the end of that call.
He sat down at his desk and refocused his attention on her.
“Now. Perhaps you’d like to explain what she was going to do with the picture,” he said, leaning forward and smiling encouragingly.
This was awkward. Loyalty to Erica made her hesitate, and she’d have to make her own confessions. “I’m a freelance writer. But I also write novels. Romance novels.”
“Really?” he looked both surprised and interested.
“Yes. It’s my main source of income. I mostly e-publish them and have a few of each printed, mostly for friends and relatives.”
“So you’re a successful romance writer?”
“That depends on your idea of success.”
“And would a compromising picture of me in any way help with that success?”
Faye shifted uncomfortably in her chair. His eyes seemed to be boring into her and she couldn’t look at him. “This is embarrassing.”
He leaned back in his chair and laced his fingers behind his head and smiled indulgently. “Tell me about it.”
“Erica and I were searching the internet for another stock picture to Photoshop for the cover of my next book.” She stole a look at him.
“And...”
“And I happened to mention that it was getting more and more difficult to get an original picture, one that hadn’t already been used. The best pictures tend to be used over and over, and even if they’re tweaked they’re still recognisable. You have to pay a lot of money for the exclusive rights to a picture.” Warming to her subject she continued. “There are millions of stock pictures, so you have to use search words. If you key in say, ‘ sexy man’ it will come up with hundreds of pictures.” Seeing his wry grin she suddenly realised what she’d said and felt the blood rush to her face.
“So you use search words. I’m beginning to get the picture, if you’ll excuse the pun.”
“Erica claims it was Glenda’s idea to stage that whole charade,” she heard herself babbling. She finally found the courage to look him in the face. “Erica is mortified.”
“Well, I hope Erica will recover and that you ’ll eventually find the picture you’re looking for,” he said.
“I’m sure we will,’ she replied, getting up to leave.
He stood and showed her to the door. “Nice meeting you, Miss Rawlings.”
When she’d left he went into Lisa’s office. “Did you know that Erica Rawlings’ aunt writes romance novels?”
“No. I knew she was a freelance writer, but I didn’t know about the novels. I’ll have to look out for them.”
“Do you read romance novels?” he said.
“N ot really, but if I knew the author I might be tempted.”
“What do you know about Erica? Why is her leg in a calliper?”
“It’s a bit vague, but I think her mother, Faye’s older sister, got into drugs when she was a teenager and fell pregnant and there were complications. Erica has never mentioned her mother and it seems that Faye has brought her up since she was a baby.”
Adam sighed and shook his head. “Another life skewed by drugs.”
Lisa closed down her computer. “Do you mind if I go now? Neil is taking me out for a meal.”
“Have fun,” he said, and was about to return to his office when he asked, “Do you know how Danielle Du Bois got my private number?”
“I’ve no idea. It certainly wasn’t from me,” she said. She knew he had two phones, one for business and another strictly for family and close friends. Very few people had that number.
“I wonder how she got hold of it,” said Adam.
“I didn’t realise you knew her,” Lisa said. But then her hand flew to her mouth. “Oh no. Now I remember. We were at the sailing club and she followed me into the toilets. She asked if she could use my phone. I gave it to her when I went into the cubicle. She must have searched my address book for your number. Adam, I’m so sorry.”
“It wasn’t your fault. She’s a cunning little bitch, isn’t she?”
“You don’t know the half.
He sat down at his desk and refocused his attention on her.
“Now. Perhaps you’d like to explain what she was going to do with the picture,” he said, leaning forward and smiling encouragingly.
This was awkward. Loyalty to Erica made her hesitate, and she’d have to make her own confessions. “I’m a freelance writer. But I also write novels. Romance novels.”
“Really?” he looked both surprised and interested.
“Yes. It’s my main source of income. I mostly e-publish them and have a few of each printed, mostly for friends and relatives.”
“So you’re a successful romance writer?”
“That depends on your idea of success.”
“And would a compromising picture of me in any way help with that success?”
Faye shifted uncomfortably in her chair. His eyes seemed to be boring into her and she couldn’t look at him. “This is embarrassing.”
He leaned back in his chair and laced his fingers behind his head and smiled indulgently. “Tell me about it.”
“Erica and I were searching the internet for another stock picture to Photoshop for the cover of my next book.” She stole a look at him.
“And...”
“And I happened to mention that it was getting more and more difficult to get an original picture, one that hadn’t already been used. The best pictures tend to be used over and over, and even if they’re tweaked they’re still recognisable. You have to pay a lot of money for the exclusive rights to a picture.” Warming to her subject she continued. “There are millions of stock pictures, so you have to use search words. If you key in say, ‘ sexy man’ it will come up with hundreds of pictures.” Seeing his wry grin she suddenly realised what she’d said and felt the blood rush to her face.
“So you use search words. I’m beginning to get the picture, if you’ll excuse the pun.”
“Erica claims it was Glenda’s idea to stage that whole charade,” she heard herself babbling. She finally found the courage to look him in the face. “Erica is mortified.”
“Well, I hope Erica will recover and that you ’ll eventually find the picture you’re looking for,” he said.
“I’m sure we will,’ she replied, getting up to leave.
He stood and showed her to the door. “Nice meeting you, Miss Rawlings.”
When she’d left he went into Lisa’s office. “Did you know that Erica Rawlings’ aunt writes romance novels?”
“No. I knew she was a freelance writer, but I didn’t know about the novels. I’ll have to look out for them.”
“Do you read romance novels?” he said.
“N ot really, but if I knew the author I might be tempted.”
“What do you know about Erica? Why is her leg in a calliper?”
“It’s a bit vague, but I think her mother, Faye’s older sister, got into drugs when she was a teenager and fell pregnant and there were complications. Erica has never mentioned her mother and it seems that Faye has brought her up since she was a baby.”
Adam sighed and shook his head. “Another life skewed by drugs.”
Lisa closed down her computer. “Do you mind if I go now? Neil is taking me out for a meal.”
“Have fun,” he said, and was about to return to his office when he asked, “Do you know how Danielle Du Bois got my private number?”
“I’ve no idea. It certainly wasn’t from me,” she said. She knew he had two phones, one for business and another strictly for family and close friends. Very few people had that number.
“I wonder how she got hold of it,” said Adam.
“I didn’t realise you knew her,” Lisa said. But then her hand flew to her mouth. “Oh no. Now I remember. We were at the sailing club and she followed me into the toilets. She asked if she could use my phone. I gave it to her when I went into the cubicle. She must have searched my address book for your number. Adam, I’m so sorry.”
“It wasn’t your fault. She’s a cunning little bitch, isn’t she?”
“You don’t know the half.
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