Why You Need to Shun the Sun
Worshipping the sun is so last millennium. The awful truth is, the sun pulverizes and ages your skin every time you step outside. You must always put on sunscreen before you venture outside, and the sunscreen must be the type that blocks both ultraviolet A (UVA) and B (UVB) rays. According to skin scientists, UVB causes sunburn and skin cancer, while UVA causes aging and some skin cancers.
Even if you wear sunscreen, you should still take other measures to protect your skin. Most sunscreens break down in the sun (which they don′t tell you in the advertising). So you need to protect your skin with clothing as well as lotions-for example, take a cue from the ladies of yesteryear and buy yourself a pair of chic driving gloves. And bring a cute parasol or wear a protective hat when you′re in direct sunlight for hours on end. That way your skin won′t look like a leather feed bag by the time you′re forty.
– From The Little Book of Beauty Secrets by Mimi Morgan
When the cell phone on my nightstand buzzed me awake at three a.m. Thursday morning, I grabbed for it eagerly, expecting it to be Jonathan. I wasn′t awake enough yet to remember that I was mad at him. But instead of a London exchange, the LED displayed the number of the Channel Twelve news desk.
I stifled a groan. A call from work in the wee hours meant only one thing: a summons to roll out to cover a crisis someplace. Usually it would turn out to be nothing more exciting than a smoky fire. And every smoky fire looked identical. Seriously; you could use the exact same video to show every predawn smoker in the world and no one would be the wiser.
I answered the cell with my work greeting: ″Gallagher.″
″Hi, Kate-sorry, I know you′re not on call tonight, but I′ve got something crazy going on.″
It was the overnight news producer, Roe. Something ″crazy″ was always going on whenever Roe called. She monitored the police scanner like a jumpy little chicken hawk, pouncing on every squawk that came over the radio. Roe was an expert at working herself and everyone around her into balls of stress. She′d make an excellent news director someday.
″No problem, Roe. What′ve you got?″ I was already turning over to click on the bedside lamp. The sudden burst of activity disturbed Elfie, who′d been curled up in a warm, sleeping lump at my feet. She lifted her head and gave me an offended glare.
″There′s been a carjacking-the second one this week. This time it was on the good side of town, near the Hilton,″ Roe said in her usual rat-a-tat delivery style. ″The victim is still at the scene. Cops are already there; ambulance is on the way.″
″Where should I meet the crew?″ I asked her.
″You don′t have to; I′ve already sent another reporter to cover it. Here′s why I′m calling you…″ Roe downshifted long enough to take a breath. ″The victim just called here on the studio line. She was asking for you by name. It was a girl; she sounded really young. Her name′s Shaina Miller? She claims to know you but didn′t have your number.″
″Shaina Miller?″ For a moment, the name drew a blank in my sleep-fogged brain. Then it clicked. ″You mean Jana Miller′s daughter? I′ve never met Shaina, but I know who she is. Where′s her mother? Where′s Jana?″
″I didn′t hear anything about a Jana. This girl, Shaina, was hysterical, and then we got cut off. I think the cops took the phone,″ Roe said. ″This whole thing′s a little off script for me. Are you going down there?″
″On my way.″ With my free hand, I stripped off my sleep shirt, then glanced around the bedroom for something to throw on. My eyes fell on a pair of ancient navy sweats that were draped over my stationary bicycle as a kind of permanent exercise bunting. They were seriously shlum padinka, as Oprah would say, but I didn′t have time to worry about it.
″Who′s covering the carjacking story?″ I asked Roe.
″Your favorite show horse.″
″Oh, no. You mean Lainey?″
″Yeah, she′s on call. And here′s some more good news-it′s raining like hell outside.″
This time, I didn′t bother to stifle my groan.