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pretty things are expensive. After a while it takes more cash to keep ‘em happy.” Deena gave Polly a tap on the arm. “Another reason to reclaim my virginity. What about you? You’re an international icon with boatloads of moolah! You don’t need to be here. What’s your sad sack story?”
    Polly took a long swallow from her champagne flute and heaved a heavy sigh. “Sure. Boatloads,” she repeated. “Well, at least oodles. Frankly, I took this gig to help out my old costar, Laura….”
    Deena instantly put up her two hands. “Don’t even mention that shrew while I’m trying to have some fun with an old friend.”
    Polly took Deena’s left hand and studied it for a moment. “I seriously doubt that Laura purposely cut that finger off,” she said, recalling the tragic week that Deena was a guest star on
The Polly Pepper Playhouse.
“Laura slammed her dressing room doors on everyone from Elizabeth Taylor to Rock Hudson to Mary Martin. I’m sure that she didn’t know your pinkie was in the way.”
    Deena shrugged. “Please! I’ve almost forgotten about
that
incident. I’m referring to what she did to Aaron Hanson and me.”
    “Oh, right. That sexy star from that dumb Disney Channel musical,
Remedial Rapper,”
Tim said.
    “Laura Crawford came along and ruined a very beautiful thing!” Deena added.
    Polly nodded, remembering the scandalous headlines. “Honey, stage mothers tend to keep an eye on their meal tickets,” Polly said, referring to Aaron’s parent/manager/publicist/agent, who made a public fuss about Deena’s relationship with her teenage son. “But I never quite understood how Laura got involved in the first place.”
    Deena took an extralong sip of champagne. “It’s no secret that Aaron isn’t exactly honor roll material,” she began.
    “With those deep dimples he’ll get all the straight A’s that life has to offer,” Tim said with a laugh.
    “Right you are.” Deena smiled. “Still, he should have known better than to let his dialogue coach take compromising pictures of him in the shower. Of course they’d turn up on eBay. After the dialogue coach got busted, the studio hired Laura to take his place on set. I’d already been tutoring Aaron—”
    “So to speak,” Polly interrupted.
    “But when rumors found their way to Laura Crawford, she raced to the rags and made a small killing selling me out. Speaking of killing … If ever I have the chance!”
    “On that salacious note,” Tim said as he signaled a waiter for the check, “you should attend one of Polly’s performances.” He provided Polly’s Zip ‘n Sip liquor pass and looked at Deena. “Your target will be center stage.”
    Placenta smiled. “Polly Pepper meets Jerry Springer. What a hoot!”
    “Nah, I’ll catch her when she least expects it. One day she’ll be indisposed and I’ll be right behind her. Of course it’ll never happen! I’m too old to get used to a flea-bitten mattress in San Quentin.”
    Deena walked out of the bar with Polly, Tim, and Placenta, and before blowing air kisses she said, “I know I’m on a very long wait list to take care of Laura. I’ll leave it to someone with a more inventive way for doing her in than my primitive idea of slitting her throat. Ta!”
    The quartet parted and walked away in opposite directions. Polly went to her theater, and Deena to the casino.

C HAPTER 3
    W hen Polly and her family arrived backstage at the Big Players Little Theater on the Promenade Deck, Arnie Levin and Tommy Milkwood were already waiting. Polly trilled, “Déjà vu!” as she embraced her two former costars.
    “I don’t see the lovely and talented Laura Crawford,” Tommy said snidely, looking at his watch and tapping his foot. “Where is that goof-off? She better not hold up the show for an entrance! She wouldn’t even rehearse with us earlier.”
    As Polly scuttled about, peeking out through the curtains into the nearly full auditorium, she called back, “It’s my fault