New release sample: BRIDE OF THE LIVING PROOF

The actual attack on Athena: According to the few witnesses and dozens of security cameras and cell phones conveniently hijacked by London and Sherwood, at the time of the attempted theft, Athena had paused and was talking on her cell phone. The girl was smart enough to know that walking-and-talking was just as dangerous as driving-and-talking. The car with the Grandstone minions passed her three times before they made their move. After studying the video from multiple angles, it appeared they didn't attack right away because they were waiting for Freddie to get into position. He came from a coffee shop two blocks down, and apparently he was having his daily snit over his order not being right. He had exacting tastes when it came to his ten-dollar cup of high-calorie coffee. Sherwood caught the image from four different angles when Freddie carefully put down his cup before leaping to allegedly rescue Athena.

The guy at least took enough self-defense classes to make it look real when he dove in and used a couple fancy flips and kicks and arm twists to send the four minions running. Yes, I said look real, meaning it was staged. In slowing down the video, London and Athena both caught a half-dozen places where the minions leaned into Freddie's swing or kick.

My phone had caught two voices during the tussle. One said, "Time's up," and the other, Freddie, said, "Careful, that's cashmere."

Now, standing in the office, the gang spilled their gleeful, scornful report of all they had found out. The evidence kept piling up even higher against Freddie Grandstone being the hero of the hour. As if there could have ever been any doubt? Wallace and Cosmo and Doni kept shoving their cell phones and tablets in front of me, showing what London and Sherwood had just dug up.

"Okay, it's hilarious, but why are you getting me involved? Athena knows about all this fakery, doesn't she?" 

"Yeah, London finally broke the interference, which she figures came from that car, but get this," Doni said. "Grandad thinks she should play along and let Freddie play Prince Charming, until we can figure out what he wants."