Christy Barritt - Squeaky Clean 08 - Foul Play Read Online Free Page A

realize I was a total and complete amateur. It wouldn’t take a detective to figure that out.
    I comforted myself with the thought that this was community theater; I supposed most of the people up here were officially amateurs. Still, I’d bet they had more experience than me. Based on the daggers some were shooting my way, they may even be rooting for me to fail.
    Just as I reached center stage , a shrill voice cut through the air. “My play is going to be ruined!”
    I glanced over at the door and saw an incredibly tall woman with sleek dark hair push into the room, waving a stack of papers in her hands.
    Paulette shrank back. “Arie. I didn’t realize you were going to be here tonight.”
    “Not even a call?” Arie demanded as she reached Paulette. “You didn’t have the courtesy to let me know yourself that the lead actress in my play died ?”
    Based on the woman’s histrionics, she should have been an actress. She was certainly dramatic enough.
    “ Arie, it’s been a long day.” Paulette tucked a hair behind her ear, her shoulders slumping slightly. “I was going to call you.”
    “I had to get a text from a cast member!” Arie’s nostrils flared and her hand went to her hip.
    Paulette glanced back at the cast. I followed her gaze and noticed a slight smile curled the lips of the actor who’d grumbled at me earlier about where to stand.
    Interesting. If I remembered correctly, he was Jerome—my costar.
    “We’re all in shock over this,” Paulette tried to explain.
    My old friend was going to be eaten alive, I realized.
    I felt the need to jump back into my old middle school role—the need to try and protect her. But Paulette was a woman now. Certainly she could stand up for herself … right?
    “I personally handpicked Scarlet to play the role of Elsa McGoverness in this musical. Now, it’s all going to be ruined! And it’s your fault!” Her icy glare temporarily froze Paulette.
    Paulette opened her mouth and then shut it again. She took a step back, her hand fluttering through the air.
    Meanwhile, Arie inched closer. “I trusted you with this script. It was going to be my big break ! I’d be smart to pull out now and find a new theater troupe for the production.”
    “But … I—you can’t. We—”
    “I can , and I might !” Arie insisted. “It’s bad enough that a ghost is haunting this auditorium, but now this !”
    “Enough!” I yelled .
    My head was going to explode if I heard any more of this.
    Everyone turned to look at me.
    So much for staying low key.
    “Who do you think you ar e charging in here and insulting the producer who took a chance on you and your work? You’re out of line.” I took a page from her book and overly emphasized all the important words in my sentence. That seemed to be her language.
    Arie stared at me, her gaze cold enough to ice over the sun. “ Who are you ?”
    I held my chin up , fully aware that I was about to drop a bombshell. “I’m the new Elsa McGoverness.”
    Her mouth gaped open in anger as she turned back to Paulette. “You cast someone new without even consulting with me?”
    “ Arie—” I started.
    “It’s not Airie . It’s Arie—pronounced R-E . No rhyming involved! How many times do I have to say that to you people around here?” She spewed before turning back to Paulette. “I’m calling my lawyer. That’s all there is to it! I will not have my name ruined like this.”
    Before anyone could say anything else, Arie stormed out the door.
    I looked at Paulette. The poor girl looked like she might have a breakdown. She did her nervous little tugging her hair behind her ear gesture and offered a feeble smile.
    “The show must go on,” she said, a little too softly for the words to have their full effect. When everyone stared at her a moment, she finally clapped her hands. “You heard me. Chop chop!”
    Good for her. I was glad she’d pulled it together enough to get through practice. Otherwise, I feared too many people