CHAPTER 3
SHE’D KILL ME — IF I WEREN’T ALREADY DEAD
“Who’s the other author?” asked Max.
Rhonda pointed across the room to a lady standing beside a potted plant. “That’s her over there. Nella Norman.”
Max recognized the name. He’d read a few Nella Norman mysteries. They were good, but he liked Rhonda Remington’s books better. This was the first time Max had ever seen Nella in person. She was wearing a flowing green dress and very high heels with shiny metal clasps on the straps.
Larry whistled and stepped out from behind Max. “She’s a looker. A heck of a lot prettier than Gertrude.”
Max motioned for Larry to be quiet.
“Don’t tell Gertrude I said that. She’d kill me — if I weren’t already dead.”
A waiter came by and held out a tray. “Would you care for some cherry punch?”
Rhonda reached for a glass. So did Larry.
Max grabbed the glass out of Larry’s hand before anyone noticed it hovering in the air.
“Hey,” said Larry. “I’m thirsty.”
“Do you know the man standing with Miss Norman?” Max asked Rhonda.
“That’s her agent, Lew Jacobs. Nella doesn’t go anywhere without him. She’s his most popular client and keeps him in business. He treats her like royalty.”
Max noticed the waiter offering Nella and Lew the cherry punch. Nella took a glass, but Lew shook his head and waved both his hands.
Just then, a group of fans surrounded Rhonda and thrust books under her nose. “Can we have your autograph? We love your books.”
As Rhonda got swept away by the crowd, Max saw Nella’s agent, Lew, pick up his briefcase, look around nervously and sneak out of the room.
“He’s up to something,” Max whispered to his uncle.
“Yep, he’s definitely up to something. Wait. Who are we talking about?”
“Lew Jacobs, Nella Norman’s agent.” Max started to follow him. “Come on.”
AND DON’T YOU FORGET IT
Just as they got to the door, Delia Davis blocked Max’s way. Her eyes shot lasers at him.
“Excuse me,” said Max, trying to get around her.
Delia blocked Max again. “I’m Rhonda’s assistant.”
“Sure,” said Max, distracted. He peered over Delia’s shoulder, trying not to lose sight of Lew Jacobs. He tried to get by Delia again, this time on her other side.
She put out her arm, blocking the doorway. “And don’t you forget it.”
“Uncle Larry, see where he goes!”
Delia frowned. “Who’s Uncle Larry?”
“See where who goes?” asked Larry.
“The man with the briefcase!”
“What briefcase?” said Delia and Larry together.
Max looked directly at Delia. “Gotta go!” He slipped under her arm and ran into the hallway. Lew had vanished.
“He couldn’t have gotten very far, Uncle Larry,” said Max. “You check the rooms on the left, and I’ll check the ones on the right.”
“Hang on, Max. I’ve got an idea!”
Larry disappeared through the wall on Max’s left and came out at the other end of the hallway. “He’s not in any of those rooms.” Then he vanished into the wall on the right side. About halfway down the hallway, he stuck his head out through a door. “He’s in here!”
CHAPTER 4
SWEET SUE GOT SCRATCHED
Max followed Larry into the room. It was a lounge filled with chairs, tables and a long brown couch by the window. Across from the couch was a television set. Lew snapped on the TV, then opened his briefcase and pulled out a piece of paper. He lifted a cell phone out of his pocket and punched in some numbers.
“That’s a racing form he’s holding, Max!” said Larry, sitting on the arm of the couch. “He’s betting on horses.”
“Two hundred dollars on Sweet Sue to win,” said Lew.
Larry stretched out along the top of the couch. “This reminds me of one of the Starchy comics. The bad guy went to the racetrack with his pal, Jerome. They put laxatives into all of the horses’ food — except for the horse they wanted to win. When the race started, the horses kept stopping to poop — and the bad guy’s horse won!”
Max walked farther into the room.
Suddenly, Lew shouted, “What do you mean you can’t take my bet?!”
There was a silence, and then Lew said, “I know I owe you money from the last race — and the one before that. But I’ve got a good feeling about Sweet Sue. Come on, Frank. You know I’m good for it.”
Larry shook his head. “Don’t give it to him, Frank.”
Lew’s face scrunched into a worried look. Then, a second later, his lips curled into a smile. “Thanks, Frank. I owe you one.” He patted his forehead with a tissue. “So, that’s two hundred on Sweet Sue.” A second later, his smile disappeared. “Sweet Sue got scratched? But she was the 10 to 1 favorite! I can’t believe it! If it wasn’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all.”
Just then, Lew spotted Max. “Hey, kid, come over here. Pick one … any one.” He stuck out the racing form.
Larry looked at the form along with Max. “Tell him to pick Lady Godiva. She rode a horse, too!”
“Lady Godiva,” said Max.
Lew repeated the name into the phone. “Yes … two hundred to win.” He ended his call and tucked the phone into his pocket. “Maybe you’ll bring me luck, kid. I sure could use some.”
Larry slid down on the couch next to Lew’s briefcase. “You brought me luck, Max. I’m a detective again!”
Max slipped into a nearby armchair. “Having a client as a finalist for the Mystery Hall of Fame sounds pretty lucky to me.”
