Stage Fright by Ellen Hart

Author:Ellen Hart [Ellen Hart]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 2940012027535
Google: lHrYp6_mfKgC
Amazon: B004GNFF5M
Goodreads: 3823720
Publisher: Ellen Hart
Published: 1992-01-01T03:00:00+00:00

23

Fleur sat waiting in her car across the street from the Allen Grimby. It was a lovely spring afternoon. Earlier in the day she’d promised that on her way home from the university, she’d swing by and pick up Antonia. Her meeting with the theatre board would be over by four-thirty. Fleur glanced at her watch. It was almost a quarter-to-five. Antonia should be out soon.

Inside the glass front of the building Fleur could see people milling about. A young man was running a large vacuum cleaner across the plush carpet. A woman behind the ticket counter appeared to be counting something, most likely money. Outside the theatre, a man on a ladder was replacing Torald’s name on the marquee with that of his understudy. Such a sad business she thought to herself. Actors might be interchangeable. People weren’t.

Her eyes traveled slowly to the top of the building, watching a pigeon perch precariously on one of the ornate cement moldings. The Allen Grimby was a three-story, brick structure. The third floor contained all the office space necessary to run the large theatre company. Second floor held the costume department, the small prop shop, storage and janitorial supplies. The main prop area was in the cavernous basement, along with the actors’ dressing rooms. Fleur’s hand fiddled nervously with a gold pin on her sweater as her attention was drawn back to the street. Lately, this constant need to examine her surroundings had become almost a reflex. She’d finally gotten up the nerve last night to tell Antonia about her suspicions.

For weeks, Fleur had felt like she was being watched. She even thought she’d seen a face in one of the parlor windows late one night. And several days later a stranger had been standing outside under the grape arbor. She hadn’t gotten a good look. The person disappeared around the side of the house almost as soon as Fleur opened the curtains.

Antonia had listened, her politeness feeling like condescension. When Fleur insisted the police be called, Antonia had laughed! It was simple imagination, that was all. Who on earth would want to watch them?

Fleur had to admit that she didn’t have an answer to that question. Yet the feelings wouldn’t leave. She imagined strange eyes watching her all the time now — even in the shower, or alone in her bedroom. She knew her reactions were becoming almost paranoid. She should never have said anything. And anyway, Antonia simply couldn’t handle any more worries right now. She had enough on her plate. Fleur had never meant to add to her problems. Everything she’d done — everything— was only meant to help. No matter what anyone said, she had helped. Still, for whatever reason, Fleur couldn’t shake the sense that they were all being watched.

A bus whizzed past, sending a spray of puddle water over the windshield. Damn. She’d just gotten the car washed. And where the hell was Antonia? Fleur had envisioned a leisurely drive home. Perhaps stopping at their favorite cafe for coffee and a warm chocolate croissant.

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