Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 91373 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91373 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
He knew that I wanted him to adapt the books and that he had the upper hand, so why hadn’t he lowballed me? “You could have offered just the same.”
He shrugged at the question in my tone. “Yes, I suppose I could have.”
Realizing Theo Cavendish would never explain himself, I decided not to argue about his gentlemanly offer. “Done. I’ll contact my agent when we get back.”
“Who is your agent?”
“Liz Mackle at Mackle & Brown Literary Agency in London.”
“I know Liz. Fern and I have done film rights deals with her before. Excellent.” He started to walk, his brow furrowed in thought, and I hurried after him.
“So, what is this idea of incorporating book two into the first season?” Now that we were really talking about it, my excitement was growing at the idea of seeing Juno’s world on-screen.
“There’s a scene between Juno and the main antagonist, Peter, in City of Deceit. I think it would make an excellent scene in the last episode of the first season.”
I loved that he’d already mapped out the last episode in his head and was hopeful of a second season. “Is it the scene where she breaks into his house and he comes home?” It was one of my favorite scenes, where Juno begins bending the law and you start to see that Peter is fascinated by her but doesn’t want to harm her. Yet. There’s an attraction between them that adds a dark and complex layer to their dynamic. The reader should be part enthralled, part appalled.
Theo’s eyes glittered as he stared at me like I’d surprised him again. “That’s exactly the scene I had in mind.”
It just confirmed he was the right person to do this. To my surprise, we were on the same wavelength. “So … I’d like to be involved in writing the screenplay. How would we do that?”
He considered this. “Usually, darling, I’d tell you to fuck off and let me handle it.”
I flushed in immediate indignation and opened my mouth to protest, but Theo held up a hand with a smirk.
“But I already know that would get me nowhere. Plus … to my complete and utter shock, I think we need your voice in this.”
I harrumphed.
Theo gestured toward the hills behind us where my bungalow stood. “How about I write the screenplay while you work on the next book? At the end of each day, you can look over what I’ve written and provide thoughts. We’ll discuss any changes you want to make together.”
“So, you’ll stay with me?” At my cottage. Writing together.
“Why not?” He exhaled heavily. “This is a good place to write. And there’s another desk in the guest room that I can put beside yours in the living room. You’re not hogging that view to yourself.”
Shaking my head at the continued weirdness of my current situation, I looked away from his handsome face. Stuck in my cottage for a prolonged time with Theo Cavendish. I didn’t know whether to run from or rejoice at his proposition.
“Is that a no?” he drawled.
“I’m just … life is strange. Don’t you think?” I looked back up at him.
He studied me thoughtfully. “Life isn’t strange, little mouse. People are.”
“Nothing stranger than folks,” I murmured. It was something my grandpa used to say.
“So … do we have a deal?”
My stomach flipped wildly, but I tried not to let it show as I replied, “It seems we do.”
Eight
THEO
Two days later, Sarah was well enough to start work. Although the contract hadn’t been drawn up yet and it would take more time than I’d like, we decided to start work on the screenplay. It gave me an excuse to stay away from Ardnoch, and to stay hidden from my brother who had apparently run out of numbers to call me from because I hadn’t heard from him in days. North had contacted me while Sarah was still ill and, for some reason, I’d lied and told him I was traveling, trying to find something to unplug the cork stuck up the arsehole of my creativity. I wasn’t quite ready for anyone to know where I was.
Now that the little mouse was well again, she was up at the crack of dawn, and I made breakfast because when I was at home, I liked to cook. We took turns showering because there was only one. Being a gentleman, I let her go first.
Clean, fed, and ready to work, I strode out of the guest room and into the living room to find her perched on the couch watching something on her phone on low volume.
“Switch it off,” I demanded. “Time to get to work.”
Sarah shot me an impatient glance. “I think Britain might have its newest serial killer.”
“Is that the tagline for the series? Hmm, I don’t know. A little cliché.”
“No.” She shoved her phone in my face. “A third girl has been murdered down south. That’s three in a year. The police said there is a pattern to the murders and are warning young women not to walk alone at night. All three victims are blond, between the ages of twenty-three and twenty-eight. I picked up on that. The police haven’t highlighted that in their statement yet.”