BooksBarbecue
Back Mary, Mary Save as PDF
Chapters (128)
  1. Prologue: THE STORYTELLER
  2. Chapter 1
  3. Chapter 2
  4. Part One: THE “MARY SMITH” MURDERS
  5. Chapter 3
  6. Chapter 4
  7. Chapter 5
  8. Chapter 6
  9. Chapter 7
  10. Chapter 8
  11. Chapter 9
  12. Chapter 10
  13. Chapter 11
  14. Chapter 12
  15. Chapter 13
  16. Chapter 14
  17. Part Two: I LOVE L.A.
  18. Chapter 15
  19. Chapter 16
  20. Chapter 17
  21. Chapter 18
  22. Chapter 19
  23. Chapter 20
  24. Chapter 21
  25. Chapter 22
  26. Chapter 23
  27. Chapter 24
  28. Chapter 25
  29. Chapter 26
  30. Chapter 27
  31. Chapter 28
  32. Chapter 29
  33. Chapter 30
  34. Chapter 31
  35. Chapter 32
  36. Chapter 33
  37. Chapter 34
  38. Chapter 35
  39. Chapter 36
  40. Chapter 37
  41. Chapter 38
  42. Chapter 39
  43. Chapter 40
  44. Chapter 41
  45. Chapter 42
  46. Chapter 43
  47. Chapter 44
  48. Chapter 45
  49. Chapter 46
  50. Part Three: JUGGLING ACTS
  51. Chapter 47
  52. Chapter 48
  53. Chapter 49
  54. Chapter 50
  55. Chapter 51
  56. Chapter 52
  57. Chapter 53
  58. Chapter 54
  59. Chapter 55
  60. Chapter 56
  61. Chapter 57
  62. Chapter 58
  63. Chapter 59
  64. Chapter 60
  65. Chapter 61
  66. Chapter 62
  67. Chapter 63
  68. Chapter 64
  69. Chapter 65
  70. Chapter 66
  71. Chapter 67
  72. Chapter 68
  73. Chapter 69
  74. Chapter 70
  75. Chapter 71
  76. Part Four: THE BLUE SUBURBAN
  77. Chapter 72
  78. Chapter 73
  79. Chapter 74
  80. Chapter 75
  81. Chapter 76
  82. Chapter 77
  83. Chapter 78
  84. Chapter 79
  85. Chapter 80
  86. Chapter 81
  87. Chapter 82
  88. Chapter 83
  89. Chapter 84
  90. Chapter 85
  91. Chapter 86
  92. Chapter 87
  93. Chapter 88
  94. Chapter 89
  95. Chapter 90
  96. Chapter 91
  97. Chapter 92
  98. Chapter 93
  99. Chapter 94
  100. Chapter 95
  101. Chapter 96
  102. Chapter 97
  103. Chapter 98
  104. Part Five: END OF STORY
  105. Chapter 99
  106. Chapter 100
  107. Chapter 101
  108. Chapter 102
  109. Chapter 103
  110. Chapter 104
  111. Chapter 105
  112. Chapter 106
  113. Chapter 107
  114. Chapter 108
  115. Chapter 109
  116. Chapter 110
  117. Chapter 111
  118. Chapter 112
  119. Chapter 113
  120. Chapter 114
  121. Chapter 115
  122. Chapter 116
  123. Chapter 117
  124. Chapter 118
  125. Chapter 119
  126. Chapter 120
  127. Chapter 121
  128. About the Author

“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 started in, but I cut him off.

“Because I’m turning off my pager right now.”

Chapter 22

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.

“Your pager?” 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

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 the concept, anyway.