Pilate's Ghost by J Alexander Greenwood

Author:J Alexander Greenwood [Greenwood, J Alexander]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780988320109
Publisher: Caroline Street Press
Published: 2012-10-04T22:00:00+00:00

The book signing at the Naples, Florida Barnes & Noble was uneventful. Perhaps a dozen people showed up for a brief reading, and only half of them actually bought the book. Taters flipped through a biography of Cary Grant, keeping an eye out for any strange characters.

After an initial hour of smiles at strangers and answering the occasional (erroneous) stray question (“Weren’t you on Dateline? Yes! You’re the man who they say murdered his wife!”), the dozen wandered off and Pilate endured a general lack of interest.

His cell phone rang a few minutes before he was to pack up his stuff to go. Taters put the book down and raised his eyebrows at Pilate. He looked at the phone’s tiny screen. It was Monique.

Pilate waved Taters off with an “It’s fine” gesture and answered.

“John Pilate, the most ignored man in American publishing speaking.”

“Ha! You’re not either,” Monique said. “Why do you say that? I hear your book events and media appearances have done well. I heard Savannah was sold out.”

Pilate had to admit that Savannah, a fantastically interesting town in Georgia with its own unique set of mysteries, rolled out the red carpet for him. He sold sixty-four copies in two hours.

“True, but Naples, Florida is confusing me with the guy from Fatal Vision, and not in a way that generates sales.”

“Nobody show up?”

“Not many,” he said. “I think I sold six books.”

“Well, that’s the business,” she said. “But before you get all suicidal…” Pilate looked out into the street of the last town where Jack Lindstrom drew breath before ending his life, “…you should know that the Times bestseller list came out and you entered at number six.” She squealed with glee.

“That’s good, isn’t it?”

“Yes!”

Pilate smiled broadly in spite of himself. “Wonderful.”

“Don’t you know what this means?”

“You get to keep your job? I get money on top of my advance now?”

“Yes and yes,” she said, sighing. “It means you have to amp up your appearances. I want to add some dates to your schedule.”

“Oh Monique, I don’t know. I’m already away from home more than I want to be.”

“I knew you were going to say that, but please let me just send you a list of dates and locations that we can get you set up in, okay? You can pick the ones you want to do. Sound good?”

“Um…”

“John, listen, you’re on a roll now. This is where you pour it on. Once the public gives you this kind of affirmation, you have to push it to the wall. The reading public is very fickle. You have to flog it until they’re sick of you.”

“She said flog it,” Simon snickered.

“Okay, okay,” he said. “Email me the list. I’ll look it over, but no promises.”

“Great! Thanks! And congrats.”

“Monique?”

“Yes?”

“I’ll bet you regret not sleeping with me now.”

“Oh yes, old man, all I needed was for you to break into the bestseller list and I’d suddenly find you attractive.”

“Thanks. I needed that.”

“Just keeping you honest,” she said.

“Before you go, anything from that asshole at the Post?”

“Nothing.

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