The Girl in the Face of the Clock by Charles Mathes

that’s what you want. That’s incredibly fair. I don’t care about the money. It’s not the money I’m doing this for, it’s your father.”
    â€œI’m glad you’ve brought this up, Elinore,” said Jane, happy that she could finally put her cards on the table. “I’ve tried to tell you how I feel about this before, but I haven’t been able to get through to you. Please listen to me. I’m not ready to sell my father’s paintings. They’re all I have left of him. Maybe I’ll want to do something in the future, but not now. I’m just not going to do anything right now. Okay?”
    â€œYou’re right to take your time,” said Elinore. “You’re very smart. I mean, I don’t want to say this, Janie, this is the last thing I would ever say in a million years, but if Aaron dies, everything is going to be even more valuable, that’s all I’m saying. Just think about it, that’s all I ask. I know you need the money. You can’t imagine the work I’ve had to do to get everything to this point. Remember, you owe me.”
    â€œLook, Elinore,” said Jane evenly, “I’m trying to be nice about this, but I don’t owe you anything. The Fyfe decided to include my father in their show on their own, not because of anything you’ve done. I haven’t heard from you for eight years. Now all of a sudden it’s like you’re all over me, and it isn’t because you like me so much or respect my father’s work, it’s just about money. Let’s be honest.”
    Elinore brought her hand to her bosom.
    â€œJanie, Janie. You’re really hurting me, you know that? Here we’re having this beautiful dinner, and you’re making me sound like I’m some kind of monster. I mean, if I were this big monster, why would so many artists come to me? They love me, they owe their careers to me, their entire careers. Don’t they, Greg? I’m not such a monster, Greg? Am I?”
    â€œNo, no,” said Greg, “of course not.”
    â€œOf course not,” agreed Elinore, whacking the table with her spoon for emphasis. “You know, Janie, just because I’m a successful art dealer doesn’t mean that I’m not still a woman with a heart and feelings and all that.”
    Jane didn’t say anything, damned if she was going to let Elinore manipulate her into feeling guilty.
    â€œJust think about it, don’t say yes or no, just think about it, that’s all I ask,” said Elinore. “That article is going to be in the what-do-you-call-it magazine tomorrow. The Times . There’s going to be big new interest in Aaron’s paintings and we’ve got to take advantage of it. That’s why Perry Mannerback is doing all of this for your father, you’ll see. It’s just like I said—he has that one painting and he wants another. That’s what this is all about.”
    â€œFine, let’s talk about Perry’s painting,” said Jane. The evening wouldn’t be a total waste if Elinore could just answer a few questions. “Do you know who the model for it was?”
    â€œThe naked girl, you mean? I met her at some party your father brought her to. Creepy-looking, if you ask me. And she didn’t have a good body at all, not at all.”
    â€œDo you know her name?”
    â€œDon’t have a clue,” said Elinore dismissively, trying to scrape a last bit of chocolate from her empty dessert plate. “She wasn’t even pretty. She was nothing.”
    â€œDid Perry Mannerback know her?” asked Jane.
    Elinore shrugged.
    â€œI have no idea,” she said. “I suppose Aaron could have introduced them. Why? Don’t tell me Perry wants another painting with that same girl in it? What an idiot! Aaron only used her in that one painting.”
    The table fell silent. Jane tried not to feel disappointed. Elinore