memory.
“Can’t Jonathan stop Zachary from harassing him?”
“He’s tried, but Zach’s brain doesn’t seem to reboot all the time. He’s one of those weird scientist-types you hear about. A genius, but not too savvy when it comes to the real world.”
“What was he working on?”
She hesitated. “Uh, let’s just say he was claiming to have invented one of our new products, which is ridiculous, of course. It was a team effort, along with Levi Webster and a few other R and D guys. But Zach keeps making accusations of intellectual property theft.”
“Was it the 4-D Projector?” I asked, taking a wild stab.
She looked down at her hands. “I . . . really can’t say. But I can tell you this: Zachary Samuels enjoyed stirring up trouble for Jonathan and he should have been fired a long time ago. I just hope he leaves Jonathan alone. God forbid if anything should happen to him, knock on wood.” She actually knocked three times on her wooden desk. “Anyway, let’s not talk about him. Let’s talk about the party!”
Stephanie peppered me with questions for the next twenty or so minutes, things like what kind of food we should serve, who would be playing the medium, and what kind of favors did I have in mind. Finally, with still no sign of Jonathan, I told her I needed to get back to my office and get to work on the party plans.
Stephanie escorted me to the front entrance, then shook my hand. “It’s gonna be great working with you, Presley. This Séance Party will be so much fun!”
I stepped outside, then had a sudden thought and turned back quickly, catching the door before it closed. “Stephanie?”
“Yes?” she said.
“The man who . . . died . . . here recently—George Wells? Was he working on the 4-D Projector as well?”
Stephanie glanced around as if looking for those spies she’d mentioned earlier. She slipped out the front door, letting it close behind her. I followed her glance at a corner of the building and spotted a tiny video camera.
“I’ll walk you to your car,” she said. When we were a few feet away, she took a deep breath, then said, “I suppose word is getting around about Wells. That was just an unfortunate . . . tragedy. I heard he was suffering from depression, money problems, relationships gone awry . . . you know. I guess he just couldn’t take it anymore. Jonathan tries so hard to make sure everyone at Hella-Graphics is happy working here, but some people are unhappy for reasons other than the job.”
She seemed to know a lot more about George’s state of mind than his own wife. But then, that was often typical.
“I’m sorry about your loss,” I said lamely, unable to come up with something more appropriate. I stopped at my car and thanked her again for the tour and the chat.
On my drive through the fog back to Treasure Island, all I could think about were a seemingly deranged ex-employee named Zachary Samuels, a despondent suicide victim named George Wells, and the strange CEO of a successful company named Jonathan Ellington—who seemed to be trying hard not to be tainted by a recent death and an attempted murder.
Not the most auspicious beginning for a party.
Chapter 9
PARTY PLANNING TIP #9
The ideal time for your séance is midnight, which is fine if your guests are night owls. If not, they may be too tired to channel their energy and could doze off before the spirits arrive.
Séance Party time was upon me before I knew it. The last month had gone by like a let-go balloon. In between prepping for Jonathan’s gig, I’d hosted a Twins party for the world-famous San Francisco Twins, Marian and Vivian Brown. Guests, including former mayor Willie Brown, current mayor Davin Green, and a number of A-list guests were required to bring a date and dress as twins. When Marian and Vivian appeared in their identical snappy outfits, colorful hats, and perfectly coiffed hair, they brought the house down, as in the Mark Hopkins Hotel.
As for the séance, there
“Can’t Jonathan stop Zachary from harassing him?”
“He’s tried, but Zach’s brain doesn’t seem to reboot all the time. He’s one of those weird scientist-types you hear about. A genius, but not too savvy when it comes to the real world.”
“What was he working on?”
She hesitated. “Uh, let’s just say he was claiming to have invented one of our new products, which is ridiculous, of course. It was a team effort, along with Levi Webster and a few other R and D guys. But Zach keeps making accusations of intellectual property theft.”
“Was it the 4-D Projector?” I asked, taking a wild stab.
She looked down at her hands. “I . . . really can’t say. But I can tell you this: Zachary Samuels enjoyed stirring up trouble for Jonathan and he should have been fired a long time ago. I just hope he leaves Jonathan alone. God forbid if anything should happen to him, knock on wood.” She actually knocked three times on her wooden desk. “Anyway, let’s not talk about him. Let’s talk about the party!”
Stephanie peppered me with questions for the next twenty or so minutes, things like what kind of food we should serve, who would be playing the medium, and what kind of favors did I have in mind. Finally, with still no sign of Jonathan, I told her I needed to get back to my office and get to work on the party plans.
Stephanie escorted me to the front entrance, then shook my hand. “It’s gonna be great working with you, Presley. This Séance Party will be so much fun!”
I stepped outside, then had a sudden thought and turned back quickly, catching the door before it closed. “Stephanie?”
“Yes?” she said.
“The man who . . . died . . . here recently—George Wells? Was he working on the 4-D Projector as well?”
Stephanie glanced around as if looking for those spies she’d mentioned earlier. She slipped out the front door, letting it close behind her. I followed her glance at a corner of the building and spotted a tiny video camera.
“I’ll walk you to your car,” she said. When we were a few feet away, she took a deep breath, then said, “I suppose word is getting around about Wells. That was just an unfortunate . . . tragedy. I heard he was suffering from depression, money problems, relationships gone awry . . . you know. I guess he just couldn’t take it anymore. Jonathan tries so hard to make sure everyone at Hella-Graphics is happy working here, but some people are unhappy for reasons other than the job.”
She seemed to know a lot more about George’s state of mind than his own wife. But then, that was often typical.
“I’m sorry about your loss,” I said lamely, unable to come up with something more appropriate. I stopped at my car and thanked her again for the tour and the chat.
On my drive through the fog back to Treasure Island, all I could think about were a seemingly deranged ex-employee named Zachary Samuels, a despondent suicide victim named George Wells, and the strange CEO of a successful company named Jonathan Ellington—who seemed to be trying hard not to be tainted by a recent death and an attempted murder.
Not the most auspicious beginning for a party.
Chapter 9
PARTY PLANNING TIP #9
The ideal time for your séance is midnight, which is fine if your guests are night owls. If not, they may be too tired to channel their energy and could doze off before the spirits arrive.
Séance Party time was upon me before I knew it. The last month had gone by like a let-go balloon. In between prepping for Jonathan’s gig, I’d hosted a Twins party for the world-famous San Francisco Twins, Marian and Vivian Brown. Guests, including former mayor Willie Brown, current mayor Davin Green, and a number of A-list guests were required to bring a date and dress as twins. When Marian and Vivian appeared in their identical snappy outfits, colorful hats, and perfectly coiffed hair, they brought the house down, as in the Mark Hopkins Hotel.
As for the séance, there
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