As soon as she opened the door of the empty office suite on Western Avenue, Renee Alcala knew that the place needed a professional cleaning. She left her own box of supplies at the front door, and gave herself a quick tour. There was a front reception area, a tiny half-bath, and three small rooms in the back, one of which had apparently been used as a combination kitchen and conference area. It wasn't horrible—the empty pizza boxes had been stacked neatly near the back door, other trash had been bound up in black plastic bags, and most of the remaining mess was just piles of paper. There were no roaches, but it was a long way from showable.

And all that ratty furniture—it would have to go.

Renee got out her cell phone. First she called the massage therapist, to hint at another possible location for his practice, but really just to reschedule, and then the building manager, to demand a moving crew and a thorough cleaning. When the building manager started complaining about how much it would cost and how those college kids from out east had run out on their lease, Renee let him have it. Pretty soon he was promising her whatever she needed, and apologizing for wasting her time with an unshowable space. She smiled as she closed her phone. Actually, of course, Renee preferred to get into a space early, just like this, and take charge.

As she walked back out to the reception area, she noticed the pile of papers under the fax machine. She touched a button—there was still a dial tone. The college kids who thought they were indie producers had never canceled the line.

Renee stooped down and picked up a page. According to the footer, the fax came from some number in the 812 area code, which Renee was pretty sure wasn't anywhere in California. Page 17 of 50. She looked around and found the title page. The Meek Shall Inherit, a Proposal for an Historical Telenovela in the American Language, by Damien di Savoia Underwood. She gathered up all the sheets, and sorted them back into the original order. The moving crew was due in an hour. Renee decided to wait for them. She found the cleanest chair in the office, and sat down to read.

It was the first time she saw the name "Bertha of Savoy"—the part she would play for 112 episodes on cable TV.