by Trisha Grace
“Because you cheated.” She stuck her hands on her hips. All that fooling around was exhausting. “I need a drink.”
Keith grinned and led the way back downstairs and into the kitchen. “What would you like? Lemonade? Apple? Mango? Root beer?” he asked as he fumbled through the drawer he’d pulled out.
She stood next to him and frowned at the capsules before picking one up. “What’s this?”
His brows twitched. He grabbed the brown capsule labeled ‘root beer’ and a bottle off the counter. He filled the bottle with water from the tap, then went over to a silver machine. He stuck the bottle under the front of the machine and pressed down.
Bubbles rushed into the bottle.
He pumped the machine two more times, then pulled the bottle out. “Cool, huh.” He fitted the capsule over the bottle and pressed down on it. “And bam. Root beer at home.”
She laughed softly. “You sure have lots of toys at home.” She rubbed her hands together. “Let me try one.”
Keith took another bottle from the counter and handed it to her. “Choose your poison.”
“Hmm.” She looked at the capsules and decided on the lemonade flavor. “This is rather fun to watch. Do I have to pump it again?”
“It depends on how fizzy you like your drink.”
She pumped it once more, then pulled it out and pressed the capsule down over the top of the bottle. “Nice,” she said after taking a sip.
“So my bachelor pad isn’t that bad after all.”
“I never said it was.” She leaned against the counter and looked up at him. “Did you think I hated your place?”
“Don’t you?”
She smiled at him. “It is a bachelor pad, isn’t it? It’s filled with so many toys. But I never said it wouldn’t be fun to play with them.”
“So you wouldn’t mind living here.”
“I would. We’re not married.”
He rolled his eyes. “Besides that.”
She shrugged. “I wouldn’t mind living here.”
“So between Elena’s place and mine—”
“It isn’t a competition.”
“I’d still like to know.”
Sarah pinched her lips. How could she phrase her answer so that it wouldn’t upset Keith?
“You prefer her place.”
One of her shoulders twitched. “It just feels like there’s more space for me there.”
“You’re just staying in her guest room.”
“Right. Because she has one. From what I can see, you only have one bedroom. The other two bedrooms have been converted into a gym and a game room. And your room’s closet is like a showroom of your shoes …” Now that she thought about it, his place was filled with stuff. “You don’t have space for another person.”
She flashed a wide grin when he stared back at her with no expression. “I do enjoy the arcade room and your soda machine.”
“You’re right,” he said after a moment.
“Keith …”
“No, you’re right.” He flashed a grin back at her. “Let’s head back to Elena’s place before they think we’ve gone on the run.”
Chapter Eighteen
Keith was quiet throughout the drive back to Elena’s place. Sarah glanced over at him several times, and he always had a smile for her whenever their eyes met, but she couldn’t help thinking he was still upset over her comments about his place.
Perhaps she should’ve just lied.
She could understand why Keith had so much stuff. He didn’t have any while growing up.
For a child who had been homeless, who had to spend nights in a park when he and his brother couldn’t get into a shelter, Keith had come a long way. He had lots of money now, and he could get whatever he couldn’t have when he was young.
And she couldn’t be more proud of what he’d achieved. She loved that he could do and buy whatever he wanted. She loved that he could have fun without worrying about where he would get his next meal or if he would have a place to rest his head at night.
She was tempted to explain all of this to him, but the time for her to do so seemed to have passed.
Keith groaned when he turned into Elena’s place. “Spence, what are you doing?”
Sarah looked at the sleek black sports car parked behind Samantha’s black sedan. She wasn’t sure whose car it was, just one that screamed ‘bachelor.’ “I had an impression that Elena didn’t like Spencer.”
“The feelings were mutual.”
“So what changed?”
“An explosion.”
“What?”
Keith stopped his car behind Spencer’s and got out. Sarah had just gotten out of the car when another came up behind theirs. She recognized that car: it was Gina’s. She waved at Gina and went over to join Keith.
