The Midnight Tour

“I know. Maybe someday.”

“Oh, don’t torment me with your empty promises. I know you’ll never move in. But I do keep hoping, don’t I? We could have such fine times, you and I”

“I’m sure we would.”

“You are so gorgeous. And you’re such a chatneleon. So many moods and changes, so many shifts and nuances. If I had my way, you would be my only subject. I would spend every hour of my life painting no one but you.”

“Well, thanks.”

“We’d not only have a grand time, but we’d become filthy rich.”

“How are we doing ?”Sandy asked.

“Modestly well.” Wiggling his eyebrows, Blaze slipped a hand into a pocket of his robe. He drew out a fat pack of bills that were folded in the middle and held together by two rubber bands. “Your twenty percent,” he said. He dropped it into Sandy’s hand.

“Wow,” she said.

“Indeed. That’s two thousand three hundred smackarooes.”

She grinned. “Pretty good.”

Leaning toward her, Blaze narrowed one eye, lowered his voice and said, “We are an unbeatable combination, Ashley. Your beauty and my genius in capturing you on canvas...But you need to be here. I require your presence”

“Well, I just can’t get out here very often, Blaze.”

“How far away do you like?”

“Far far.”

“You have no desire to be wealthy?”

Two thousand bucks a month ain’t hay.”

“But we could be doing so much better. We could make a fortune.”

“I thought you artistic types didn’t care about money.”

“Am I not human? Do I not bleed ? Do I not crave goodies?”

Laughing, Sandy stuffed the pack of money into a front pocket of her jeans. “Well, Mr. Greedy, we’d better get to it.”

“Yes! The sooner, the better!” Smiling, he raised both hands like a kid trying to feel raindrops. “It’s a lovely day. Shall we go down to the sea again?”

“Fine with me. You driving?”

“I’ve already packed the gear. All we need to do is change into more suitable attire, and we’ll be off.”

Chapter Twenty-Six

STAFF ENCOUNTERS

In the parlor, Ethel looked as if she hadn’t been tampered with overnight.

“So far, so good,” Dana said.

They searched more and more of the house.

Nobody jumped them.

Nothing seemed out of place.

All the mannequins appeared to be in their usual condition.

Done with the walk-through, Tuck and Dana headed for the front door. “Maybe everything’ll go a little more smoothly today,” Tuck said.

“We’re getting off to a good start—if we don’t include the intruder at your house.”

“Oh, thanks for reminding me.”

“You’re welcome

“He’s probably after you, you know.”

“Thank you,” Dana said.

“My pleasure.” She opened the door and Dana followed her onto the porch. “Just be careful,” she said. “Keep your eyes open, okay? Don’t think you’re necessarily safe just because it’s broad daylight and there’re lots of people around...” She shook her head. “The house has a lot of little empty places. Places where things could happen. So don’t let your guard down.”

Noddihg, Dana said, “You watch out, too.”

“You bet I will.”

Side by side, they trotted down the porch stairs. As they headed around the house, Dana felt her heartbeat quicken. “Warren doesn’t show up for the staff meetings, does he?” she asked.

“Not the guide meetings.” Tuck flashed a grin at her. “So sorry,.”

“Just asking.”

“Sure you are. Anyway, he’s not actually staff. Not anymore. He owns the snack stand.”

“Owns it?

“Oh, yeah. Makes a nice little profit off it, too. But he doesn’t attend the guide meetings.”

“Ah.” .

“Don’t worry, you’ll see him sooner or later.”

“I know. I wasn’t...”

“Sooner if you buy yourself a cup of coffee before we get started.”

“He’s here now?”

“Maybe.”

They stepped around the rear corner of the house.

“Yep,” Tuck said. “He’s here.”

Dana only saw the three other guides. Rhonda smiled and waved. Sharon lit up a cigarette. Clyde, off by himself with one foot up on a chair, held a cigarette in his lips and a white styrofoam cup in one hand. Seeing Dana, he looked away.

“Warren’s inside the snack stand,” Tuck explained.

Dana squinted at it. Though sunlight glared on the glass front, she could see that one of the serving windows was open.

She smiled at Tuck. “Can I get you anything?”

“I’m fine. But you’d better hurry.”

“Right back.” Quickening her pace, she angled away from Tuck and hurried over to the stand.

Warren stepped up to the window and smiled out at her. “Moming, Dana.”

“Hi. Could I get a cup of coffee?”

“What size?”

“What sizes have you got?”

“Tom Thumb, Madame Blavatsky, and Cyclops.”

“You’re kidding.”

“Yeah. Sorry about that.”

“I hope it doesn’t get around.”

“I only try it out on special friends.”

Dana felt heat rush to her face. “Well, thanks. So I guess your medium sized coffee is the Madame Blavatsky?”

“You got it.”

“I’ll have one.”

“Take anything in it?”

“Just coffee.”

“Coming right up.” Warren stepped away from the window.

Looking over her shoulder, Dana saw that the other guides were gathering around Tuck.