Night Hunter (20 page)

“
I’ll be right there, Dutch,” John said to the man. To Regina he said, “Please.”

She maneuvered around him and made it down another step before he stopped her with a hand on her arm. “You’re in danger.”

In her eyes he saw fear intermingle with caution. “Why don’t you tell the police?” she said.

His silence seemed to confirm her initial fear. She jerked her arm away and continued on.

“
Mrs. Van Raven,” he said in a quiet voice, “I’m trying to warn you.”

Another voice called up to him from the ground floor. “Oh, Johnnie, there you are. Come down.” His aunt, standing at her open door with Mrs. Dobos and a slender young woman with blond hair, motioned to him.

“
Oh Christ,” he muttered, as his gaze went from Mrs. Dobos’s smiling grandniece, Ilona, to the retreating back of Regina Van Raven.
Why now?

Half an hour after Regina arrived at the station, Kristy called. “Mom, I forgot to tell you I have a photo session for the pageant at four today. I won’t be home till after seven.”

A tightness worked at Regina’s chest. “Honey, about the contest. Things have changed. It’s too—”

“
No, Mother. Nothing’s changed. Mrs. Nash is picking me up, so stop worrying. Talk to you later.”

An hour later Regina was summoned to the office of KSCO’s executive producer. Maxwell Conner stood behind his desk and Nolan stood at the opposite side of the room. Their faces looked set, their eyes hard.

She was barely inside when Max said, “I want you to go on for Donna this week.”

Regina saw Nolan’s jaw tighten.

Turning to Nolan, Max continued, “If we don’t have a live body in there, then the show goes off the air. Regina knows the format better than anyone. We know she looks good on the tube.” Without looking at her, Max held up a palm before she could react to his last remark. “Spare me the sexist crap, Regina—she can walk and talk and ask questions.”

“
She can’t replace Donna.”

“
No one’s saying she will. She’ll hold it together until Donna comes back.”

“
I want that in writing,” Nolan said.

“
I don’t have to give you shit, mister. I want Donna back as much as anyone.”

Max turned to Regina. “I’ve got the perfect show. You remember that psychic we had on last year, Pandora-some- thing-or-other?” Regina nodded. “Well, we do an entire program with her. We set up phone lines to take calls from the viewers, and she gives them psychic readings over the phone. What do you think?”

“
You’re talking
live?”
she asked.

“
Yeah,
live.
Is that a problem?”

Regina looked at both men incredulously, then laughed, short and without humor. “I don’t believe this. It’s typical, however, considering the way things are run around here.” Max stared at her, perplexed. “Am I being promoted, shanghaied, used, or abused? No one bothered to ask
me
how I feel about this.”

“
I thought you’d be flattered,” Max said.

“
I’ve never worked in front of a camera before.”

“
There’s a first time for everyone.”

“
Not everyone has to carry a thirty-minute talk show the first time out ... and
live
yet.”

“
I told you she couldn’t do it,” Nolan said sourly. “It’s too risky anyway. Donna never did a live show.”

“
I have faith in you, Regina.”

“
What’s my status now? —if I choose to do it,” Regina said, ignoring Nolan.

“
In addition to producer, you’re also talent. Salary for both, naturally. As co-producer, Nolan will help do whatever has to be done to get the show running on all cylinders again.”

Regina stepped to the window to think. She would have flatly refused had Donna not already asked her to go on for her. Donna, along with everyone at the station, was acutely aware that ‘City Gallery’ had become an instant local success because of the tragedy. Even with the rerun, the ratings had skyrocketed. Tragedy or not, high ratings couldn’t be ignored.

“
I’ll do it on one condition.”

“
Yes?” Max asked.

She turned to Nolan. Their eyes met and held. “That I do it my own way.” She looked back to Max.

Max glanced at Nolan. “You got it. If you need anything, I’m here.” He sat down at his desk. “Oh, Regina, do you have any objections to letting the makeup gal have free rein?”

“
You want a face?”

“
I want talent uppermost. I’ll leave the rest up to you.”

With a thin smile, she turned and left the office.

At her desk again, Regina pulled the file with the roster of guests, past and future. She ran her finger down the list of names, stopping at Pandora Cudahay. Pandora never failed to be entertaining. The psychic, a serious, bookish-looking woman in her mid-fifties, had last been on the show shortly after assisting the police in finding a missing child.

Suddenly the realization of what she had just done struck her. She had actually agreed to stand in for Donna on a live show. Was she insane? What the hell, as a first-time television talk show hostess, why not go all out?

After calling the psychic and setting up the program, she spotted the list of names for the Miss Classic contestants and, before she could change her mind, she called Tammy and Amelia and invited each to lunch that afternoon. She paused at Corinne’s name, then closed the file.

