Thrill! (60 page)

However, tonight was different. Tonight she wasn't hanging around waiting for a photo opportunity. Tonight she was getting jt for herself, and Lara and her dumb assistant were making it very easy. A house with no electricity, shrouded in darkness, and no\y Cassie driving off without her boss. What could be better?

As soon as she saw Cassie leave, Alison exited her car, carefully making her way through the open gate, approaching the house warily. Many times she'd been attacked by guard dogs, or son* tiresome security guard with a gun had jumped out demanding to know what she wanted.

Just in case she always carried her own weapons: a large hunting kufe - similar to the one used in the Nicole Simpson/Ron Goldman murders; a couple of sharp knitting needles: thick leather gloves to protect her hands; a screwdriver; and a special credit card that could get her through any door.

Once she'd been lying in wait for a particularly outrageous rock

star when his vicious dog had come sniffing around her crotch.

Before the mutt could make a sound she'd slit its throat with her

Bunting knife. She remembered the way the knife had sliced

"rough the dog's jugular vein, and how its blood had spurted a|

427 over her. It hadn't upset her at all. In fact, it had given her a strange thrill.

What would Lara look like when that happened to her?

What expression would she have on that beautiful face?

Alison wondered if Lara Ivory realized how lucky she was to have been born with such a perfect face. Stardom had fallen upon her like a golden mantle, and because of that face she'd led a charmed life.

As if the bitch deserved it. She deserved nothing, because she didn't know how to give. She was a selfish self-obsessed movie star like all the rest of them.

Well, Alison planned to change that.

The night was dark and murky, the rain pounding down.

Alison didn't need light. The rain didn't bother her. She knew exactly where she was heading.

The cover of Time and Newsweek, that's where she was heading.

4.28

^^^^Jjl THE MOMENT Nikki set eyes on Sheldon she ^^HiB^M* was overcome with that old familiar sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. It was years since she'd seen him - years of freedom and being away from his overbearing, pompous, full-of-shit presence. Now he was back and to her annoyance he still affected her physically.

He did not look his usual pulled-together self. He seemed more shopworn and weary, clad in a rumpled sports coat, open-neck shirt and creased pants. His face was lined and old. His grey hair dry and too long for a man his age. His thin lips tighter than ever.

"Is she here?"

were the first words out of his mouth.

"No,"

Nikki said.

"She's not."

"I need a drink,"

he growled.

From the smell of him she could tell he'd had quite a few on the plane.

"Help yourself,"

she said, gesturing toward the bar.

"Uh, Sheldon, this is Aiden Sean."

Barely glancing in Aiden's direction, Sheldon mumbled a curt,

"Good evening."

Aiden exchanged glances with Nikki.

"I told you,"

she mouthed behind Sheldon's back.

"Total asshole."

Sheldon fixed himself a large snifter of brandy.

"Well, Sheldon, what happened?"

Nikki asked.

"She ran away, that's what happened."

"She wouldn't go without a reason. Did you have a fight?"

"Summer and I never fight. We are extremely close."

"Then what was it?"

429 "Ever since she came back from Los Angeles she's been a different girl. It obyiously has something to do with you?

"Why me?"

Nikki said indignantly.

"Because it was you who allowed her to run wild, let her go out with boys, and God knows what else she got up to while she was in your care."

"Hey, listen,"

Aiden interrupted,

"it's not my plan to get in the middle here, but shouldn't you both be concentrating on finding your kid?"

Sheldon threw him a frosty look.

"Who are you?"

he said rudely.

Nikki bristled.

"Aiden's the man in my life,"

she said, adding a terse

"Not that it's any of your business."

"What happened to Richard?"

"We're getting divorced."

"Oh, be couldn't put up with you either."

"Screw you, Sheldon!"

she said, unable to control herself.

"Is that all you have to say?"

He gave her one of his supercilious smiles.

"I hoped you would have mastered a more intelligent vocabulary by now."

"Fighting won't solve shit,"

Aiden interrupted.

"One of you should contact the cops. You checked her friends here, Nik?"

"Right,"

Nikki said, glaring at Sheldon.

"I'll go through the stuff she left here, see what I can find."

r

-fr

^

Sam rode a motorbike, not exactly a Harley, but it was kind of a fun ride. Summer sat behind him, her arms clasped firmly around his waist, pressing her body up against his back - not by choice, but because she didn't fancy falling off.

Thank goodness there's some nice guys left in the world, she thought, guys who don't hit on you the second you look in their direction. She leaned her head against his back, her eyes almost closing. She was so tired, it was a big effort to stay awake.

Sam drove too fast for the rainy streets. It didn't bother her, she liked speed, it was exciting. Every time they stopped at a red light he turned his head and asked if she was having fun.

"Oh, yes,"

she replied drily.

"Never had a better time."

"You're a sarcastic little bitch, aren't you?"

he laughed.

"Not so little,"

she mumbled.

Sam lived in the guest cottage of a sprawling house in the Valley. His cottage consisted of two big rooms; one was his bedroom/living room, and the other his studio, filled with many paintings - mostly portraits.

She did an obligatory walk around.

"You really got it going,"

she said admiringly.

"Cool stuff."

"I know,"

he responded, Mr Modest.

"One day I'll make it. Then no more parking cars for me."

"Thanks for rescuing me tonight, Sam,"

she said.

