Page 136 of The Girl Who Knew Too Much

Chapter 65

Nick Tremayne eyed the elegantly wrapped gift box with a wary expression. “What’s inside?”

“Two cans of film,” Irene said. “The negatives of those two movies that you made in Seattle. They were found in Claudia’s hotel room. I can’t guarantee that there are no copies floating around somewhere, but I very much doubt it. Claudia seemed quite sure that she was the only one who possessedIsland NightsandPirate’s Captive. I had a hunch she would keep them close at hand. Her whole future was tied to them.”

Nick looked up, his expression watchful. “You found them?”

“Yes.”

There was no need to explain that Oliver was the one who had realized that Claudia’s suitcase had a false bottom.

She and Nick were sitting in a corner of the tearoom, alone at last. The studio photographer had taken several pictures of Nick looking both heroic and modest. The publicist had jotted down several quotes from Irene and the management of the Burning Cove Hotel that verifiedNick’s timely arrival at the scene of the attempted murder. Both the photographer and the publicist were on their way back to L.A.

Nick studied the box as though it contained a cobra. When he turned back to Irene, there was anger and resignation in his eyes.

“How much do you want for them?” he asked, his voice flat.

“Nothing. They’re yours. It’s the least I can do after dragging your name into a murder case.”

Nick stared at her in disbelief. In his world there was a price tag attached to everything.

Irene picked up the teapot and filled the two cups. By the time she set the pot down, Nick’s expression had transformed into cautious hope. He glanced at the box again and turned back to her.

“You know what’s on those films?”

“Claudia told me.”

“Either film could kill my career.”

“If I were you, I’d take them down to the beach and burn them.”

Nick nodded slowly. He put one hand on the box.

“I’ll do that,” he said. “I thought she loved me, you know.”

“Maybe she did back at the start.”

“Something happened after I madeSea of ShadowsandFortune’s Rogue.”

Irene smiled. “Something happened, all right. You became a star.”

“I shouldn’t have pleaded with her to get the divorce. Shouldn’t have let the studio pressure her into going to Reno.”

“For what it’s worth, I doubt that would have made much difference. Being married to you would not have been enough. She wanted what you have. She longed to be a star.”

“It probably won’t last, you know,” Nick said.

“The stardom? Nothing lasts forever. My advice is to enjoy it while you can. Meanwhile, be careful how you invest the money.”

Nick laughed. The California sun streaming through the windowscaught the handsome angles of his face and gleamed on his dark hair. The atmosphere around the little table was infused with a magnetic energy. Heads turned.

A little thrill whispered through Irene. She was having tea with a movie star.

Chapter 66

The special evening edition of theBurning Cove Heraldhit the newsstands shortly after five o’clock that afternoon.

Irene was waiting at the front desk of the Burning Cove Hotel when the newsboy arrived. She threw some money at the kid, pounced on a copy, and savored the headline.