Read Online No Place Like Home - A Camilla Randall Mystery (The Camilla Randall Mysteries) by Anne R. Allen - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Anne R. Allen
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track, no matter how dire they looked.
Doria picked up her Egg McMuffin and smoothed the newspaper open to the front page. "SHARKOV-WINDSOR CRIMINAL GANG BILKED CHARITIES" the headline said.
Sharkov-Windsor? The ridiculous article made the two of them sound like Bonnie and Clyde. And it got worse. The reporter suggested Doria had been a partner in Harry's business—maybe even the mastermind. Somebody was quoted as saying Home magazine was probably a tax dodge and money laundering scam.
Well, there went the last of her advertisers.
And any thoughts of getting that money. Apparently it had been frozen, too.
Flipping through the pages, she saw the worst headline of all.
"HOLLYWOOD CELEBS BILKED BY PONZI SCHEME."
Celebrities. Most of whom she knew. The list was long. And there at the top was telenovella star "Cesar Alonso." Harry had buttonholed Cesar at one of Betsy's parties last winter. Doria thought Harry was being extra-nice to the dreadful Cesar just to annoy her.
But no. Harry had been robbing him. Robbing them all—all her friends in the film industry, even—oh, please, no…
Yup. There was her name, under the "B's": Betsy Baylor.
If Doria had a guardian angel, he seemed to be sleeping on the job.
Harry had ripped off her best friend. Betsy was probably in denial about it. That must have been what Cesar was talking about at breakfast.
Maybe it didn't matter if anybody had murdered Harry. Doria was saved from having to do it herself.
She tried to swallow, but the bite of McMuffin sat in her gullet, halfway between mouth and stomach, not moving.
Exactly like her, sitting in this place between Beverly Hills—a place where she was not going to be welcome for some time—and…where? Certainly not New York. Not without money.
She did not have a clue where to go.
Chapter 24—One-Night Stand
As I dressed, I smelled the heavenly scent of French Roast wafting from my kitchen.
Plant had not only made coffee, but was arranging bagels and lox on two of my Limoges plates. I saw the bag came from my favorite deli in San Luis. Several miles out of his way. He was really trying.
I gave him a hug.
"I know it's not your fault, Plant. Silas is in a financial bind. He has to do something."
Plant shook his head. "But not this. I had no idea Lureen was going to offer this property for under two hundred thousand. Or that the buyers would want to move so fast. We don't need cash for the whole amount anyway. Just a down payment. All we really need is enough to keep the house and get the bookstore business back on its feet again. We've cancelled the wedding and were able to get our deposits back on some things…"
"You've cancelled your wedding?"
This was not going to be good. If the two of them split up on top of everything else, it would be a catastrophe. Plant didn't have a penny of his own.
He poured me a cup of coffee. "Of course. Under the circumstances it would be absurd."
"Because you're fighting over my house?"
"Of course not, darling. Silas and I will always be fighting over something until death do us part. But weddings cost money. And we don't have any. The accounts are empty and the cards are maxed. That's the cold truth." He took a sip of his coffee. "Don't try to cash your last paycheck, by the way."
I nodded and told him about Brianna's note.
He didn't look surprised. "Silas has been getting irate phone calls from employees all weekend. That's why he let Lureen bully him. He's never had anything like this happen to him and he's mortified. The Ryders are one of the old-money families of this county."
That explained a little about why it had happened so fast.
"Speaking of mortification, I'm really sorry about the man in my bedroom this morning."
Plant gave me a grin. "Sorry? Why, darling? A man that hot? I'm the one who should apologize. The poor man obviously thought I was your wayward significant other. Where did you find him? Is he an actor or something?"
Maybe it was good Ronzo
Doria picked up her Egg McMuffin and smoothed the newspaper open to the front page. "SHARKOV-WINDSOR CRIMINAL GANG BILKED CHARITIES" the headline said.
Sharkov-Windsor? The ridiculous article made the two of them sound like Bonnie and Clyde. And it got worse. The reporter suggested Doria had been a partner in Harry's business—maybe even the mastermind. Somebody was quoted as saying Home magazine was probably a tax dodge and money laundering scam.
Well, there went the last of her advertisers.
And any thoughts of getting that money. Apparently it had been frozen, too.
Flipping through the pages, she saw the worst headline of all.
"HOLLYWOOD CELEBS BILKED BY PONZI SCHEME."
Celebrities. Most of whom she knew. The list was long. And there at the top was telenovella star "Cesar Alonso." Harry had buttonholed Cesar at one of Betsy's parties last winter. Doria thought Harry was being extra-nice to the dreadful Cesar just to annoy her.
But no. Harry had been robbing him. Robbing them all—all her friends in the film industry, even—oh, please, no…
Yup. There was her name, under the "B's": Betsy Baylor.
If Doria had a guardian angel, he seemed to be sleeping on the job.
Harry had ripped off her best friend. Betsy was probably in denial about it. That must have been what Cesar was talking about at breakfast.
Maybe it didn't matter if anybody had murdered Harry. Doria was saved from having to do it herself.
She tried to swallow, but the bite of McMuffin sat in her gullet, halfway between mouth and stomach, not moving.
Exactly like her, sitting in this place between Beverly Hills—a place where she was not going to be welcome for some time—and…where? Certainly not New York. Not without money.
She did not have a clue where to go.
Chapter 24—One-Night Stand
As I dressed, I smelled the heavenly scent of French Roast wafting from my kitchen.
Plant had not only made coffee, but was arranging bagels and lox on two of my Limoges plates. I saw the bag came from my favorite deli in San Luis. Several miles out of his way. He was really trying.
I gave him a hug.
"I know it's not your fault, Plant. Silas is in a financial bind. He has to do something."
Plant shook his head. "But not this. I had no idea Lureen was going to offer this property for under two hundred thousand. Or that the buyers would want to move so fast. We don't need cash for the whole amount anyway. Just a down payment. All we really need is enough to keep the house and get the bookstore business back on its feet again. We've cancelled the wedding and were able to get our deposits back on some things…"
"You've cancelled your wedding?"
This was not going to be good. If the two of them split up on top of everything else, it would be a catastrophe. Plant didn't have a penny of his own.
He poured me a cup of coffee. "Of course. Under the circumstances it would be absurd."
"Because you're fighting over my house?"
"Of course not, darling. Silas and I will always be fighting over something until death do us part. But weddings cost money. And we don't have any. The accounts are empty and the cards are maxed. That's the cold truth." He took a sip of his coffee. "Don't try to cash your last paycheck, by the way."
I nodded and told him about Brianna's note.
He didn't look surprised. "Silas has been getting irate phone calls from employees all weekend. That's why he let Lureen bully him. He's never had anything like this happen to him and he's mortified. The Ryders are one of the old-money families of this county."
That explained a little about why it had happened so fast.
"Speaking of mortification, I'm really sorry about the man in my bedroom this morning."
Plant gave me a grin. "Sorry? Why, darling? A man that hot? I'm the one who should apologize. The poor man obviously thought I was your wayward significant other. Where did you find him? Is he an actor or something?"
Maybe it was good Ronzo
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