The Art Forger

Claire’s paintings have arrived at Markel G from the framer, and she is busy preparing for her show while continuing to worry about Markel and about her own safety. Instead of unpacking the paintings, she thinks about the connection between Virgil Rendell, Amelia, and Belle. On the phone, Rik attempts to distract her by offering to pay for a fancy new haircut. After the call with Rik, one of Markel’s assistants persuades her to unwrap her paintings; seeing them freshly framed and ready to show, she feels a swell of pride and can barely believe they are hers. Later, she visits Sandra to go through the rest of the boxes. She finds an important clue, a sketchbook owned by Virgil Rendell, which contains images of the same women depicted in the After the Bath series. Sandra reluctantly agrees to let Claire borrow the book. Upon returning home, she is convinced that the sketchbook is the key to clearing Markel’s name and preserving her own innocence.