Guarding Raine Part 58

" " It's a relief to know everything is ready," Raine confided. " At least at my end.

Andr~ can be pretty demanding, and if I was behind schedule at all he'dhave me pulling my hair out.

At least now it's all in his hands.

" I'll say it is," Sarah replied. " I think I noted his fine hand in

the articles that made the newspapers a few days ago.

I was a little surprised he would play up the fact that you'd been threatened the way he did.

At least, I a.s.sume he's the one who told the journalists about that.

" " You a.s.sume right," Raine said dryly. " And I wasn't pleased about

the publicity, either.

Mac was furious with him.

" Sarah looked at her knowingly. " Mac, again, hmm?

Funny how his name keeps cropping up.

Am you sum there isn't more here that you'd like to talk about?

" Raine cursed her careless tongue. " I mean, after all the security

measures he's implemented around here, he thought it was pretty careless of Andre to make the threats public.

He's afraid it will attract the wrong kind of attention.

" Sarah shrugged. " Well, it was typical Andre, I must say.

I don't envy your working with him.

His fussiness would drive me crazy--although, I have to admit, he gets results.

Actually, I may be looking for a new agent myself.

" " You're dropping Vanessa?

" Raine was surprised. Vanessa Bancroft had represented Sarah for

years.

Raine had never heard Sarah express dissatisfaction with the woman's

work before. Sarah shrugged. " I don't know.

I'm thinking about it.

I really didn't do as well as I should have at my last exhibit.

And she doesn't market me as aggressively as Andre does you.

I'd like for her to work more closely with Harold than she does.

If she would keep after him I'm sure he'd sponsor another show for me

soon.

" " I didn't realize you were ready for another exhibit.

" Sarah got up and strolled to the window, peering outside. " Well, I

could be if I had .

something to work toward.

Anyway, I haven't decided for sure whether to replace Vanessa.

I'm just thinking out loud.

" Raine mulled over Sarah's words; troubled. She wondered if the real

reason behind Sarah's dissatisfaction was money. She seemed to have chronic financial problems, despite the fact that her sculptures werestarting to command respectable prices. Raine suspected that Sarahhanded over a great deal of money to her brother, who wasn't toomotivated to make any of his own. " Speaking of money"-- Sarah spokeover her shoulder " --when was the last time you spoke to Greg?

" " Sometime last week, I guess.

He came over and I signed some papers.

Why?

"Because I was in his office yesterday.

" Greg was also Sarah's accountant. " And he seemed very weird to

me.

" Raine smiled slightly. " He always seems weird to you.

" Sarah lacked the patience to deal with the man's shy eccentricities.

But she'd always been pleased with his work. Turning to face her, Sarah continued, " No, I mean even weirder than usual.

He was real distracted.

I kept having to repeat myself, which was annoying.

But then I happened to ask if he'd seen you, because I hadn't talked to you last week, and he got.

" She shrugged. " Very strange.

He practically snapped my head off, which isn't like him, and he didn't want to talk about you at all, which is very unlike him.

" She c.o.c.ked her head curiously. " Did you two have a fight or

something?

" Frowning, Raine shook her head. Darn it, until the craziness in the

past few weeks, Greg had seemed okay about the two of them remaining only friends.

She definitely was going to have to talk to him soon. However

uncomfortable the scene might be, he was a dear friend of hers and shedidn't want a void to develop between them. She belatedly answered herfriend. " We didn't have a fight.

But I think there might have been a misunderstanding.

I'll have to call him.

" " You'd better," Sarah agreed. " The poor man probably won't be able

to function until you do.