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She strode briskly back onto the set, ignoring Rima’s sly glances and pretending not to notice Jerry’s sympathetic ones. It took an hour to tape her brief scene with Rima, but finally it was over.
Claire insisted on going back to her apartment with her and by the time they reached it, Shannon was half convinced Cade would be waiting outside the door, ready to take her in his arms.
But the stairs and the hallway were empty.
Claire reached out and touched Shannon’s shoulder as they stepped into the apartment.
‘It’s freezing in this place.’
Shannon nodded. ‘Yes, I know. The heat’s not working’*
‘So throw some stuff together and come bunk with me,’ Claire said briskly. ‘We’ll do our nails and our hair and have girl-type fun together...’
But Shannon had already switched on her answering machine. Claire’s words faded into silence as Cade’s familiar voice spoke.
‘Shannon?’ he said, and then there was a pause. ‘I’m sorry,’ he murmured at last. ‘I wanted to tell you the news myself. It would have been better that way ...’
Then, at last, Shannon knew that everyone had been telling her the truth. Cade was gone.
A lancet of pain sliced into her heart. She snatched the machine from the table and hurled it across the room, killing Cade in a jumble of broken plastic and unwound tape.
And then the reality of it all swept over her, and. she buried her face in her hands.
‘I loved him,’ she whispered. ‘I believed in him… Oh, God, I want to die!’
Claire put her arms around her.
‘No way,,’ she said grimly, ‘It’s bad enough the son of a bitch killed Alana Dunbar. I absolutely refuse to let him take Shannon Padgett down the tubes, too.’
CHAPTER TWELVE
‘You'd think I’d remember whether you take cream in your coffee after three days, wouldn’t you?’ Claire asked, smiling as she padded into the dining alcove of her townhouse. ‘My head’s like a sieve.’
‘Black, thanks,’ Shannon answered. ‘Which reminds me—I stopped by at my apartment yesterday afternoon. Jose thinks the heating system will be fixed sometime today. I should be able to move back home this evening.’
‘For goodness’ sake, I didn’t mean to suggest it was time you left. Matter of fact, it’s been fun having you here.’ Claire grinned as she spread marmalade on a piece of buttered toast. ‘I haven’t had a roomie since my college days, and you’re lots more fun than she was.’
Shannon’s eyebrows arched above the rim of her cup. ‘Fun?’ she said. ‘There must be a word that describes the way I’ve been since Monday, but I’d bet my last cent that it wouldn’t be “fun”.’
Claire sighed and bit into her toast. ‘You wouldn’t say that if you’d known my room-mat
e.’ She munched in thoughtful silence. ‘You are one tough lady. Even Crawford’s impressed. He says you’ve been working your tail off, running rings around Rima and everybody else.’
‘Hard work is good for you,’ Shannon said blithely. ‘Didn’t anybody ever tell you that?’
‘They also told me you can’t put in twelve hour days if you pace the floor all night. Something’s gotta give, sooner or later.’
‘I’m not worried about it,’ Shannon said with a smile. ‘This is still “sooner”.’ The smile faded and she covered Claire’s hand with her own. ‘I’ve got to keep busy, Claire. Otherwise... I’ve just got to.’
‘Yeah, I understand. Uh, have you replaced your answering machine yet?’
Shannon drew her hand back and lifted her cup to her lips again. ‘What for?’ she asked carefully. ‘After all, you’re my agent. You handle all my business calls. I never really needed that thing in the first place.’
The agent took a deep breath. ‘Listen, sweetie,’ she said slowly, ‘you’ve got to talk to Morgan eventually.’
‘I don’t see why.’
‘OK, let’s put it another way. You’ve got to work with him again and, well, I saw that script, Shannon...’
