Page 47 of Close Up

“Yes.”

Pete studied the entrance of the villa. “How does Miss Brazier feel about your new way of dreaming?”

“She doesn’t know exactly what I do or how I do it.”

“Think she could handle it if she saw you coming out of a dream?”

“She’s not Patricia.”

“But you don’t know how she would react?”

“No,” Nick admitted.

“Best not put her to the test, then. Miss Brazier has reason enough to be worried at the moment. You don’t want to scare her, leastways not until after we figure out who’s trying to kill her.”

Vivian walked out onto the patio. “I heard something about scaring me. I assume you’re talking about the assassin?”

“Sort of,” Pete said. “But don’t you worry. Nick will take good care of you.”

“I know,” Vivian said. She sat down and crossed her legs. “When do I get to meet the mysterious Luther Pell?”

“Pell thinks it’s better if he isn’t seen with you and Nick until wehave a better idea of what’s going on,” Pete said. “No one knows me. I’m just a gardener who came into the hotel through the service entrance.”

“So we sit here in this very nice gilded cage and wait for the killer to come around and introduce himself?” Vivian asked.

“Doubt if we’ll have to wait much longer,” Pete said. “The Poet’s on a tight schedule.”

Vivian shuddered. “Thanks for the reminder. I think we should mess up his precious schedule. We need to do something to make him show his hand.”

“We have done something to put him off balance,” Nick said. “We moved to Burning Cove. Trust me, that will throw him for a while. It’s going to take him a day or two to find us, assuming he knows what he’s doing. Meanwhile, I need the time to study his poems and you need to get those fire scene photos developed.”

“I’ll require a darkroom,” Vivian said. “The local newspaper will have one but I doubt if the editor would let me use it. I might be able to find a camera shop that would let me rent space and equipment.”

Pete chuckled. “I don’t think you’ll have a problem using theHerald’s darkroom. All it will take is a phone call to the editor.”

Vivian raised her brows. “Who makes the call?”

“Luther Pell or, more likely, the owner of this hotel, Oliver Ward,” Pete said. “Ward’s wife, Irene, is the local crime beat reporter.”

“Why do I have the feeling this town is run by Luther Pell and Oliver Ward?” Vivian asked.

Pete shrugged. “Probably because that’s pretty much the way it is. Every town is run by someone or some group. L.A. is run by the big movie studios. Burning Cove is run by a nightclub owner who used to be a government spy and the proprietor of a hotel who used to be a magician.”

“California,” Vivian said. “Land of opportunity.”

Chapter 19

Here you go, theHerald’s darkroom.” Irene Ward waved a hand at the partially open door. “Take your time. Don’t forget the deal I made with my editor. The paper gets first crack at any photo that’s worth a headline while you’re visiting Burning Cove.”

Vivian smiled. “And you get the story.”

“Yep.” Irene laughed. “It’s always nice to work with another professional, someone who understands the news business.”

Pete Sundridge had been right about one thing: All it had taken to obtain permission to use theHerald’s darkroom was a phone call. But that call had been made by Irene Ward, not her husband. Irene was theHerald’s star reporter. Her editor trusted her instincts and was willing to accommodate her because she had provided the paper with so many hot, front-page headlines.

Vivian had liked Irene Ward on sight when they had been introduced in Oliver Ward’s private office. Vivian sensed a kindred spirit. They were both interested in the mystery beneath the surface.

“I’ll wait out here in the hallway while you work your magic with the photos,” Nick said.

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