"No, you shut up!"
Lauren and Amelia faced each other angrily and I waited, frozen, wondering if I should jump in and add another body between the three remaining band members. Then I remembered I had bigger news. News that could make me the next target for a candle or vase, or whatever else lay within reach.
"Actually, we told you about the news of your marriage breaking as a courtesy," I informed the quiet, tense room. "We're trying to prevent it from getting out, but it's unlikely we'll succeed. As far as secrets go, I don't see it as one that's too damaging. With good PR, you could spin it easily."
"Great. Just great." Amelia crossed over to Joe and flopped next to him on the couch. He took her hand, raising it to his lips.
"I don't care, honey. I'm with you all the way."
"I love you, kissyface," said Amelia, puckering her lips before they kissed.
"I'm not convinced," said Shelley. "I still think he's gay."
Joe turned to her. "I'm not gay. Your gaydar is off."
"My gaydar is definitely on," said Shelley, "I told you that already. I'm not proud of hiding my past. It's just that no one needs to know about it."
"Lexi's right; we could stay together," said Lauren. "This might not be over yet. That will teach the blackmailer they can't mess with us!"
"You can do some damage control," Solomon agreed. "But our other news is not as easy to fix, and it might bust up the band."
"You discovered Lauren's secret too?" Amelia said. "Finally! There's no way to spin that story."
"Actually, no. We discovered your other secret."
Shelly's jaw dropped and her eyes widened. "Amelia has another secret! You sneaky bitch! I thought you were so freaking boring!"
"I don't have any other secrets," said Amelia, frowning. "What are you talking about?"
"This." I reached into my purse and pulled out the photo I had Lucas print before we left the agency. It was an eight-by-ten and Amelia's face was clearly turned to the security camera. Sure, the print was a little grainy, but it was definitely she.
"What is this?"
"This is a photo taken in the Cayman Islands when you opened a bank account."
"I never opened a bank account in the Caymans."
"Yes, you did," said Solomon, taking over. "This was taken eight months ago at the bank, and we also have flight records of you taking a plane out there and flying back the next day."
"You went to the Caymans without telling me?" Joe asked.
"No, they're talking crap," said Amelia, looking at us, a direct challenge in her eyes.
"Here're the flight manifests," replied Solomon, passing the printed sheets to Joe. He took them, and briefly perused them before looking up in confusion.
"So she spent a couple of days in the Caymans? So what?"
"Well, she opened an account while she was there and we've matched the account to the same one the blackmailer is using for the cash deposits demanded from the band."
"They're using Amelia's account to steal her money and the band's?" Joe asked, the strain on his face showing more than hope.
"No," I said slowly.
"What exactly are you saying then?" he asked, looking from me to Amelia.
"Don't do this," said Amelia, "Please, Lexi? Solomon?"
Joe sat forward, twisting towards his wife. "Honey, what's going on?"
"Oh, man, you're so dumb. I worked it out already," said Shelley. "Lexi, tell them."
"Oh!" said Lauren, her mouth dropping open in surprise as she stared at Amelia. "No way!"
"No," Amelia pleaded. "Please..."
"Amelia, you're the blackmailer," I confirmed.
"Amelia?" Joe's face screwed up as he gaped at her. "They've got this wrong. No, you've got this wrong. Amelia's been set up. This must be... it's got to be some kind of mistake. Right, honey? I thought it could be but no... not you." Amelia remained silent. "Honey?"
"They're right," Amelia said softly. "I'm the blackmailer."
Solomon stepped forward and caught the candlestick that flew from Shelley's hand towards Amelia. Without a word, he placed it on the credenza. "Tell us everything," he said, "and we might be able to help you."
Amelia took a deep breath, and just when I thought she would clam up, the whole story emerged from her lips. "I hate being in the band. It was fun the first couple of years. We made a lot of money and the parties were great, and all the stuff people gave us. All that cool designer stuff and the fans everywhere..."
"It was just awful," said Lauren sarcastically.
"Shut up!" said Amelia.
