“Exactly,” Mitchell jumped in, beaming.
“Sadie,” Sid said, “your little rug rat was the hit of the show.”
Sadie bristled. Rug rat? “Her name is Coco and she’s a Yorkshire terrier.”
“Well, then,” Sid continued, “your Yorkshire terrier was the highlight of talk during intermission. I’d worried the recent tragedy would be the topic of conversation. But, no, it was all about that little…I mean, your Yorkshire terrier.
“Yes,” Mitchell exclaimed. “I even heard one woman say she hoped she could get an autograph on her program after the show.”
“Whose autograph?” Sid asked.
“Why, the dog’s autograph, of course,” Mitchell explained
“Wouldn’t that be a pawtograph?” Sadie quipped, feeling quite clever, but not expecting anyone to take her seriously. Roxy almost spit out her beer. Sid groaned. But Mitchell’s eyes grew wide with delight.
“Yes! Of course it would be! Just think of the marketing angle, the photo opportunities. I can hardly wait to tell Ernie. He’s going to love this.” Mitchell jumped up from the table, pulled his cell phone from his pocket, and began pressing numbers furiously into the device.
“Ernie hates dogs,” Sid said.
“But Ernie loves money,” Mitchell countered, tossing the comment over his shoulder as he headed outside, phone to his ear.
“He has a point there,” Sid said, almost to himself, though Sadie and Roxy remained at the table. “And now that his precious Nevada is playing the lead, he’ll probably go along with anything.” He stood up and downed the rest of his scotch in one gulp. “See you ladies tomorrow.”
Sadie watched both men leave the bar before looking at Roxy, puzzled. “Rox, did I somehow miss the part where I agreed to this?”
Roxy sighed. “Apparently, I did, too.”
“What does that mean?” Sadie examined the pretzel dish, as if the answer might lie within the salty, twisted dough.
“Don’t worry,” Roxy said. “It’ll get it sorted out in the morning. But, meanwhile…what do you think of their crazy plan?”
“What do you think?” Sadie said.
“I think I may have some cue-shuffling to do in the prompt book, that’s what I think. I’ve never had to call ‘standby’ for a dog before.”
“It’s not really a normal canine command,” Sadie admitted.
“No, it’s not. I can barely get humans to follow those directions sometimes. But you still didn’t answer my question. What do you think?”
Sadie paused. “I’ll have to ask Coco’s agent.”
Roxy looked almost frightened. “Please tell me your dog does not have an agent.”
“Of course not,” Sadie laughed. “But it sounded good, didn’t it?”
CHAPTER EIGHT
Sadie kicked off her shoes, collapsed onto the hotel bed, and looked at Coco, who was curled up in a serene state of slumber. The Yorkie was oblivious to her newfound fame.
“If you only knew,” Sadie whispered.
Coco stirred slightly, stretched her front legs forward and relaxed back into a comfortable sleep, furry head resting on the velvet pillow in her portable palace.
Sadie let her head sink into the luxurious pillowcase on her own bed. What a lovely hotel she’d picked for the weekend, a definite plus to the trip. She wouldn’t mind delaying her departure, even just to enjoy the six hundred thread count linens. But how was she going to respond to this wacky turn of events? The show’s director and marketing manager simply assumed she’d say OK to their plan. Their enthusiasm had made them forget one little thing: to ask her if she actually agreed. There were logistics to consider, after all. She had her boutique to run, for one thing, though Amber would be perfectly fine running the shop alone. Having a capable assistant manager was the reason she was able to indulge in her adventures.
Like Coco had minutes before, Sadie stretched her arms and legs. She could stay in town without having to make too many arrangements. It would be easy to call or text Amber in the morning, or even pop a quick email her way that night. And, last but certainly not least, there was Coco to consider. That thought made her smile. Coco would be thrilled; she loved being the center of attention. With a few treats as incentive, Sadie was certain she could repeat the performance she’d put on that night. Just recapturing Nevada’s attentive pets on the head would do it.
Swinging her legs over the edge of the bed, Sadie reached for the phone and dialed “0” for the front desk. She was greeted by a gracious, professional voice on the other end of the line.
