Dying to Have Her Read Online Free Page A

elegantly sashayed into the office.
    “I guess I’m last,” Kelly said with a shiver.
    Serena paused to squeeze her hand. “Want me to wait around?”
    “Good heavens, no. Go home. This place is giving me the creeps today. Honestly, I just want to go home myself, sink into a hot tub, and have a big, big drink.”
    Serena nodded. She felt like doing absolutely the same.
    It was going to be a very hot bath—and a very, very big drink.
    Later, Olsen sat looking at his notes. He was done with the first round of questioning. Bill sat in front of him.
    “Tragic accident?” Bill inquired. “Or …”
    “We won’t know anything until forensics finishes with the rigging,” Olsen reminded him. “Accident. Yeah, it could have been. Such bizarre things do happen. But still …” He scratched his forehead. “You know what sticks in my craw? It’s that Serena McCormack saw something in the deceased’s dressing room that wasn’t there when you went back to check.”
    Bill leaned forward. “Maybe she didn’t really see anything. Maybe she was upset.”
    Olsen shook his head. “You’ve been a good cop for a long time, Bill. But I’ve been a cop much longer. There was no reason for her to be upset when she went by Jane Dunne’s dressing room. She saw something.”
    “Lieutenant, I searched that room after we first arrived. There was no ash-filled saucer in the room, no note.”
    “Right. But time passed between the accident and when we arrived.” He tapped his pencil on the desk, thinking. “And what about that producer’s idea?” He looked back at his sheet. “Joe Penny. He thinks Serena McCormack needs some protection.” He shrugged. “He’s right. There’s a possibility that she was the intended victim. Jane Dunne was standing on a tape marking what should have been Serena McCormack’s position.”
    “We don’t know that there was an intended victim.” Bill hesitated. “Pearson from forensics said there are no obvious marks that would indicate tampering on any of the lighting remnants they’ve gathered.”
    Olsen pursed his lips. “There’s not enough there to warrant police protection. But if Penny wanted to hire someone on his own …”
    “Serena’s a friend,” Bill said with quiet vehemence. “I will do my absolute best with whatever resources we have—”
    Olsen let out a snort. “Hell, no, we don’t have the manpower to guard her, even if it was an attempt on her.” He looked up at Bill with a shrewd grin. “Look, this is a soap, a highly rated soap, in Hollywood, California. We’ll tell Penny to hire a P.I. Then give Liam Murphy a call.”
    Bill hesitated. “Liam Murphy?”
    “Is there a problem?”
    “There might be some bad blood there.”
    “Why?”
    “He and Serena McCormack dated for a while. If you’re trying to throw Liam some work, that’s great, but—”
    “I’m not throwing anyone anything,” Olsen said irritably. “From what I understand, he’s had more work than he did as a cop since he’s gone out on his own. Liam is the best man I know for the job. He knows this place, and these people—especially after the past trouble here.” He paused as a thought came to him. “Didn’t you date Miss McCormack?”
    “Dinners … a few casual dates. Then we became friends,” Bill said.
    Olsen grunted. “Then you have a current relationship, even if it’s friendship. I’m not taking you off the case because of that.”
    “Serena and I had coffee once, dinner once, and saw one movie. Serena and Liam …” Bill was lost for a moment, then he shrugged. “They dated. It was different.”
    “He won’t be taking her to a high school prom.”
    “No, of course not.”
    “This may be a tricky case, Bill. It looks like an accident; it might have been a murder. If Penny wants to be extra careful about the talent, it couldn’t hurt.”
    Bill lifted his hands in resignation. “Yeah, all right.”
    “I need to see both of the producers. Penny and Larkin. Get them in