Death of a Bacon Heiress Read Online Free PDF Page B

“Do you have a list?”
    She did.
    In the front pocket of her slacks, which were at this moment being ironed.
    She had put it there last night before her cocktail hour (or hours) with Liddy and Mona for safekeeping because she knew she would be wearing those pants to the TV taping.
    She told Rhonda where her list was.
    â€œLily! Get in here!” Rhonda shouted.
    A preppy redheaded girl in a stylish top and designer jeans and wearing red-tinted wire-rim glasses suddenly appeared through a side door that connected to another room.
    â€œThere’s a piece of paper in Hayley’s pants that are being pressed right now. Go get it and hightail it over to the Whole Foods around the corner. Buy everything on that list and be back in ten minutes!”
    â€œRight!”
    She flew out the door.
    With a smile, Rhonda turned back to Hayley. “That’s Lily, my personal assistant. She’s so much more reliable than any of the idiot hipsters they got working on this show. Most are here because they’re the lazy spawn of some network executive or corporate sponsor. Lily’s different. She’s worked hard to get here.”
    Hayley still couldn’t believe all this was happening.
    She was in New York.
    Hanging with Rhonda Franklin in her dressing room.
    And they had just blown off Bradley Cooper.
    It was like a dream.
    She was jolted back to reality by something crawling up her leg.
    Startled, Hayley looked down to see a potbellied pig at her feet, his snout up underneath her robe, sniffing and snorting.
    Hayley jumped.
    Rhonda clapped her hands. “Pork Chop!” She bent down to pet the little pig.
    Hayley was impressed by Rhonda’s limber move given the bulk of her body.
    Rhonda lifted the pig and he nuzzled her ample breast. “How are you doing, my little piggly wiggly?”
    â€œThere he is! He’s always breaking free to explore!”
    A statuesque woman in a bar-code-print paneled silk dress with a feathery hat and dark sunglasses swept into the now crowded dressing room. She picked up the leash that was attached to a diamond-studded collar the pig had around his neck that was probably worth more than Hayley made in a year.
    â€œI hope he hasn’t been bothering you,” the woman purred.
    â€œYou know I love this pig!” Rhonda cooed, planting five kisses on top of the pig’s head. “Olivia, this is Hayley Powell, the chef I’ve been raving about.”
    â€œChef” was a fancier title than Hayley deserved. She just experimented in her kitchen on occasion and wrote about it.
    â€œA pleasure, Hayley,” Olivia said, holding out her hand, waiting for Hayley to take it. She quickly obliged and the woman continued. “I never miss reading your column when I’m visiting the island.”
    Hayley knew exactly who this woman was.
    Olivia Redmond.
    Heiress to Redmond Meats, the leading supplier of meat products in the country, if not the world, with a specific emphasis on bacon, their top seller. The family owned a sprawling estate on Mount Desert Island, which they opened to the public every Fourth of July for a catered barbecue that employed almost as many locals as the ones who attended as guests.
    Olivia’s father had passed away after a long illness not too long ago and she was left pretty much the whole enchilada, and was installed as the company’s new CEO. The Island Times did a story on how there was a lot of company infighting over Olivia taking over, but Olivia’s father had enlisted an army of lawyers before his death to insure his only living child became the sole heir and dominant shareholder, so there was very little the Board of Directors could do to stop it.
    Rhonda gave Olivia a light kiss on the cheek and handed Pork Chop back to his mommy. “So glad you could make it. How could we do a Salute to Bacon without you?”
    â€œWell, we’re running three ads during the show, so I’m sure the