CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY TWO – ATTENDING THE SHOWCASE

It was opening night for Vincenzo Moretti's latest multi-media showcase, a highly-anticipated exhibition that had generated an impressive buzz amongst the local art scene. As a minor benefactor – and, not unimportantly, close personal friend of the roguishly charming artist – Jasmine had been granted one of the coveted early admission passes to the debut gala. Making her way through the throngs of impeccably dressed patrons clustered around the entrance, she couldn't quite suppress the tiny thread of disappointment that Gordon had been forced to beg off at the last moment. As she understood it, an urgent case at Knightsbridge Memorial had demanded his immediate attention – something about a long-awaited cadaver delivery finally arriving at the lab, if she'd heard correctly through the rushed crackle of his apologetic phone call. Not that she could necessarily blame him, of course. Jasmine knew better than most the fickle, all-consuming nature of Gordon's work; it was an intrinsic