“I got news.”
“So do I.” Keith pulled out the brown envelope he’d stuffed in his back pocket.
Gina eyed the envelope. “Bad news?” She frowned when Keith nodded. “That doesn’t make sense—” Her mouth was open, and she seemed to have more to say, but she suddenly noticed the cars. “I supposed that belongs to Samantha. But,” she pointed at the black sports car, “whose car is this?”
“Spencer,” Sarah said.
“Spencer? What’s he doing here?” Gina didn’t seem to expect an answer from them. She turned and hurried toward the house. Once she’d keyed in the passcode, she walked right in. “Are you all right?”
Elena glanced over at all of them. “Yeah.”
Spencer straightened on the couch and looked over at them. “Hey.” He raised his hand and flashed a smile. “I thought I’d drop by to make sure everyone’s still alive.”
Elena rolled her eyes. “We got the video footage from your surveillance cameras. Samantha’s looking at them.”
Sarah pursed her lips. She felt awful that she and Keith had been having fun while Samantha had been working to prove their innocence.
“I got the paternity test back.”
Elena and Spencer straightened, while Gina headed toward the couch.
“And?” Spencer asked when Keith didn’t give them the answer straightaway.
Elena glanced between Keith and Sarah. “I’m sorry,” she said, but Sarah wasn’t sure who Elena was actually speaking to.
“You should let Samantha know.”
Keith nodded and went into the kitchen.
“Are you okay?” Elena asked Sarah when she joined them.
“Yeah.”
“Are you guys okay?”
Sarah nodded. “He thinks I hate his place.”
“What?” Spencer leaned forward so he could look right at her. “His place is awesome. Have you seen his game room?”
“I didn’t say it wasn’t.”
Gina cleared her throat. “Sorry to interrupt. But isn’t that kind of a small matter compared to being murder suspects?”
“Yeah.” Sarah would just find another time to talk to Keith about his place. Now wasn’t the time to worry about that. “You said you had news.”
Gina nodded. “There’s a rumor going around the crew members that Miriam was seeing someone on set.”
Spencer leaned back on the couch and hooked his hands behind his head. “Yeah. I’ve already told Keith about it. But nobody knows who. Excluding Keith and myself, there are five other actors in the main cast. I don’t know how many there are if you were to include the rest.”
“Well, there are things the crew members would discuss with me—” she paused and pointed to herself “—a mere assistant, and not you.”
“You’ve been gossiping,” Elena said.
“I have.” Gina wriggled her brows. “I was on the phone all yesterday, and here’s what I’ve gathered. Miriam was pregnant.”
Sarah nodded. No surprise there. Elena had seen Miriam’s sister with the pregnancy test and Samantha had already told them so; the autopsy had confirmed that.
“But she isn’t over six months pregnant,” Gina said. “Miria
m’s assistant overheard the detectives talking to Beatrice. The detectives say she was still in her first trimester.”
Sarah’s eyes widened. “Wait, then it can’t be Keith’s. He was in New York with me.”
Gina’s head bobbed up and down. “I can’t explain the results he got. Maybe Miriam bribed the lab.”
The corners of Sarah’s lips twitched, but Elena placed a hand on her lap, her brows puckered.
“Gina, are you sure? Don’t get Sarah’s hopes up only to say you got it wrong.”
“I’m sure.” Gina looked at Sarah. “Miriam’s assistant said Beatrice made a big fuss, shouting at the detectives that they were liars. She was insistent that the baby belonged to Keith. She said Miriam swore to her, but the detectives were adamant. The coroner was certain.”
Sarah sighed. She hadn’t realized the weight she had around her shoulders until now when it’d been lifted. She stood. “The baby isn’t his, so he didn’t have a motive.” And that was all that mattered.
