lifted a bit of feather-light, chocolate-sweetened soufflé to her lips. Unfortunately, its delicacy was entirely lost on her as she concentrated on Adam’s response.
“Well, I had been involved in certain dealings with the Matsuhara people, and I was familiar with the details of the project. Never mind how. Let’s just say that I knew what they were trying to do. And I was casting about for some artistic tie-in that would benefit you.”
Allie looked at him a bit archly, but she didn’t protest. She understood that ultimately, Adam’s bottom line was what benefited Adam.
“When I saw those watercolors,” he was saying, ignoring her look, “I saw the connection right away. The Matsuhara people mean to establish an upscale tone for this project. They’re going to need all sorts of promotional material, publicizing Cape Cod and its history, its famous artists’ community. Your work will fit right in. It’s beautiful work, like everything you do, Allie, and I believe I can sell them on using practically everything you can produce. Believe me, Allie, we’ve got a winner here.”
Allie was intrigued. As usual, her reliance on Adam had not been misplaced. No matter how much she bucked him, she knew that in the long run, it had never done her any harm to be guided by him. She saw now that his sending her to Cape Cod had been a kind of trial balloon, and it looked as though her work there might pay off, after all. Her portrait work had already earned her some nice critical acclaim and a number of good commissions. Now, to be associated with a major project like this Mayflower thing, well, that could be a really big step forward.
In her quick mind, subject ideas were already forming. Cape Cod from the Pilgrims’ point of view. The empty, unsettled, beautiful land as seen by the approaching voyagers. She couldn’t wait to get back to those sandy stretches, to the cranberry bogs and the scrub pine. Now she was eager to return to that bare and spacious terrain, to see again the boats in the harbor and the little green-and-white towns and the beautiful old houses in the woods.
But could she return to all that and also avoid seeing Zach?
Inevitably, she recalled their last encounter. Why would he have thought she was spying? What was there for her to be spying on? Why was he so angry with Adam? That’s what Adam was supposed to be explaining to her.
“Adam, what is Zach Eliot’s involvement with this project? Why is he so angry with you?”
Adam stirred a bit of cream into his coffee.
“I’m really not at liberty to say very much for a few more days, but I can tell you this much now. There’s a lot of money involved. And when a lot of money is at stake, people frequently do things they wouldn’t otherwise do.” Adam’s smile had an edge of cynicism that caused a chill to run along the back of Allie’s neck. “Let’s just say that Zach Eliot has an interest in certain aspects of the plan. It appears that his interests and mine are not exactly compatible.”
“But why would he accuse me of spying, of all things?”
“That’s not as bizarre as it may seem. You’ve heard of industrial espionage? Corporations’ efforts to learn each other’s secrets?” Allie nodded. She understood the competitive pressures that were a part of any commercial enterprise. And targeted companies went to great lengths to establish tight security around their activities. “Well, I guess Zach thought something of that sort was going on. He may be worried that he’s the target of some kind of covert investigation. I’m sure you can understand how it must have seemed to him. He knows I’m associated with the project. He knows you’re associated with me. And there he was, really early in the morning, the sun was just barely rising over the horizon, and he looked out of his window, and there you were. Allie Randall, girl private eye.” The idea apparently tickled him, and he grinned wickedly at her. “I’d have loved to
“Well, I had been involved in certain dealings with the Matsuhara people, and I was familiar with the details of the project. Never mind how. Let’s just say that I knew what they were trying to do. And I was casting about for some artistic tie-in that would benefit you.”
Allie looked at him a bit archly, but she didn’t protest. She understood that ultimately, Adam’s bottom line was what benefited Adam.
“When I saw those watercolors,” he was saying, ignoring her look, “I saw the connection right away. The Matsuhara people mean to establish an upscale tone for this project. They’re going to need all sorts of promotional material, publicizing Cape Cod and its history, its famous artists’ community. Your work will fit right in. It’s beautiful work, like everything you do, Allie, and I believe I can sell them on using practically everything you can produce. Believe me, Allie, we’ve got a winner here.”
Allie was intrigued. As usual, her reliance on Adam had not been misplaced. No matter how much she bucked him, she knew that in the long run, it had never done her any harm to be guided by him. She saw now that his sending her to Cape Cod had been a kind of trial balloon, and it looked as though her work there might pay off, after all. Her portrait work had already earned her some nice critical acclaim and a number of good commissions. Now, to be associated with a major project like this Mayflower thing, well, that could be a really big step forward.
In her quick mind, subject ideas were already forming. Cape Cod from the Pilgrims’ point of view. The empty, unsettled, beautiful land as seen by the approaching voyagers. She couldn’t wait to get back to those sandy stretches, to the cranberry bogs and the scrub pine. Now she was eager to return to that bare and spacious terrain, to see again the boats in the harbor and the little green-and-white towns and the beautiful old houses in the woods.
But could she return to all that and also avoid seeing Zach?
Inevitably, she recalled their last encounter. Why would he have thought she was spying? What was there for her to be spying on? Why was he so angry with Adam? That’s what Adam was supposed to be explaining to her.
“Adam, what is Zach Eliot’s involvement with this project? Why is he so angry with you?”
Adam stirred a bit of cream into his coffee.
“I’m really not at liberty to say very much for a few more days, but I can tell you this much now. There’s a lot of money involved. And when a lot of money is at stake, people frequently do things they wouldn’t otherwise do.” Adam’s smile had an edge of cynicism that caused a chill to run along the back of Allie’s neck. “Let’s just say that Zach Eliot has an interest in certain aspects of the plan. It appears that his interests and mine are not exactly compatible.”
“But why would he accuse me of spying, of all things?”
“That’s not as bizarre as it may seem. You’ve heard of industrial espionage? Corporations’ efforts to learn each other’s secrets?” Allie nodded. She understood the competitive pressures that were a part of any commercial enterprise. And targeted companies went to great lengths to establish tight security around their activities. “Well, I guess Zach thought something of that sort was going on. He may be worried that he’s the target of some kind of covert investigation. I’m sure you can understand how it must have seemed to him. He knows I’m associated with the project. He knows you’re associated with me. And there he was, really early in the morning, the sun was just barely rising over the horizon, and he looked out of his window, and there you were. Allie Randall, girl private eye.” The idea apparently tickled him, and he grinned wickedly at her. “I’d have loved to
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