Hot Secret Read Online Free PDF

arrest-and-conviction record that was the envy of his peers and kept him on the good side of his superiors despite his troublesome tendency to question authority. Whatever his reasons for coming, Molly was very glad to see him. At times like these, it never hurt to have a staunch ally who knew the ins and outs of a murder investigation. She was not about to let him know that, though. A woman deserved to keep some secrets, after all.
    Michael dropped into the chair just vacated by Sergeant Jenkins, waved her back into her own chair, and pinned her with that intense, brown-eyed gaze that had the ability to make the most reluctant witness spill his guts. It had an entirely different effect on her, but she was trying like the very dickens to ignore it.
    “Fill me in,” he suggested.
    When he asked a question in that tone, she knew enough to cut to the bottom line. “Someone shot Gregory Kinsey in the head.”
    “Kinsey is?”
    Molly regarded him incredulously. It frequently astonished her that not everyone followed the film industry as closely as she did. “He is …” She corrected herself: “He was one of the most talented new directors in Hollywood.”
    She listed his string of smash box-office hits. No sign of recognition flickered in Michael’s eyes. Shehad a hunch if she added Greg’s list of female conquests, he might have better recall.
    “How long’s he been in town?” he asked.
    “Production started the beginning of June. He was here a week or so before that. He made one or two trips prior to that to set things up.”
    “Not long enough to make any enemies, then?”
    “None I’m aware of. He was a perfectionist, which could set some people off, I suppose, but generally he was pretty easy to get along with.”
    “Into drugs?”
    “Careful, Detective. You’re guilty of stereotyping. All those Hollywood badasses do cocaine, right?”
    “Just covering all the bases. Drug deals gone wrong account for a lot of untimely deaths around here.”
    “Believe me, I’m no expert, but from what I saw Greg was as straight as they come. The only things that made him high were great lighting and a perfectly delivered line.”
    “Anybody blow their lines today?”
    Molly scowled.
    “Okay,” he said without the faintest hint of regret, “let’s assume for the sake of argument that the killer is most likely someone connected with the film. Has Kinsey been coming down hard on anyone in particular?”
    Molly was amazed at how quickly they fell into their old routine of tossing around ideas and evidence. “I’ve gone over and over Greg’s interaction with every crew and cast member since the minute they arrived on location. I haven’t been on the setevery minute, but I think I have a pretty good idea of the dynamics.”
    “And?”
    “On the surface, every single person involved seemed to regard Greg with a certain amount of awe. When people had legitimate gripes, he listened. Once he made a decision, though, it was final and everyone knew it. Only Veronica dared to argue with him. Believe me, though, she could hold her own without resorting to shooting someone. Everyone connected with GK Productions had a vested interest in keeping Greg alive. As for Veronica, she had more to lose than anyone else if Greg didn’t finish this picture.”
    “Then why is this Veronica the one Jenkins is zeroing in on?”
    “I don’t think he is anymore, at least not exclusively. I tried to set him straight. Veronica was with me at the time Greg was shot. He was still alive when she left that trailer. I heard him shouting after she’d slammed the door and started across the street.”
    “Then why’d she skip?”
    “How do you know that?”
    “They put out an APB on her while I was driving over here. Innocent people don’t usually run.”
    “Maybe she figured they’d blame her and got scared. Maybe she just got fed up with waiting and left before she even realized anything had happened. There’s only one way to find