“You’re right,” said Lew, brightening. “If Nella wins the competition, sales of her books will soar through the roof! And I take a cut of every sale she makes. It’s an agent’s dream.”
“Is Nella a good storyteller?” asked Max.
“She’s great. But Rhonda is telling one of her best stories tonight. I’ve heard her tell it before, with special effects. It’s going to be a tight race, but to be honest, I think Rhonda’s better. Don’t ever tell Nella I said that or she’ll kill me.”
“Author kills agent,” said Larry. “Now that’s a case I’ve never had.”
I HATE PICKLES
Lew reached into his briefcase and lifted out a bottle of water. Then he peeled some foil wrap that was around a large sandwich. “Pastrami on rye,” he said with a grin. “Don’t like the fussy food they serve at these events.”
Max glanced at the half-opened briefcase. Lew noticed and pulled out a pickle. “Care for a snack?”
“Ugh, I hate pickles,” said Larry.
Max shook his head. “No, thanks.”
“They’re at the gate!” said the announcer on the TV.
Lew’s eyes shot to the screen. “Come on, Lady Godiva!” He patted his forehead with the tissue again.
Max and Larry walked out of the lounge. As soon as he was out the door, Max stopped.
He took his notebook and pencil out of his pocket and wrote …
Suspect #1 — Lew Jacobs
Motive — Gambling
“Lew Jacobs likes to gamble, and from what I overheard, he owes a lot of money. If Lew’s planning the dirty trick on Rhonda, it would help his client Nella Norman win the competition, and Nella’s book sales will go way up.”
“Right!” said Larry. “And that’ll put money in Lew Jacobs’s pocket!”
CHAPTER 5
MY FOOL OF AN AGENT
When Max and Larry walked back to the reception, Max spotted Delia straightening some books on a table. Rhonda and Nella were standing next to her, talking. Max noticed that Nella kept looking over her shoulder, but he couldn’t tell what, or who, she was looking at.
>
“So, Rhonda’s a good writer?” Larry asked.
Max nodded. “One of the best mystery writers I’ve read. She’d make a great detective.”
Larry’s face fell. “Unlike me.”
“No. That’s not what I meant, Uncle Larry. I’m sure you were a great detective, with lots of challenging cases.”
“You bet they were. I was once hired to go undercover as a ballet dancer.”
“A ballet dancer?”
“Yeah. Someone was stealing all the tutus, and I was hired to discover who it was.”
“Who was it?”
“Never did find out. Before I could investigate, I kicked myself in the head and fell off the stage. Doctor said I could have been killed. Then where would I be?”
“Dead?”
“Exactly.”
Rhonda spotted Max and motioned for him to come over.
Max and Larry walked over to her. “Max, this is Nella —”
Before Rhonda could finish her sentence, Nella said a quick “Excuse me” and rushed off.
“How rude!” said Rhonda and Larry at the same time.
Max rushed off after Nella. He wormed his way through the crowd of people and finally spotted Nella by the balcony doors. He moved in close enough to hear her say to a waiter, “These doors are supposed to stay open. I was assured that they would be open the entire evening.”
The waiter said that someone had complained about feeling a bit cold.
“Too bad,” snapped Nella. “Tell them to put on a sweater.”
“Yes, ma’am,” said the waiter.
“I’m counting on you to make sure these doors remain open.”
Nella made her way back to Rhonda, and Max followed. He wondered if the doors had something to do with the dirty trick that was going to be played on Rhonda.
“Sorry about that, Rhonda,” said Nella. “What were you saying?”
“I — I was just introducing you to my young assistant. Max, this is Nella Norman, a marvelous writer and my competition tonight. Nella, this is Max Monroe.”
Delia scowled at Max. More fans crowded around Rhonda, holding out copies of her books and begging her to autograph them.
“I should have brought some of my novels,” said Nella to Max. “My fool of an agent didn’t even suggest it.”
Larry leaned in. “Your fool of an agent’s too busy betting on horses.”
Nella looked around the room. “Where is Lew, anyway?”
“I saw him in the lounge,” said Max.
“What’s he doing in there?”
Max wasn’t sure if Nella knew about her agent’s gambling, so he just said, “Eating a pickle.”
A NEW QUEEN OF MYSTERIES
“Are you nervous about tonight’s storytelling, Miss Norman?” asked Max.
“A little. When you’re telling a story, people have to use their imaginations. Personally, I don’t think people have imaginations anymore.” Someone waved from across the room. Nella pasted on a smile and waved back. “To help them along, I have a surprise that the audience and the judges are going to love.”
Before Max could ask what the surprise was, a waiter passed by with a tray of mini tarts. Larry reached for the last lemon tart at the same time as Nella, but Nella grabbed it first.
“Darn,” said Larry.
Max was glad his uncle hadn’t gotten the tart. A flying tart would be hard to explain. But then Larry lifted an apple tart and scarfed it down. Max shot him a look.
The waiter’s eyes opened wide. “How’d you do that, Miss Norman?”
“Do what?”
“Make that tart disappear.”
Uh-oh, thought Max.
