1. He grinned in ecstasy as her blood spewed out, painting his face.
2. Just before I fully digest what lies at the end of the corridor, we turn right into the massage rooms where soft lute music and lavender scents greet me at the door and a painting of a sublime owl above a waterfall hangs at the rear.
3. Gloria gives me the painting then takes my hand and tugs.
4. A short while later, before he had a chance to recover from the loss, an enthusiastic couple came over and marvelled at his works, handling first one painting, then another.
5. Whenever I recall that time, I see the painting he gifted me, the way I would gaze at it with longing.
6. Before the gathering, a burly man with a full but closely cropped beard is stabbing the air in the direction of a painting hanging in a prominent position on the side wall behind him.
7. The offending painting hangs above a deep open fireplace.
8. The momentary diversion is all it takes to change her mood and the painting is forgotten.
9. The conversation proves tedious, but at least any lingering concern Maria may have over the painting has vanished.
10. First, he speculated on how I came to find myself viewing the painting, which was remarkable in itself.