“That’s why you’re my guy.” As Derek flashed a smile, something more sinister occurred to me. “Do you think Grizzly followed us to Edward’s house the other day? He saw how expensive the house was and convinced Lug Nut to try to steal something. How else would he have considered breaking in to Edward’s house?”
“It’s possible.” At the stoplight, Derek added, “So, he might not have been going after a book. He might’ve been targeting something more valuable.”
“I can’t figure it out,” I said. “It doesn’t make sense. But, then, Lug Nut wasn’t too bright, was he?”
“No. Seems Grizzly got the one brain cell in that family.”
I laughed but then sobered. “I feel terrible for Edward. He’s such a gentle soul. It can’t be easy for him, knowing he killed someone in cold blood.”
“He was protecting himself and his property,” Derek reasoned. “And he has a housekeeper living there. She was in danger, too.”
“I know it was a protective instinct. But what an awful experience for the poor man, having to face down that big creep and pull the trigger.”
I shivered and he patted my thigh. Then something else occurred to me and I moaned. “Oh no. He’ll probably cancel the party. What a bummer.”
? ? ?
It was a minor miracle but I managed to hustle the big pink box of cupcakes to my dressing room without being stopped. My plan was to present the cupcakes to my fellow workers at just the right moment, but first I wanted to set a few aside for me and Derek. During those long research breaks, it was nice to have a little treat. Especially homemade cupcakes from Alex.
After the first few segments had been taped, Tom asked everyone who worked on the show to join him in the studio for what turned out to be a pep rally.
“I want to thank you all for helping put together the best group of shows we’ve ever produced.”
We all cheered and congratulated ourselves.
“I’m sorry Gerald had to take off this morning, because it was nice to have him on set yesterday.” He waited for the polite applause to finish. “He was a real trouper to fly out and help us. But I’m really glad to have Randy back with us.”
That brought more enthusiastic cheers. Randy was right about everybody liking him. Almost everybody, I added to myself. He stood and waved from where he’d been sitting on the war set. He still looked weak but happy to be acknowledged.
“Thanks to all our local staff and crew,” Tom continued. “We’re really going to miss you. If anyone’s interested in relocating, let me know.”
The locals cheered loudly.
“I’m serious; this is the best group we’ve ever worked with.” Tom glanced around, then whispered loudly, “Don’t tell the others.”
We laughed, and after Tom singled out a few of the more awesome crew members by name, including Angie, he changed topics. “You’ve probably all heard about the appraiser that was arrested yesterday.”
Minka. I prayed he would tell us that they threw the book at her.
“She’s been released from jail.”
No! I wanted to shout it out. Noooooo! You’re making a big mistake! But I held my tongue. It wasn’t easy.
“None of the book owners were willing to press charges,” Tom said with a shrug. “And it’s too much trouble for the show to get involved, since we’ll be moving on to another location soon. But she’s been fined and given a strong warning by the local police that they’ll be keeping an eye on her.”
Damn! I just hoped that would be enough to keep her from working with books—and me—again.
“One more thing and I’ll let you all go back to work. I heard from Edward Strathmore an hour ago. He had an unfortunate incident occur at his house last night but wanted everyone to know that the party is still on.”
There were more cheers, and I realized that this was the perfect moment to bring out the cupcakes. I ran back to get the big box, and a minute later I cleared a space on the coffee table and opened the box. Then I turned to the crowd. “There are cupcakes for everyone over here!”
You might have thought I’d let loose the hounds. The cupcakes were gone in less than a minute.
They all agreed they were great, although most of the guys wolfed them down so quickly, I’m not sure they tasted them at all. I was really glad I’d set some aside for later.
? ? ?
In my dressing room, I had finished my last round of research and was feeling nostalgic. I was about to appraise my last book. It was a moment to savor.
I glanced over at Derek, who was still working on his computer. “I’ve got to be onstage in a minute,” I said, “so I’m having my cupcake now. Do you want one?”
“Not yet,” Derek said, not looking up. “I’m afraid the clients have bollixed this budget again. I’m going to have to run some more numbers before I can call it a night.”
There was a knock on the door. “Ten minutes, Brooklyn!”
“Wait for me, Angie,” I shouted.
Derek started to close up his computer.
“It’s okay,” I said, waving him back. “You’re still working. I’ll walk out with Angie. I’ll be fine.”
He seemed to weigh the options, then nodded. “Stay with Angie.”
“I will.” I grabbed my cupcake, then gave him a quick kiss.