Oliver Twisted (An Ivy Meadows Mystery Book 3) by Cindy Brown Read Free Book Online Page B

one?”
    “No, someone mixed up Harley and—”
    “Shhh,” said a woman in front of us. We shushed and turned our attention to the stage.
    “It’s simple.” Theo’s voice was both warm and powerful. He may have been twenty years older than Harley, but I could see the attraction. “You don’t have to stay stuck in a low-paying job. You don’t have to be a slave to addiction. You don’t have to be crippled by your insecurities. All together now,” he said to the audience. “If you think it, it will happen.” Other voices in the audience chanted along with him. “If you believe it, it will be.”
    The crowd clapped and cheered. I’d never heard applause like that, not even after my costume malfunction during a performance of Chicago . Theo hushed the audience.
    “I have time for a few questions.” Dozens of hands went up immediately. He pointed at one. An older man with wispy white hair stood up. “So glad you’re here,” he said in a voice that sounded like it belonged in a boardroom. “But why a Dickens cruise?”
    “This is a Dickens cruise?” said Theo. “I’m just here to sail to Hawaii.” Laughter from the crowd, way more than his remark earned. “Seriously, I have always felt a kinship with Charles Dickens,” said Theo. “As you may know, he was very poor as a child. When his parents went to debtors’ prison, he was sent to work in a shoe-blacking factory. Can you imagine? He was alone in the world, living and working in horrible conditions with complete strangers at the tender age of eleven. From that challenging beginning came one of the world’s most successful novelists. Dickens epitomizes the power of positive thinking. I too grew up in poverty. Like Dickens, I had no advantages other than my mind and my will. But I worked hard, and now I stand before you a successful man.”
    “A billionaire,” whispered Timothy.
    “Shhh,” said the lady in front of us.
    “What did that hard work consist of?” asked a familiar voice with a rural twang. Bette stood up. Ah, there was Uncle Bob, sitting beside her. “How exactly did you become a success story?”
    “I worked hard from the time I was twelve, doing everything from hauling rocks to writing books.” Theo’s words had a scripted quality. “Most importantly, I believed in myself. I saw what I wanted and set my mind to taking the actions that would get me there.” He cleared his throat, a signal to listen up. “‘I never could have done what I have done without the habits of punctuality, order, and diligence, without the determination to concentrate myself on one object at a time.’ That’s Dickens, from David Copperfield . And that’s the power of positive thinking.”
    Bette persevered. “But what about—”
    “Unlike Scrooge, I understand that mankind is my business.”
    “You can say that again,” Bette said. “In fact—”
    Theo pointed to another raised hand. “Next question, please.” Bette sat down.
    The gorgeous blonde who’d accompanied Theo the night before approached and spoke quietly to Timothy and me. “You want book from Theo, you get in line now.” She had a thick accent that sounded a little like Val’s, jade green eyes that tipped up at the edges, and cheekbones that could cut glass. I had never seen such a beautiful woman in person. “Books are twenty dollars.”
    “I don’t think—” Timothy began.
    I nudged him. “Great,” I said to the blonde beauty. “Stand in line with me?” I asked Timothy. He got up and followed me to the line that was beginning to form down the aisle. I had two reasons for being there. The first was that I wanted Theo to sign a book for me, to see if what he had written to Harley was typical fan-speak or indicative of a closer relationship. I kept that reason to myself, but I needed Timothy’s help for my second goal. “No reception on my cell.”
    “Welcome to life at sea.”
    “I can’t get ahold of Uncle Bob.” I tipped my chin to indicate my uncle’s