Jennifer Apodaca - Samantha Shaw 04 - Batteries Required by Jennifer Apodaca Page B

looking for the kidnapped heroine. I know R. V. wouldn’t want me to give up looking for him.”
    Omigod, the woman was a bona fide wacko job. I had to end this. “Angel, can you take Zoë into my office?” I turned and looked at my newest client. “Bob, did Blaine get all your still shots? Is there anything else we can do for you today?”
    He laughed. “This has been the most fun I’ve had since I moved here. I’ll be back for your open house. I wouldn’t miss it. See ya.” He sauntered out the door.
    I turned to Blaine. “If you laugh, I will hit you over the head with this bottle of wine.” I picked up the Zinfandel to prove my point.
    He forced an innocent look over his face. “Who, me?”
    I slammed the bottle down and turned away to stalk into my office. Zoë sat in the chair Angel had been in earlier. “So what’s in that box?” She pointed to the blue velvet box on my desk. “That’s the second time I’ve seen it.”
    Angel stood at the end of my desk and grinned. “It’s my secret box, Zoë. Sam was holding it for me while I was away on my secret mission.”
    I bit back a groan. I really had to get Angel a boyfriend to spend some of her mischievous energy on. “She’s teasing you, Zoë. That box is a gift for Angel from a business associate.” I leaned past Zoë and snatched up the sex-toy kit. Then I gave Angel a warning look as I passed her to sit in my chair, where I quickly leaned down and stuck the box in my bottom drawer. With the sex-toy kit safely stored away, I sat up and prepared to deal with the stalker-fan who wouldn’t go away. “Zoë, I thought I made it clear to you that I don’t know where R. V. Logan lives. The publisher sends me the books to review.”
    She shook her head. “You know where he lives. You couldn’t write such intimate reviews if you didn’t know R. V. Logan. I left that card here for you to make you understand how R. V. Logan must be looking for me. When his hero’s lady was kidnapped, he never let the hero give up looking for her.”
    “Makes perfect sense to me, Sam,” Angel said.
    I glanced up at her. “You told a man to throw you over his shoulder; you don’t get a vote.” I turned to Zoë. “I’d like to help you, Zoë.” I decided to try to play into her fantasy to get rid of her. Make her think I was on her side. Anything to make her go away. “The problem is that I really don’t know where R. V. Logan lives. In fact, until you told me, I didn’t know R. V. Logan was a man.” Liar. I knew. Detective Vance had swept into town and caught the case of a murder of a friend of mine. Vance’s attitude toward me had been so hostile that I was suspicious. But it was Grandpa who’d figured it out with his Internet sleuthing. He’d somehow tracked down that R. V. Logan was really Detective Logan Reed Vance. Fortunately for Vance, few people had Grandpa’s Internet skills, or vast connections through his Triple M Magicians group. Bringing myself back to the current problem, I said, “Zoë, why don’t you try writing R. V. Logan a letter?”
    “A letter? I didn’t bring you truffles, wine, chocolate-covered strawberries, and a candle to get advice on writing a letter!”
    A phone rang. Unfortunately, it wasn’t mine. It was Angel’s cell phone. She pulled it out of her purse and left my office to take the call.
    I unfolded my hands and lifted them in a helpless gesture. “I don’t know what else to tell you.” Other than maybe to get some therapy. Sheesh.
    “Sam,” Angel stuck her head in the door. “That was the cleaners at my house. They are almost done and want me to take a look. And I have a delivery of new merchandise coming. I have to run. We’ll reschedule our meeting later.”
    I nodded and Angel left. I turned back to Zoë.
    She stood up and reached into a pocket of her pants. She pulled out a framed photo of some kind. She set that down on my desk. “You show R. V. Logan that picture. He’ll know I’m his heart mate