Free Madison Avenue Shoot by Jessica Fletcher Page B

said, “but I’ll take it.”
    That’s interesting, I thought. Was that “new client” Anne Tripper? Did Kevin Prendergast know Anne Tripper before she was hired for the ad campaign?
    Kevin turned to me. “I understand you’re going to be in one of our spots tomorrow,” he said, leaning his elbows on the table and playing with string attached to a pair of frameless glasses that dangled in front of him. “How did we get so lucky?”
    “I haven’t quite figured that out,” I said, laughing. “My nephew works for the production company’s payroll house. Somehow, my name came up when he was talking with the producer, and before I knew what was happening, I was agreeing to do a commercial for Permezzo.”
    “However it came about, we’re delighted to have you on board,” he said. “My creative director has put together a good group, very different types and interests. It should appeal to a wide audience. I think it will serve us well. Perhaps I’ll stop by tomorrow to see how you’re getting on. I know for a fact that Tonio was absolutely tickled when he heard that you’d agreed to be in his spot.”
    “That’s very nice,” I said, noting that he referred to Antonio by a nickname. “Have you known each other for a long time?”
    “He and my father served on a board of directors together in Milan. One of the big leather companies. I’ve been to his house many times. When he decided it was time for Permezzo to break into the U.S. market, I convinced him that Mindbenders could handle the rollout and all the marketing details. And that’s what we’re doing.”
    “Makes it sound simple, doesn’t he?” Matt said to me. “Didn’t you trot half your New York staff to Italy to pitch him, Kevin?”
    “Only the key people.”
    “I’ll bet one of them was that gorgeous redhead from Toronto. Who could resist her?”
    “I use all the weapons in my arsenal,” Kevin said, smiling. “Tonio has a crush on Betsy. I knew she’d convince him to take us on. He only knew me as a friend of the family. I had to make him aware that my agency was sophisticated enough to handle his account. I couldn’t take anything for granted. Since we got his business, we’ve opened an office in Milan to service it.”
    “How’s that working out?” Matt asked.
    “A little slow. I’m thinking of sending Betsy over there to head up our Italian office. I want to start picking up more accounts in Italy, and in particular I want to take over Permezzo’s European advertising as well. I think she could do it.”
    “That would be quite a coup,” I said.
    “It would,” Kevin said, putting on his glasses and opening the menu. “It would also cut back on my business travel. My girlfriend is not happy. Unfortunately, she also travels for business, so we don’t see each other very often. We just leave each other notes in the kitchen.”
    “That must be difficult,” I said.
    “Sacrifices have to be made when you’re building a company,” Kevin replied mildly.
    I thought of Grady’s response when Betsy Archibald said the agency was open around the clock. It wasn’t only Mindbenders’ owner, however, who had to make sacrifices to build his company. His staff did as well.
    “Well, what are we going to have?” Matt asked. “They have great escargots, of course, if you can handle the garlic, although it looks like tonight’s version is made with truffles.”
    Truffles!
    We were dining in L’Absinthe, a French brasserie on the East Side of Manhattan, a good hike but a short cab ride from the Waldorf. The last time I had been there with Matt was just before I’d left for France on an extended holiday. It became a working holiday, as it turned out, when the chef of a cooking school where I was taking classes was found with one of his own knives sticking out of his chest. Still, I had wonderful memories of the country, the food, and the truffle market in France, and was fond of this New York French restaurant, too.
    “I think