FOUR
"You know where she is?" asked Prue. "Where?"
"At the studio," said Phoebe. "That's a live show. And I have that book they mentioned. 'Ancient Evil'. It's actually pretty good. All about some demon that organizes the underworld against the forces of good."
"Leo, can you orb us to the studio?" asked Prue.
"Yes," said Leo, "but I don't think that's a good idea. If you get into a fight there, your secret might be revealed. That's too big a risk. And we're trying to avoid that, remember?"
"Only one of us should go," said Piper. "They can try to see if this Jennifer Crandall is a warlock or a demon or whatever."
"I'll do it," said Phoebe. "I can say I'm a fan, which isn't so far from the truth. She should be glad to talk with me."
"I think Piper or I should go," said Prue. "You don't have an active power if something should happen."
"Have you read her book?" asked Phoebe.
"No," said Prue.
"She'll know you haven't read it the minute you open your mouth," said Phoebe. "I have read it. If I don't go, we could loose our only chance to find out about her."
"Little sister has a point," said Piper.
"Okay," said Prue, "but at the first sign of trouble, Leo, I want you to get her out of there."
"I will," said Leo. "Let's get going before she leaves the studio."
"Hang on a second," said Phoebe.
She ran up the stairs and returned a moment later. She had a book in her hand.
"I'll ask her to sign this," she said. "It will give me a reason to talk to her."
"Good thinking," said Prue. "Now, be careful. If she is a warlock or demon, she is probably dangerous."
"I'll watch out for her," promised Leo.
"Make sure you do," said Piper. "We'll be waiting here if you need us."
Phoebe took Leo's arm and he orbed them out of the manor.
* * *
"You had to orb us into a broom closet?" complained Phoebe as she looked out the partially open door. "You couldn't find something a little bigger and not quite so smelly?"
"Limited choices," said Leo. "A television station isn't all that big and with the time of day, most of the rooms see a lot of traffic. It was one of the few rooms that was empty. You wouldn't want anyone to see us orb in, would you?"
"No, I guess not," said Phoebe. "Now, we have to find this Jennifer Crandall. She'll probably be in a dressing room or something removing her television makeup."
"That shouldn't be hard to find," said Leo. "Stay close to me. If she attacks, there won't be a whole lot of time to orb you out."
They left the closet when the hallway was clear. Most of the doors had nameplates on them identifying the rooms' purposes. None seemed to be the room they were looking for. Suddenly, they saw the host of "The Book Nook" approaching them.
"Hello," said the woman, "you look lost."
"Yeah," said Phoebe, "I, uh, guess we got turned around or something. We were looking for Jennifer Crandall."
"You did get turned around," said the woman. "Go down this corridor. Turn right at the next corridor and it's the third door on the left." She looked at the book in Phoebe's hand. "Looking to get an autograph?"
"Oh, yeah," said Phoebe. "She's a great writer."
"She should be in there now," said the woman.
"Thanks," said Phoebe.
"Well," said Leo when they'd reached the door, "this is it. Be ready. If she recognizes you, she may attack immediately."
"I'm ready," said Phoebe.
She reached up and knocked on the door. A voice in the room said, "come in". Cautiously, Phoebe opened the door.
"You know where she is?" asked Prue. "Where?"
"At the studio," said Phoebe. "That's a live show. And I have that book they mentioned. 'Ancient Evil'. It's actually pretty good. All about some demon that organizes the underworld against the forces of good."
"Leo, can you orb us to the studio?" asked Prue.
"Yes," said Leo, "but I don't think that's a good idea. If you get into a fight there, your secret might be revealed. That's too big a risk. And we're trying to avoid that, remember?"
"Only one of us should go," said Piper. "They can try to see if this Jennifer Crandall is a warlock or a demon or whatever."
"I'll do it," said Phoebe. "I can say I'm a fan, which isn't so far from the truth. She should be glad to talk with me."
"I think Piper or I should go," said Prue. "You don't have an active power if something should happen."
"Have you read her book?" asked Phoebe.
"No," said Prue.
"She'll know you haven't read it the minute you open your mouth," said Phoebe. "I have read it. If I don't go, we could loose our only chance to find out about her."
"Little sister has a point," said Piper.
"Okay," said Prue, "but at the first sign of trouble, Leo, I want you to get her out of there."
"I will," said Leo. "Let's get going before she leaves the studio."
"Hang on a second," said Phoebe.
She ran up the stairs and returned a moment later. She had a book in her hand.
"I'll ask her to sign this," she said. "It will give me a reason to talk to her."
"Good thinking," said Prue. "Now, be careful. If she is a warlock or demon, she is probably dangerous."
"I'll watch out for her," promised Leo.
"Make sure you do," said Piper. "We'll be waiting here if you need us."
Phoebe took Leo's arm and he orbed them out of the manor.
* * *
"You had to orb us into a broom closet?" complained Phoebe as she looked out the partially open door. "You couldn't find something a little bigger and not quite so smelly?"
"Limited choices," said Leo. "A television station isn't all that big and with the time of day, most of the rooms see a lot of traffic. It was one of the few rooms that was empty. You wouldn't want anyone to see us orb in, would you?"
"No, I guess not," said Phoebe. "Now, we have to find this Jennifer Crandall. She'll probably be in a dressing room or something removing her television makeup."
"That shouldn't be hard to find," said Leo. "Stay close to me. If she attacks, there won't be a whole lot of time to orb you out."
They left the closet when the hallway was clear. Most of the doors had nameplates on them identifying the rooms' purposes. None seemed to be the room they were looking for. Suddenly, they saw the host of "The Book Nook" approaching them.
"Hello," said the woman, "you look lost."
"Yeah," said Phoebe, "I, uh, guess we got turned around or something. We were looking for Jennifer Crandall."
"You did get turned around," said the woman. "Go down this corridor. Turn right at the next corridor and it's the third door on the left." She looked at the book in Phoebe's hand. "Looking to get an autograph?"
"Oh, yeah," said Phoebe. "She's a great writer."
"She should be in there now," said the woman.
"Thanks," said Phoebe.
"Well," said Leo when they'd reached the door, "this is it. Be ready. If she recognizes you, she may attack immediately."
"I'm ready," said Phoebe.
She reached up and knocked on the door. A voice in the room said, "come in". Cautiously, Phoebe opened the door.