BooksBarbecue
Back Mobbed Save as PDF
Chapters (88)
  1. Cover Page
  2. Front Flap
  3. Title Page
  4. Acknowledgments
  5. Dedication
  6. Contents
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. 41
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. 60
  67. 61
  68. 62
  69. 63
  70. 64
  71. 65
  72. 66
  73. 67
  74. 68
  75. 69
  76. 70
  77. 71
  78. 72
  79. 73
  80. 74
  81. 75
  82. 76
  83. 77
  84. 78
  85. 79
  86. 80
  87. Back Flap
  88. Back Cover

“She told me that, too. It was late in the afternoon after the lifeguards had left. She said she never would swim in the ocean alone again. If I’d been there, we probably would have gone to the beach a lot,” Daisy said wistfully. “Regan, I think Cleo would want to find somewhere quiet, and I don’t think she’d want to be holed up in a hotel. She likes to jog. And she certainly liked to go camping with her parents. Oh, I don’t know.”

“Daisy, I just spoke to a friend of mine who told me that she had lunch today in a restaurant in New York City. The actress April Dockton was also at the restaurant—”

“April Dockton!” Daisy interrupted. “She hates Cleo! She just worked on the movie I’m doing and had to try and strangle me in a scene. She wasn’t acting, I’ll tell you that.”

Oh great, Regan thought. “I don’t suppose you have her phone number, then.”

“No. Do you want me to try and get it? Someone in production here must have it.”

“Sure. I don’t know yet what my pretense for calling her would be, but I’ll think of something.” Then Regan told Daisy about the episode with the Flakes.

“Flake’s son is a nutcase! He asked Cleo out a number of times but she always turned him down. When she lived in New York City, he’d call and offer to drive her to auditions. Cleo couldn’t stand him.”

“I can understand why,” Regan said. “He doesn’t exactly ooze charm. Daisy, if you can get April’s number, call me back.”

“I will, Regan. And I’ll keep thinking.”

70

Wilbur opened his eyes when the car stopped moving. He felt like he’d been asleep for a while. “Where are we?” he asked Stix, checking his watch and looking around. It was six o’clock. They were in the parking lot of a small diner on a rural road. The opposite side of the street was heavily wooded.

Stix didn’t answer. “I have to ask you a favor,” he growled, his expression tense.

Wilbur was baffled. “What?”

“I’ve got to run an errand. Would you mind waiting in the diner? Go in and have a cup of coffee.”

“A cup of coffee? Stix, I want to go home.”

“Please, this is important,” Stix said. “I promise I’ll be right back.”

“How long will it take us to get home from here?”

“Don’t worry about it. Hurry up, Wilbur.”

“I never in all my life,” Wilbur said, shaking his head. He opened the door and struggled to lift himself out of the seat. Still feeling lousy, he longed to be home, stretched out on his couch. Gingerly he stepped out onto the pavement and shut the door. Stix pulled out of the parking lot without a backward glance.