magazines and had probably got it for free. ‘This will be over in half an hour tops,’ he said. ‘Then I’ll be with you. It’s a bit last minute but
I’ve managed to assemble a small advisory team who can at least begin to help us. There’s a cop coming who specialises in kidnap, my lawyer is due any minute and we’ve got a call
coming back from a pal who happens to be the editor of the biggest Mexican TV news station. In the meantime, make yourselves at home.’ He smiled at them once more, and then he was back off
into the party, shaking hands and kissing cheeks as he went.
Cate watched, entranced as a thrice-winning Oscar movie star, famed for her glacial attitude to men, melted in his presence, flirting with him like the teenager she no longer was.
Cate couldn’t play at being cool any longer. ‘Ritchie, this is amazing. A few days ago I was at school in London in my chemistry class trying to figure out molecular structure. Now
I’m at Johnny James’s Malibu beach house, partying with the stars. How did that happen?’
Ritchie smiled ruefully. ‘It must be a bit weird. To me he’s just my Uncle Jack, my mom’s kid brother. Someone who gave me piggybacks and came to watch me play softball. But
then I see how people react when they’re around him and it brings it home to me just how famous he really is.’
While Ritchie grabbed a couple of Cokes from a drinks tray, Cate found herself gaping at a huge Picasso on the wall. She was desperate for a closer look but Ritchie was tugging at her arm.
‘Over here,’ he said, steering her through a large glass door and out on to the enormous balcony. ‘There’s something I want to show you.’
The moon was high and bright, a frosty white jewel glittering in a dark-blue sky, beaming down a path of silvery light across the never-ending ocean. Beneath the balcony, the waves hissed and
sucked rhythmically at the flat white sand, sending tiny flumes of froth shimmering towards them.
‘It’s stunning,’ said Cate quietly. ‘Absolutely stunning.’ She looked up at Ritchie. ‘If I lived here, I don’t think I’d need the rest of the
house. I’d just camp out on this balcony and stare at the view.’
Ritchie put his arm around her and gave her a hug. ‘You are one of a kind, Cate,’ he said into the top of her head. ‘Most girls I bring here want to hang out in the Jacuzzi or
stare at the celebs. You just want to look at the view.’
‘That sounds like our Cate.’
The deep voice at her shoulder made her jump. It was English, with a northern edge, almost flat-toned.
She turned slowly and, eyes widening, looked up at that familiar beak nose and huge dark eyes set in a pale face topped with floppy black hair.
‘Of all the gin joints in all the towns,’ he said, putting on a fake nineteen-fifties American accent, ‘you walk into mine.’
‘Lucas!’ she said, unable to believe her eyes. Then as he smiled down at her she felt her own face breaking into the most enormous grin. ‘It’s so good to see you! This is
beyond amazing,’ she said finally.
Ritchie stared from one to the other. ‘You two know each other?’ he asked. ‘Cate, you know Lucas Black, from Black Noir? Wow!’
‘Sure does,’ said Lucas, not taking his eyes off Cate’s face. ‘She’s kind of like my lucky mascot. So I hope you don’t mind me asking, Cate, but what the heck
are you doing here?’
Cate frowned for a second. Before she could say anything, a loud laugh and shrieking emanated from a cloud of frothy bubbles spilling over and out of the largest hot tub that Cate had ever
seen.
‘Hey, waiter,’ someone was calling in a broad Essex accent to one of the many young men racing around with trays of drinks and canapés. ‘Bring us some more champagne,
there’s a good boy. I can’t get out of here. It’s too damn cold. I’m going to have to stay here till the sun comes up.’
Cate and Lucas grinned at each other before Lucas led them over to the
I’ve managed to assemble a small advisory team who can at least begin to help us. There’s a cop coming who specialises in kidnap, my lawyer is due any minute and we’ve got a call
coming back from a pal who happens to be the editor of the biggest Mexican TV news station. In the meantime, make yourselves at home.’ He smiled at them once more, and then he was back off
into the party, shaking hands and kissing cheeks as he went.
Cate watched, entranced as a thrice-winning Oscar movie star, famed for her glacial attitude to men, melted in his presence, flirting with him like the teenager she no longer was.
Cate couldn’t play at being cool any longer. ‘Ritchie, this is amazing. A few days ago I was at school in London in my chemistry class trying to figure out molecular structure. Now
I’m at Johnny James’s Malibu beach house, partying with the stars. How did that happen?’
Ritchie smiled ruefully. ‘It must be a bit weird. To me he’s just my Uncle Jack, my mom’s kid brother. Someone who gave me piggybacks and came to watch me play softball. But
then I see how people react when they’re around him and it brings it home to me just how famous he really is.’
While Ritchie grabbed a couple of Cokes from a drinks tray, Cate found herself gaping at a huge Picasso on the wall. She was desperate for a closer look but Ritchie was tugging at her arm.
‘Over here,’ he said, steering her through a large glass door and out on to the enormous balcony. ‘There’s something I want to show you.’
The moon was high and bright, a frosty white jewel glittering in a dark-blue sky, beaming down a path of silvery light across the never-ending ocean. Beneath the balcony, the waves hissed and
sucked rhythmically at the flat white sand, sending tiny flumes of froth shimmering towards them.
‘It’s stunning,’ said Cate quietly. ‘Absolutely stunning.’ She looked up at Ritchie. ‘If I lived here, I don’t think I’d need the rest of the
house. I’d just camp out on this balcony and stare at the view.’
Ritchie put his arm around her and gave her a hug. ‘You are one of a kind, Cate,’ he said into the top of her head. ‘Most girls I bring here want to hang out in the Jacuzzi or
stare at the celebs. You just want to look at the view.’
‘That sounds like our Cate.’
The deep voice at her shoulder made her jump. It was English, with a northern edge, almost flat-toned.
She turned slowly and, eyes widening, looked up at that familiar beak nose and huge dark eyes set in a pale face topped with floppy black hair.
‘Of all the gin joints in all the towns,’ he said, putting on a fake nineteen-fifties American accent, ‘you walk into mine.’
‘Lucas!’ she said, unable to believe her eyes. Then as he smiled down at her she felt her own face breaking into the most enormous grin. ‘It’s so good to see you! This is
beyond amazing,’ she said finally.
Ritchie stared from one to the other. ‘You two know each other?’ he asked. ‘Cate, you know Lucas Black, from Black Noir? Wow!’
‘Sure does,’ said Lucas, not taking his eyes off Cate’s face. ‘She’s kind of like my lucky mascot. So I hope you don’t mind me asking, Cate, but what the heck
are you doing here?’
Cate frowned for a second. Before she could say anything, a loud laugh and shrieking emanated from a cloud of frothy bubbles spilling over and out of the largest hot tub that Cate had ever
seen.
‘Hey, waiter,’ someone was calling in a broad Essex accent to one of the many young men racing around with trays of drinks and canapés. ‘Bring us some more champagne,
there’s a good boy. I can’t get out of here. It’s too damn cold. I’m going to have to stay here till the sun comes up.’
Cate and Lucas grinned at each other before Lucas led them over to the
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