"Guess I should confess - I was at the Norman Barton party, only I couldn't stay there with all these lame hookers. I had no clue it was going to be like that."

"I kinda figured that's where you were,"

he said.

"No parents, right?"

"Not at the hotel."

"Where?"

"My dad's in Chicago, mom's here. They're divorced."

"My parents did that when I was five."

Yes, but I bet you didn't have a father who came into your room it night and, molested you, she wanted to say. Only she kept her mouth shut, telling Tina was bad enough.

"I haven't got much in the way of food,"

he said.

"Help yourself to what's there."

She checked out his fridge. There was a half-eaten pizza and a rancid piece of cheese.

"I'm not hungry,"

she said.

"Just tired. Is it OK if I like crash on the couch in the corner?"

"Take the bed,"

he said generously.

"I've got work to finish Probably won't get any sleep tonight."

"You're sure?"

she said, too exhausted to argue.

It's all yours,"

he said generously.

"Wrow - thanks:

The bathroom's over there,"

he said, pointing.

"You'll find Pyjamas behind the door."

431 She hurried into the bathroom, slipped out of her dress and put on the pyjamas he'd mentioned. Even though they were several sizes too big, they were better than nothing. Then she got into bed, thinking that tomorrow she'd collect her bag from Tina, and maybe stay in a hotel for a couple of days before deciding her next move.

Whatever happened, she was never going back to Chicago.

ft ft ft

Leaving Sheldon and Aiden alone together was not a great idea, but Nikki did it anyway while she scoured the guest room, searching through the few things Summer had left behind.

After a few minutes she found the name Jed scribbled on a piece of paper, with two exclamation points next to his name.

She tried the number, getting an answering machine.

"Hi, this is Jed. You need me, I need you, so leave a message at the sound of the you know what."

She waited for the tone, then said,

"Uh . . . my name's Nikki Barry. I'm calling about Summer. It's urgent that I talk to you as soon as possible. Please call me back."

She left her phone number, then tried Mick at home. He was there.

"Oh,"

she said,

"I thought you'd still be at the party."

"Nice of you to stay around,"

he drawled sarcastically.

"Jesus, Nik - that's no way to make friends and influence your crew."

"I had an emergency."

"What? Like the big movie star throwin"

a blue freakin"

fit about those photos?"

"It's my daughter, Summer. She's run away from home."

"Oh."

There was a long pause. Nikki broke it.

"Mick, I know what happened between you and Summer."

"Huh?"

he blustered.

"I'm aware you made her commit a ... sexual act, even though you must have known she was a minor. So ... if you have any

ht

information about her whereabouts, you'd better tell me rig11 now."

4/O

"Jesus, Nik - I had no freakin"

clue she was your daughter, or that she was only fifteen . . ."

"So you haven't heard from her?"

Nikki interrupted coldly.

"No. And the truth is we didn't do a damn thing."

"That's not what you told Aiden."

"Guys boast,"

he said sheepishly.

"Guess I got carried away."

Nikki wasn't sure whether to believe him or not.

"Anyway,"

she said,

"her father's flown in from Chicago, and when he contacts the police, I wouldn't want him telling them what you made her do."

"Are you insane? Mick shrieked.

"You'd get me thrown in jail for something I didn't do? Is that the kind of publicity you want for our movie?"

"This is not about the movie, Mick. It's about my daughter. And I want her back."

"Listen, chickie babe,"

he said, rolling his eyes as he clung on to the phone.

"I swear on my life, my mother's life, Quentin Tarantino's life - and you know he's my idol - I never touched her and I haven't heard from her."

"If you're sure."

"Dead sure."

She was unconvinced. What if Summer had contacted him? What if she was sitting in his house even as they spoke?

Back in the living room she took Aiden to one side.

"I've got a feeling about Mick,"

she said.

"I have to make sure Summer's not there. Can we go over to his place? We'll leave Sheldon here."

"C'mon, Nik,"

Aiden said, shaking his head.

"You gotta control your paranoia."

"If he has nothing to hide, he won't mind us dropping by."

"Jesus! You're serious."

"Sheldon,"

she said, going over to her ex,

"Aiden and I have to

8° out. We'll be back as quickly as possible."

She watched as he P°ured himself another hefty brandy.

"Oh,"

she added sarcastically, and do make yourself at home."

ft ft ft

433 Summer was asleep in the middle of Sam's big bed dreaming about running on the beach with Norman Barton and seven naked hookers when she felt her father's hands on her.

"No!"

she screamed, opening her eyes in horror.

"Get off me, Daddy! Get off."

But it wasn't Daddy. It was Sam.

"Come o«,"

he said impatiently.

"Gimme a piece of what you gave Norman Barton. You know you want to."

"Drop dead, you horrible pig!"

she yelled, trying to wriggle out from under him.

"Pretending to be my friend. I trusted you?

"Lesson number one,"

he said, pinning her arms above her head.

"Never trust anyone."

"You'd better leave me alone,"

she warned, struggling ferociously,

"otherwise I'm screaming rape."

"Scream away,"

he said.

"Nobody'll hear you."

"This sucks!"

she shrieked.

"Didn't your mommy warn you? Never go home with a stranger,"

he said, tearing at the buttons of her pyjama top.

"Why'd you come with me if you didn't want it? Pushing your little titties up against me on the bike. You know you want it."

He had one hand on her left breast. She kneed him in the groin as hard as she could.