one side.
"Are you crazy?" the man said. "It's not worth that much! Take it if you want it so badly."
Callie flipped the clasp. The top of the object sprang open. Inside, stacked neatly, was a pile of business cards. She read the top one:
SIMON LESTERMAN COMPANY
Talent Agency Film, TV, Commercials
Phone: 555-STAR
New York Bayport
Callie and Joe looked at each other numbly. Then Joe hopped off the man, his face quickly turning red with embarrassment. "We - we're so sorry, sir. Please forgive us. We thought you were a — a murderer."
The man sat up, his face puckered with anger and confusion. Long, thin strands of black hair hung down around his collar. "Murderer? Are you out of your — " As he put the silver case back in his jacket pocket, he stopped. He glanced down at his hand. Slowly he pulled the case back out. A trace of a smirk began to form on his face.
"I see—" he said slowly. "You thought my card case was a gun!" A low chuckle began to form in his throat. Nervously, Callie and Joe laughed along with him.
One by one, everyone at the table joined in laughing, as a confused busboy rushed over to clean up the damage.
"What a team, huh?" Joe said, catching his breath. "Let's check out that busboy — I think he has a bazooka!"
The busboy scrambled into the kitchen and Callie and Joe sank into their seats.
"You see, sir, Tessa Carpenter is with us," Frank explained to the man, "and there are so many — "
"Kooks after her," the man said with a toothy grin. "I understand I've been reading the papers. Ordinarily I'd press charges, but these are special circumstances." He pulled his card case out again. "As a matter of fact, Tessa is the person I want to see."
He held out a card to her. "My name's Simon Lesterman. Talent agent. I represent Tyrone Grant. To be blunt, you're hot, Tessa. I mean that in a commercial sense. Just look at the way those people flocked after you. You've got the looks, the charm, the exotic background. You could make it big in films or TV."
Tessa looked at him with disbelief. "Is that why you interrupted our dinner? You just want to use my fame to make yourself a little money, don't you?"
"You wouldn't do badly yourself, sweetheart."
"Sweetheart?" Tessa fumed.
Lesterman shook his head with admiration and said, "Look at that. You're even gorgeous when you're mad!"
"Get him out of here!" Tessa muttered to Frank.
"All right, sir," Frank said. "We're all very tired now. Sorry for the confusion, but I think it's best Tessa's left alone now, okay?"
"Sure thing, young man," Lesterman said. Then he turned back to Tessa. "In case you want to talk, my number's on the card."
Smoothing his hair back into place, he walked out of the restaurant.
"Imagine the nerve of him," Tessa snapped. 'Trying to leech onto me like that." She looked scornfully at Joe and Callie. "Thanks for saving - my life from that dangerous murderer. I haven't laughed that hard since before this whole thing started."
Callie bit back the angry retort that was on the tip of her tongue. Tessa Carpenter made her furious. Tessa had been the one to shout "It's a gun!" even though Joe and she had been the ones to tackle Lesterman. And despite Tessa's big show of disgust at Lesterman's offer, Callie could see a glimmer in her eyes. The excited glimmer of someone who had just been flattered. She could easily tell that Tessa was thinking about TV fame.
Tessa put Lesterman's card in her pocketbook and looked around the room. "Check, please!" she called out to their waitress.
Frank leaned forward, finally able to ask a question that had been nagging at him. "Tessa, when you left the house today, did you know where the dagger was?" "Of course," Tessa answered. "In the parlor." Frank and Joe looked at each other. Dr. Lansdale and Harley exchanged a worried glance. "Uh — I think we have a new problem here," Joe added. "What now?" Tessa said. "The dagger is missing, and so is Ruppenthal." Callie's eyes widened, and Tessa
"Are you crazy?" the man said. "It's not worth that much! Take it if you want it so badly."
Callie flipped the clasp. The top of the object sprang open. Inside, stacked neatly, was a pile of business cards. She read the top one:
SIMON LESTERMAN COMPANY
Talent Agency Film, TV, Commercials
Phone: 555-STAR
New York Bayport
Callie and Joe looked at each other numbly. Then Joe hopped off the man, his face quickly turning red with embarrassment. "We - we're so sorry, sir. Please forgive us. We thought you were a — a murderer."
The man sat up, his face puckered with anger and confusion. Long, thin strands of black hair hung down around his collar. "Murderer? Are you out of your — " As he put the silver case back in his jacket pocket, he stopped. He glanced down at his hand. Slowly he pulled the case back out. A trace of a smirk began to form on his face.
"I see—" he said slowly. "You thought my card case was a gun!" A low chuckle began to form in his throat. Nervously, Callie and Joe laughed along with him.
One by one, everyone at the table joined in laughing, as a confused busboy rushed over to clean up the damage.
"What a team, huh?" Joe said, catching his breath. "Let's check out that busboy — I think he has a bazooka!"
The busboy scrambled into the kitchen and Callie and Joe sank into their seats.
"You see, sir, Tessa Carpenter is with us," Frank explained to the man, "and there are so many — "
"Kooks after her," the man said with a toothy grin. "I understand I've been reading the papers. Ordinarily I'd press charges, but these are special circumstances." He pulled his card case out again. "As a matter of fact, Tessa is the person I want to see."
He held out a card to her. "My name's Simon Lesterman. Talent agent. I represent Tyrone Grant. To be blunt, you're hot, Tessa. I mean that in a commercial sense. Just look at the way those people flocked after you. You've got the looks, the charm, the exotic background. You could make it big in films or TV."
Tessa looked at him with disbelief. "Is that why you interrupted our dinner? You just want to use my fame to make yourself a little money, don't you?"
"You wouldn't do badly yourself, sweetheart."
"Sweetheart?" Tessa fumed.
Lesterman shook his head with admiration and said, "Look at that. You're even gorgeous when you're mad!"
"Get him out of here!" Tessa muttered to Frank.
"All right, sir," Frank said. "We're all very tired now. Sorry for the confusion, but I think it's best Tessa's left alone now, okay?"
"Sure thing, young man," Lesterman said. Then he turned back to Tessa. "In case you want to talk, my number's on the card."
Smoothing his hair back into place, he walked out of the restaurant.
"Imagine the nerve of him," Tessa snapped. 'Trying to leech onto me like that." She looked scornfully at Joe and Callie. "Thanks for saving - my life from that dangerous murderer. I haven't laughed that hard since before this whole thing started."
Callie bit back the angry retort that was on the tip of her tongue. Tessa Carpenter made her furious. Tessa had been the one to shout "It's a gun!" even though Joe and she had been the ones to tackle Lesterman. And despite Tessa's big show of disgust at Lesterman's offer, Callie could see a glimmer in her eyes. The excited glimmer of someone who had just been flattered. She could easily tell that Tessa was thinking about TV fame.
Tessa put Lesterman's card in her pocketbook and looked around the room. "Check, please!" she called out to their waitress.
Frank leaned forward, finally able to ask a question that had been nagging at him. "Tessa, when you left the house today, did you know where the dagger was?" "Of course," Tessa answered. "In the parlor." Frank and Joe looked at each other. Dr. Lansdale and Harley exchanged a worried glance. "Uh — I think we have a new problem here," Joe added. "What now?" Tessa said. "The dagger is missing, and so is Ruppenthal." Callie's eyes widened, and Tessa
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