daughter had been named in memory of their friend, and Grant’s girlfriend, Macy Sharif, who had died trying to prevent a group of Nazi war criminals from finding the secret of eternal youth.
The trio shared looks of mutual sympathy, then the actor straightened. ‘Like you say, family comes first, right!’ he said, in a performance as obvious as any he had ever given on screen. ‘Glad you liked the movie, we’re all very proud of it. And don’t forget,’ he added for the microphones, ‘you want to find out what really happened, read Nina’s book! It’s called, uh . . .’
‘ In Search of History ,’ Marvin quickly said. ‘Great story, we wouldn’t have bought the rights otherwise!’ He looked around. ‘Hey, Claudia’s over there with Leviticus Gold. Let’s get all the stars together for the cameras, huh?’
‘Catch you guys later!’ Grant called over his shoulder as Marvin ushered his business partner and their entourage away.
‘Bye,’ said Nina, with distinct relief. She regarded her husband. ‘Can we go now?’
He smiled. ‘Yeah, I think we’re done.’
They headed for the exit. Nobody tried to intercept them. Nina gave silent thanks that the journalists had more famous prey—
‘Dr Wilde? Nina?’
‘Goddamn it,’ she muttered before turning.
To her surprise, the person who had called her name wasn’t a member of the press but an elegantly dressed old lady. Nina guessed she was well into her eighties, white hair drawn into a carefully styled bun. Despite her age, the woman’s green eyes were still bright and intelligent, regarding the redhead with a contemplative, almost approving air. ‘Hello?’ Nina said after an uncomfortable silence.
The woman blinked. ‘I’m sorry,’ she said, an upper-class New England accent clear even in just two words. ‘It’s just that . . . I’ve seen photographs of you, of course, but I hadn’t been prepared for how much you look like Laura in person.’
Nina felt unsettled at her mother’s name being used by a complete stranger. But as she looked back at the elderly woman, the feeling grew – because she was now also experiencing an odd sense of recognition . Something about her was familiar, almost disturbingly so. ‘Do I know you?’
‘No, I’m afraid you don’t. But I did know your mother – and we should talk about her.’
‘What about my mother?’ Nina demanded. ‘Who are you?’
The woman smiled. ‘My name is Olivia Garde. I’m your grandmother.’
4
The lobby’s hubbub seemed to fade as Nina stared at the old lady. ‘That’s . . . that’s not possible,’ she said. ‘My grandmother died a long time ago.’
‘Yes, I imagine that’s what Laura told you,’ said Olivia, with a small, sad shake of the head. ‘But I can prove that I am who I say. If you’ll let me.’ A glance at the crowd. ‘Perhaps somewhere more quiet?’
Nina was caught between the urge to find out more and telling the impostor – she had to be! – where to go. The former won out. ‘We’re just on our way home. You could meet us there.’
‘Er, Nina?’ said Eddie. ‘We’re putting our three-year-old daughter to bed, remember?’
‘I wouldn’t want to keep Macy awake,’ Olivia told them. ‘I can meet you at your convenience.’
‘No, that’s okay. It’s okay,’ Nina repeated to her disapproving husband. ‘We’ll make it quick. If that’s all right?’ she asked Olivia.
‘That will be perfectly fine,’ the older woman replied. ‘I’ll take a cab. What’s your address?’ Nina gave it. ‘I’ll see you there. Don’t worry – and don’t you worry either, Mr Chase. I’ll explain everything.’
Nina and Eddie watched as she departed. She might have been old, but she still had a steady and determined pace. ‘Wait, she knew who I am. And Macy,’ Eddie said with a frown.
‘That doesn’t mean she really is my grandmother,’ said Nina. ‘She could have just googled me. Hell, I wrote about my parents in
The trio shared looks of mutual sympathy, then the actor straightened. ‘Like you say, family comes first, right!’ he said, in a performance as obvious as any he had ever given on screen. ‘Glad you liked the movie, we’re all very proud of it. And don’t forget,’ he added for the microphones, ‘you want to find out what really happened, read Nina’s book! It’s called, uh . . .’
‘ In Search of History ,’ Marvin quickly said. ‘Great story, we wouldn’t have bought the rights otherwise!’ He looked around. ‘Hey, Claudia’s over there with Leviticus Gold. Let’s get all the stars together for the cameras, huh?’
‘Catch you guys later!’ Grant called over his shoulder as Marvin ushered his business partner and their entourage away.
‘Bye,’ said Nina, with distinct relief. She regarded her husband. ‘Can we go now?’
He smiled. ‘Yeah, I think we’re done.’
They headed for the exit. Nobody tried to intercept them. Nina gave silent thanks that the journalists had more famous prey—
‘Dr Wilde? Nina?’
‘Goddamn it,’ she muttered before turning.
To her surprise, the person who had called her name wasn’t a member of the press but an elegantly dressed old lady. Nina guessed she was well into her eighties, white hair drawn into a carefully styled bun. Despite her age, the woman’s green eyes were still bright and intelligent, regarding the redhead with a contemplative, almost approving air. ‘Hello?’ Nina said after an uncomfortable silence.
The woman blinked. ‘I’m sorry,’ she said, an upper-class New England accent clear even in just two words. ‘It’s just that . . . I’ve seen photographs of you, of course, but I hadn’t been prepared for how much you look like Laura in person.’
Nina felt unsettled at her mother’s name being used by a complete stranger. But as she looked back at the elderly woman, the feeling grew – because she was now also experiencing an odd sense of recognition . Something about her was familiar, almost disturbingly so. ‘Do I know you?’
‘No, I’m afraid you don’t. But I did know your mother – and we should talk about her.’
‘What about my mother?’ Nina demanded. ‘Who are you?’
The woman smiled. ‘My name is Olivia Garde. I’m your grandmother.’
4
The lobby’s hubbub seemed to fade as Nina stared at the old lady. ‘That’s . . . that’s not possible,’ she said. ‘My grandmother died a long time ago.’
‘Yes, I imagine that’s what Laura told you,’ said Olivia, with a small, sad shake of the head. ‘But I can prove that I am who I say. If you’ll let me.’ A glance at the crowd. ‘Perhaps somewhere more quiet?’
Nina was caught between the urge to find out more and telling the impostor – she had to be! – where to go. The former won out. ‘We’re just on our way home. You could meet us there.’
‘Er, Nina?’ said Eddie. ‘We’re putting our three-year-old daughter to bed, remember?’
‘I wouldn’t want to keep Macy awake,’ Olivia told them. ‘I can meet you at your convenience.’
‘No, that’s okay. It’s okay,’ Nina repeated to her disapproving husband. ‘We’ll make it quick. If that’s all right?’ she asked Olivia.
‘That will be perfectly fine,’ the older woman replied. ‘I’ll take a cab. What’s your address?’ Nina gave it. ‘I’ll see you there. Don’t worry – and don’t you worry either, Mr Chase. I’ll explain everything.’
Nina and Eddie watched as she departed. She might have been old, but she still had a steady and determined pace. ‘Wait, she knew who I am. And Macy,’ Eddie said with a frown.
‘That doesn’t mean she really is my grandmother,’ said Nina. ‘She could have just googled me. Hell, I wrote about my parents in
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