[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
with Mary Smith, or any other heinous murder investigation.
"I'm going to have to give my regrets on this one. I've got family
commitments that I cannot turn my back on."
"Yes, I understand," he said, too quickly to have meant it. "But maybe we
could pry you away for just a while. A few hours in the day."
"I'm sorry, you can't. Not right now."
Van Allsburg sighed heavily on the other end of the line. When he spoke
again, his tone was more measured. I don't know if I was reading him right,
but I got a hint of condescension, too. "Do you know what we're dealing with
here? Alex, have you seen the news this morning?"
"I'm trying to stay away from the news for a few days. Remember, I'm on
vacation. Ineed a vacation. I just came off the Wolf."
"Alex, listen, we both know this isn't over. People are dying here. Important
people."
Important people?What the hell was that supposed to mean? Also, I'm not sure
if he was conscious of it, but he seemed to start every other sentence with my
name. I sort of understood the position he was in, the pressure, but I was
going to hold firm this time. "I'm sorry," I told him. "The answer isno ."
"Alex, I'd prefer to keep this between you and me. There's no reason to go up
to Ron Burns, is there?" "No, there isn't," I told Van Allsburg. "Good ," he
Page 35
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
started in, but I cut him off. "Because I'm turning off my pager right now."
Chapter 22
I'LL ADMIT, when I hung up the phone, my pulse was racing a little, but I
felt relieved as well. I thought that Ron Burns would probably back me up on
this, but you know what? I didn't even care.
An hour later I was dressed and ready to go be a tourist. "Who wants to have
breakfast with Goofy?" I called out.
The hotel offered "character breakfasts," and it seemed like a good way to
channel our energies right back into vacation mode. A little corny for sure,
but sometimes corny is good, real good, keeps everything in perspective.
Jannie and Damon came into the suite's living room, both of them looking a
little wary. I held out two fists, fingers up.
"Each of you pick a hand," I said.
"Daddy, we're not babies anymore," Jannie said. "I'm eleven. Have you
noticed?"
I put on a shocked expression."You're not?" It brought out the kind of
laughter I was looking for.
"This is serious business," I told them. "I'm not kidding. Now, pick a hand.
Please."
"What is it?" Damon asked.
But I kept mute.
Jannie finally tapped my left hand, and then Damon shrugged and pointed to
the right.
"Good choice." I turned it over and unclenched my fingers. Both kids leaned
in for a closer look.
"Yourpager? " Damon asked.
"I just turned it off. Now Nana and I are going to wait out in the hall, and
I want you two to hide it somewhere. Hide it good. I don't want to see that
thing again, not until we're back in D.C."
Both Jannie and Damon began to whistle and cheer. Even Nana let out a whoop.
We were finally on vacation.
Chapter 23
MAYBE THERE WAS a silver lining in all of this misery and desolation. Not
likely, but maybe. Arnold Griner knew he had exclusive rights to his own story
when this terrible mess was all over. And you know what else? He wouldn't
settle for just a TV movie. He was going to try to serialize the whole thing
in his column, and then sell it as a prestige project at one of the
studios.Hollywood Under Siege? The War Against the Stars? Bad titles. That was
Page 36
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
the concept, anyway.
He shook his head and refocused on the San Diego Freeway. The Xanax he'd
taken was making him a little loopy. He'd kept the caffeine going, too, just
to maintain some kind of balance through the day. Actually, the morning
commute was the hardest time of his day. It was a daily transition from not
worrying as much to worrying a lot and feeling sick to his stomach. The closer
he got to his office, his desk, his computer, the more anxious he felt.
If he knew for certain that another creepy e-mail was coming, it would almost
be easier. It was the not-knowing part that made it hell.
Would Mary be back? Would it happen today? But, most important, why was she
writing to him?
All too soon, he arrived at Times Mirror Square. Griner worked in the older
part of the complex, a 1930s-era building that he had a certain affection for,
under normal circumstances, anyway.
The main doors were large bronze affairs, flanked with imposing twin eagle
sculptures. He walked right by them this morning, around to the back entrance,
and took the stairs to the third floor. One couldn't be too careful, could
one?
A reporter named Jennie Bloom fell into step with him the second he hit the
newsroom floor. Among all the staff who had shown a sudden interest in his
well-being, she was by far the most obvious about it. Or was that odious?
"Hey,Arnold , how's it going? You doing okay, man? What are you covering
today?"
Griner didn't miss a beat. "Jen, if that's your idea of a pickupline, you
must be the most unlaid woman inL.A. "
Jennie Bloom merely grinned and kept on coming on. "Spoken like someone with
experience in matters of the heart. All right then, let's skip the foreplay. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl karpacz24.htw.pl
with Mary Smith, or any other heinous murder investigation.