“Yes, Ms. Kramer, how can I help you?” This always surprised her, for some reason. As if the phone itself knew her name. There was no reason this should startle her. She knew perfectly well that the front desk phone displayed the room number and guest name when a call came in.
“I’d like to check your availability,” Sadie said. “I’m considering staying in town another night. Is there a chance this room would be open?” She paused, listening to the brief click of a keyboard. “Yes? Oh, how lovely. Go ahead and extend my stay. Thank you so much.”
There, that took care of that. Whatever decision she and Coco came to – of course she would discuss it with Coco in the morning – this gave her a reason to linger in Monterey. There was far too much intrigue surrounding Brynn Baker’s murder not to see how everything played out. An extra day would provide her with a chance to nose around a bit.
A sudden thought crossed her mind. Could there be a hidden motive behind either Sid or Mitchell’s eagerness for Coco’s participation in the show, such as diverting attention away from them? She pondered this. Sid could reasonably have had a motive for killing Brynn: anger because of her rejection. Or he could feel she only used him to get the part. Then again, he had cast her, so he must have thought she’d be best for the role. Why then would he want her gone? Still, anger was an unpredictable and powerful emotion. It wouldn’t be the first time fury drove someone to murder.
Mitchell was a different story. There was no possible motive there, at least not that she could see. Sure, he wanted angles to draw attention to the show, but murder seemed implausible, unless he’d had a personal grievance against Brynn that Sadie wasn’t aware of. That seemed unlikely. Unless…could he be the one Brynn had been seeing secretly? Sadie thought this over and ruled it out. Mitchell would have to be a darned good actor himself to keep that hidden from Sid.
A text from Roxy interrupted her contemplation. Stay. It will be fun. Sadie smiled. Yes, it would. She tapped back a response. Fine, but we’ll talk about Coco in the morning. Roxy’s turn: Agreed. Breakfast at 8 a.m. at Curtain Call.
Sadie put her phone on the bedside table and changed into pajamas. After the wild day, the bright pink flamingo pattern wasn’t likely to keep her awake at this point. She guessed right. As soon as she climbed into bed and turned out the lamp, she fell asleep.
* * *
Curtain Call wasn’t nearly as crowded as it had been the previous morning. The initial shock of Brynn’s murder must have worn off, and Coco’s stage debut must not have garnered the same kind of interest. A few solo diners read newspapers and sipped coffee at front window counters. Roxy sat at a table not far from the back wall. Sadie ordered a mocha café and a chocolate croissant, taking a bite before the clerk even handed over her change. How she missed the constant chocolate infusion from Matteo’s Cioccolato shop next door to Flair! Juggling her beverage, pastry and tote bag, she joined Roxy.
“You just missed the most interesting conversation,” Roxy said. She paused long enough for Sadie to swallow her bite of flaky croissant and prompt her to continue.
“Skip the dramatic effect,” Sadie said. “Spill it.” She took another bite of croissant and gazed appreciatively at the pastry. Maybe I should have purchased two…
“You’re not my first companion this morning.”
“Let me guess,” Sadie said. “Coop?”
“Nope.”
“Sid?”
�
�Wrong again.”
“Steven Spielberg.”
“Very funny.”
“Why?” Sadie smirked. “It wouldn’t surprise me if Sid and Mitchell are shopping Coco’s movie rights around by now.”
Roxy rolled her eyes. “It was Higgins.”
Sadie frowned, running the names she knew through her head.
“Detective Higgins,” Roxy said. “You know, the policeman. Get up to speed, Sadie. Have more coffee, or chocolate, or both.”
Excellent idea, Sadie thought. She cruised back to the front and ordered that second croissant. “OK,” she said as she settled back down. “What’s the story? Why track you down?” Sadie paused suddenly, croissant halfway to her mouth, hoping this was not a bad sign for Roxy. It hadn’t occurred to her that Roxy might be a suspect, especially since Russell’s arrest. But at this point, maybe Higgins considered everyone at least a “person of interest.”
“He wasn’t looking for me in particular,” Roxy said. “But, as you can see, no one else from the show is here this morning. So I guess I was his only target. Lucky me.”
“More information, please,” Sadie said. “What was he after?”
