The Unexpected Life of Carnegie Lane (30 page)

“What happened to him Lilli? There’s something you’re not telling me, what
really
happened to him?”

“Oh Kat, you were so young. When Taylor died.”

“I know, I don’t remember much, just tiny bits here and there.”

“We nearly lost him, on his twentieth birthday. The doctors had all but had him committed to a mental institution. He wouldn’t eat, he never spoke to anyone and he just slept all the time. Over and over he said that Taylor was alive, just living somewhere else, believing he could see her and talk to her. Mom was beside herself. Then this music that came from nowhere. He woke up one day and just started playing those songs like nothing had ever happened. It was a blessing in disguise, yet I have always had a feeling there was way more to it than we could see. Kat, I need to read the book. Please let me read it.”

Kat had goose bumps just hearing her sisters account of how things went down. There was a remarkable likeness between Nate’s past and the book.

“I’ll email it to you. PDF file, just, don’t….”

“I know, don’t tell and don’t show anyone. Oh and Kat.”

“Yep?”

“It will be OK. I promise.”

“Love you Lilli, talk soon.”

Kat sent off the PDF file to her sister, she figured it couldn’t hurt, it wasn’t like any of this project had exactly been above board and normal till now, so what did it matter. There was a knock on her office door, she looked up and saw Ross standing there.

“Hey kid!” He said in a jovial way, considering the circumstances.

“Hi Ross, how’s it going in the media room?”

“Not as hectic today, although must say, she’s on every gossip magazine cover this week. In every paper and even managed to make it to E News. The girl’s an instant star.”

“Not what I wanted to hear.”

“Well, a potential killer with a taste for musical blood kind of Star.”

“Stop, you’re killing me.” Poor Kat felt bad enough.

“We have a copy of some of the information from the Australian investigation on the dead guitarist. There is no indication that Carnegie knew him at all, other than enough to stand out the back of a venue with him during a concert. Apparently, it was the other band she was there with that night. The lead singer of that band has stepped forward and made the statement. Possibly in the hope to get himself back on the tour pages, but who cares what their motives are, if it serves to clear her name.”

“So the police have no intention to follow up on her, since the case is still open?”

“Nope, and she is on a plane on her way here, which tells me she had no problems getting out of the country. I think, our angle is at all costs to trust her and stand with her. I get the feeling this poor girl is blameless. We deny the statements because the allegations are
not
true, and all of the proper leads are saying just that. We support her because her book is great and we are her management.”

“What about Nate?”

“Well, I said it before and I’ll say it again. Let the book release on its own merits, then what can you do? As long as it is critiqued by the right people, then that’s all we can hope for. Whatever happens from then on, between your brother and your client, becomes an out of work personal issue, one that you will have to balance. Do you think you can do that?”

“I’ll definitely give it a try. Wow, to think this is my first portfolio… I bet you’re never going to give me another one.”

“Well, you’re wrong. I have about five of them lined up, waiting for you to get through this. You have proven yourself through this one Kat. You didn’t break under pressure, and if ever you were under enough… it’s now.”

“Oh thank God. I was so sure I would be fired.”

“Not a chance. Get your things together. I’m taking you to lunch.”

“Err…can’t be a long one.”

“I know, Carnegie Lane arrives at 4pm. I’ll drive you to the Airport after. I want to go and see for myself what all the fuss is about.”

Leonie was in Melbourne, winding down the last of their tour in Australia, preparing to fly out again to Europe.

“You ready Nate?” She asked cautiously. Words between them had been few since the media outbreak.

“Yep, I’m good to go.”

“Nate, I’m worried about you. We have two weeks till we go to London. Have you thought about…calling her?”

“Yes, I have thought about it. I think about it all the time.”

“And?” she added, hoping to keep him talking.

“I’ll see her when I get to London. I can’t help her over the phone, it hurts to try.”

“She really matters to you, doesn’t she?”

“Leonie, she is everything to me, and right now I don’t know how to help her. She will be with Kat in two hours time. At least I know she’s in good hands.”

“You need to remind her of that soon Nate. If you leave it for too long, you might lose her.”

“I will, I’ll call her as soon as we get to France. Oh and Leonie, I can’t lose her, I just don’t want to be the reason this shit fight continues. She doesn’t need to know I’m suffering too.”

“So you’re protecting her, by staying away and not talking about it. I thought the reason you had people that cared about you in your life, was to have someone to talk to when you’re scared. Maybe we just have different opinions on that hey. ”

Nate had to think about that for a while. All he wanted was for her to be ok, he was so frightened of her telling him it was too much and it was over before they began he had avoided calling her completely. Leonie changed the subject a bit, realizing she had hit a nerve.

“It won’t take long for the truth to come out. She will be cleared Nate, the press will have to turn this around and Carnegie will be fine.”

“Kat said this would happen you know. That being associated with me now, would damage her credibility as an Author. Now it seems I destroyed her credibility as a person as well. No matter how good that book is, there is always going to be a question over it.”

“I can’t wait to read it. If it’s good, there will be no doubt Nate, of that I’m sure.”

