“Halo citizens might buy their living room art from the guy who hawks motel overstock in front of the Winn-Dixie, but they also love personalized mementos. Portraits of their kids and their dogs, architectural photos of their homes and gardens, poster-size photos of their trips to Daytona and Disney World. God bless them.
That’s my specialty, portraits.
But at this point, I’d paint the side of a barn to make some money. I’m this close from working the night shift at the Waffle Hut. And if I had to wear one of those starchy, brown uniforms day after day, a little part of my soul would die.
Actually, a big part of my soul would die because I’d shoot myself first.
When I heard the high falutin Bransons wanted to commission a portrait of Dustin, their recently deceased thug son, I hightailed it to Cooper’s Funeral Home. I assumed they hadn’t called me for the commission yet because the shock of Dustin’s murder rendered them senseless. After all, what kind of crazy called for a portrait of their murdered boy? But then, important members of a small community could get away with little eccentricities.I was in no position to judge. I needed the money.
After Dustin’s death made the paper three days ago, there’d been a lot of teeth sucking and head shaking in town, but no surprise at Dustin’s untimely demise from questionable circumstances. It was going to be that or the State Pen. Dustin had been a criminal in the making for twenty-seven years.
Not that I’d share my observations with the Bransons. Good customer service is important for starving artists if we want to get over that whole starving thing.”
By the way, Halo, Georgia, will be featured in the Cozy Town Sleuths Facebook group next week from Monday, January 21- Saturday Jan 26, 2019!
Visit Halo, learn more about Cherry Tucker, play games, and enter giveaways all next week with me at https://www.facebook.com/groups/cozytownsleuths/
Larissa