They stopped in front of her. The shorter one smiled. The tall blonde said, “So you're the reporter from, what was it, Erotic Film Monthly?” She shook her head. “I thought I knew everybody from the industry mags. Are you new with them?”

Rune started to continue the lie. But impulsively she said, “What I am is dishonest.”

Which got a faint smile. “Oh?”

“I lied to the receptionist. To get in the front door. Are you Shelly Lowe?”

A momentary frown. Then she gave a curious smile and said, “Yes. But that's not my real name.”

The handshake was strong, a man's grip, confident.

Her friend said, “I'm Nicole. That is my real name. But my last name isn't. D'Orleans.” She gave it a Gallic pronunciation. “But it's spelled like the city.”

Rune took her hand carefully; Nicole had inch-long purple fingernails.

“I'm Rune.”

“Interesting,” Shelly said. “Is it real?”

Rune shrugged. “As real as yours.”

“Lot of stage names in our business,” Shelly said. “I lose track sometimes. Now tell me why you're a liar.”

“I thought they'd kick me out if I was honest.”

“Why would they do that? You a right-wing crazy? You don't look like one.”

Rune said, “I want to make a movie about you.”

“Do you now?”

“You know about the bombing?”

“Oh, that was terrible,” Nicole said, actually shivering in an exaggerated way.

“We all know about it,” Shelly said.

“I want to use it as sort of a jumping-off point for my film.”

“And I'm the one you want to jump to?” Shelly asked.

Rune thought about those words, thought about disagreeing with her but said, “That's about it.”

“Why me?”

“Just a coincidence really. One of your pictures was playing when the bomb went off.”

Shelly nodded slowly, and Rune found herself staring at her. Nicole was scrunching her broad, shiny face at the mention of the explosion and the deaths in the theater, closing her eyes, practically crossing herself, while Shelly was simply listening, leaning against a column, her arms crossed.

Rune's thoughts were muddled. Under Shelly's gaze she felt young and silly, a child being indulged.

Nicole took a package of sugar-free gum from her pocket, unwrapped a stick and began to chew.

Rune said, “Anyway, that's what I want to do.”

Shelly said, “You know anything about the adult-film business?”

“I used to work for a video store. My boss said the adult films gave us the best margin.”

She was proud of herself for that, saying something about business. Margin. A mature way to talk about fuck films.