Total pages in book: 60
Estimated words: 57143 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 286(@200wpm)___ 229(@250wpm)___ 190(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 57143 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 286(@200wpm)___ 229(@250wpm)___ 190(@300wpm)
Dina: Does anyone else know?
Arabella: Bern. He needed me for something, and when I didn’t answer my cell, he tracked my phone down to New Haven and put two and two together. But I don’t think Nevada knows. The grandparents and mom don’t either, and Catalina for sure doesn’t, because if she knew, she would’ve added my Masters degree to my agency bio. She’s obsessive about it.
We’re a family of PIs. Keeping a secret is pretty hard and I didn’t exactly hide it that well. They don’t know because they’re not paying attention. That’s what I mean by falling through the cracks.
Dina: How did they not figure out that you weren’t keeping up with your regular workload?
Arabella: That’s because I did keep up with it. Another thing I learned from Stephen is to maintain two separate workstations, each with their own workflow. I have two offices, one at my house and the other at our office pavilion. I color-coded everything. The two shall never meet.
Dina: Does this mean you’ve conquered math?
Arabella: Nope, still hate it. I hate it so, so much. I almost dropped out because I couldn’t pass basic algebra. I dropped it three times and had to beg Bern for help. My poor cousin, heh. I think my math-stupidness broke his brain. Thank God for accounting software.
Dina: You’ve mentioned Stephen twice now. Are you two romantically involved?
Arabella: :laughs : No. Stephen is gēge, older brother. I help him with some… problems he encounters while doing business and we collaborate frequently. I did try to hit on him when we first met because I was young and naïve. I went through this phase where I crushed on various celebrities, and he was the first one I’ve met in person. Steven was very kind to me and made it clear that it would never happen. He also talked to me about taking risks. Some of the things I did back then would’ve made it easy for me to be taken advantage of. I’ve grown up a lot since then.
Dina: Will you tell us a bit about your magic?
Arabella: Of course not. There are two lovely people who created me, and I need to earn a living. If I give away all of my secrets, why would you buy my book?
Dina: Could you at least tell us what your plans are? Will you work for Baylor Investigative Agency forever?
Arabella: I’m not sure. It wasn’t the original plan. At least I never saw myself doing it as a career. It was a great way to earn some money when I was a teenager, but when we became a House, it was all hands on deck. Most emerging Houses collapse within the first three years. The family needed me, so I did what I had to do. We are much more stable now. I’m not unhappy. Who knows, perhaps I will do something else in the future.
Dina: Thank you so much for spending time with us.
Arabella: Thank you for having me. I had a lovely time. And just so we are clear, I’m keeping these pastries. They're coming home with me.
AUGUSTINE MONTGOMERY
George: Mr. Montgomery, welcome. My name is George Camarine and I will be your interviewer today.
Augustine: It’s a pleasure.
George: Coffee? Dessert?
Augustine: Yes, to both, thank you. The entremet looks delightful.
George: Doesn’t it? Raspberry and white chocolate with a mascarpone mousse. The chef here is truly heavenly, and apparently a certain someone told him you are fond of these particular flavors.
Augustine: Ah, yes, the infamous Arabella interview. I’m surprised the Inn survived.
George: How did this mentor-mentee relationship come about?
Augustine: We had contracted a job out to the Baylor Investigative Agency, and they sent her to quibble about our referral fee. You might say I recognized a kindred soul. One could easily mistake her primary motivation as being purely financial, but it’s deeper than that. She strives for personal excellence. Money is simply a tangible measure of winning. Being successful isn’t enough. She wants to be so successful that she becomes a household name. Her sisters hide from fame, but Arabella seeks it out.
George: That can be a dangerous inclination.
Augustine: Very. Which was one of the reasons I took an interest. She needed guidance.
George: The situation with the Baylors is rather complicated, isn’t it?
Augustine: An understatement.
George: Or perhaps an opening to a discussion.
Augustine: Very well. I met Nevada at a difficult point in my life. I had just fended off a particularly vicious attack on House Montgomery. My brother was taken. I had been stabbed several times. There was extensive blood loss, and it wasn’t clear at the time if I would regain the full use of my left arm. It’s not a particularly prudent thing for a man in my field to admit. I was at the end of my rope, and maintaining an illusion of perfect health and working limbs proved to be quite challenging.