Claire McNab - Quokka Question

"When I saw Pen at UCLA this morning," I said, "she didn't mention she was calling you." A dark suspicion swept over me. "This could be a setup."

"How so?" Crikey, Ariana could put volumes into one raised eyebrow.

"Pen really fancies you. She as good as said so this morning."

Ariana laughed. "I don't think so."

"Oh, come on, Ariana," I said, impatient with her. "You're a knockout, you know you are."

She sat back and gave me a long, blue look "And you think it's likely Penelope Braithwaite will sweep me off my feet? That I'll be the equivalent of romantic cannon fodder?"

I grinned. "I reckon Pen's out of luck. You'd never allow feet-sweeping unless you wanted it to happen." I felt my smile fading. "You don't, do you?"

"Kylie-"

"Sorry," I said. "Personal question. For all I know, you and Pen Braithwaite are soul mates, made for each other."

Ariana shook her head. Before she could speak, I beat her to the punch. "You're going to say I'm one of a kind, aren't you? You've said that several times before."

"And no doubt," said Ariana drily, "I'll find myself saying it again."

Crikey, this conversation had gotten out of hand. I had a talent for putting my foot in my mouth where Ariana was concerned. I slapped a businesslike expression on my face and said in a businesslike tone, "Here's my report on what happened at UCLA today…"

I was just finishing my report on the day's activities with a description of the violent argument Oscar had had with Jack Yarrow, when Melodie rang through to say the two Dr. Braithwaites had arrived to see Ariana.

"Two?" I said to Ariana.

She shrugged. "You'd better join us, Kylie, to even up the odds." She added with a wry smile, "And, of course, to chaperone me, if it becomes necessary."

"Blimey, you're not going to let me live that down, are you?"

"Eventually."

Ariana went to collect the Braithwaites at the front desk, I whipped off to see what Lonnie had discovered before I joined them all in Ariana's office.

Lonnie's office door was wide open. "What about Julia Roberts?" I said to him. "She can get in if your door's open."

Lonnie, hunched as usual over his computer, swung around in his chair. "She is in."

He ripped out several tissues from a box and blew his nose with a loud trumpeting noise. "When I got here this morning, Julia Roberts was in my chair. Had the devil of a time getting rid of her."

I tsk-tsked sympathetically.

Gesturing at the jumble in his room, he snarled, "And now she's back! Somewhere in here, Julia Roberts is hiding. Damn cat! I opened the door and she flew past me like a rocket and disappeared."

"Jules," I called to her, "fair go. You know very well that Lonnie's allergic. Come on out."

Lonnie tossed off a scornful laugh. "Get real, Kylie. Cats don't come when they're called. And especially not Julia Roberts. She's holed up, sneering at us both."

I could have told him what would happen next. Hearing Lonnie's disrespectful remarks about cats, Jules immediately took great pleasure in proving him wrong. There was a rustle in the middle of the room, a couple of small items shifted, and Julia Roberts emerged, tawny tail held high.

"Don't let her near me!" Lonnie implored.

Jules gave him a long, cool look, strolled over to me, paused to mark the leg of my jeans by rubbing it with her cheek and whiskers, then sauntered out the door and into the hall.

Lonnie leaped out of his chair to rush over and slam the door. He grumped back to his computer. "Damn cat. If I take any more antihistamine tablets, I'll fall unconscious at your feet."

"My cousin, Brucie, did a course of desensitization injections," I said. "They worked for his allergies. Maybe they would for you."

A look of pure horror filled Lonnie's face. "Injections?" he gasped. "I faint. I always have. All I need to see is the needle heading for my arm, and I'm gone. Out cold."

"There are nondrowsy antihistamines." Hadn't Lonnie seen the zillions of ads on teev for allergy remedies?

Lonnie dismissed my comment with a wave of his hand. "Prescription only. Too expensive." He fixed me with a calculating stare. "Kylie…"

"I'm not getting rid of Jules." I couldn't imagine living here without Julia Roberts for company.

"Get rid of is a bit harsh," said Lonnie. "I thought more relocate. Maybe Ariana could take her."

You've got Buckley's," I said.

"All right, I'll bite. What in the hell's Buckley's?"

"It comes from the Aussie saying, 'You've got two chances, Buckley's and none.' I reckon whoever Buckley was, he had the worse luck in the world, because it means you have no chance at all. A snowball in hell would be better off."

He rolled his eyes. "So Julia Roberts is staying?"

"Too right." Thinking I'd have to make Melodie promise not to open Lonnie's door, I added, "I'll do my best to make sure Jules stays out of your room."

"That's the best I can hope for," said Lonnie mournfully.

I had to get back to Ariana's office. "You left a note on my desk saying you'd found something interesting…?"

Lonnie brightened up. "I've turned up the name of an enforcer Yarrow's used before. It's possible he's the one who shoved Braithwaite into the traffic on Sunset."

"Who is it?"

"Jack Yarrow's brother-in-law. Name's Walter Easton. Known as Wally. You remember how Yarrow's divorce from his second wife, Fenella, was as nasty as it gets? Well, this guy, Easton, is her brother." "Yarrow was arrested for assaulting his wife, wasn't he?" "Sure was. Fenella threw him out of the house and filed for divorce right after that." Lonnie made a face. "Dirty business. Warring attorneys. Vicious accusations on both sides. And then Fenella was assaulted again-black eyes, broken nose. But this time it was her brother. She didn't press charges, said it was a family argument." "You think Jack Yarrow was responsible for this attack?" "Looks that way. Easton and Yarrow have remained thick as thieves. When Yarrow took Winona Worsack as his third wife, he married into a very wealthy family. I don't think it's a coincidence that once Yarrow had access to money, he set Wally Easton up in business, financing him in Wally's Strength & Health Club in Burbank. There've been rumors that Easton has been dealing in illegal steroids and the like, but he's never been convicted."

Lonnie gave me a printout detailing Wally Easton's career, and I took it along with me to Ariana's office, thinking I'd check with Oscar and Pen to see if either one was familiar with Yarrow's brother-in-law.

The moment I entered the office, I had an I-told-you-so moment.

Oscar was his usual hairy, untidy self, but Pen…

Pen was a substantial vision in a bright-turquoise outfit, which I thought the exact same shade as her little sports car. In Ariana's black-and-white room, she positively glowed. Her humongous sandals had been replaced with high heels. Her burnished hair was up, she wore dangling earrings, also turquoise, and a matching bracelet. She'd clearly taken some time applying makeup. Most alarming of all, she was smiling fondly at Ariana.

My gaze locked with Ariana's. I raised my eyebrows fractionally. She sent me a you-were-right resigned smile.

"Pen," I said, "you're looking bonzer. Got a big date tonight?" "I can only hope," said Pen, grinning meaningfully at Ariana. "I can only hope."

"Bloody stalker," snarled Oscar Braithwaite. "When I catch him I'll thrash him within an inch of his life."

With an obvious effort, Pen switched her attention from Ariana to her brother. Clearly irate, she said, "Oscar, how many times have I told you? Don't get involved. Leave it to the professionals."

Oscar glowered at her through a curtain of hair. "A good beating-that's what the bastard needs."