Leaning back in her chair, she thought about her encounter with John Davie that morning. Until that day at the station, she had never laid eyes on the man. What was his involvement? What did he know? Perhaps she should talk to him.

An hour later, sitting at a window table in Perry’s Bar and Grill, Regina looked up to see Tammy, in a black miniskirt and an off-the-shoulder red knit top, approaching .

“
Sorry I’m late, Regina, Gary called as I was leaving the house.” Tammy dropped into a chair. “I had to talk to him.”

“
Is there a chance for reconciliation?”

“
Gary wants to, of course, but ... I’m not sure I’m ready yet,” she said, avoiding Regina’s eyes.

Regina sensed she was lying.

Tammy changed the subject, “So how’s Donna?”

“
She’s doing very well.”

“
My God, I just can’t believe that someone would do that to Donna. I mean, what’d she ever do to deserve that? What about her
face ...
is she ... you know ... ? I want to visit, but I couldn’t if it’s as bad as Corinne’s.” Tammy finally wound down. “Is it?”

“
No, it’s not as bad as Corinne’s.”

Tammy pulled in an exaggerated breath and let it out with a sigh. “There is a God. Christ, when I think how close I was standing to her. Some of that stuff could’ve splashed onto me—oh, Jesus, that sounded awful. I didn’t mean it that way.”

“
It’s okay, Tammy.” Regina looked out the window to see Amelia, wearing saffron yellow slacks and a matching sweater, crossing the street toward them. She was the only one Regina knew who made walking look like a painful yet necessary experience.

Entering, Amelia wove her way around tables covered with blue checkered cloths. When she reached their table she paused, looking around as though waiting for someone to pull out her chair. When no one came forth, Amelia gracefully seated herself, “Regina, sweetie, how nice of you to invite me to lunch. How is Donna?”

“
The doctor tells her she’s very lucky.”

“
Lucky? Hah!” Amelia exclaimed. “The woman makes a living by her looks. How can she possibly endure knowing she’s going to be horribly disfigured?”

“
She has a husband and two children,” Regina said. “And many friends.”

A waiter took their order. Caesar Salad and a vodka Gibson for Amelia. Vegetable soup and white wine for Tammy. A Reuben sandwich, fries, and iced tea for Regina. The two women eyed her with obvious resentment.

“
It’s the only meal I’ll have today,” she said defensively.

“
I have to pip,” Tammy said. “Anyone else?” The others declined. “I took a diuretic this morning. Bloated, y’know. Can’t stop going.” She left the table and hurried off to the restroom.

“
That girl is on a campaign to kill herself,” Amelia said, looking after Tammy. “Bet she takes laxatives, as well.”

“
Do you think she has an eating disorder?”

Amelia shrugged, dismissing Tammy. She placed her elbows on the table, her chin on her clasped hands, and leaned in toward Regina. “Now that Donna’s ... well, you know—what’s become of the show?”

“
It’ll go on.”

“
Without her?”

“
Until she’s able to return.”

“
Is KSCO auditioning for the spot?”

“
No.”

“
Look, Regina, I’d be very interested in doing ‘City Gallery’. I’ve been at Channel 3 for years.”

“
That’s a public broadcasting station. You’re a volunteer.”

“
It’s television. I’m photogenic, articulate, and I know people in this town . . . important people.”

“
I thought you were in business for yourself. What was it? Global Enterprises?”

Amelia nodded and sipped her drink. “Fletcher Kincade, my business partner, will operate GME, leaving me free to involve myself in other endeavors and, of course, expand my horizons.”

“
I see.” Regina would just bet that Kincade was the man with Amelia that day in the studio, and she’d also bet they were more than business partners.

“
Regina, you must have a measure of pull at the station. What are you, assistant something or other?”

“
Co-producer.”

“
Nolan is producer.”

“
Nolan and I are co-producers.”

“
My, my. Then you certainly have connections.”

Regina bit into a breadstick.

“
I’m not going to beat around the bush—”

“
You were never one to do that,” Regina slipped in.

“
Regina, I want that job. Can you help me?”

“
I don’t think so.”

“
I know we’ve had our differences.”

“
We don’t like each other,” Regina said.

“
We don’t like each other, but that shouldn’t get in the way of business.”

“
Amelia,” Regina said, losing patience with this conversation, “the position is already filled.”

“
How firm is it?”

“
Firm enough. You’re looking at Donna’s fill-in.” The flabbergasted look on Amelia’s face made Regina smile. “A vote of confidence, how reassuring.”

“
They can’t be serious?”

Regina began to laugh. “Oh, Amelia, it’s so refreshing in this world of false flattery and bullshit, to find someone who’s not afraid to speak her mind.” She raised her iced tea glass in a mock salute.