Carolyn Haines - Wishbones

Tinkie didn’t wait for Daniel. She snatched the knife from his hand and ran like a track star. I’d seldom seen Tinkie exert herself physically-the only running Tinkie did was in “running the Club” or “running Oscar’s life.” But coming toward me across that night-shaded sand, she was pretty damn spectacular.

She was beside me in a moment, and as soon as she gave Graf the knife, he dove into the water and cut the rope. In seconds I was free and we were all swimming toward shore and an impromptu welcoming committee that waited on the sand. Millie, Cece, and the dinner guests had all come to see what was happening on the beach.

And right behind them was a horde of photographers and reporters.

“Oh, shit,” I said, gripping Graf’s arm. “We’d better think fast. If word about this gets out, it’ll be all over the place and the movie will tank.”

Graf reacted quickly. He swept me into his arms and brushed past everyone. “She’s fine, she’s fine. She just got caught in the current. She’s perfectly fine.”

A cheer went up and Cece and Millie fell into step beside us. We marched triumphantly through the reporters, my arms around Graf’s neck and my gaze upon “my hero.” I was really getting the hang of the acting business.

“You may fool those other reporters, but you aren’t fooling me,” Cece whispered as soon as we were clear of the crowd.

Graf set me on my feet, and I discovered that my legs were weak and I was shaking so badly it looked like Saint Vitus’ dance.

“Can you make it up the steps to the house?” he asked.

It was a steep climb, but I could-I would. I nodded. “Let’s do it.”

Jovan and Cece had cleared the dishes, and we all sat around the kitchen table. Instead of a raucous, celebratory dinner, it had been solemn, and now everyone was gone except Federico, Jovan, Graf, and my friends.

Both Federico and I had insisted that the authorities not be called. His worries were about the movie; mine were a bit different. I was determined to find out who’d ambushed and tried to kill me, and I didn’t want the local authorities mucking things up. If the police were called, there would be a leak to the media. No one doubted that.

Federico paced the room. And the things I was telling him were only adding to his worry.

“Was it Estelle?” he asked.

“I couldn’t be certain. It could easily have been her, but it could also have been someone else slender. I mean she had dark hair, but it could have been someone in a wig.” I took a breath. “Sally has an entire trunk of hair extensions, wigs, and things right up on the second floor.”

Jovan dried her hands on a dish towel and gently rubbed Federico’s shoulders. “I think we should leave,” she said softly. “No film is worth a human life.”

“If we continue at the pace we’re going, we can complete the scenes here in a matter of days. The rest we can do on the studio lots. I can’t throw away all the work we’ve done. The studio would never let me reshoot the film at another location. In the moviemaking climate today, it would ruin me.” Federico sipped a snifter of brandy. We each had a glass, and even though I’d had a hot shower, dry clothes, and Millie’s delicious fried chicken, I welcomed the warmth of the liquor.

“Martinez said he had two men outside the house. Neither saw a strange woman,” Graf said. “I spoke with Martinez and he said he was on the beach only an hour beforehand. He saw nothing.”

“And none of the security team saw Sarah Booth, either.” Federico swirled the amber liquid in his glass. “Ricardo said they were the best security crew in Petaluma. Maybe I should find someone else, though. I’m not satisfied with their work.”

“Unless a security guard is assigned to each of us for twenty-four hours a day, they’re not going to be able to protect everyone,” I pointed out. “I went out into the gardens. I was angry and determined to put a stop to all of this. I should have gotten Graf or Tinkie to help me. I have to shoulder some of the blame for what happened.”

Tinkie put her arm around me. “Sarah Booth can’t leave behind her PI ways. There’s something going on here, and we’re going to figure it out.”

“And the place to begin is with Estelle.” Federico brought his cell phone from his pocket and placed a call. When he got Estelle’s voice mail, he left her a terse message telling her to call him back immediately.

Jovan refilled his glass and wrapped her elegant arms around him. “Let’s finish shooting and get away from here. The sooner the better.”

That was a sentiment I heartily concurred with. But there were several key scenes up on the schedule for the next day, and I was in most of them. I’d checked myself in the bathroom mirror, and I looked like warmed over death. I had to get some rest.

I stood to excuse myself, and Graf was at my elbow. “Tomorrow I’d like to talk to Ricardo,” I said. “Tinkie, can you help?”

“You bet. Oscar can wait another day or two.” She picked up my hand and held it. “Millie and Cece have to go, but I can stay a bit longer.”

Millie hugged me around the waist and whispered in my ear. “I didn’t get any answers on the Internet research, Sarah Booth, but once I get to Zinnia and have access to my files and my contact list, I’ll be able to turn something up.” She kissed my cheek. “If you want me to stay, I sure can. You’re more important than a café.”

I hugged her tightly. “You don’t have a clue what the café means to people in Sunflower County. Aside from the good food, it’s a place to meet, a place to sit with a friend to worry through a problem. It’s the hub of the town, Millie. Zinnia can’t do without it, or without you.”

“I wish you were coming home with us, Sarah Booth. I don’t like this business about ghosts and phantoms hiding and jumping out.”

The only good thing that had come of my near demise on castle rock was the arrival of Jitty. My family haint had arrived on-scene just in time to keep me from panicking and drowning. Now I wondered if she’d reappear.

Millie would flip if she knew I had my own ghost in Zinnia. “I’ll be fine,” I assured her. “And before you leave tomorrow, Federico has a surprise for you. Robert Redford is stopping by the set. He heard about your lemon meringue pie.”

I thought I was going to have to hold Millie up. Aunt Loulane would have called it a swoon. Millie recovered and danced around me.

“I’ve got to roll out some pie crust and squeeze the lemons. I’ve got to-” She headed toward the kitchen.

“Have fun. I’m going to bed.”

“Sarah Booth, can I speak with you alone?” Cece asked.

She was unusually solemn, but I figured she wanted to give me a personal good-bye. Tomorrow would be hectic, and there was no guarantee we’d have time for a real parting.

I followed her to her room, and she closed the door. “You never asked what we were doing while you were chasing down the beach.”

“You were helping Millie cook,” I said. I hadn’t asked because I knew.

“We were. But before anyone realized you were missing, I found Sweetie and Chablis locked in a room on the third floor.”

I’d gotten over my terror of nearly drowning, but this bit of news sent goose bumps racing down my arms. “A room on the third floor? The costumes and makeup are in the ballroom, but all the other doors are locked.” I’d tried them while following the “ghost.”

“I had to get a hammer and screwdriver to let them out.”

I nodded, afraid that if I spoke my voice would quiver.

“They were both frantic. They nearly killed themselves getting to the front door, but I thought they had to go to the bathroom, that maybe they’d wandered into the room and somehow locked themselves in.”