“Impostor syndrome. Don’t bother denying it,” she said when I started to object. “You and I both know you’re not Margot Robbie. I mean, Jesus, Finn, look at you. You’ve got a unicorn sticker in your hair, by the way. Regardless,” she said dismissively as I fished one of Delia’s tiny stickers from the strands, “the only thing standing in the way of a TV deal is you. You’re afraid of it.”
My cheeks burned. “I’m not afraid of it.”
“You are,” she insisted, pointing her champagne flute at me. “You’re afraid of your own success, just like you’re afraid of ordering dessert. Because you don’t think you deserve it. But I’m telling you, Finlay, thisbook is good. This wholeseriesis good. The plots may be a little far-fetched, but these characters are soreal! It’s like they just leap off the page! Someone was bound to want to buy it. This self-doubt will pass. It always does. And when it does, you’ll be unstoppable. Then, we’ll go back to this producer and get your TV show.”
“Thanks,” I said as she polished off her drink. “I feel bad you drove all this way to meet me. I’m sorry to disappoint you.”
“The only thing I’m disappointed about is that I didn’t get to meet your hot cop. He sounds too good to be true, Finlay. I’m thrilled for you, truly. The rest we’ll figure out when you’re feeling up to it.”
He was too good to be true, which was precisely the problem.
Sylvia surprised me, taking my hand as I reached for a breadstick. “What else is eating you? And don’t tell me you’re fine. I’ve been your agent long enough to know you’re never fine. Something is always wrong with you.”
“Thanks,” I deadpanned.
“And why does that guy at the bar keep staring at you? Who is he?”
“Charlie?” I glanced over as the bartender cleared Charlie’s empty glass and set another in front of him. “He’s one of Nick’s friends, a retired detective. He’s supposed to be keeping an eye on me.”
Sylvia gasped. “Do you have a stalker? Is some crazy fan harassing you?”
“Not exactly,” I said, biting into my breadstick. “Nick’s in town investigating a case, and Charlie’s running interference.”
“Why? He doesn’t want you getting in the way?”
“In a manner of speaking.”
Sylvia leaned in. “What’s involved in this case? Is it a murder?” Her eyes lit. I could practically see the dollar signs adding up inside them.
If there was any chance of escaping, it had to be now. I set down my bread and leaned toward her, my head bent close. “Possibly two.” Sylvia sucked in a breath. “A man went missing,” I continued. “There were signs of foul play—”
“How foul are we talking?”
“His car was set on fire but no body was found in it. And a key witness in the investigation seems to have disappeared. Nick’s probably trying to find him right now. I wanted to go with him—I mean, what a perfect research opportunity, right? That’s where we were going when you called me earlier. But when Nick heard you wanted to meet me about a TV deal, he said this dinner was too important to miss, so he asked Charlie to drive me.”
“I had no idea,” Sylvia breathed as she glanced toward the bar.
“It’s fine. Charlie doesn’t want me involved in the case anyway. He said it’s far too dangerous for a civilian to be riding along. They could find a body. There could be dangerous people with guns. You know, hackers transporting secret files or thieves with stolen property! Even if I could manage to catch up with Nick, we’d probably have to go deep undercover. We might have to rent a room together, posing as a married couple. There would probably be only one bed. And sharing it would becompletelyout of the question. That sort of thing is strictly forbidden between cops and civilians during a stakeout.” I left out the fact that it was forbidden for me to even beona stakeout. “It’s probably better that I’m here with you.Anythingcould happen if I was out there with a rogue cop, searching for bad guys in a seedy nightclub or a swanky hotel suite. There’s no way Charlie would ever let me out of his sight long enough for me to find Nick and help him work the case.”
Sweat bloomed on Sylvia’s bosom. Her hand shot across the table and closed around mine, clammy and hot. “Maybe I can help,” she said urgently. “I’m your agent, aren’t I? My job is to clear your path of any obstacles to your success.”
“You think it’s possible to shake him?”
“Leave that part to me.” She sat up tall and flagged down our server, requesting two salads be brought immediately to our table. When our server rushed to the kitchen, Sylvia reached under the table. “Take this,” she said, pressing something against my knee.
“What is it?”
“My purse. Hang it on the back of your chair, over your coat. Whenour salads get here, leave the coat and purse and take the rear exit through the hallway behind you. Your friend at the bar will assume you’ve gone to the ladies’ room and you’re coming right back. It will take him a few minutes to realize you’re gone. Don’t worry, I’ll cover for you. Now go find your man, and come back with a story. I want to hear all the details when you get home.” She winked at me as our server returned and set a plate of salad in front of me.
“Thanks, Sylvia,” I said, slipping her purse over the back of my chair. “You’re the best.”
Without looking at Charlie, I excused myself from the table and followed the signs for the restroom. When I was certain Charlie couldn’t see me from the bar, I dashed through the narrow hallway and out the back door. Then I raced around the building and flagged down a taxi. A yellow cab screeched to the curb. I ducked inside and slammed the door.
“Where to?” the driver asked.
“The Villagio,” I said, twisting in my seat to see Charlie fly through the front door of the restaurant, shaking his head. I could have sworn he laughed as he watched us drive away.
CHAPTER 14
