Page 50 of The Woodcarver's Model
“What is that guy up to?” Rob scanned the pages. “That bastard!” The blood rushed to his face.
Estelle looked at Rob, puzzled. “What?”
“He cut out everything about the development.”
“What development?”
“Can he do that?” Rob asked. “No one’s done that before. Can they just go and do that?”
Estelle shook her head. “I told you I didn’t handle your contract. What did it say when you read it?”
“I…didn’t read the contract,” Rob admitted.
“You what?”
“Things were a bit crazy. I didn’t even think about it.”
Estelle leaned across her desk. “Did he pay you?”
“I…offered it to him for free.”
Estelle glowered at Rob, turned to her computer and started typing.
“Well, I was going to get free publicity for the Stop the Development movement,” Rob explained.
Estelle finished typing. “I just asked Cedric’s assistant for a copy of the contract for my files. You were mentioning development. What the hell is that about?”
“They’re going to build a huge development on the island. Hotel, spa, restaurants. Everything! The article I wrote pointed out the hundred ways that would be bad for everyone.”
“Well, the article I read will just make people want to come to the island,” Estelle shot back.
“Mitch already thinks I did this all on purpose. Now he’ll be sure I was working for Cedric. He’ll kill me.”
Just then Estelle’s computer pinged with an incoming email. She opened it and studied the screen.
“The contract clearly stipulates that the article can be edited for size at the editor’s discretion. This is bad, Robert. You know you shouldn’t have signed this. You handed over complete control to him.”
“So, there’s nothing we can do?”
“I’ll call Cedric and see what I can do, although it might be too late.”
“Mitch’ll never forgive me.”
Rob looked her in the face. Estelle’s eyes softened.
“This Mitch, he means a lot to you?”
“I’ve never felt this way about anyone.”
Estelle got up from behind her desk and walked her five-foot frame over until she stood right in front of him.
“You’ve got it bad,” she said.
“Oh, that’s putting it mildly.”
“Does he feel the same way?”
“He did, until he thought I had a thing for his neighbour. And then there was the murder charge and now this.”
