‘Me too,’ Kim replied absently, and couldn’t help but think:rotten timing too.
Then she chided herself for worrying more about the launch instead of her own flesh and blood.
‘I’ve got some echinacea with me and gave it to her just now,’ Gabriel continued. ‘Hopefully nip anything in the bud before it starts.’
‘Great idea.’ He was such an amazing father. Echinacea, dental appointments, vaccinations, horse-riding lessons, you name it … Gabe was on top of it all when it came to Lily. Sometimes Kim couldn’t believe all the stuff he did on top of his career as a fashion photographer. He’d gone freelance since Lily’s arrival, with their nanny picking up childcare duties whenever he was out on a job.
‘How long do you think before the train leaves Naples? So I can time the pick-up.’
‘Next one’s due in five.’
Her phone beeped then, distorting what Gabriel was saying. ‘Babe, can you hold on a second? I’ve got another call coming in.’
‘Sure.’
‘Hey, Chloe, what’s up?’ Kim asked her assistant, who was based in her office back in the States.
‘Sorry to bother you, Kim, but Hank Bingham is on the line. He says he needs to speak to you urgently.’
What does the Head of Legal want?she asked herself as she waited for the call to be put through. And why now?
‘Kim?’
‘Hey, Hank. What’s up?’
‘Are you sitting down?’
‘No. Do I need to?’ she asked, but automatically moved back into her room and plopped down on the corner of the bed.
‘You might.’
‘Well, I’m sitting now. Tell me what’s going on.’
‘A day ago we received an email from someone who claims that some stuff inThe Sweet Life Guideis plagiarised. She says she can prove it.’
Kim’s heart stopped for a moment. She couldn’t even breathe as the words replayed in her mind.
‘What? Why would someone say that?’ she asked, nervously fumbling with the sheets.
‘Hell if I know. She says some of the chapter headings in the book are directly lifted from some old family journal she has or something, I dunno. I know they’re originally from your social media but because they were reproduced in the book, and thus used for profit, she reckons it’s clear-cut plagiarism.’
Plagiarism …
‘A family journal? Does she have proof?’
‘I don’t know yet. Obviously I’m requesting all the information now, and not taking anything seriously until I see it. I just thought I’d better give you the heads-up, given the timing.’
Interesting timing for sure,Kim thought.
‘OK, I have to admit I’m a bit blindsided by all this …’
But was she really? This wasn’t the first time someone had accused her of being dishonest, she realised, thinking about the more recent negative social media comments.
The Sweet Life … Don’t you mean The FAKE Life?
She swallowed hard. Could this be connected somehow?
Hank was still talking. ‘Of course this is probably just bullshit, but I have to ask. Could any of the quotes have been lifted? I mean, I don’t know much about all that social media stuff and I guess anything goes, but you know, for the book we would have signed a publisher’s release about rights ownership and all that … I’m sorry. I have to ask. It’s my job. I’m sure it’s just nothing but …’