“He wanted to know if Russell was in the habit of loaning out his cell phone.” Roxy shrugged. “I said I had no idea. I mean, how would I know something like that? I’ve never borrowed it.”
“Any reason why he asked?”
“Apparently, someone sent a text to Brynn’s cell phone from Russell’s phone, but Russell insists he didn’t send it, and he said he lost his phone,” Roxy said. “Higgins wanted me to tell him if I’d seen anyone with Russell’s phone recently.”
“Sounds like he’s trying to confirm or rule out Russell’s statement,” Sadie said. “What did the text say?”
“He wouldn’t tell me. I guess that’s ‘need to know’ information.” Roxy sipped her coffee and continued. “He also wanted to know if I saw anyone go in or out of Russell’s dressing room during the rehearsal that night or earlier that day.”
“Did you?”
“No, of course not,” Roxy said. “As if I don’t have enough to do as it is during a rehearsal. I don’t monitor the dressing rooms.”
Sadie took another bite of croissant and then paused, pensive. “Who does monitor those rooms? Anyone in particular?”
“Not really. Coop goes in and out sometimes. And Freda, the wardrobe supervisor you saw moving that rack of costumes. And Penelope.”
“From the box office?”
“The one and the same,” Roxy said. “She cleans the backstage for extra money once or twice a week.”
“What about Sid or Mitchell or Ernie, any of the hotshots?”
Roxy shook her head. “Sid’s backstage sometimes, but Mitchell and Ernie have no reason to mingle with the lowly company members or do it rarely. When they come by, they usually stick to the lobby, or sit in the back of the auditorium itself. Ernie only comes backstage to pick Nevada up from rehearsals or to bring her coffee. Mitchell doesn’t hang around any part of the theatre very often. He’s usually just running around town working on publicity. Unless…” Roxy stopped talking and sighed.
“Unless what?”
Roxy pointed over Sadie’s shoulder. “Unless he’s chasing us down.”
Sadie turned toward the door and saw Mitchell entering. He plastered a wide smile across his face at the sight of the two women. Raising a finger to signal he’d be right there, he placed an order at the counter. Within sixty seconds, he was seated at the table.
“So, I have posters in the works, called in a favor with the local printers. We can have Coco’s photo dropped in later today before they print. I’ll need a headshot for the lobby – she has one, right?” Sadie opened her mouth, but Mitchell didn’t pause. “We’ll do an insert in the programs – no way to reprint those. And…what, Roxy?”
“For one thing,” Roxy said, “have you considered saying good morning to us?”
“Good morning.” Mitchell’s words came out semi-garbled as he took a huge bite of his muffin at the same time he spoke. He took a gulp of coffee to wash the bite down then uttered a few choice expletives once he realized how hot the coffee was.
“And for another thing,” Roxy continued, “you never asked Sadie if putting Coco in the show would be OK.”
“What?” Mitchell looked shocked. “What are you talking about? We all agreed last night.” His expression turned immediately to panic. He turned to face Sadie directly. “You can’t back out now, Ms…”
“Kramer,” Sadie said, not sure whether to be amused or annoyed that he’d already forgotten her name. After all, she was the new leading lady’s manager. “But ‘Sadie’ is fine.”
“All right, Sadie it is.” Mitchell grinned as if the two had just sealed the deal.
“Mitchell,” Roxy interrupted. “The only two people who decided this last night were you and Sid. You’d better ask Sadie. It’s up to her.”
A sudden, insistent yip emerged from the tote bag. Mitchell looked at the bag and raised an eyebrow.
“It’s actually not entirely up to me,” Sadie said. She broke off a tiny piece of croissant and dropped it into the tote. “Ask your potential star.”
“She’s not serious, right?” Mitchell said to Roxy.
“Sounds serious to me,” Roxy said, rocking back in her chair.
To his dismay, Sadie picked up the tote and set it in Mitchell’s lap. He gazed down into the bag and frowned. “You don’t really expect me to talk to him, do you?”
“Her,” Sadie corrected. “And Coco is very much her own dog. I’d ask if I were you.”
“Go on, Mitchell.” Roxy egged him on. “You do want this, don’t you?”
“Yes, of course.” Mitchell hesitated, and then looked over his shoulder.
