Oh boy.
Prune Face looked at me, recognition dawning. “Wardrobe girl again.” He turned to Ramirez. “You wanna take this one?”
Ramirez’s granite jaw flinched. He nodded almost imperceptibly.
Prune Face hovered at the door a moment, his gaze bouncing between us. Finally he shrugged and backed out of the room. “Good luck.”
I wasn’t sure if that was directed at Ramirez or me. But by the death look in Ramirez’s eyes, it was clear I could use all the luck I could get.
I shifted nervously as Ramirez sat down in the folding chair opposite me and crossed his arms over his chest, silently staring me down.
“Okay, so here’s the thing. The gun-totally not mine. And I didn’t even remember I was carrying it. It just kind of slipped into my purse. Well, I guess technically Felix slipped it in-”
“Felix?” he interrupted.
“The reporter, remember? From the
Ramirez narrowed his eyes at me. “Friend?”
I bit my lip. “Yeah. Sorta.”
His eyes did that fine-slits thing again. “This the same ’friend’ who got you kidnapped last year?”
“Uh…”
He snorted. “That Felix is some guy.”
“Hey, he was just trying to offer me some protection. He was concerned about me.”
I’m not sure what made me defend Tabloid Boy, but clearly it was the wrong move. Ramirez leaned forward menacingly.
“I’m the
If he didn’t look so scary, I might have been touched.
Instead, I gulped.
“What the hell are you even doing here?” Ramirez asked. He gave a long glance at my dress (lingering in what would have been the cleavage area, were I actually big enough to fill it out), and I could hear him mentally adding,
I crossed my arms over my chest, obscuring his view. “And I’m just supposed to do as I’m told, huh?”
“Once in a while it might be nice.”
“You know, you have some nerve-asking me to move in with you, then interrogating me.”
Ramirez raised one eyebrow. “
“This morning you said I should stay at your place.”
Ramirez snorted again. “For a couple of days. Maddie, I didn’t say you should
I gulped back another lump, this one slightly larger. I know, I know.
“I know!” I said a little too loudly. “I mean, it’s not like I thought you meant
Ramirez scrubbed a hand over his face and muttered, “Jesus, ” under his breath. “Look, just stay away from this Felix guy, okay?”
My turn to narrow my eyes. “I don’t think you’re exactly in a position to tell me who I can and can’t be friends with.”
“The guy slipped a loaded gun into your purse! You realize you could have been arrested for carrying that thing onto studio property?”
“He was just trying to help!”
“What would help is if you stayed the hell out of this investigation. Look, just go back to my place and wait for me there.”
“I can’t, ” I yelled, tears piling up behind my eyes. “I locked the door!”
Ramirez muttered another “Jesus.” He rubbed a hand at his temple, as if just talking to me gave him a headache. “Look, I’ll have a uniformed officer drive you home. He’ll wait with you there. Okay?”
No, not okay. I hated being treated like I needed a babysitter. But since I was currently without home, car, or decent wardrobe (not to mention being stalked by a crazy woman), I didn’t have much choice. “Fine, ” I muttered. “But tell me one thing first.”
He rubbed at his temple again. “What?” The word came out on an exasperated sigh.
“Whose body did you find in Central Park?”
Ramirez paused, putting his Bad Cop face firmly into place.
“I’m going to find out sooner or later anyway, ” I reasoned.
He gave me a look, then blew out a deep breath. “Oh hell, ” he said, caving. “I’m sorry, Maddie. It was Dusty.”
Chapter 14
For some inexplicable reason the room began to mambo in front of my vision, like I’d had one too many cosmos on the dance floor. “D-Dusty?” I sputtered, my voice sounding oddly disconnected even to my own ears.
It couldn’t be her. Dusty was fine. She was just a little shaken up about Veronika, right? She was just taking a few personal days. She was fine. Wasn’t she?
“Are you sure?” I asked, my voice high and threatening to crack.
Ramirez gave me a sympathetic look. “I’m afraid so. Purple hair, multiple piercings?”
He was right. It was pretty hard to mistake Dusty for someone else. “B-but how? Why?” I asked, my mind racing over the last message Dusty had left me. She’d sounded upset. Or had she been scared? Fearing for her life?
Ramirez shook his head. “The why, we don’t know yet. But she was strangled, the same as Veronika. Only this time the guy used a bright orange scarf.”
I paused. Why did that ring a bell?
“An orange scarf? Orange wool?”
Ramirez cocked his head at me. “I don’t know about the wool part, but it was thick. Why? Do you know something?”
I licked my lips, willing the room to sit still. “Maybe. Margo has one. She tried to wear it on the set the other day, but I made her take it off.” I gulped down another crack in my voice. “Ohmigod, it’s Margo! Margo did it, didn’t she? Because she was jealous of Mia?”
“Hold on there, Nancy Drew.” Ramirez held one hand up. “What did Margo do with the scarf after she took it off?”
I closed my eyes, thinking back. Things had been a bit chaotic that day (what else was new on
“You think?” he prodded.
“Yes, I’m sure.” I nodded my head, gaining conviction. “I told her the scarf and the Crocs had to go, so she put them both on the sofa in the wardrobe room because she didn’t have time to go back to her trailer before the scene started. We were kind of running behind in wardrobe because Dusty…” I trailed off, remembering how Dusty had been absent from the set the last few days. I suddenly felt guilty. I should have tried harder to call her. Whatever had been bothering her, she’d never be able to tell me now. I wondered if maybe it was what had gotten her killed.
“So, anyone could have picked up the scarf?”
I gave myself a mental shake, pushing thoughts of Dusty to the back of my mind. “Maybe. But did you know that Margo has a serious grudge against Mia?”
