detect the twinkle in her eyes.Jeannette loved to mutter darkly in Creole whenever Vince irritated her. He was convinced she was putting a curse on him. Because she was damn good at her job, he couldn’t fire her, but he grabbed at any opportunity to send her on whatever assignments he could justify out of the office.
Molly hid a grin. Vince and Jeannette must have really been going at it this morning, if he was ready to loan her out to a production company. Since Molly was anxious to get to GK Productions herself, she didn’t waste time arguing that the county might look askance at paying a clerk’s salary so she could answer someone else’s phones.
“Come on, Jeannette, let’s get going. I’m sure they’ll be thrilled with the extra help.”
GK Productions had taken up an entire floor of one of the most recently renovated Ocean Drive deco hotels. Since it was off-season for Miami Beach, Molly had been able to help them get fantastic rates for the offices and for the cast’s housing. They’d even redecorated their best suite for Veronica.
Laura Crain, Hank Murdock, and production assistant Jerry Shaw were huddled around a table in Crain’s third-floor hotel suite when Molly and Jeannette arrived just after nine thirty. She’d hoped for a few minutes alone with the normally late rising producer, but obviously the current production crisis had changed everyone’s sleep schedule.
Or possibly, Molly thought, judging from the overall appearance of exhaustion, the trio had been up all night. An ashtray overflowed with cigarette butts and a room service cart was littered with the remains of some unidentifiable meal. Dinner? Midnightsnack? Breakfast? It was impossible to tell from the congealed leftovers. Jerry was clutching the receivers of two phones, speaking alternately into each of them. He looked desperate.
She introduced Jeannette to everyone and explained that Vince had sent her along to help out in any way they needed her to. Laura Crain started to say something, but Hank stopped her with a look.
“Great,” he said. “These phones have been ringing off the hook. Jerry can’t keep up with the calls. Another hour of this and he’ll be back in his room having a nervous breakdown.”
“Just tell me what you’d like me to say,” Jeannette said, “and I’ll get to work.”
While Hank gave her instructions and Jerry gratefully relinquished the phones, Molly asked for a cup of coffee. “Is there any left?” she said, moving automatically toward the room service serving cart.
“I’ve just ordered up another pot,” Laura said. “Should be here any minute.”
“It looks as if you all have been at this for a while,” Molly observed.
“Since last night,” Hank said. “I’m getting too damned old to miss this many hours of sleep.”
“We had to make some decisions,” Laura retorted sharply. She looked every bit as brittle as she sounded. Her makeup had long since worn off, leaving her pale. Her green eyes glittered too brightly. Her hair was mussed and she twisted one strand around a finger. Molly doubted it would take much for her to snap. Oddly, though, today there was little obvious evidence of grief for a just-murdered lover.
“Every day we’re shut down costs us thousands,”Laura said. “We were already over budget. I spent all day yesterday on the phone with the head of the studio trying to convince him not to scrap the project and eat the losses. Fortunately, half of his key executives were away from L.A. for the weekend, so they couldn’t get together and compare notes until today. When they call here around noon, we’d better have a plan or we’ll be on the next plane home with an unfinished picture that will never see the light of day.”
Molly already knew how Vince would take that news. She’d be lucky if he didn’t fire her. Come to think of it, they’d all be lucky if Dade County didn’t simply drop the department from its budget. There were already some who
Molly hid a grin. Vince and Jeannette must have really been going at it this morning, if he was ready to loan her out to a production company. Since Molly was anxious to get to GK Productions herself, she didn’t waste time arguing that the county might look askance at paying a clerk’s salary so she could answer someone else’s phones.
“Come on, Jeannette, let’s get going. I’m sure they’ll be thrilled with the extra help.”
GK Productions had taken up an entire floor of one of the most recently renovated Ocean Drive deco hotels. Since it was off-season for Miami Beach, Molly had been able to help them get fantastic rates for the offices and for the cast’s housing. They’d even redecorated their best suite for Veronica.
Laura Crain, Hank Murdock, and production assistant Jerry Shaw were huddled around a table in Crain’s third-floor hotel suite when Molly and Jeannette arrived just after nine thirty. She’d hoped for a few minutes alone with the normally late rising producer, but obviously the current production crisis had changed everyone’s sleep schedule.
Or possibly, Molly thought, judging from the overall appearance of exhaustion, the trio had been up all night. An ashtray overflowed with cigarette butts and a room service cart was littered with the remains of some unidentifiable meal. Dinner? Midnightsnack? Breakfast? It was impossible to tell from the congealed leftovers. Jerry was clutching the receivers of two phones, speaking alternately into each of them. He looked desperate.
She introduced Jeannette to everyone and explained that Vince had sent her along to help out in any way they needed her to. Laura Crain started to say something, but Hank stopped her with a look.
“Great,” he said. “These phones have been ringing off the hook. Jerry can’t keep up with the calls. Another hour of this and he’ll be back in his room having a nervous breakdown.”
“Just tell me what you’d like me to say,” Jeannette said, “and I’ll get to work.”
While Hank gave her instructions and Jerry gratefully relinquished the phones, Molly asked for a cup of coffee. “Is there any left?” she said, moving automatically toward the room service serving cart.
“I’ve just ordered up another pot,” Laura said. “Should be here any minute.”
“It looks as if you all have been at this for a while,” Molly observed.
“Since last night,” Hank said. “I’m getting too damned old to miss this many hours of sleep.”
“We had to make some decisions,” Laura retorted sharply. She looked every bit as brittle as she sounded. Her makeup had long since worn off, leaving her pale. Her green eyes glittered too brightly. Her hair was mussed and she twisted one strand around a finger. Molly doubted it would take much for her to snap. Oddly, though, today there was little obvious evidence of grief for a just-murdered lover.
“Every day we’re shut down costs us thousands,”Laura said. “We were already over budget. I spent all day yesterday on the phone with the head of the studio trying to convince him not to scrap the project and eat the losses. Fortunately, half of his key executives were away from L.A. for the weekend, so they couldn’t get together and compare notes until today. When they call here around noon, we’d better have a plan or we’ll be on the next plane home with an unfinished picture that will never see the light of day.”
Molly already knew how Vince would take that news. She’d be lucky if he didn’t fire her. Come to think of it, they’d all be lucky if Dade County didn’t simply drop the department from its budget. There were already some who
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