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"No, no--you take the front" Sheup at you, it’s obvious you have s" He had to be six-three or six-four, she estimated She felt she should tell him it was a pleasure to meet hilad you’re here for Eddie," she said instead

He gave her a tight-lipped smile and a nod "I’ll say the same," he told her huskily "Please, take the seat next to Eddie There’s plenty of legroo"

Madison decided she wasn’t going to wage a war over a car seat and got in

When she was seated, Eddie turned to her "Thanks, Maddie," he said quietly "Thank you, sincerely"

"You’re welcome, Eddie"

"So, the police still have the museum area--the tunnel--cordoned off Naturally, Sean has jurisdiction anywhere, but I’d like you to show hiht have" Eddie’s voice grew eet back to the hospital to see Alistair I don’t like leaving hi me as much as possible"

"I understand, Eddie," Madison said quietly Alistair--assu he was innocent--definitely needed family support at a tih it was true that Alistair had never called his father’s wives "Mother" But he seemed to have a friendly relationship with Helena LaRoux, and as far as she could tell, Helena liked Alistair Alistair was happy if his father was happy, and he found it a that Helena had made no bones about the fact that she’d loved Eddie and wanted to be Mrs Eddie Archer She claimed to love Eddie and maybe she did It was a nice bonus that he was as powerful as he was--and Helena never pretended that she wasn’t eager to be rich and famous on her own It seemed, however, that she was happy to share her journey with Eddie’s son

Appearances, Madison thought Hollyas all sot family there now," Eddie told her "Helena is with hih she and Alistair get along fine, she’s not his real mom, and certainly not his dad, you know?" he ended hoarsely

"No one else is you, Eddie"

She noticed that Sean Cameron reached over from the backseat, placed a hand on Eddie’s shoulder and squeezed

She’d heard about Cameron before; she knew his name, and that he’d worked at the studio Now that she ith him, she realized she’d even seen pictures of him with past creatures created at the studio and at industry parties Once she’d actually wondered about him and joked with Carla, a seamstress, about him Why didn’t he still work there, huh? she’d asked She often worked a double shift, seventy to eighty hours, with a group that was seventy to eighty percent male All those hours and all those men, and they were like fathers, uncles, little brothers or obnoxious cousins Or uninterested in the opposite sex

Carla had reminded her that she dressed some of the hottest actors in the business, and she’d been asked out often enough

It wasn’t as if she was totally averse to a ind roht opportunity hadn’t coht ith again, and she didn’t want the girlfriends, wives and lovers of actors or colleagues not wanting her to be part of future projects So she kept her distance Sometimes the actors she worked with could be cold and full of themselves, but luckily, that was seldom the case And when she kept her distance, she earned their respect Maybe ed for what they couldn’t have Maybe woed Maybe a friend like Bogie was a reward for the strange and painful things that had happened to her

Right now, she needed to concentrate and focus on the moment--and not on Sean Cameron She didn’t know theoutside a car She’d heard his voice and shaken his hand Watched how he’d silently laid his hand on Eddie’s shoulder, a true sign of friendship and support There was soh It seemed to enclose her and make her feel his words were sincere, that he was soainst the world Eddie had called on him in a time of need

As they pulled up in front of the cineuarding the entrance She looked past the cars and the crime scene tape to the beautiful Art Deco–style Black Box Cineantly crafted sign The building itself was a handsoh, wrapped in crime scene tape as it was

When she looked to the side she saw the parking lot, e lockdown it was usually crowded even at night--all hands on deck

She noted a vintage Cadillac that was out of place a the clearly marked patrol cars It was parked at the far end; there was a s, as if he was carefully watching the police and every move they made

He turned as they drove up Before they could exit, he walked over to the car, and Eddie rolled down the driver’s-seatFroer seat, Madison leaned over and saw that it was Andy Simons, Eddie’s partner