"Yeah, let the bitch talk," said Shelley. "I'm gripped. Now, spill."
"I would if you'd just..."
Solomon cut in. "Quiet!" he yelled. "Amelia, keep talking. Everyone else, don't say a word!"
"I wanted to do other things. Write and perform new material, but management wouldn't let me. Everything had to fit the image they wanted for B4U and they said my lyrics wouldn't be used unless they were all cute and poppy. They stifled me creatively. I have all these amazing songs, and I can't even release them for free without getting my ass sued." She topped, breathing heavily. "And then they hired Joe and we got closer and closer..."
"She was so wonderful," said Joe. "But I couldn't get involved with her without losing my job. We tried to resist it, but I loved her so much."
Amelia clasped Joe's hand between hers. "My contract is virtually unbreakable unless I got fired and they would never do that. I write most of our material. Without me..."
"You're totally replaceable," said Shelley. "You think you're the only one who can write? Get over yourself!"
"Zip it!" Solomon waved Amelia to continue.
"Joe and I fell in love. Then last year, I got sick. I told management and they gave us all a few months’ vacation..."
"And you told everyone that you were holed up, writing material for the new album," I said, vaguely remembering a report last year in an entertainment magazine.
"Yeah, except I was really having chemo. I had early stage leukemia. I was really lucky. One bout of chemo and I went into remission, but if finding Joe wasn't a huge wake-up call, this was! I overcame an early death, but I couldn't get out of this damn band. We started talking about getting married and having kids before it was too late, but I knew management would never let it happen. They want all of us to date boy bands, not our managers, or in Shelley's case, other chicks."
"So you decided to get out?" I guessed.
Amelia looked up and nodded. "Yeah. There was no clause for me to get out, but management had a whole bunch that allowed them to get rid of any one of us at their discretion. It was so unfair! We're just cash cows to them! They don't care about us! I knew if the band had huge issues, they would fire me at least. If I got released from my contract, I could get my life back."
"So you found out everyone's secrets and began to blackmail them, hoping the friction would be enough to destroy the band?"
"Yeah, or releasing our secrets."
"Why didn't you come to me?" asked Joe softly. "I could have helped you."
"No, you couldn't. We talked and talked about it. We went over every contract and there was no way out, except for me to get fired!"
"What about us?" asked Lauren, looking appalled. "Why didn't you tell us?"
"I don't know!"
"You stole our money and now we're all going to get fired," said Shelley. She reached for the open bottle of wine on the coffee table and poured a large glass, knocking it back almost as quickly.
"I didn't spend a cent, I swear. I'll get it back to you."
"You better!" said Lauren. "You have no idea what you've done."
"You'll get every penny! I'm so sorry, I..."
"Save it," Lauren snapped. "I don't want to hear how awful your life is. I'm sorry you got cancer, but you treated us all like shit. You knew our secrets and you used them against us while intending to ruin our lives. Don't protest! That's what it comes down to, isn't it, Amelia? You weren't just going to ruin your
career, you intended to ruin ours too."
"Looks like she succeeded," added Shelley, raising her second glass. "Cheers, Amelia. I officially hate you more than I hate Katya now."
"Which brings us to the next thing," said Solomon. "We've been looking for a connection between the blackmail and Katya's murder..."
"Whoa, guys! Wait! Nuh-uh! I had nothing to do with Katya's murder!" Amelia wailed as Joe looked at her, shocked.
"Can you prove where you were at the time of Katya's murder? So far, we have no alibi for you," I told her.
Joe's shoulders dropped, relaxed. "Actually, that's not a problem. I can give her an alibi."
"We know where you were," I told him. "I saw you and I know you've been lying to us and the police."
"Yeah, I know, but I couldn't tell you who I was with. You accused me of kissing a girl and I had to make up a bullshit story about being in another place."
"Yeah, we knew that was a lie," said Solomon.
"You should have taken lessons from Amelia. She's an awesome liar," said Lauren. "So who are you boning behind your wife's back?"
"It's not like that, Lauren. I made up my alibi because I couldn't tell you I was with Amelia. Like she said, I could be fired for having a relationship with her."
