Read Online Reason To Believe by Roxanne St. Claire - Free Book Online Page B

fingers along the front.
    “Looking for the bullet?”
    “Or a mark of it.” He found something, grazed his fingers over the spot, and turned as if he were imagining where it had come from. “I didn’t see the flash, but my gut says it was over there. Whoever shot at you missed by a mile. My guess is that was deliberate, or they’re a total amateur. Either way, it served a purpose.”
    “To get me to run.”
    “Yes. And to leave the door unlocked so he could get in and look…for something. Any ideas?”
    She made a conscious effort not to touch the ring she wore. “I don’t keep much jewelry in there,” she said vaguely. “I don’t wear anything too expensive on the show because it’s offputting to people. I never have any cash.”
    No one on earth knew what the ring meant to her. No one knew what she was—or wasn’t—without it. It certainly had no street value, since it was just an inexpensive gold band.
    If Chase suspected the prize was her ring—since she had risked both their lives to get it last night—he didn’t say anything or even glance at her hand.
    “What’s closer?” he asked. “Brian’s office or security?”
    “Burroughs Production on-studio office is right around the corner. If he’s not on the set of another show, he’ll be there.”
    As they walked, Arianna nodded to a few familiar faces, including one of the cameramen from her show. Instinctively she rubbed the ring, hoping. But Larry the cameraman, if he was her target, wasn’t thinking about a car he pushed off a cliff on a rainy night.
    “So what came first?” Chase asked, pulling her from her zone of concentration. “The show or the affair with the executive producer?”
    “It wasn’t an affair,” she said defensively. “Neither of us is married. We dated first, about a year ago, introduced by mutual friends. After we’d been together about a month he saw me do a reading, and bam, he had the idea for the show.”
    “What were you doing before that? Just private readings?”
    “I was…floundering about. Looking for a purpose.” She’d really been struggling with an inner battle: the desire to do what her mother had done, versus flat-out fear of death. Fear of death had won hands down. “And his idea seemed smart.”
    “It’s certainly profitable.”
    She glanced up at him. “The show’s doing well, yes. But Brian has the Midas touch. Every show he creates makes money. You wouldn’t know it by these humble offices,” she said as they arrived at an older building, “but this is just a tiny little part of his empire. He has two shows that tape here, and two at Paramount. He’s really, really successful.”
    He held the door for her. “So what happened? Why’d you break up? Professional differences?”
    “I guess you could call it that.” It was easier to blame it on the fact that he didn’t believe in her, and that had certainly added to her irritation. But the real reason they broke up was the reason Brian broke up with every woman after six months.
    No one could compete with the woman he really loved.
    “He handles the day-to-day production out of these offices. Out on Sunset, he has a dozen people who handle casting, syndication, and all the minutiae of his business. But you can usually find someone here. An assistant, who changes depending on the day of the week or the temp agency we’re using, and Carla, his PA—production assistant—on Closure, and another PA on the game show Spare Parts. Joel Zotter, our director, and some other crew members come and go.”
    But no one was around when Chase and Arianna walked into the little front office at the end of the hall. The three desks were cluttered with scripts and memos, but vacant. One computer was on, with a MetroNet logo screen saver dancing around.
    “I guess everyone’s out to—”
    Chase put his fingers over her mouth. “Shh.”
    She heard nothing. “What is it?”
    He shook his head hard, frowning as he listened for something.
    Then