Are You Afraid Of The Dark   ::   Sheldon Sidney

Diane said, "I hope our littlestunt worked. Let's see if Grace has a morning newspaper." They stepped out of their room. To the right was the recreation area. A few people were gathered around the television set. As Kelly and Diane started to pass it, to go to the dining room, a television anchorman was saying:

"And according to reports, there were no survivors. Tanner Kingsley and former senator Pauline Van Luven were on the plane, along with a pilot, copilot, and a steward." The two women froze. They looked at each other, turned, and walked up to the television set. On the screen were pictures of the exterior of KIG.

Kingsley International Group constitutes the largest think tank in the world, with offices in thirty countries. The weather bureau has reported an unexpected electrical storm in the South Pacific area where Tanner Kingsley's private plane was flying. Pauline Van Luven was the former head of the Senate Select Committee on the Environment.

Diane and Kelly were listening, fascinated "… And in another piece of the puzzle, there's a mystery here that the police are trying to solve.

The press was invited to a dinner party, to visit Prima, a new weather control computer that KIG developed, but yesterday there was an explosion at KIG and Prima was completely destroyed. The fire department found the body of Andrew Kingsley in the wreckage and believe he was the only victim.

Diane said, "Tanner Kingsley is dead."

"Say that again. Slowly."

"Tanner Kingsley is dead." Kelly breathed a deep sigh of relief. She looked at Diane and smiled. "Life is sure going to be dull after this." "I hope so," Diane replied. "How would you like to sleep at the Waldorf-Astoria Towers tonight?" Kelly grinned. "I wouldn't mind." When they said their good-byes to Grace Seidel, she hugged Kelly and said,

"Anytime." She never mentioned the money that she had been offered.

* * *



IN THE PRESIDENTIAL suite in the Waldorf Towers, a waiter was setting a table for dinner.

He turned to Diane. "Did you say you wanted it set for four?" "That's right." Kelly looked at her and said nothing.

Diane knew what she was thinking. As they were sitting down at the table, Diane said, "Kelly, I don't think we did this alone. I think we had a little help." She raised her glass of champagne and said to the empty chair next to her,

"Thank you, Richard, darling. I love you." As she lifted the glass to her lips, Kelly said, "Wait a minute." Diane turned to her.

Kelly picked up her glass of champagne and looked at the empty chair next to her.