"You're married," I pointed out. "Plus, I saw you with a short-haired woman and Amelia was spotted downstairs prior to the murder."
"Oh hell," said Amelia, running a hand through her hair. In one swift tug, she pulled it off, revealing a cool, pixie crop. "My hair fell out and I've been wearing a wig while it grows back. I don't always wear it when I think no one's around. And yeah, I was downstairs but only for a few minutes. Joe and I steal any opportunity we can to be together."
"It suits you. It's the new you," said Joe, stroking his wife's hair, and they kissed.
"This just keeps getting better," said Shelley. "I knew it was a wig! Didn't I say that, Lauren? I said she wore a wig! I'm waiting for the moment you reveal your Adam's apple."
Amelia breathed hard through her nose. "For the last time, I'm not a..."
"Okay, move on. Lexi, does this look like the woman you saw?" Solomon asked.
I nodded as I assessed Amelia's surprising, new look. It suited Amelia far more than her long hairstyle did. In fact, the pixie crop accentuated her great cheekbones and widened her eyes. Even better for her and Joe, she was definitely the woman I saw him with. "Yeah."
"So you two have a solid alibi, thanks to Lexi," Solomon told them.
"But we're still going to get exposed in the press tomorrow," said Amelia. "At least, this is almost over."
"Think of it this way," I told her. "You're getting exactly you wanted. You're out of the band; and as for the rest of you, the blackmail letters stop and Amelia will return all the money she took."
"I am sorry," she said, looking at Shelley, then Lauren. "I hate the band, but I don't hate you two. I made a huge mistake in the blackmail and I'll make sure you get paid back. Within the hour, I promise. Maybe the band can go on with just you two?"
"B2U sounds stupid," said Shelley. "We're screwed. At least, I have an alibi. Did that asshole, Josh Alvarez, tell you he saw me at the warehouse? I forgot I left the hotel and got the car service. Like, a thousand people saw me. So we all have alibis except... oh!"
We all turned to look at Lauren.
"Oh shit," she whispered.
Chapter Eleven
"This is like a soap opera in our backyard!" Lily spooned another glob of ice cream into her mouth and stared, riveted, at the TV screen. We were watching the E! News anchors discussing Amelia and Joe's secret wedding. The segment began five minutes ago and already, we'd seen a montage of photographs starting from Amelia's first break, when she played a high schooler in the B4U TV series, to leaked photos from their quiet Vegas wedding.
"The dress is pretty," I said, as another shot of the happy couple flashed onto the screen.
"It's amazing how undiscovered photographs always seem to turn up for a story. How do they do that?"
"I think it begins with an 'm' and ends in a 'y'."
Lily screwed up her forehead. "Marry?"
"No! Money!"
"Oooh! Well, duh, sure. But you're right. The dress is lovely. How'd she get that on the quiet? That looks high-end."
"I have no idea."
"I thought you asked all the critical questions. What happened to, 'Who designed your dress?' or 'What kind of frosting did you get for the cake?'"
"Those things slipped my mind," I told her. I was remembering how the focus switched so swiftly from Amelia’s confession and reasoning for the blackmail plot to the knowledge that Lauren was now the only band member who had no alibi for Katya's murder.
"Is that... Ohmygosh! It is! It's Shayne Winter from the Gazette. Look! Isn't that the band's hotel?"
We watched as the screen split from the studio to a location in Montgomery. Shayne was dressed up since the last time I saw her in the unshapely maid's uniform. Wearing a form-fitted, belted jacket and perfectly styled hair, she beamed at the camera. Lily grabbed the remote and turned up the volume before reaching for another cookie, which she mashed into her ice cream.
"Yes, hi everyone, we're here live in Montgomery where I first revealed the fascinating secret Amelia Toren has managed to conceal for the past year. B4U's biggest star married their manager last year in a super secret, and very chic ceremony in Vegas, away from the prying eyes of the paparazzi that follow B4U's every movement."
"Can you tell us if any members in the band were in attendance?" asked the anchor.
