An Unconventional Murder Read Online Free

to make conversation. He wasn't asking
for a head count. But since Royce seemed completely oblivious to his irritation, he decided to let
it go. "Let's give them another minute or two to get settled in, and then we ought to get
started."
    "I concur. Arthur, thank you for dealing with that impertinent facilities manager. If you
hadn't intervened, there is no telling what I might have done."
    "You know, you so much as called him a liar, Royce. Maybe if you hadn't--"
    "I was calling him a liar. I can state categorically that the doors to this room
were locked at 8:15 this morning. The impertinent young buck!"
    "That he is," Upton agreed, in a tone intended to end the discussion.
    "I was hoping to ask him where I might find the hotel's Lost-and-Found, but given his
reprehensible behavior, I certainly had no intention of giving him the satisfaction of knowing I
had misplaced something."
    "Oh? What did you misplace?"
    "A muffler. Green and yellow plaid. It must have fallen from inside the left sleeve of my
overcoat last night. I've had it for years." He added with a sorrowful shake of his head, "These
days, I seem to have increasing difficulty keeping track of my things."
    Inexplicably, Upton felt a pang of sympathy for Fontaine. He remembered his own father
expressing those same feelings, the dread of growing old and watching helplessly as your
faculties slowly but steadily fail.
    He gave Fontaine a kindly smile. "While you're checking the lost and found, would you
mind asking if they found a ski hat? It's red with navy blue stripes."
    The normally harsh lines around Fontaine's eyes softened. " Et tu , Arthur?"
    "These days, I can't remember a damned thing, let alone where I left my hat." He
gestured toward the crowd. "Shall we get this show on the road?"
    "Absolutely."
    Upton stepped forward to the podium and twisted the goose-necked holder, pulling the
microphone closer to his mouth. He let his gaze drift along the tops of the one hundred and one
heads, feeling an odd satisfaction in knowing exactly how many people there were out there.
    "Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. I guess we're ready to begin. Thank you for
coming out in this god-awful weather. I'm Arthur Upton, President of the CFWA. The gentleman
next to me is Royce Fontaine, a distinguished author and member of the CFWA Executive
Board. As the brochure says, our topic today is Becoming a Published Author. I
recognize a few faces in the group, some of whom have more books in print than the two of us
put together." He paused for the reaction he expected and was rewarded by a smattering of polite
laughter. "But I'm assuming that most of you are still looking for that first sale and, for the most
part, you're the ones we will be speaking to."
    Upton's eyes darted along the rows of faces in front of him. "How many of you are still
trying to get your first book published?"
    All but a dozen members of the audience thrust an arm into the air.
    "I see," Upton said. "So--"
    Fontaine interrupted curtly, "How many of you have actually written a complete
manuscript?"
    Nearly a third of the hands were lowered. Upton shot an irritated glance at Fontaine, but
tried to take the disruption in stride. "I guess we'll have to make that our first issue. Must you
have a finished book in hand before you start trying to market yourself as a writer? My own
personal--"
    "Of course you do," Fontaine snapped. "A first time writer is a risky investment for a
publisher. The editor needs to know you are capable of producing a finished manuscript.
Otherwise, he won't give you the time of day."
    "He or she ," Upton corrected. "This is not a Boys Club."
    A woman in the fourth row timidly raised her hand. Upton gestured an invitation for her
to ask her question.
    "What if you're not sure you've got an idea anyone might be interested in? Do you really
have to write the whole book before you can test the market?"
    Upton stepped in before Fontaine could respond. "If you're a first time author, there