Read Online Voices in the Wardrobe by Marlys Millhiser - Free Book Online Page B

signals?”
    Charlie was happy to hear her cell go off in her purse. She could turn her back on him. It was Ronald Dorland, a fairly new client with a book out last year. He’d had some minor success with filmwriting assignments before that and was astonished when she answered instead of her voice-mail message. He couldn’t understand the first royalty statement for his book.
    â€œYou don’t want to know,” Charlie told him.
    â€œBut I do. I took it to my accountant, Charlie. He didn’t understand it either.”
    â€œJoin the crowd. Let’s see, that would be Bootstrap, a subsidiary of Wonderhouse who just merged with Dallywood, a subsidiary of Sherman/Sturtz just bought out by a German brewery whose name I can’t pronounce whose parent company makes titanium nuts and bolts and body parts for repairs.” Charlie should know, she had one of their plates implanted in her neck. “And itself part of a conglomerate specializing in diversification run by a management firm—SORRI.”
    â€œBut my publisher is Zulu Press, not any of those other publishers.”
    â€œMerged with Bootstrap two years ago.”
    â€œWhich all means what?”
    â€œGet kneepads.”
    â€œI thought agents were supposed to keep authors from getting screwed.”
    â€œLook, most writers never get published at all. I was able to get you a contract for a two thousand advance—you are now on the bottom rung of a very tall ladder. It’s either the beginning of a climb or you fall off and expire as an author or turn to self-publishing, which is pretty much the same thing. With that advance you’re lucky the books got out of the warehouse. With that advance there is no clout for an agent to use.” Charlie’s commission on that advance didn’t pay its share of the paperwork or overhead.
    â€œSo I’m never going to see any royalties? This is just like Hollywood.”
    â€œLook at it this way, Ronald, kneepads are cheap.”

Ten
    â€œKneepads,” Kenny said, wide-eyed and for once not in total sarcastic control of a situation. “You talking praying or sodomy? Was that a client?”
    â€œWell, it wasn’t a gardener. Ronald published his first book last year and just received his first royalty statement.”
    â€œOh. You were talking—”
    â€œRight.”
    Luella Ridgeway, dressed in slacks and flats instead of business suit and heels, appeared from an angled walkway, talking on her cell. “Hang on a minute. Charlie, I need paper and pen. You have any in your purse?”
    Before Charlie could make a move, a small notepad opened to a clean page descended from the porch above with a ballpoint and muscled forearm for a writing surface. Luella paused to stare up at the command center of this instant office, glance puzzlement at Charlie. “Okay, go ahead.”
    Luella was small, smart, swift, and savvy. She used the proffered desk as if she expected no less from the world as Kenny held the pad still for her so she could hold the cell and the pen. He had to bend almost double over the railing. Charlie wished she had a camera.
    â€œYou’re sure? What’s the source on that? Okay. Go on.” Finally, she thanked her informant and punched off, tore out the pages she’d used and handed the notepad and pen back to the desk whom she thanked also and asked Charlie, “He for hire?”
    â€œI only handle his writing talents. Luella Ridgeway, Kenneth Cooper. Luella is Dr. Judy’s agent, also Congdon and Morse. So what you got?”
    â€œWell, I’ve talked to her doctor, her lawyer, and her daughter.”
    â€œShe had a daughter?”
    â€œAnd a granddaughter. And an ex. And a boyfriend.”
    â€œWho’d have thought?”
    â€œCharlie, I keep telling you to stop stereotyping everyone you meet. You miss so much that way.”
    â€œYeah, and she’s totally cynical too,” Kenny