Blink of an Eye (Kendra Michaels #8) - Roy Johansen Page 0,5
Big Rock. She shouted, “Hey, I’m jealous. Kendra was just a guest artist. Let me show you what I can do. You heard her tattle how bad I was about writing that song when I should have been at work? Well, it might have been a bad thing to do, but the song turned out pretty darn good. Who wants to hear the new song I just wrote?”
The audience erupted with a clamor of shouts and applause.
“Come on, you’re now ancient history.” Jessie was suddenly beside Kendra and leading her out of the crowd. “Though you did a damn good job. Dee was impressed with you.”
Kendra gazed over her shoulder at Dee Winter, glowing, intense, giving everything, who had started to sing again. “Then she wasn’t the only one. I was very impressed by her…”
* * *
“I was right, you know,” Allison Walker said as she came to stand beside Kendra at the front gates of the school. She watched Jessie drive Dee Winter past the crowd of paparazzi at the curb in her black Range Rover SUV. “She was disruptive. Look how those paparazzi are jumping into their cars to follow her.”
“Yes, she was disruptive,” Kendra agreed. “But those paparazzi are doing exactly what she wants them to do right now. Jessie is leading them away from here like a Pied Piper.” She added quietly, “And the kids had a wonderful, memorable experience.”
“I understand you had something to do with that,” Allison said dryly.
“A little. But that was Dee Winter, too.” She smiled. “And I can’t deny you were right. How could I?”
“You can’t.” She was silent a moment. “I…like her.”
“I know you do. She was just a problem you felt you had to solve.”
“She stopped by my office and thanked me for being so kind to her. She actually…hugged me. I was a little uncomfortable.”
“I’m sure she wasn’t. And I’m sure she meant everything she said to you.”
“I believe she did.” She was silent a moment. “Perhaps we’ll invite her again…in a year or so.” She shrugged. “At any rate, she’s on her way to where she belongs now. Thank heavens your friend Jessie brought a car and not her motorcycle this time. I wouldn’t want to be responsible for an accident happening to a guest at our academy.”
“I don’t think our ‘guest’ would mind. Dee would find riding on the back of Jessie’s motorcycle a blast. She’s probably done it many times before.” Kendra sighed as Jessie’s SUV disappeared around a corner, followed by a parade of screeching paparazzi vehicles. She wished she was with them. She was suddenly feeling very much alone after the excitement that had gone before.
She turned away and headed for her Toyota in the parking lot. “Now I’ve got to go back to my condo and have dinner with my friend Olivia. I had to cancel on her twice this week, and Olivia doesn’t tolerate that kind of discourtesy. She let me know it wasn’t to happen again. It seems as if I’m up here all the time these days.”
“I know you are,” Allison said. “And I’m grateful. Don’t think I’m not. You’ve practically saved the academy. It’s just that things are different now. It’s hard for me to get used to it.”
“Me too. And you’ve worked just as hard as I have, Allison. We’ve done it together.” She got into the Toyota. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Have a good dinner.” She paused. “I haven’t seen that extraordinary Lamborghini that belongs to Lynch up here for the last week.” She hesitated again. “Is there some problem?”
Allison was trying to be tactful, Kendra realized. Unusual for her these days. Bluntness ruled her life except when dealing with business associates or parents of students. But evidently, she didn’t want to come straight out and ask her if the man she assumed to be Kendra’s lover had left her and gone on the lam.
“No problem other than the usual one with Adam Lynch. The Justice Department wanted him to save the world and he was sent somewhere in Tibet to do it. I haven’t heard from him since he left last week.” She backed out of the parking space. “But I’m sure he’s missing the Lamborghini.”
* * *
Highway 5
Oceanside, California
“They’re gaining on us.” Dee’s voice was tense with excitement as she looked at the rearview mirror. “I think it’s that red Subaru who’s in the lead.” She tilted her head. “Though that Chrysler is pretty close.”
“You sound like you’re calling a horse race.” Jessie cast her