Free The Chase by Janet Evanovich, Lee Goldberg Page B

guardian angel. He’ll be in the trailer watching everything that’s happening on all the cameras and will alert us if there’s any trouble.”
    Boyd looked at Joe. “You’ll have to tell me where the cameras are so I can make sure they get my best angle.”
    Kate groaned. “The only cameras you have to worry about are the ones filming the show.”
    “Au contraire,” Boyd said. “An actor has to be constantly aware of his audience, whether they are in the front row or the cheap seats, if he is going to give a convincing performance.”
    “Carter is the only one who has to be convinced,” Kate said.
    “And the guards watching on the security cameras,” Boyd said. “If they don’t believe my performance, then the entire show fails.”
    “We’ll make sure you know where all the cameras are,” Nick said to Boyd. “Just don’t look into them.”
    “You’re talking to a professional,” Boyd said.
    Joe handed Kate, Nick, and Boyd flesh-colored devices that looked like tiny hearing aids. “We’ll keep in touch with one another using these earbuds. They’re both earphones and mikes. They go deep in the ear and are pretty much undetectable unless someone gets very close.”
    Boyd examined his earpiece with disdain. “I knew a Broadway actor who wore one of these so someone offstage could read him his lines. Nobody in the audience knew about it, of course. The critics thought the long pauses in his performance provided profound dramatic impact. In fact, he was just waiting to hear his next line. The fraud won a Tony Award.”
    “That’s not what you’ll be using it for,” Nick said. “There’s no script and no lines to learn on this caper. Your job is to make the tour glamorous and entertaining for the viewer. So feel free to improvise, to find your character as you go.”
    “This is why I love working with you,” Boyd said. “You know how to treat actors. Speaking of that, you mentioned Joe’s trailer. What about mine?”
    “You don’t have one,” Kate said.
    “But I’m the star of the show,” Boyd said. “The star always gets a trailer.”
    “It’s a fake show,” she said.
    “Then I need a fake trailer.”
    “You’ll have to settle for an imaginary one,” Kate said.
    The next day, the film crew arrived at the Carter Grove estate at 9 A.M. in a convoy of cars, trucks, and vans led by Kate’s Ford Taurus. Dozens of people spilled out of the vehicles and swarmed overthe property, lugging cables, monitors, director’s chairs, microphones, lights, and all kinds of other paraphernalia. It was a lot of commotion, which was what Nick wanted. He’d purposely hired far more people and brought in more equipment than was necessary so there would be plenty of activity to keep the security guards busy.
    Nick and Kate brought Boyd into the kitchen, where Carter Grove sat on a barstool having his makeup applied by a slim young woman.
    “Mr. Grove, I’d like to introduce you to Boyd Capwell,” Kate said. “Our new host this season.”
    Carter stood and Boyd offered him his hand. “This is a big thrill for me. I couldn’t possibly be more excited about this opportunity.”
    Nick led them outside, where he introduced Carter and Boyd to the two shaggy cameramen, each of whom carried a lightweight digital camera and looked as if he washed his hair with bacon grease.
    “We’re going to start here and go slowly through the house.” Nick turned to the cameramen. “Your job is to stay on Boyd and Mr. Grove and whatever they are reacting to.”
    The cameramen nodded.
    Nick turned to Carter. “Just do exactly what you did yesterday. Pretend the cameras aren’t here. We’ll try to keep ourselves and the crew out of your way, so we don’t end up in your line of vision. We want you to feel as if it’s just the two of you.”
    “I can do that,” Carter said.
    “Terrific,” Nick said. “Let’s make a TV show.”
    • • •
    The first room Carter took Boyd into was the Grand Salon with its