason the folder in Ambrose's files was empty except for a few prints is that someone else got there before I did.”
    “It's also possible that someone else got to them a long time before you went looking for them. Perhaps even before Ambrose died. Someone who knew about my family's past history with blackmail.”
    “Any way you look at it, it almost had to be someone here in Witt's End,” Serenity whispered. “But I don't see how anyone here could know all of those things about your family, let alone actually do something like this. Ambrose was the only possibility.”
    “And he's dead.” Caleb started to prowl the room. “Let's take this from the top. Fact number one: Everyone here in Witt's End knew you had posed for Asterley, right?”
    “Yes, I suppose so. No one cared, but I suppose they all knew. It was no secret.”
    “Fact number two: Nothing happened until after you had met with me several times and had announced that you were going to sign a contract with me.”
    “Good point,” Serenity said. “And don't forget that the first blackmail attempt didn't include a demand for money. The first demand was that I cancel my business arrangements with you.”
    “And now we have a second demand. This time for cash. So maybe we've got two different blackmailers. The first one could have been Asterley, just as we concluded the first time we went through this exercise. In which case it looks as if his only goal was to put a halt to your plans.”
    “And a second blackmailer who knew what Ambrose was doing and who decided, after Ambrose died, that the photos could be used for more profitable purposes.” Serenity winced. “Such as extorting money from your family.”
    Caleb crossed the room to the wood stove, opened the door and began to stoke the embers inside. “Two blackmailers. Both of whom knew about your photos, about your business contract with me, and about my past. One blackmailer apparently wanted only to stop the business arrangements. But the second wanted something more. Money.”
    “I suppose Ambrose could have told someone else about what he was doing.” Serenity chewed thoughtfully on her lower lip. “But the only person he ever really confided in was Jessie. And I know Jessie would never try to blackmail anyone.”
    “Do you know that?” Caleb looked skeptical. “For certain?”
    Serenity clasped her hands tightly in her lap. “Of course I do. I've known Jessie all of my life. She's family.”
    “Serenity, we don't know anything for sure about this mess.” Caleb closed the iron door of the stove. “Including how Asterley died.”
    “ What ?” Serenity was stunned. “But that's not true. Ambrose got drunk, tripped and fell down his basement stairs.”
    “Did he?”
    “Caleb, what are you saying? That someone might have pushed him?” Serenity was aghast. “But who would have done such a thing?”
    “The second blackmailer. The one who wanted to use the photos for more lucrative purposes.”
    “Oh, no.” Serenity shook her head wildly. “No, no, no. Murder? Here in Witt's End? Impossible. You've been spending too much time with Blade. This is starting to sound like one of his conspiracy theories.”
    “Some people might say Blade was a likely suspect as both blackmailer and murderer.”
    Serenity flinched. “Absolutely not. I refuse to believe it. Besides, he couldn't have known about your family's past.”
    “Asterley might have told him. Damn it, Serenity, you're too close to this situation to think logically. You're too emotionally involved.”
    “And you're not emotionally involved?” she asked,