Page 72 of Kill Your Darlings

“Preposterous, right?”

“No,” Finn said.“I mean this is a joke.He thinks he’s being funny.And he’s thumbing his nose at the entire writing establishment.”

“Yes.A private joke, sure.But I do think he’s hoping no one’s really going to question his CV.”

“How likely is that?”

“Beginning writers do tend to stuff a lot of meaningless credentials into their bios.”

“This isn’t a list of obscure Midwestern lit mag awards.This isa finalist for the 2021 New Veritas Prize for Unclassifiable Literature.”

I laughed out loud, surprising myself.Finn smiled at me.

“You have to give him credit for a sense of humor,” I said.“But I also think some of that is aimed at me.A List of Things We Forgot to Bury?Everything True Is Dangerous?”

Finn grunted.“What else did you find out about this clown?”

“Nothing.I’d just started looking when you came in.I slept most of the morning and then went through my email.”

“Good.You needed the sleep.How’s your head?”

“It’s okay.”I was still coming out of the postdrome.That “migraine hangover” phase was a lot of why I’d been feeling low and anxious and weepy that morning.Well, some of it, anyway.My head gave the occasional twinge.My shoulders, neck, and abdominals were sore, but the worst of it was past.

Finn rose, moving to the room phone.“You feel like breakfast?I’m starving.I’ve had too much coffee on an empty stomach.”

I still wasn’t hungry, but I said, “Sure.”

“Cereal, fruit, scrambled eggs?”

That was my usual breakfast, and I nodded.

Finn placed the call to room service.When he returned to the sofa, I said, “I ran into Hayes Hartman in the elevator.He said I trashed his book?”

Finn’s brows drew together.“When were you in the elevator?”

“Right after you left to check out the rental car’s tire.I’d forgotten I was supposed to take Grace Hollister to breakfast.Anyway, she had to cancel, and on the way back I ran into Hayes.”

“I see.Well, that’s kind of bullshit on Hayes’s part.He incorporated your critiques into his rewrite.And mine as well.And pretty much everyone who gave him feedback.So, I’m not sure why he’s singling you out.”

“I think he’s got a thing for you.”

Finn raised a shoulder in dismissal.“To tell the truth, I think he had a thing foryou.”There was a gleam of amusement in his eyes.

“Me?”

“I think so.He had a little bit of an editor crush.I have a feeling he believed you two would be instantly simpatico, you’d recognize his brilliance, offer him a life-changing contract, and become his mentor.”

“Oh.Ouch.”

Finn smiled faintly.“Don’t worry.I looked over those edits.You were your usual tactful self.He was just hoping for something you weren’t able to give him.”He stretched his arm across the back of the sofa and I moved closer and rested my head on his shoulder.He kissed the side of my head absently.“I know you’ve got the Backstory interview at two.What do you have after that?”

“Coffee with Mindy Newburgh at four.Dinner with Adrien English at seven.”

“Why don’t you cancel Mindy.I think we should drive into Steeple Hill.”

I sat up straight.“Why?”

“I think we should talk to Milo’s family.See if Milo eventually turned up.I want to know how much, if anything they know about what happened.”