Page 69 of Wicked Fortune

“Casual, but go with flirty. The more you get noticed the more Hardline folks will talk to you.”

“Okay, okay.” I nod, mentally inventorying my wardrobe. “This is great. Thank you.”

I’m supposed to hang with Matthew later tonight, so I’ll tell him that Clive wanted to spend some time, and that I’ll head to the treehouse after. Since Matthew didn’t say when he’d be back from Redlands, it makes sense that I’d make plans.

“Yeah, this is great,” I repeat. “You win the friend of the year award.”

“Well, good.” He fidgets with his straw. “But after I tell you the rest of it, you may want to take a few points off.”

I ease back in my chair, then narrow my eyes at him as I cross my arms. “What did you do?” Surely he didn’t tell anyone why I took this job. Panic bubbles inside me as I think about the squinty-eyed stare that Lila’s always aiming my direction. If she learns my true motive …

He glances sideways at Jonah, then winces. “I told him.”

I flash a half-smile at Jonah, then speak with clipped precision. “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with you taking a Hardline employee to one of the parties. I think it’s part of my job to understand all facets of the business. I’m sure Jonah doesn’t care that I’m really not supposed to be there.”

“Yeah, he doesn’t care about that,” Clive says, as I stare him down with the kind of glance that would kill if this were a superhero movie. “I might have mentioned that you’re trying to figure out what happened to Jenny.”

“For fuck’s sake, Clive. You promised.” My stomach twists as I turn to Jonah. “Whatever he told you, please, please don’t⁠—”

“It’s fine,” Clive says, holding his hands up as if I were pointing a gun. “Seriously, it’s okay. I’ve known Jonah forever.”

“And I knew Jenny, too,” Jonah says. “I liked her.”

I take a closer look at Jonah. I hadn’t given him much thought at first. All I’d really thought about was how to talk to Clive in a way that didn’t give my mission away.

I hadn’t expected that Clive had gone and done that already.

Now that I’m sitting here potentially exposed, I take a longer look at the guy whom Clive swears I can trust. He’s tall and skinny with wild red hair. Something about him tugs at my memory—a familiar set of freckles, a crooked, endearing smile.

Then it hits me—he looks a bit like the kid from that sitcom everyone watched back in the day, the one who played the wisecracking, trouble-prone little brother.

“Yeah,” he says, apparently realizing where my thoughts have gone. “I used to be on We’re All Family.”

“I remember you. But wow—you’re all grown up.”

“That’s the problem,” he says with a sigh, leaning back and giving Clive a quick grin. “Aging out of the cute-kid roles hasn’t exactly done me any favors. Transition’s been … let’s say ‘bumpy.’”

Clive nudges him. “Jonah here’s the one who told me he was shocked when he heard about Jenny.”

Jonah’s easy smile fades. “The Jenny I knew wouldn’t kill herself.”

“Not my Jenny, either.” I blink back tears. “How did you know her?” I dab a fry in ketchup as he answers, but I don’t eat it. I’m not hungry anymore.

He shrugs. “Oh, you know. We crossed paths at auditions and at the Hardline parties. Had coffee a few times and bitched about the industry. You know how it is. Banged a couple of times, too,” he adds with a blush. “Nothing serious, but I liked her. We had fun together.”

I wipe away a tear that’s escaped. “She mentioned you,” I tell him. “Not by name. She called you her Hardline FWB. Said you were a lot of fun.”

He nods, his shoulders hunching. “Thanks. Hearing that … it helps.”

“Is that why you came today? To meet another friend of hers?”

He shakes his head. “Listen, she wanted to make it, no matter what. Like, seriously ambitious. But if Moses appeared in front of her and said it wasn’t happening, she’d go off and do something else. Not kill herself over it. That girl had backbone. And she loved her life, her friends, all of it.”

“What are you saying?” I ask, though I know exactly what he’s saying.

“I’m saying that someone killed her. I’m certain of it.”

For a moment, his words sit heavy between us. Then I nod. “That’s what I think, too.” I consider telling him about the anagram letter, but I don’t. Maybe later if I can’t figure it out. But I need to stay under the radar, and if too many folks are poking around in Jenny’s death …