Heart hammering against her ribs, Luna reread the coded diary entry. Lyra’s words, now chillingly clear, spoke of a desperate plea, a scheme involving appraisal, and a looming deadline. The innocuous paint box had revealed a secret far darker than any she’d imagined. Her mind raced. She needed answers, not just for Lyra, but for herself. How deep did this go? And how was Alaric involved?
Moving with a newfound purpose, Luna decided on a plan. She couldn't confront Alaric directly, not yet. He was too watchful, too controlled. Her investigation had to be subtle, a shadow tracing another shadow.
First, she focused on Lyra’s art. If there was an appraisal scheme, it likely involved inflated values. Checking past exhibition catalogs, she cross-referenced sales prices with known market rates for artists of Lyra’s calibre. The numbers, at first glance, seemed reasonable, even impressive.
Frowning, Luna dug deeper. She accessed the gallery’s digital archives, searching for any anomalies. An unfamiliar name, Elias Vance, appeared as the appraiser for several of Lyra's major pieces, including the 'Whispers of Dusk' collection that had fetched record prices.
Curiosity piqued, Luna searched for Elias Vance online. A quick scan revealed a respected, if somewhat niche, art appraiser. No red flags immediately surfaced. Yet, a nagging feeling persisted. Why had Lyra written such a frantic entry if everything was above board?
Later that week, while Alaric was away at a client meeting, Luna ventured into the gallery's less-frequented storage room. Dust motes danced in the slivers of light filtering through the high windows. She was searching for anything out of place, any discarded documents, any overlooked detail.
Pushing aside old crates and draped canvases, her fingers brushed against a stack of discarded appraisal reports. Most were standard, but one batch caught her eye. They were dated roughly six months before Lyra’s disappearance, all featuring Lyra’s name, and all appraised by Elias Vance.
Comparing them, Luna noticed a stark difference. The early reports showed a gradual, organic appreciation of Lyra's work. The later ones, particularly those for the 'Whispers of Dusk' series, showed an almost exponential jump in value, far steeper than market trends suggested for a mid-career artist, however talented.
Something felt wrong. The increase was too sudden, too perfect. It screamed manipulation. Lyra’s diary entry echoed in her mind: *“The appraisal… he’s pushing it too far.”*
Returning to her desk, Luna decided to broaden her search. She needed information outside Alaric's direct influence. Discreetly, she reached out to an old university friend, Clara, who worked for a prominent art auction house. Clara had a vast network and an even vaster appetite for industry gossip.