“Here,” Nate turned around and went to his bag, he pulled out the manuscript and handed it to her, “read it on the plane if you want to.”

“Thanks.” Leonie said looking at the words on the front page “
Impossible things
”. Finally, she got to read the book all the hype was about.

They left the hotel in a flood of cameras and fans. Nate put on his perfect face and appeared untouchable, just as he was supposed to. Once on the plane, he chose to sleep. Leonie couldn’t even if she tried. She was one hundred pages down before the plane had even left the tarmac, she started reading in the departure lounge. Even though she could see no connection to Nate as such, there was something about this story that held her interest and made her unable to put it down.

The book was about alternate realities, varying dimensions similar to our own, yet uniquely different. It started with the traumatic loss of a girl, who died in an accident, and the desperate need for the one she left behind to find her. So much so, he found away to be with her, in a different world. One where he clearly didn’t belong, yet it was a world in which he wanted to remain more than his own, even if it killed him.

Carnegie Lane walked through customs and into the airport arrivals lounge. She spotted Katalie easily amongst the faces in the crowd. Even though she had seen no more than her profile picture when she first went hunting for agents, she recognized her instantly. She stood there, looking at the resemblance in a female way, between her and her brother. Her heart sank a little. It had been nearly two weeks since she heard from Nate. She felt abandoned by him when she needed him the most, yet she couldn’t blame him. It was her past that had caused it, not his, even if it was a twisted remembrance of how things went down. Richard Toll had managed to take the truth, and turn it into an unforgivable lie, only to serve himself.

“Hi Carnegie, how was your flight.” Katalie asked, bringing her back from where she had retreated to.

“Oh, Hi. Yeah was great thanks Kat, thank you for meeting me.” She said.

“Well, I want you to meet Ross Hartman. He is the head editor at the agency.”

“Hello Ross, lovely to meet you.” Carnegie smiled politely and shook his hand.

“Nice to meet
you
.” He said, sensing that she was a little absent. He put it down to jetlag.

“Well, let’s get your stuff together and get you to the Hotel, I’m sure you are looking forward to a rest before we begin running the gauntlet of your release.”

Book release
…Thought Carnegie…
That’s why I’m here. It’s got nothing to do with Nate Bowman. Does it?

Carnegie was staying at the Ritz Hotel, she almost felt awkward. Everything about it was a league way beyond her, although she lapped up the comforts, mentally noting things that she would like to do to her own home, if and when she got back to Paddington. Kat had said she would come over later and they could order room service, and get familiar with a schedule for the next couple of weeks.

It sounded like a good plan for Carnegie. So far there hadn’t been any cameras chasing her. That was only because they were yet to catch up with the fact she was in town. That would change, she knew they would eventually find her here, she had no doubt. Right now, it felt good to hide in a perfect room for a while, and pretend that everything was fine… just for today.

She was flipping through magazines amazed at the revelations she was reading about herself. Headlines on how fat she was, how old she was, magnified sections detailing the fine lines at the side of her eyes, as if it mattered to anyone but her, one story had been on the “work” she had clearly had done on her nose, at least someone thought she had a nice nose, if nothing else.

Speculation as to how she landed the amazing ‘
Nate Bowman
’ in the first place was a popular angle, as if she was a prize stalker who had lived only to achieve it. Completely fabricated stories commented on by fictitious friends and relatives and witnesses. It was amazing the length they had gone to feed the public absolute crap, just to sell a magazine.

Were they really that hard up for a story? Could it be possible that the entire world really
did
want to read about the misery of a forty something single mother with that much intensity? Not one of them even mentioned the possibility she could be a good writer, or about her good fortune having her book published in the first place.

She wondered if she should go down the road to the local bar and get drunk then stagger home, falling occasionally, allowing the paparazzi to follow her in that state. At least it would give them something different to talk about. At least if she did it, it would be the truth.

The time passed quickly. Before she knew it Katalie was back with takeout, and even though there seemed to be a deliberate avoidance from both of them to mention Nate at all, they found their ground and Carnegie found her head space to focus on the task at hand. Preparing her to be seen by the world as a credible Author was all that mattered, because underneath everything, that was what she was about to become.

Katalie arranged for Carnegie to have at least two hair appointments, facials and spa sessions to accompany photo shoots and interviews regarding the release. They decided tomorrow was a good day to go shopping for new clothes, and in particular, new shoes. She could sense that underneath everything, Carnegie was struggling. She was also sure that her brother was part of the reason why. It seemed as good a time as any to strike up the conversation. Just enough to ease the tension and bring it all out into the open.

“Have you heard from Nate this week?” She asked casually, while flicking through a clothes rack.

Carnegie looked up at her, then continued to flick herself. “No…not a word.”

“He will call you, it’s me that told him to back up a bit. Believe me, England is no place for phone conversations at the moment, especially when you’re the media’s hot gossip.” She wished she hadn’t said that.

“Katalie, I had nothing to do with that guitarist you know.”

“We know that Carnegie. I guess what I’m the most upset about, is how Nate went about this entire thing. I warned him about involving himself with you, before you had your own credibility as an author to stand behind.”