“No one’s watching you,” Roxy said. “Go ahead, ask.”
Mitchell shook his head, and then leaned over the bag, reluctantly. “How would you like to be a star, you little…”
“Yorkshire terrier,” Sadie filled in. “Her name is Coco.”
“Probably Ms. Coco to you,” Roxy added.
Mitchell looked back up, rolled his eyes and, as if dared, leaned forward and addressed the bag again. “Would you like to be a star, Ms. Coco?” In a split second, Coco jumped up, paws flopped over the edge of the bag, and licked Mitchell’s face.
Sadie laughed, certain that Mitchell’s expression was the oddest mix of a cringe and a smile that Sadie would ever see.
CHAPTER NINE
Sadie and Roxy stood in the wings and watched the commotion. Coco sat patiently center stage inside an open picnic basket, head swiveling each time she heard her name from one direction or another.
“I’ve never re-blocked a scene to incorporate a dog before,” Sid said as he paced. “This is highly unusual.” He ran one hand through his hair and shot a look in Roxy and Sadie’s direction, as if they were to blame.
“Should I remind him this wasn’t my idea?” Roxy whispered to Sadie.
“Nor mine,” Sadie whispered back.
The cast of the picnic scene stood around, half irritated that they’d been called in for an emergency rehearsal, and half amused by the circumstances.
“If this were film, at least we’d have an animal trainer here to help out!” Sid exclaimed. This time he glared at Mitchell and Ernie, who sat in the front row of the theatre. Mitchell plastered on an encouraging smile, while Ernie simply gazed lovingly at the stage. Even from her position to the side, Sadie could almost see dollar signs gleaming in his eyes. She understood why. Not only did the producer finally have his favorite girl in the lead, he had seen ticket sales soar as the word got out about the unusual cast addition.
“Any suggestions, Roxy? Anyone?” Sid turned around in a circle, arms out to the sides.
“I’m not supposed to answer that, am I?” Sadie whispered.
Roxy shrugged. “I don’t know anymore. He looks pretty desperate to me. I’d say all bets are off.”
; “I don’t suppose he could get upset at me,” Sadie mused. “If I leave, Coco leaves.”
“Good point,” Roxy said. “Though not a good idea after those papers you signed today.”
Sadie sighed. It was true. She’d been amazed how lickety-split the show’s lawyer had sent over a contract for her signature. Not that she was dismayed, by any means. It had never occurred to her that Coco would get paid, and a pretty sum, at that. Enough for a trip to Palm Springs after the show ended, or New York, or New Orleans. Not quite enough to head off to Paris or London, at least not unless the show picked up the option on Coco’s contract and extended the production.
The option part had been confusing to Sadie at first, especially the fact the option was in the producer’s control, not for Coco herself (or Sadie as her manager) to decide. After all, Coco was their new star. The potential deal-breaker became a non-issue, however, once Sadie was able to negotiate a child-sized director’s chair with Coco’s name on it, as well as unlimited supply of chocolate lava cake for herself.
“I have a suggestion,” Sadie said. Sparkles of light glinted off her sleeve as she waved her arm at Sid. The black, long-sleeved blouse with wrist to shoulder rhinestones that she’d found at a local shop after breakfast had seemed the right combination of backstage frump fashion and stage mom couture. Granted, her position mostly consisted of monitoring the first aid kit and keeping Coco out of trouble now. But it was only right to dress the part.
“Yes?” Sid fought against a frown as muffled laughter echoed across the stage.
Sadie took a step forward, and then paused, looking at Roxy for permission.
“Why not? I think anything goes at this point.” Roxy extended an arm toward the stage.
“I think,” Sadie started and then paused, looking out into the theatre. She raised one glittering arm and shielded her eyes, momentarily forgetting why she’d even walked out onto the stage. “Wow, those lights are bright!” Another wave of soft laughter floated through the air. “How can you guys even see? Oh, I guess you can’t.” Sadie took a couple of steps toward the front of the stage, her eyes looking straight out into the auditorium, intrigued. Aside from Ernie and Mitchell, in the center of the front row, and two women to one side, she couldn’t see anything.
A Sadie Kramer Flair Mystery 02 - A Flair For Drama Page 5