"I'm going to have to give my regrets on this one. I've got family
commitments that I cannot turn my back on."
"Yes, I understand," he said, too quickly to have meant it. "But maybe we
could pry you away for just a while. A few hours in the day."
"I'm sorry, you can't. Not right now."
Van Allsburg sighed heavily on the other end of the line. When he spoke
again, his tone was more measured. I don't know if I was reading him right,
but I got a hint of condescension, too. "Do you know what we're dealing with
here? Alex, have you seen the news this morning?"
"I'm trying to stay away from the news for a few days. Remember, I'm on
vacation. Ineed a vacation. I just came off the Wolf."
"Alex, listen, we both know this isn't over. People are dying here. Important
people."
Important people?What the hell was that supposed to mean? Also, I'm not sure
if he was conscious of it, but he seemed to start every other sentence with my
name. I sort of understood the position he was in, the pressure, but I was
going to hold firm this time. "I'm sorry," I told him. "The answer isno ."
"Alex, I'd prefer to keep this between you and me. There's no reason to go up
to Ron Burns, is there?" "No, there isn't," I told Van Allsburg. "Good ," he
Page 35
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
started in, but I cut him off. "Because I'm turning off my pager right now."
Chapter 22
I'LL ADMIT, when I hung up the phone, my pulse was racing a little, but I
felt relieved as well. I thought that Ron Burns would probably back me up on
this, but you know what? I didn't even care.
An hour later I was dressed and ready to go be a tourist. "Who wants to have
breakfast with Goofy?" I called out.
The hotel offered "character breakfasts," and it seemed like a good way to
channel our energies right back into vacation mode. A little corny for sure,
but sometimes corny is good, real good, keeps everything in perspective.
Jannie and Damon came into the suite's living room, both of them looking a
little wary. I held out two fists, fingers up.
"Each of you pick a hand," I said.
"Daddy, we're not babies anymore," Jannie said. "I'm eleven. Have you
noticed?"
I put on a shocked expression."You're not?" It brought out the kind of
laughter I was looking for.
"This is serious business," I told them. "I'm not kidding. Now, pick a hand.
Please."
"What is it?" Damon asked.
But I kept mute.
Jannie finally tapped my left hand, and then Damon shrugged and pointed to
the right.
"Good choice." I turned it over and unclenched my fingers. Both kids leaned
in for a closer look.
"Yourpager? " Damon asked.
"I just turned it off. Now Nana and I are going to wait out in the hall, and
I want you two to hide it somewhere. Hide it good. I don't want to see that
thing again, not until we're back in D.C."
Both Jannie and Damon began to whistle and cheer. Even Nana let out a whoop.
We were finally on vacation.
Chapter 23
MAYBE THERE WAS a silver lining in all of this misery and desolation. Not
likely, but maybe. Arnold Griner knew he had exclusive rights to his own story
when this terrible mess was all over. And you know what else? He wouldn't
settle for just a TV movie. He was going to try to serialize the whole thing
in his column, and then sell it as a prestige project at one of the
studios.Hollywood Under Siege? The War Against the Stars? Bad titles. That was
Page 36
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
the concept, anyway.
He shook his head and refocused on the San Diego Freeway. The Xanax he'd
taken was making him a little loopy. He'd kept the caffeine going, too, just
to maintain some kind of balance through the day. Actually, the morning
commute was the hardest time of his day. It was a daily transition from not
worrying as much to worrying a lot and feeling sick to his stomach. The closer
he got to his office, his desk, his computer, the more anxious he felt.
If he knew for certain that another creepy e-mail was coming, it would almost
be easier. It was the not-knowing part that made it hell.
Would Mary be back? Would it happen today? But, most important, why was she
writing to him?
All too soon, he arrived at Times Mirror Square. Griner worked in the older
part of the complex, a 1930s-era building that he had a certain affection for,
under normal circumstances, anyway.
The main doors were large bronze affairs, flanked with imposing twin eagle
sculptures. He walked right by them this morning, around to the back entrance,
and took the stairs to the third floor. One couldn't be too careful, could
one?
A reporter named Jennie Bloom fell into step with him the second he hit the
newsroom floor. Among all the staff who had shown a sudden interest in his
well-being, she was by far the most obvious about it. Or was that odious?
"Hey,Arnold , how's it going? You doing okay, man? What are you covering
today?"
Griner didn't miss a beat. "Jen, if that's your idea of a pickupline, you
must be the most unlaid woman inL.A. "
Jennie Bloom merely grinned and kept on coming on. "Spoken like someone with
experience in matters of the heart. All right then, let's skip the foreplay. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]