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"You don’t have to co In fact, you can’t come in"
Her heart seemed to sink to her knees Had someone suddenly decided she was really a fake? That, despite her training, degree and experience, she was just a kid who played at working on the movies?
"What…what--?"
Alfie’s voice becaht! In the tunnel Lord, Madison, Alistair Archer was arrested for murder! Some little starlet he had the hots for--they say her throat was slit from ear to ear She’s dead, Madison And Eddie Archer’s kid is saying that an Egyptian inal Sam Stone movie, a monster--cae!"
Alfie was being draht nohat he’d said wasn’t registering
Ait up Monsters hat they did, what they created, quite frequently Well, superheroes, giant rats for cos and other such creatures But horror was big; horror movies could be reasonable in cost and make massive amounts of money
"Alfie, is this--"
"No! It is not some kind of joke It is not a movie script Madison, it’s real A woman was killed in our tunnel Anyway, the crime scene units are there today, and Eddie Archer’s closed the entire place No one goes in until the police have finished with the tunnel, the security tapes, the studio--you naht when it all hit the news And Eddie Archer looked white--I host!--when they showed him on film He said he wants the police to have co to find out what really happened--his son is not aas it was, she kneas telling the truth
Madison felt her heart break for Eddie Archer He was such a good ood kid, too Could he have snapped and killed someone?
No
She couldn’t accept that He was too nice and decent, even shy
"A yptian priest, the killer froyptian Museum?"
"Exactly! Is that movie stuff or what? Everyone suspects The Unholy is a remake of that ht in front of that tableau…a real ht I’d call because if you show up at work, you’ll be sent hoet some more sleep"
Madison wrinkled her face at the phone, as if she could convey her expression to Alfie What? Go back to sleep now?
"Thanks, Alfie Thanks for letting et tons of extra sleep"
"Keep me posted if you hear more," Alfie said He seemed not to notice her sarcasm
"Ditto," she said, and ended the call
She crawled out of bed, drawing an indignant meow from Ichabod, curled up at the foot of the bed "Sorry,out to the parlor of her old rented bungalow and switching on the TV, going fro the iven her was true The news showed the cri off the cinema and the studio, then cut to an earlier intervieith Eddie Archer in front of the courthouse He denied his son’s culpability, and swore that he’d learn the truth behind the shocking murder
Mike Greenwood, creative head of the studio and Madison’s supervisor, stood beside hi, Mike stepped up to the microphone He reasserted what Eddie had said, that the truth would be discovered and, while Alistair had been arraigned for the murder, the DA’s office had acted only on what appeared to be the case--not as They would work toward his release, and by the one over every inch of the place, Archer’s Wizardry and Effects would be back in business They would ation continued Mike spoke so earnestly, he silenced the spate of questions that should have arisen He seemed concerned, but in control
Mike was a steady man, excellent in stressful situations Whenever they were on a tight deadline, Mike was the one who cal theet it all done
Eddie had acted with his usual co fifty, was still fit, but his face bore the tension of sorrow As Alfie had said, he looked white as a sheet He’d run his fingers through his graying hair repeatedly as he spoke, his words cal at the TV in disbelief when her phone rang again She’d left it in the bedroo it would be Mike Greenwood giving her the e that Alfie had already conveyed
Her "Hello?" was breathless
"Madison?"
The caller wasn’t Mike Greenwood It was Eddie Archer himself
"Eddie!" she said "Oh, Eddie, I’m so sorry"
"Then you’ve heard"
"Yes"