“So do you, Mr. Sundridge. Why are you prowling around my house in the middle of the night?”
“I’m up because Rex and I got a feeling that something had . . . changed.”
“In what way?”
“Ever had the sensation that someone was watching you?”
“Funny you should ask. I’ve had the feeling a lot lately. Figured it was just nerves. Why?”
“In my experience, it’s usually true,” Nick said.
Vivian took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Do you think someone is out there right now? Watching this house?”
“That’s what it feels like. Rex seems to think so, too, and when it comes to this sort of thing, he’s usually right.”
“Well, there could be a logical explanation.”
“Is that so?”
“It’s after midnight and your car is parked in front of my place. I wouldn’t be surprised if Miss Graham across the street is watching to see if you really are going to stay here all night. By tomorrow morning the whole neighborhood will be speculating about our relationship. Well, not exactly speculating. They’ll be convinced we’re having an affair.”
“Are you worried?”
“No. Everyone around here has already concluded that I enjoy a rather unconventional lifestyle.”
He nodded. “The Muscle Beach clients?”
“Right. So, what do we do now?”
“Rex and I are going to take a look outside. If someone is hanging around, Rex will flush him out.”
Rex started barking furiously. He scratched at the door.
Nick hit the switch that doused the porch lights.
“Stay in the hallway,” he said to Vivian. “Don’t go near any windows.”
“I really don’t think it’s a good idea for you to go outside—”
She was interrupted by the stunning sound of shattering glass in the living room.
Nick raced across the kitchen, Rex at his heels. By the time they reached the living room, the flames of the incendiary device were already leaping high, seizing on the swaths of gossamer drapery that Vivian used to control the studio lighting.
“My camera,” Vivian yelped.
Frantically she tried to push past Nick.
The tripod and the big view camera were inches from the flames.
“Too late,” Nick said. “This old cottage is all wood. It’s going to come down fast. We need to get out. Now.”
In the light of the rising tide of fire, Vivian’s striking face was etched in anger and frustration. To his relief she did not argue.
“Yes,” she said.
She turned on her heel and sprinted into the front hall. He followed hard behind her with Rex. At the door Vivian paused to yank open the coat closet. She grabbed a trench coat, slung the leather strap of a camera over her shoulder, and seized a metal lockbox and a portfolio case.
Nick took the portfolio case and got the front door open. Rex dashed outside, barking furiously. Vivian was right behind him. Nick raced after them, gun in hand.
Lights came on in the cottage across the street. The front door slammed open.
“Call the fire department,” Nick ordered.
The figure on the front step ducked back inside. Other doors along Beachfront Lane opened.
“Mrs. Spalding,” Vivian said. “She lives in the house next door. She’s a little hard of hearing.”
“I’ll get her out,” Nick said. “Rex. Stay.”
Rex took up his post at Vivian’s side. Nick loped up the walk to Mrs. Spalding’s front door.
Sirens sounded in the distance. Rex had ceased barking but other dogs took up the chorus. Lights came on in the rest of the cottages. The night was in chaos.
Mrs. Spalding opened her door garbed in an aging bathrobe. By the time Nick got her out of the house a small crowd had gathered in the lane. Vivian’s cottage was fully engulfed now.
Fire trucks arrived on the scene. Nick turned to make sure that Vivian was still safe.
A flashbulb exploded. He closed his eyes but not before he was partially dazzled by the glare.
“Damn it,” he said. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“This is my night job, remember?”
He was dumbfounded. “It happens to be your house that is burning down.”
“It’s a fire. It will sell, provided I give the picture some context. Otherwise one burning building looks a lot like any other burning building. Context is the key to a fire photo.”
As he watched, rendered momentarily speechless by her ice-cold nerve, she pressed the button that ejected the hot flashbulb. The used bulb hit the pavement near his feet and shattered. In a single, fluid motion, Vivian took a new bulb out of the bulging pocket of her trench coat, inserted it into the camera, and fired off another shot.
And another.
She loaded film and flashbulbs with the skill of a marksman firing a rifle.
A thought hit him, driving out his astonishment.
“Forget the fire,” he said. “Get the crowd.”
She did not look up from her work. “I always get a few crowd shots.”
“We want lots of them. Try to get everyone you can.”
She did pause briefly then.
“Why?” she asked.
“Because there’s a chance he’s here in this crowd. Firebugs like to watch.”
“I’ve heard that,” Vivian said. “But if he’s after me, he’s not a firebug, he’s an assassin. Why would he risk sticking around?”
“I’ll explain later. For now, just concentrate on the crowd shots.”
“You bet. The expressions on the faces of the people watching a fire are always more interesting than the flames anyway.”
Nick shook his head. “You’re amazing.”
She ignored him to slam a fresh film holder into the camera.
Chapter 14
Twenty minutes later she used the last film holder. She swung around to look at Nick.
“We need to get to the night editor at the office of the Adelina Beach Courier,” she said. “My car was in the garage. It’s a burned-out hulk by now. We’ll take yours.”
“You want to go to a newspaper office? At this hour?”
“With luck Eddy will let me use his darkroom.”