Elena smiled as Sarah took off running toward the kitchen. She was glad Sarah and Keith didn’t have to worry about the paternity of Miriam’s child. Since landing in California, Sarah had been besieged by one madness after another. She deserved a break from all of this.
“There’s more,” Gina said, and Elena turned to her. “There are rumors that she wasn’t seeing an actor, but one of the production crew.”
Spencer laughed. “No way. I didn’t know Miriam well, but I know she was materialistic. There was no way she would be with a crew member. No offense.”
Gina rolled her eyes.
“So.” Spencer leaned closer to Elena. “Since the lovebirds are all right, do you want to have dinner with me?”
“No,” Gina answered before Elena could.
Spencer frowned. “I was asking Elena, not you.”
“And she isn’t interested.”
“What?” he asked Elena. “She makes the decisions about your love life, too?”
Gina opened her mouth to speak, but Elena shook her head. Gina nodded after a moment. “Do you need me for anything else? Like ordering takeout for you?” she asked, shooting a dirty look toward Spencer.
“I’m fine,” Elena said. “Thanks. And Gina, thanks for helping Sarah and Keith out.”
Gina shrugged. “I didn’t have anything else to do anyway.” She stood and grabbed her bag. “Call me if you need anything.”
Elena waited for Gina to leave before turning back to Spencer. “No, I’m not having dinner with you.”
“Why? Because your assistant disapproves?”
“I think you might’ve mistaken my concern for you as something more. I was worried when you were almost blown up by the explosives, but I only see you as a friend.”
“And friends can’t have dinner?”
A corner of her lips curled. “You know you’re looking for more than friendship, and I’m not interested in going to bed with you.”
He raised his hands. “I’m asking you out for dinner, not into my bed.”
She narrowed her eyes.
“Okay. Fine. Maybe I’m hoping that this may develop into something more.”
“It won’t.”
“How do you know?”
Elena shrugged. “I just do. I don’t feel anything for you besides concern for a friend.”
“Are you seeing someone else?”
“Not at this moment.” She’d dated on and off, but she hadn’t been in love for a long time. Probably since she broke her heart four years ago. She sighed softly, refusing to dwell on those thoughts. “I know that lots of actors, especially players like you, see me as a challenge. Getting me into bed became such a big deal just because I announced in an interview that I’m celibate.”
“I’m not trying to get you to do anything you don’t want to.”
“You just want to seduce me into wanting to sleep with you.”
“It isn’t that.” He ran his hand through his hair and clasped his hands together. “It’s just that day after the explosion …” He shook his head. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”
“You’ll find someone for you. I just want to make it clear that someone isn’t me. So, back to your first question: no, I don’t think it’s a good idea for us to have dinner together.”
“We had fun the last time.”
She nodded. “When you’re ready to share a meal with me as a friend, I’ll be there.” She smiled and stood. “I’m going back to my room to memorize lines. Stay as long as you want.”
She strode over to the stairs and went upstairs.
Once she was back in her room, she sighed softly. She did have fun over dinner. Perhaps she should give Spencer a chance. He was the complete opposite of Jake Owen, and that might just be what she needed. Someone completely different.
She shook her head. What was she thinking? Whatever decision she made about Spencer was her own. She and Jake were ancient history.
Keith walked over to the dining table where Samantha was sitting. She was in the same chair she’d been in that morning, and it looked as if she hadn’t moved from the table. “Samantha.”
She glanced up at him, her chin jerking to acknowledge him, then returned her focus to her laptop’s screen.
“I have the results of the paternity test.”
“Positive?”
He nodded.
“You should take another one, or we can just wait for the results from the sample you submitted to the detectives.”
“Why?”
Samantha’s lips curled. “Sit.” Her chin jerked again, this time toward the chair next to her. “You should see this.” She turned the laptop screen toward him, showing him footage of Miriam, Sarah, and him.
“She came over and gave me the envelope to do the paternity test.”
Samantha nodded. “That’s you giving her the cotton swab. And …”
“She drops the vial.”
