a color called midnight rumble, which was really just black, and began looking at our display of needles.
“Just a heads-up,” she said. “You might as well save your sleuthing skills. There’s no question—Nell Collins killed Robyn Freed. Several of Ms. Collins’ coworkers said Ms. Freed was always picking on her because she thought her aunt had gotten her the job. One of the other production assistants even said Ms. Collins had said she wished Ms. Freed would drop dead.” Heather let the comment hang in the air a moment before proceeding. The rest had to do with Nell getting the drink and sweetener for Robyn. All the tests weren’t in, but they were pretty sure the cyanide had been in the sweetener. “We checked the rest of the supply, and if you looked closely, you could see where the packets had been slit open at the seam and reglued,” Heather said. “We searched Ms. Collins’ cubby at the production office and found a glue gun.”
I didn’t know what to say. I knew Robyn had hassled Nell, and I’d heard Nell say she wished Robyn was out of the picture. And yes, Nell had given Robyn the drink and the sweetener. But the last part? “So, the packets were reglued and Nell had a glue gun. There’s no proof the two things are connected,” I said finally.
Heather picked up the yarn and two sets of metal circular needles. Before she headed to the front to pay, she turned back to me. “Maybe not yet, but I’ll find a connection. The best thing she can do is confess, and then maybe we can get her a deal. I’m just telling you all this so you don’t waste your time playing detective.”
I had to sit down and pull out the apricot scarf and do a few rows after that. The whole conversation had left my heart thudding. The worst part was I thought Heather really meant it when she thought she was doing me a favor.
By the time the Hookers showed up in the afternoon, I’d decided not to repeat what Heather had said. Well, I would have told Dinah if she’d come, but she had a meeting with a student.
CeeCee was the first to arrive, and when I saw how tense she was, it only reinforced my decision. Since the previous night’s get-together of the Hookers had been a little off, we agreed to meet the following afternoon to make up for it. CeeCee sat down at the table and took out a ball of sunny yellow cotton yarn and one of white cotton yarn. In no time, she’d done a foundation and a couple of rows in yellow before she switched to the white.
“I make pot holders when I’m upset,” she said. She explained it was just a simple single crochet, then double crochet stitch throughout the whole thing, and then she’d put on a nice edging. For a moment, she forgot her tension. “You know, dear, it’s all about the finishing. If I just left this a plain square, it would look so blah, but add a couple of rows of edging and suddenly it’s adorable.”
She shook her head in dismay and her shoulders sagged as the momentary respite ended. “I’ve had lots of ups and downs with my life and just rolled with the flow, but this is different. It’s happening to somebody I care about, and I don’t know what to do,” she said. My apricot scarf was still on the table and I picked it up and began to work.
CeeCee put her work down with a heavy sigh. “Did you see the news this morning? The news people couldn’t stop talking about it. Murder backstage at a talk show, what could make a better story? Thank heavens they didn’t give Nell’s name. They just called her
Adele left the kids’ department and joined us. Her tendency to see herself in the center of everything came through when she started talking about the news report. “Well, at least they finally got it right. The stuff they said yesterday was just ridiculous. I mean, calling a crochet hook a weapon and me a madwoman.” She looked toward us expectantly. When neither of us nodded or did anything to show our agreement, she harrumphed and took out her work-in-progress. She was making fingerless gloves for the donation box. “It won’t stay warm forever,” she said as she picked up the yarn.
CeeCee began to rub her temples. “I tried to get Nell to come with me, but she wouldn’t. She appreciated the relaxation she got from the crochet last night, but she kept saying why start something she knew she’d never finish. She’s just so impatient. I suppose that’s the way it is when you’re twenty-one.” CeeCee gave up on the massage and searched her purse for some aspirin. She pulled out a bottle of water from her bag and took the two tablets. I said some coffee might help her headache. “If I have any more coffee, I’m going to jump out of my skin. Nell made a big pot this morning. She made a whole production out of it. She even grinds the beans.”
Suddenly CeeCee stopped and it seemed like she wasn’t going to say anything more. Then she sighed to herself. “They called Nell and told her that, under the circumstances, they thought she should take a leave of absence until everything is settled. Whoever she talked to assured her they believed she was innocent, but still . . .” CeeCee’s voice trailed off as she rolled the hook between her fingers. “She’s going in to pick up her things. I’m afraid she might make a scene.”
CeeCee turned to me. “Molly, I’m worried. I don’t think she should go alone. I’d go with her, but it would probably get picked up by some paparazzi. So far the news people don’t seem to know the connection between us. If they knew Nell and I were related, it would just bring more of a spotlight to this whole business.”
It was hard to figure out who she was really concerned about. Was she worried her name was going to bring attention to Nell? Or was she worried that having a niece suspected in a murder was going to bring the wrong kind of attention to her?
“I’m available to go with,” Adele said a little too quickly. CeeCee’s eyes flew skyward.
“You caused enough trouble the last time. I want someone to guide my niece, not make a ruckus.”
“I wouldn’t make a ruckus,” Adele protested. “Maybe a hook and some yarn would fall out of my pocket. And maybe I’d mention to whoever that it would really turn around Barbara’s life if she learned how to crochet.”
“That is exactly what I’m afraid of,” CeeCee said. “Dear, you’re going to have to wave your hook on your own time; this trip is strictly about my niece.” She turned to me. “Molly, would you go with her? You’re a mother; you must be used to doing things like this.”
The idea seemed to be that since I had experience dealing with uncomfortable situations, it was easy for me. I agreed to go with her but made sure CeeCee understood it wasn’t going to be piece of cake for me, either.
“And while you’re there, maybe you do a little investigating,” CeeCee said. “You’re so good at getting at the truth,” she added in a hopeful voice.
Though CeeCee seemed relieved I was going with Nell, she still seemed less than her usual cheery self. “This isn’t what I bargained for,” she said finally. “I thought having Nell stay with me would be like having a daughter. But without all the baggage like arguing about clothes and curfews. I thought we’d be like friends.” She turned to me. “Were you ever upset with your sons?”
I rolled my eyes and laughed. “Of course, do you want examples?”
She seemed slightly relieved by my answer. “She’s just so difficult.” CeeCee went back to crocheting while she talked. “Why couldn’t she have gotten along with the woman who died? I didn’t know what to tell her or what to do to help. When I was a struggling actress, if a director yelled at me, I just smiled back. I knew there was a whole line behind me anxious to take my place.” Then the truth came out. “I should be basking in the glow of my Oscar buzz instead of worrying about Nell.”
She must have felt guilty about what she said because she got defensive and tried to explain just what Oscar buzz meant. “My agent is already getting more movie offers. Nothing I’d do so far, but it wasn’t like this before. This is my moment.” She sagged again. “What am I going to tell my brother? His daughter stays with me, and after just a few months, she’s an interesting person to the police.”
“That’s a person of interest,” Rhoda corrected as she joined us.
Elise was with her. “Your niece is a suspect?”
“Wow, wait till that hits the newsstand,” Rhoda said in her nasally voice. “Oscar buzz and your niece being investigated by the cops.”
“It’s not going to hit any newsstand. And she’s not being investigated by the cops. She was there and they asked her some questions, that’s all. And nobody is going to connect me with any of it.”
The rest of the group drifted in, and by the end, CeeCee was telling everyone I was going with Nell, was investigating the murder, and had everything under control.
If only that was true.
CHAPTER 8
NELL PICKED ME UP THE NEXT MORNING, AND WE headed across the Valley to the Wolf Brothers Studio and the
