There was a slight hesitation at the other end, then a quiet, masculine voice. "Miss Keller?"
"Yes," Bryn said nervously.
"This is Mike Winfeld. We met at theTimberlane Country Club the other day."
"Oh, yes. How are you, Mr. Winfeld?"
She really didn't give a damn. All she wanted was for the man to get off the phone! Don't be a fool, Bryn. Be warm, be polite!she warned herself. He might need publicity photos, and he seems to be a very pleasant person.
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"Fine.Fine, thankyou. But I've been thinking about you." "Oh?"
"Yes. I know we only met briefly, but I wonder if you wouldn't consider the possibility of going to dinner withme? I'd like to discuss the possibility of your doing some pictures for me."
Why not? Bryn asked herself. Normally, she wouldn't mind going at all. It might be a come-on, but she could handle that. And if he turned out to be a really nice and aboveboard man...Normally. How could she do anything normally now? How could she even think about doing anything when terror tactics were invading her household and she was frightened out of her wits by every phone call? "Oh, Mr. Winfeld--"
"Mike, please. You make me sound old and decrepit, and I'd rather not be that--especially to you."
Bryn managed to laugh.' 'Okay , Mike. I'd love to have dinner with you sometime, but I'm tied up for...about two, three weeks. Will you give me a call back?"
"I'd rather not have to, but if that's my choice..." He allowed his voice to trail away hopefully,then chuckled again. "Merciless to a poor fellow, aren't you, Miss Keller? But I will call back. Two weeks?"
"Umm.And please call me Bryn."
"With pleasure.You'll be hearing from me, Bryn."
"Great."
"Bye then, for now."
"Bye."
She was breathing easily enough when she replaced the receiver, but her hand was still on the phone when it started ringing again. She jerked it back to her ear.
"Hello?"
"I assume you've seen your darkroom by now, Miss Keller
"Yes, we’ve seen it. And what you've done is criminal. How dare you invade my life like that! You will be caught. And you'll rot in a jail cell for a--"
"Miss Keller, your darkroom was only the beginning." "Don't you understand?" She was shouting. She could see that both Brian and Keith were staring at her with startled alarm, but she couldn't help herself.
"I don't have the damn pictures!"
"Do stay calm, Miss Keller.I believe that you don't have the pictures. But I also believe you can get them back." "Condor has the pictures; go plague him!" There was the slightest hesitation at the other end of the wire. "I think you can get those pictures back, Miss Keller." "Condor--"
"Condor wouldn't be half so enjoyable to harass.""Because he'd tell you to go to hell!""Possibly. He's a far tougher adversary, though you seem tough enough yourself, Miss Keller. I can well imagine your being brave enough--or stupid enough--to tell me to go to hell. But you won't, will you? Not when you have three little children to think about. I want the pictures. A woman likeyourself can surely con a man Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
into doing what she wants. I'll give you a few days. But get them. And remember, I'll be watching. So far, I've only damaged property. Oh--and don't think that you can put anything over on me. I have an acquaintance at the police station. I'll know if you've called them.And as far as Condor goes... Well, I just wouldn't let him in on the situation--not unless you've twisted him around your finger real, real good.
He's the type who might just insist on calling the cops, and well, I've just explained that all to you.Clearly.
You just keep thinking about two things. Those littleboys, and the pictures. 'Cause it's going to be one or the other, kind of, if you understand my meaning__"
She was clenching the phone and staring at it stupidly long after she realized it had gone dead.
Meanwhile her mind raced away. It couldn't be a "fan" of Lee's. Fans might squabble and scramble and risk personal injury to get close to a star, but they didn't break into private homes--not for pictures! No, someone wanted these pictures
ina very real way. Why? Oh, God! Did it matter when she was the one caught in the situation? She was no detective, and the Riptide guys certainly weren't going to come along and solve her desperate problems in an hour the way they did on TV She was a woman alone who barely knew the barrel from the butt of a gun, yet three little children were dependent on her. So all right, yes! There was something deeper going on here, deep and wrong and perhaps even terrible, but that couldn't be her concern. She was human and vulnerable and terrified, and she didn't want to solve any mysteries, she just wanted to feel safe, to believe again that the children were safe....
"Aunt Bryn?"
She jerked herself around to stare at Brian and Keith. "Where's Adam?" she demanded.
"Coloring," Keith supplied.