AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“When he grabbed my arm, I punched him.” Eva lifts a defensive shoulder.
“He grabbed your arm?” I surge around the kitchen island to her side.
“Where?” the deputy asks.
Eva turns her left arm toward Brad. Faint finger-shaped bruises have begun to develop on her pale skin. My blood runs cold, and I suppress the urge to find Boitano and beat him to a pulp.
Brad nods and makes a note in his book. “May I take photos of your arm? For evidence?”
Eva agrees, and they move into the yard to use the natural light. Nica watches from the sliding glass door, her face troubled. “I’m sorry about this.”
I move close and put a hand on her shoulder. She leans in, her arm brushing my chest. The contact sends my blood fizzing through my veins, but I tamp down on my emotions. “It’s not your fault.”
“If I weren’t here, he wouldn’t be, either.”
I shake her shoulder gently. “He chose to come here. I don’t care why. He grabbed Eva’s arm. That’s all on him. No one should have to put up with that kind of behavior. If paparazzi were respectful, people wouldn’t hate them so much.”
She sighs. “Being respectful doesn’t get you the high-value photos. People like him don’t care about privacy or ethics. I kind of want the DA to press charges—he needs to learn he can’t behave like that.”
Brad opens the slider and motions for Eva to precede him through. “…finish the paperwork. You can pick up a copy of the report on Monday.” He glances at me, then turns back to Eva. “I’ll be honest. Worthington—the county prosecutor—probably won’t move forward on something like this. It takes too many resources away from bigger crimes. But if that weasel comes back, call me. And I’ll help with a restraining order, if you want to do that.”
Eva thanks Brad, and they shake hands. I see him to the door, pausing to look over my shoulder. The women are out of sight. I lean close and lower my voice. “What would you do?”
Brad looks up at me from under his thick eyebrows. “Exactly what you’re doing. File a police report. Watch out for the scum. I wouldn’t try to take matters into my own hands.” His lips press together, and he shakes his head a little. “Let me do my job. Any idea where this guy is staying? Maybe I can pay him a little visit.”
I shake my head in frustration. “No idea. He’s driving a rental car—shouldn’t be too hard to spot that.” I give him the make and model.
Brad puts his notebook away. “I’ll take a little ramble around town on my way back to the office. If I find him, I’ll strongly suggest he go back to LA or New York or wherever he came from.”
I clap a hand on the other man’s shoulder. “Thanks, Brad. Tell Tina we said hello.”
He tips his hat. “Will do.” He steps off the front stoop, then turns around again. “You don’t suppose your guest would sign an autograph for Tina, do you? When she heard about the musical, she was all—” He waves his arms overhead like Kermit the Frog.
I chuckle. “I’ll see what I can do for her.”
When I return to the kitchen, Nica and Eva have mugs of tea and cookies as they talk in low voices. They both look up when I walk in. Eva’s voice cuts out, and she shoves a cookie in her mouth.
“What mayhem are you two plotting?” I grab a glass and fill it with water.
“Nothing,” they say in unison, then laugh.
“No mayhem.” Nica smiles and lifts her mug. “We’re just two completely innocent women enjoying a cup of tea together.”
“Nothing to see here.” Eva waves her hand like Ben Kenobi. “These are not the women you’re looking for.”
I sip my water and snag a cookie. “I wonder where they went, then.”
“Who?” Eva asks.
“The women I was looking for. I was planning on taking them to dinner, but if they aren’t here…”
“Oh, look, we’re back.” Eva jumps from her stool and flings out her arms. “Father! I’ve missed you so! I didn’t see you there.”
“It’s a good thing you aren’t in the play. No one would buy that act.”
Nica shakes a finger at me. “Play nice, children. Let’s get some dinner.”
Chapter 24
