The Look of Love by Mary Jane Clark Page A

of. It must have been terrifying to think about going back into the world with such a badly scarred face.”
    “Especially this town,” said Ben. “Look around you, Piper. This whole place is devoted to making people more beautiful, and business is booming. Beauty is a powerful currency in the City of Angels. Someone who is disfigured, especially as badly as Esperanza was, has a miserable time of it.”
    The server came with Piper’s omelet and the strawberries for Ben.
    “So,” said Piper, picking up her fork, “have you heard anything from the police? Do they have any idea who would have wanted to kill her?”
    Ben shook his head. “We haven’t heard anything officially, but we’re thinking that it might have been whoever threw that acid in her face the first time around. Apparently, though she never told me about it, Esperanza had been having some memory of the attack return. Unfortunately, the word spread around here that she was going to be talking to the police.”
    “And the killer found out and silenced her before she could,” said Piper.
    Ben shrugged. “Maybe.”
    “I’m sorry,” said Piper.
    “Of course you are,” said Ben.
    “Yeah, I am sorry about Esperanza, very sorry,” she said. “But I meant I was sorry about all this happening right before your wedding.”
    “Me, too,” said Ben. “Jillian is a wreck. She’s afraid to be alone for a minute.”

Chapter 28
    T he video on Good Morning America and the story in the Los Angeles Times were a double punch. Vernon threw the newspaper down, knocking over his glass of orange juice. The liquid spilled onto his lap.
    “Damn it!” he yelled, his face reddening beneath his tan.
    Irene attempted to soothe her husband. “Vernon, try to relax, dear. Everything will be all right.”
    Vernon leaned back, ran his fingers through his white hair, and held his head. “No, it will not be all right, Irene. People are going to think that Elysium is unsafe. The media are camped out front, blocking the entrance. Look at these pictures. Who’s going to want to come to a place where people are murdered? Bad enough that people still bring up Caryn’s death, and it’s just a matter of time before George Ellis files a malpractice suit against me for what I did to his daughter.”
    “You weren’t responsible for Caryn’s death, and everyone knows it. She had a heart attack. And if George Ellis decides to sue, you’ll probably be able to reach a settlement before it ever goes to court. Elysium has a wonderful reputation, Vernon,” said Irene as she blotted the orange juice from his suit. “People have short memories. You know that expression about today’s news lining tomorrow’s garbage pails? This will blow over, and Elysium will go on as the miraculous place it’s always been.”
    “Yes, and do you know the expression about a picture being worth a thousand words? These pictures will stay in people’s minds.” Vernon pushed her hand away and stood up. “Either someone who works for me is a traitor or someone who is staying here is responsible for taking these pictures. Either way, I want to know who did this.”
    He picked up the newspaper again and read the byline on the front-page story. “Anastasia Fernands,” he said. “Who the hell is she? I’m going to find out, and when I do, she’s going to be one sorry woman.”

Chapter 29
    I t had been an especially miserable morning at the Hollywood Haven Hotel. A tour bus arrived, carrying forty-seven people who were excited about their big trip to the “Land of Movie Stars.” Hudson had to check in every one of them. He had no patience for their stupid questions and requests for adjoining rooms.
    It was almost noon before he had a chance to look at the newspaper. He pored over every word of the Times’ account of the murder at Elysium. Hudson felt smugly satisfied that something terrible had happened there. Vernon and Jillian Abernathy had wronged him, and now they were being damaged as they