Read Online Death in Daytime by Eileen Davidson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Eileen Davidson
Tags: Fiction, General, Mystery & Detective, Women Sleuths, Actresses, Screenwriters, Television Actors and Actresses, Soap Operas, Peterson; Alexis (Fictitious Character)
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Marcy, and my coworkers did, too, I was in more trouble than I'd realized. I thought--or hoped--I was just another suspect. I hadn't wanted to believe Paul when he said I would be suspect number one, but now . . . I wasn't going to sit still for this. Bitch that she was, there must have been plenty of people who wanted to kill Marcy. All I had to do was find one of them. The right one.
Chapter 15
Paul was supposed to come over that night, but I begged off. I was feeling confused and still wasn't ready to put my faith completely in a man. Besides, I was mad enough to want to do this myself. Maybe foolish enough, too, but there it was. All I had to do was figure out how to conduct my investigation. I had called earlier in the day to check on Sarah. My mother said her fever was down and, in a tutu and sparkle shoes, she was tearing up the house, pretending she was a chick superhero. Girls will be girls. We all had dinner together, and later Sarah diligently put sparkle pink nail polish on both her toes and her stuffed Bunny Bear's toes. I asked my mother to stay for some tea and collusion.
"Alex, what are you doing?" she asked, when I explained the situation to her. "Just let the police handle it."
"Mom," I said, "the police think I did it. Don't you understand?"
"But that one detective said he didn't believe you were guilty."
"He's not the lead detective on the case," I said. "And besides that, I think he's a little bit of a whacko. He kept trying to call me Tiffany."
"Oh my," she said. "You've told me about people like that, who can't tell the difference between what's real and what's soap opera. And this is the detective who is actually on your side?"
"Tiffany's side, is more like it."
"Well then, what about Paul?"
"What about him?"
"Why not ask him for help?" she said. "Isn't this what he does?"
"Mom. I like Paul, but I just don't want to depend on him so much. It's too soon. And I feel like I'm not being fair to him."
"Alex . . ."
"What?"
"Paul wants you to depend on him."
"I'm not ready, Mom. We're doing just fine--you and Sarah and I are good on our own. I don't want her to get too attached. It's complicated. . . ."
"But you need him--"
"I don't need him! I can do this," I said. "I've watched so much court TV and cold-case shows I feel like I'm an expert. It's as if I've taken a course in it."
Okay, I know that sounded naive, but that's how I felt.
"How can you possibly know what to do next?"
"There are so many suspects," I said. "All I have to do is find the one who had the most to gain from Marcy's death."
"And how will you do that?"
"By talking to them."
"And if they won't talk to you?"
"I'll have to think of something else," I said.
"Interview their neighbors, their families or best friends."
"How would you like it if someone did the same thing to you?" she asked.
"They are, Mother," I said. "They're called the police."
"At least talk to a lawyer," she said. "Your cousin Jennifer's husband is a lawyer--"
"He's a tax attorney, Mom. Look, I just need your help with Sarah so that I'm free to move around until this is over."
"What about work?"
"We're almost caught up," I said. "I have two scenes tomorrow, then a day off and then the weekend."
"All right," she said, "I'll help you, but on one condition."
"What is it?"
"By the beginning of next week, if you haven't managed to clear yourself of suspicion, you'll get help. I don't care if it's Paul, or a lawyer, or whoever, but you'll get some help."
I smiled at my mother and said, "It's a deal."
"There's my girl," she said, reaching across the table and patting my hand.
And unexpectedly I suddenly felt like a little girl again. I grabbed my mother's hand and held it.
"Mom, why is it so easy for people I work with to think I could do this?" Mom, why won't the other kids play with me? No wonder I related to Sarah's pre-K
issues. She put her other hand over mine and said, "Honey, sometimes people just naturally rush to judgment without
Chapter 15
Paul was supposed to come over that night, but I begged off. I was feeling confused and still wasn't ready to put my faith completely in a man. Besides, I was mad enough to want to do this myself. Maybe foolish enough, too, but there it was. All I had to do was figure out how to conduct my investigation. I had called earlier in the day to check on Sarah. My mother said her fever was down and, in a tutu and sparkle shoes, she was tearing up the house, pretending she was a chick superhero. Girls will be girls. We all had dinner together, and later Sarah diligently put sparkle pink nail polish on both her toes and her stuffed Bunny Bear's toes. I asked my mother to stay for some tea and collusion.
"Alex, what are you doing?" she asked, when I explained the situation to her. "Just let the police handle it."
"Mom," I said, "the police think I did it. Don't you understand?"
"But that one detective said he didn't believe you were guilty."
"He's not the lead detective on the case," I said. "And besides that, I think he's a little bit of a whacko. He kept trying to call me Tiffany."
"Oh my," she said. "You've told me about people like that, who can't tell the difference between what's real and what's soap opera. And this is the detective who is actually on your side?"
"Tiffany's side, is more like it."
"Well then, what about Paul?"
"What about him?"
"Why not ask him for help?" she said. "Isn't this what he does?"
"Mom. I like Paul, but I just don't want to depend on him so much. It's too soon. And I feel like I'm not being fair to him."
"Alex . . ."
"What?"
"Paul wants you to depend on him."
"I'm not ready, Mom. We're doing just fine--you and Sarah and I are good on our own. I don't want her to get too attached. It's complicated. . . ."
"But you need him--"
"I don't need him! I can do this," I said. "I've watched so much court TV and cold-case shows I feel like I'm an expert. It's as if I've taken a course in it."
Okay, I know that sounded naive, but that's how I felt.
"How can you possibly know what to do next?"
"There are so many suspects," I said. "All I have to do is find the one who had the most to gain from Marcy's death."
"And how will you do that?"
"By talking to them."
"And if they won't talk to you?"
"I'll have to think of something else," I said.
"Interview their neighbors, their families or best friends."
"How would you like it if someone did the same thing to you?" she asked.
"They are, Mother," I said. "They're called the police."
"At least talk to a lawyer," she said. "Your cousin Jennifer's husband is a lawyer--"
"He's a tax attorney, Mom. Look, I just need your help with Sarah so that I'm free to move around until this is over."
"What about work?"
"We're almost caught up," I said. "I have two scenes tomorrow, then a day off and then the weekend."
"All right," she said, "I'll help you, but on one condition."
"What is it?"
"By the beginning of next week, if you haven't managed to clear yourself of suspicion, you'll get help. I don't care if it's Paul, or a lawyer, or whoever, but you'll get some help."
I smiled at my mother and said, "It's a deal."
"There's my girl," she said, reaching across the table and patting my hand.
And unexpectedly I suddenly felt like a little girl again. I grabbed my mother's hand and held it.
"Mom, why is it so easy for people I work with to think I could do this?" Mom, why won't the other kids play with me? No wonder I related to Sarah's pre-K
issues. She put her other hand over mine and said, "Honey, sometimes people just naturally rush to judgment without
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