"I can confirm that they probably were not. In fact, we're not even sure they knew about the whirlwind romance and ensuing secret nuptials. It looks like Amelia and Joe had them all fooled!"
"Do you think our secret couple were involved with Katya's murder?" the anchor continued.
"I totally asked you that already!" yelled Lily. "Everyone wants to know the answer to that!"
Shayne ran a hand through her hair as the breeze caught it, whipping it slightly around her face. "I can't tell you that, but I can tell you this band had more than one huge secret they kept from each other, which are only starting to unfold now."
"What does she mean by that? What secrets?" asked Lily, turning to me.
"I want to know what she means by ‘unfolding’," I said, wondering if I should have been more worried. The band had plenty of big secrets; and it was only a matter of time before the press dug deeper into their background. Stories about Katya's tragic life had already begun to appear. They ran a shot of Katya across the screen before flashing back to Shayne.
"What kind of secrets?" the anchor asked.
"I can only confirm that there is another secret Amelia has been keeping from the world," said Shayne, sounding ridiculously perky and obviously enjoying her brief moment in the spotlight.
"What's that, Shayne?" asked the anchor.
"Not only is Amelia married, but she's also several years older than was previously reported. That means Amelia was never a teen queen; and already in her early twenties when B4U's first TV series aired!"
"Thank you, Shayne, for joining us from Montgomery." The anchor turned her slender frame to the camera as the screen filled with the studio shot. "That was Shayne Winter, reporting on the dramatic turn of events in Montgomery where B4U are taking a mid-tour break in order to film their latest video. Of course, that video project is now, most likely, being shelved, due to the horrific murder of their beloved band mate, Katya Markova. So far, no arrests have been made, but we were informed there are private investigators on the scene, along with local police and the FBI! We'll return with more breaking news on the case. And now onto..."
I reached for the remote and switched off the TV. "I thought the media circus was already in town, but this was so much worse. They practically threw honey to all the buzzing reporters with the lure of hidden secrets."
"Yeah. Sucks to be you."
"I'm starting surveillance on Lauren tomorr
ow."
"Why? More importantly, can I come? Not too early though. Maybe starting at midday or something?"
I thought about it. Lily and I hadn't spent a lot of time together lately, and I missed her. It surprised me when she took no convincing to come over for the evening, but that could have been because I was lucky and she just finished work. I grabbed the bottle of wine from the table and offered her a glass, saying, "Actually, yeah, that would be great. Watching Lauren will be easier with two of us."
Lily waved away the wine. "No, thanks, I'm driving. I've been reading up on B4U. Did you know Lauren got her high school diploma a year early? Or that she plays four instruments, including piano at concert level?"
"I didn't know either of those things," I confessed. There was only so much digging into a person's background I could do. I knew some of her financial information. I knew she had a driving license, but no car, and I knew she had a killer wardrobe. Unfortunately, I didn't know if she was an actual killer. All those other little details that Lily knew were public information if anyone cared to dig far enough back. Despite all that I didn't know, I did know a couple of pertinent things. One, the outcome didn't look good for Lauren, since she didn't have an alibi; and two, I had direct access to her. I fully intended to use that while I investigated-slash-stalked her.
Immediately after Shelley drew attention to Lauren's missing alibi, Lauren clammed up and our meeting was over. After we agreed Joe's dejected request that we stay on the case, Solomon and I left. We agreed in unison that we needed to find out who Michael was, and what Lauren got up to when she thought no one was watching. While Joe groveled to his bosses, we needed to find out if Lauren was involved in Katya's death. Even I had to admit that despite the discovery of the secret passage, Lauren was still the only viable suspect.
"Have you ever heard the name Michael in relation to Lauren?" I asked, since Lily appeared to be the fountain of B4U knowledge.
"Michael? No, I don't think so. Why?"
"Just a name I heard mentioned."
"Okay. Well, I have to go home." Lily checked her watch before scooping the last of the ice cream into her mouth and grabbing another cookie. "I have one hour before Jord gets home."
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