Nella looked at the tart she was holding. “What are you talking about?”
“How’d you make the apple tart disappear?” said the waiter.
Nella was getting annoyed. “I’m not a magician. I’m a storyteller.”
Lew Jacobs came into the room and headed over to his client. “Ready to become the new Hall of Famer, Nella?”
“You bet I am,” she sniffed. “I’ve been waiting my whole life for this honor, and nothing’s going to stop me.”
Lew smiled. “It’s time for a new Queen of Mysteries — and you’ll soon be wearing the crown.”
Max turned and walked away. Larry joined him just as he was taking out his notebook.
Suspect #2 — Nella Norman
Motive — Winning the competition
“Nella really wants to win, and she’s not going to let anything stop her,” said Max. “If she’s the one planning the dirty trick on Rhonda, it’s to make sure her own story comes out on top.”
“Right!” said Larry. “And that way she’ll guarantee her place in the Mystery Hall of Fame.”
CHAPTER 6
A CONFESSION
Max and Larry passed by the food table. “Look at these tiny sandwiches, Max! They’re so cute.”
The table was covered with trays of mini cucumber-and-cream-cheese sandwiches cut into pinwheels. Larry reached for one.
“Uncle Larry,” hissed Max.
Larry popped a sandwich into his mouth.
As Max turned to see if anyone had noticed, he found himself face-to-face with Delia.
“Just a friendly reminder — I’m Rhonda’s assistant.”
As quickly as she had appeared, Delia disappeared into the crowd.
“What’s got her knickers in a knot?” asked Larry.
Max went looking for Delia. He found her at a table taking some blank name tags out of a bag and he sat down next to her. He had a confession. “I’m not really Rhonda’s assistant.”
“I know you’re not!” said Delia. “So why does she keep telling people you are?”
“I … I can’t say right now.”
“Fine. Don’t tell me. But I’ll figure it out. I always do.”
Delia started writing out the name tags. Her stomach growled. “Sorry. I haven’t eaten all day.”
“There are cucumber-and-cream-cheese sandwiches on the food table,” said Max. “Would you like me to get you some?”
“I’d like you to get lost,” snapped Delia. “Adios. And don’t come back.”
“She’s nasty,” said Larry, appearing in front of them. “Say something nice to calm her down.”
Delia wrote out another name tag.
“You’re working really hard tonight helping Rhonda,” said Max. “How long have you been her assistant?”
Delia relaxed a little. “Actually, I’m assisting her just for this event. When word went out to the local fan club that Rhonda needed help with her special effects, I volunteered. I’m the president of our chapter, you know. I write newsletters, handle her fan mail, send off autographed photos …” Delia’s face clouded over. “But when I was introduced to her this afternoon, she didn’t even know who I was. Can you believe it? And on top of that — she hasn’t gotten my name right once. I’m not sure if I even want her to win anymore.”
I LOVE SURPRISES!
Two women approached the table, each holding a small clipboard. One was wearing a red jacket and black pants, the other a blue dress. They stepped right through Larry. “We’re the judges,” said one of the women. “We were told you had our name tags.”
“And don’t forget me!” said a man wearing a blue suit and a yellow bow tie. He popped a mini sandwich into his mouth. “I’ll need one as well.”
Delia gathered up the tags and handed them over. As she lifted her arm, Max noticed a scrap of paper on the tabletop with the three judges’ names written on it. Delia’s arm came back down and covered it again.
After the judges left, Max said, “Nella Norman told me she’s got a surprise planned that she knows the judges will love.”
“I love surprises!” said Larry, rubbing his hands
together.
“Pfft,” sneered Delia. “Her surprise is a special effect. Both she and Rhonda are allowed to use special effects in their stories. Whatever it is, it won’t be as good as Rhonda’s.”
“Who’s taking care of Rhonda’s special effects?” asked Max.
“I’ll give you one guess,” said Delia.
Larry’s eyes widened. “Let me guess! Let me guess!”
“You?” said Max.
Delia looked proud. “Who else? I’m her assistant, remember?”
“Hey!” said Larry. “I didn’t get a chance to guess.”
Delia’s lips curled into a smile. “I probably shouldn’t tell you this.”
Larry leaned on the table. “Your secret’s safe with us.”
Delia whispered into Max’s ear so no one would overhear. “There’s a part in Rhonda’s story where a ghost wolf comes crashing through the wall. We have sound effects and everything. Rhonda brought along her husky dog that looks just like a real wolf.”
“Where’s the dog?” asked Max.
“He’s in a crate outside the building. There’s a rope tied to the crate door, and at exactly the right moment, I’ll pull the rope. Once the door opens, the dog will dash out into the woods. It’s going to be awesome!”
“How will you know when the right moment is?” asked Max.
Delia leaned back in her chair. “I’ll be in a room directly under the balcony where Rhonda will be standing. When she gives the signal, I’ll hear her through the window.”
“Sounds amazing,” said Max. “I’m sure Rhonda appreciates everything you’re doing to help her.”
Delia’s eyes darkened. “She sure hasn’t shown any appreciation since I got here. Every time I try to talk to her, she brushes me off.”
The Dirty Trick Page 2
