Page 164
“I’m not proposing going up on any tall buildings, just talking to David and Allison.”
He puts a hand on my waist. “I worry about you.”
“I’m glad.” I pull in a deep breath.
“So we talk to David and Allison.”
“Agreed. Should we go over there? Invite them here?”
“They’re one room over,” Oliver says. He points to a door in the wall. “Through there.”
“We have an adjoining room with a potential murderer?”
“I’d expect nothing less.”
After a private moment where we pluck up our courage,97we knock on the door and Allison answers it after I tell her it’s me.
She’s dressed down in comfortable-looking sweats and a hoodie. David’s in a pair of flannel pajamas. They look domestic and innocent and like we might’ve interruptedthemin an intimate moment. I brush away my embarrassment as it occurs to me that we haven’t examined Allison as a suspect.
If it’sConnorwho was the intended victim, that puts her in the hot seat. Maybe she got a taste of Connor almost dying in Italyand liked it. And the fact that he’s still here, still in her life, was suddenly too much?
Of course that logic could apply to me, too.
Nothing’sreallychanged since Italy, has it?
No, somethinghaschanged.
Things are better between us. We’re bantering. We’re working together without friction.
And it’s ruining my life.
Okay, “ruining” is a big word. But it’s definitely affecting me and Oliver. So it needs to stop. I need to put Connor in my rearview.
But not by killing him.
Besides, as you may have noticed, I’m not a long-term planner.
But Allison?
Allisonis. She could’ve set all this up—I’m not sure how, exactly, but she has themeansto do it. Means, motive, opportunity. She has the motive, too. Oh! Even more of one now that Connor just signed a huge book deal (!) because if he dies, the balance of her divorce settlement is due.98Before, it wasn’t clear if he had enough money left to cover it, but now...high six figures just for the film rights. That’s a lot of money. More than I can believe he got for his book. But never mind about that.
She has a motive.
And as for opportunity—she’s been here the whole time. She was on set, too. She could’ve left the notes. She’d know about all of the ins and outs of production from David.
Wait, wait, wait...I’ve been thinkingDavidwas the one who seduced Allison, but what if it was the other way around? Whatif she saw that he was weak, and he was her way into theWhen in Romeproduction?
I mean, who auditions to playthemselvesin a movie?99
“What do you want, Eleanor?” Allison asks. “It’s been a long day.”
“Don’t you want to know who did it?”
“It’s Shawna, isn’t it?”
“Is it?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” David says. “I don’t like your tone.”
He puts a hand on my waist. “I worry about you.”
“I’m glad.” I pull in a deep breath.
“So we talk to David and Allison.”
“Agreed. Should we go over there? Invite them here?”
“They’re one room over,” Oliver says. He points to a door in the wall. “Through there.”
“We have an adjoining room with a potential murderer?”
“I’d expect nothing less.”
After a private moment where we pluck up our courage,97we knock on the door and Allison answers it after I tell her it’s me.
She’s dressed down in comfortable-looking sweats and a hoodie. David’s in a pair of flannel pajamas. They look domestic and innocent and like we might’ve interruptedthemin an intimate moment. I brush away my embarrassment as it occurs to me that we haven’t examined Allison as a suspect.
If it’sConnorwho was the intended victim, that puts her in the hot seat. Maybe she got a taste of Connor almost dying in Italyand liked it. And the fact that he’s still here, still in her life, was suddenly too much?
Of course that logic could apply to me, too.
Nothing’sreallychanged since Italy, has it?
No, somethinghaschanged.
Things are better between us. We’re bantering. We’re working together without friction.
And it’s ruining my life.
Okay, “ruining” is a big word. But it’s definitely affecting me and Oliver. So it needs to stop. I need to put Connor in my rearview.
But not by killing him.
Besides, as you may have noticed, I’m not a long-term planner.
But Allison?
Allisonis. She could’ve set all this up—I’m not sure how, exactly, but she has themeansto do it. Means, motive, opportunity. She has the motive, too. Oh! Even more of one now that Connor just signed a huge book deal (!) because if he dies, the balance of her divorce settlement is due.98Before, it wasn’t clear if he had enough money left to cover it, but now...high six figures just for the film rights. That’s a lot of money. More than I can believe he got for his book. But never mind about that.
She has a motive.
And as for opportunity—she’s been here the whole time. She was on set, too. She could’ve left the notes. She’d know about all of the ins and outs of production from David.
Wait, wait, wait...I’ve been thinkingDavidwas the one who seduced Allison, but what if it was the other way around? Whatif she saw that he was weak, and he was her way into theWhen in Romeproduction?
I mean, who auditions to playthemselvesin a movie?99
“What do you want, Eleanor?” Allison asks. “It’s been a long day.”
“Don’t you want to know who did it?”
“It’s Shawna, isn’t it?”
“Is it?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” David says. “I don’t like your tone.”
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