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“You wrote a whole script for free?”

“I did.”

“Why?”

He makes a dismissive gesture. I should know this, he’s saying. “Because Tyler was where my work was coming from. And Fred was involved. It was green-lit. It was happening. I’d get paid on the first day of principal photography.”

“Which only happened a couple of months ago.”

“Yes.”

“You resent Tyler,” I say.

“Wouldn’t you?”

“And Fred?”

“Fred is a lightweight.”

“And you don’t like Emma,” I say. “Because she got you turfed from the only other movie you’ve ever done.”

“And you came back to this project,” Oliver says. “Why?”

“I wanted to get paid.”

“Where are you going with all of this?” Allison asks. “Why are you excavating David’s career?”

“Because David has a motive,” I say.

“For what?”

“To kill Fred and Emma and pin it on Tyler,” Oliver says with a solid certainty.

Oh, how I love this man. I really don’t want to lose him.

“I thought Connor was the intended victim?” Allison says.

“No, I don’t think so.”

“David didn’t do it, Eleanor,” Allison says.

“Why are you so sure?”

“Why would he? At this juncture? Right when he’s finally getting the success he deserves? And sorry, darling, but planning isn’t his strong suit.”

“I don’t think that’s fair,” David says.

“Are you trying to convince us that youcouldhave planned this murder?”

“Well, no, of course not—”

“The point is,” Allison says, “it would be counter to his interests to kill anyone right now, especially on the production. Assuming that killing someone is a reasonable or even possible response to Hollywood being Hollywood.”

“She has a point,” Oliver says.

I sigh. “I know.”

“So what now?”