Samantha shook her head and pointed at the screen. “Watch her hand. Your swab is in her right hand.” She drew a circle on the screen.
“She dropped another vial from her left.” He laughed once without humor.
“If she had to do that for the paternity test—”
“Then it isn’t mine.” He knocked his fist against the dining table.
“Keith.” Sarah came running into the kitchen. “The baby—”
“It isn’t mine.” He pointed to the laptop. “Samantha just—”
“I know.” She fell into his arms, and he pulled her tight against him.
Samantha cleared her throat. “Miriam’s still dead, and a child lost its life before it even had a chance to come into this world.”
Keith let go of Sarah.
“Right.” Sarah tucked her hair behind her ear, but still grinned at him.
He winked, then turned to Samantha. “Thank you.”
Samantha shrugged. “You hired me to find out the truth.” She closed the video application and pulled out the thumb drive stuck in her laptop. “You should get the video, along with the paternity test, down to Detectives Hodge and Wilkes. That way, they’ll be able to subpoena the biological father’s DNA from the private lab.”
“Don’t you want to keep this to yourself? Then you’ll get to solve the case,” Keith said.
“I’ve proven that you’re probably not the father of Miriam’s child, but it doesn’t let you off the hook.”
Keith arched his brow.
“You thought the child might be yours. Miriam being dead would’ve saved you a lot of trouble and money.”
“But the child isn’t his,” Sarah said.
“But he thought it might be. He didn’t know until now that it isn’t. So technically speaking, he could’ve murdered her then, thinking it would solve his problem.” Samantha dropped the thumb drive onto Keith’s opened palm. “Taking the evidence down is a goodwill gesture. Perhaps it’ll take a bit of heat off you.”
Keith nodded.
“But don’t talk to them unless yo
ur lawyer is present.”
“For an ex-FBI agent, you sure don’t seem to trust the law.”
“I just know how words can be twisted.” Samantha closed her laptop. “As for you,” she turned to Sarah. “The camera guy spoke to the police. I’m sure they have no reason to harass you anymore. Still, don’t talk to them without a lawyer present.”
“Okay,” Sarah said, nodding.
Sarah sure took Samantha’s instructions well enough. He should get Samantha’s number. If he ever got into trouble with Sarah, maybe he could ask Samantha for help. Then again—he looked over at Samantha—she didn’t look like someone who would help him if he were in the wrong.
He supposed he’d just have to rely on Elena, which meant he would have to continue being nice to her. And that meant he would have to get rid of Spencer for her. He exhaled heavily through his nose. Sorry, Spence.
Chapter Nineteen
Sarah was seated in Keith’s chair, right between Elena and Samantha, while Gina stood behind them. She felt terrible sitting since she was supposed to be an assistant, but Gina had rolled her eyes and told her to sit.
The set was particularly crowded today. Usually, only the crew members and the actors needed in the current or next scene sat behind the cameras.
But it seemed everyone was suddenly interested in watching every scene get filmed, which suited Samantha just fine since she was there to observe people.
“Is Keith on the way?” Elena asked.
Sarah nodded. “Yeah. He sent me a text.” Just as he had last night. She’d called him, but he hadn’t picked up. An hour later, he texted her to apologize for missing her call and let her know he was going to bed and would meet her at the studio this morning.
Elena put the script down on her lap. “Is everything all right?”
Sarah sighed softly. “I don’t know.”
“Is he still being petty about you preferring my place?”
Sarah laughed softly. “I hope that’s what he’s upset about. I have the feeling he’s hiding something.”
“Don’t.” Elena turned when one of the production crew walked by, her eyes following the female crew member in a white and blue sleeveless chiffon top and jeans. “Don’t create more problems in your head. You guys just made it through a storm. Don’t head right into another one. Talk to him before your mind starts going wild.” She stood and said, “I’m sorry. Excuse me for a minute.”