“Are you leaving?” he asked.
“In a few minutes.”
“I’d like you to meet my son, Doug. He wants to be an actor. He’s studying acting at High Rock State. He’s also a fan—he’s seen all your movies.”
“Well, almost all,” corrected Doug.
“There are some I hope you were lucky enough to miss,” she said. The young man looked familiar, she thought as she shook his hand. She glanced down at his feet. They were very long and very narrow.
“You’re the Mineral Man!” she said.
“Yes. It was Dad’s idea. Something to do during summer vacation, to keep me in front of the public. I work nights at the hospital too. You know, you were the first to guess. How did you know?”
“By your height.” Her glance flew to the red knapsack on the bench behind him. “And by your knapsack. Besides, you were very important to me in solving a difficult puzzle, one that involved the tunnels.”
“What?” he said.
The limousine had arrived. “Your father will explain. I have to get going. It was very nice meeting you. Good luck in your acting career.” She said good-bye and then headed over toward the group that was emerging from the hotel.
In the lead was Paulina, wearing a black gaucho hat decorated with a star-shaped pin of glittering pavé diamonds. Behind her came Claire, who carried the train case in which Paulina stored her jewelry. She held it out in front of her ceremoniously, as if it contained the relics of a saint.
Gary and Anne-Marie and a couple of photographers brought up the rear.
“I want you to take a picture of us in front of the hotel,” Paulina ordered the photographers. Grabbing Gary’s arm, she struck a pose.
But their attention had been captured by a bigger fish. “There’s Charlotte Graham!” said the one.
Deserting Paulina, they came over to Charlotte, circling her with their cameras like a boxer circling his opponent. “Look this way, Miss Graham.” “A big smile, Miss Graham.” “Chin up, Miss Graham—let’s see that beautiful jawline.” All the while, the shutters were clicking, clicking, clicking.
Out of the corner of her eye, Charlotte had registered the look of annoyance that crossed Paulina’s face as she was upstaged. Now she watched as Paulina relaxed her expression and threw up her hands as if to say, “Life’s too short for such worries.”
As the photographers continued to click away, Paulina marched over to the limo, whose liveried driver stood at attention at a rear door.
“The front door, please,” she said.
“Yes, madam,” he replied. Moving up to the front of the long black car, he ceremoniously opened the door on the passenger side.
“I always sit in front,” she explained. She slid onto the seat, her hat barely visible above the dashboard, and settled back against the cushion.
“I always like to see where I’m going.”
All rights reserved, including without limitation the right to reproduce this ebook or any portion thereof in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 1991 by Stefanie Matteson
Cover design by Drew Padrutt
ISBN: 978-1-5040-3711-2
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