Page 45 of Hoodoo House
“Maybe some have guessed, but officially, only myself, the publisher and the accountant who transfers the funds know. And to protect the brand, we have to keep it that way.”
“Have you personally had communication with Marjorie Ellis since you took over as editor?” Charlie asked.
“No. Supposedly, the head of Mount Temple Press is in email contact with her, but I haven’t personally had any contact with her. My job is to edit the work of the ghostwriter.”
Declan stepped closer to him. “So, is she still alive?”
“Why would you say that? I mean, I couldn’t say for sure, but I haven’t heard anything to the contrary.”
“Very interesting,” Declan said.
Sinclair scowled. “I hope I can trust you not to reveal that you know the secret of the ghostwriters? After all, I came to you with the understanding that you would be discreet.”
“Why is it so important that readers don’t find out about the ghostwriters?” Charlie asked. “I mean, a lot of books are ghostwritten. V.C. Andrews’ novels, for instance. They’ve been ghostwritten since she died.”
Declan looked at Charlie who shrugged. “My mother reads a lot of romance.”
Sinclair sighed. “For many of her fans, Marjorie Ellis is more than a writer. Her readers are rabidly faithful to her and many of them write to the publisher saying that they base their intimate fantasies on her characters through living in the world of her books.”
“And what are you worried would happen if they found out that she no longer wrote the books?” Declan asked.
“They may feel tricked. Her works have been praised for accurately capturing the feelings and emotions of a predominantly female audience. One wonders what would happen if they found out they had been deceived by a male publishing team and male writers pretending to be her. If her image is tarnished, a takeover bid from a larger publishing house could collapse along with Mount Temple Press. The publishing industry is very delicate right now. I’d also likely lose my job and my head, and not necessarily in that order. You have to promise not to reveal what you have discovered.”
Declan said, “We will keep your secret.”
“Good,” Sinclair said. “Now is there anything else?”
“Did Tull ever threaten to reveal the secret of the ghostwriters if you didn’t let him get his way?”
Yamada shifted on the couch. “He intimated it.”
“You mean with phrases like ‘I’ll bring down the mountain on all of your heads’?” Charlie asked. “I assume thatmountainrefers to Mount Temple Press.”
A look of shock crossed Sinclair’s face. “Yes. How did you know about that?”
“There is nothing Charlie can’t find out,” Declan said.
Sinclair scowled. “That correspondence was private and on a protected site.”
Declan shrugged. “Like I said, Charlie’s good at his job. Now, about the book Tull wanted to have published…”
“Malcolm wanted to put more erotic elements into the book. The readers would have abandoned the series entirely. But Tull was egotistical, single-minded and vindictive. He had me backed into a corner. He said that it was timeThe Heart’s Shadowhad more heat, and that the readers would just assume Marjorie Ellis had evolved.”
“It doesn’t sound like something Miss Ellis would have been in favour of. Did she read the manuscripts before they were published?”
“Never. Like I said, I was told she gave up control, in exchange for the royalties. As far as I know, her only involvement at this point is to take the money that is wired into her account.”
Sinclair continued, “Revealing the secret of the ghostwriters was something Tull knew I could never allow, but he also knew I would do just about anything to stop him from revealing that sex video. That threat was like the extra topping on his masochist sundae. I was stuck in the middle of two unacceptable choices—my reputation or the continued life of the book series and my job.”
“And now, conveniently, Malcolm Tull is dead, and we’ve found the computer with your missing sex video and the manuscript as well,” Declan added.
“I didn’t murder him, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
Declan stared at Yamada, “Now why would you say that?”
“I’m just saying that there are many people who would have liked to see him dead, and the police said it was likely an accidental death.”
Declan smiled. “Last time we spoke to you, you said it was currently ruled a suspicious death.”
