“Of course I know,” she whispered tightly. “But nobody else is supposed to know.” Her eyes were filled with suspicion. “How did you find out?”
“Randy told me.” Judging by the expression on Angie’s face, she wasn’t thrilled to hear that. “Look at the time!” I exclaimed. “I’ve gotta get back to the set.”
She grabbed my arm and pulled me off to the side. “Not so fast there, missy.”
“All right, all right.” I scanned the area to make sure we were alone. “I happened to overhear him talking to Tom and Walter. And when Tish was attacked, they hired Derek’s company to provide security for everyone here, but mostly for Randy.” I didn’t mention that security-wise, Derek’s priority was me.
Angie nodded. “So what’s the confession?”
It was my duty as a girlfriend to spill my guts, even if it made her angry. “When we were making a list of possible stalker suspects, I mentioned your name.”
“Me?”
I grimaced. “I’m sorry! But I’ve seen you get so annoyed with Randy. With some people, that would be enough to set them off.”
“Oh, he gives me grief, for sure.”
She was silent for a moment, just long enough for me to wonder if she’d been telling the truth. Was she really dating Randy? Maybe she was delusional. Maybe she really was stalking him. This could get ugly.
On the other hand, if it was true and she was dating Randy, she could be in danger. What if Randy’s stalker found out about their involvement? Would he—or she—go after Angie? The thought made my stomach lurch in fear.
Her bottom lip began to quiver. “I thought you liked me.”
“What? No. Don’t do that!” She was going to cry! I grabbed her arm. “I do like you. But love can make even the smartest people go a little crazy. And how was I supposed to know you guys were seeing each other? Randy never said a word. Oh, God, please don’t cry.”
Angie slowly grinned. “Gotcha.”
I gaped at her. “You are a sick puppy.”
“Maybe,” she said, laughing. “But you’re so gullible.”
Staring at my hands, I said, “I deserved that.”
“A little,” she said, chuckling. “You can make up for it by telling me who else is on your list.”
“No way.”
“Oh, come on.”
“Nope. I refuse to embarrass myself further. It’s all guesswork at this point, anyway.” Besides, I’d already said too much. I trusted her, but I should’ve kept my mouth shut.
She checked her watch and stood. “Damn it, I’ve gotta get onstage. Otherwise, I’d stay here and torment you until you told me everything.”
“Gosh,” I said brightly, “you’d better go, then.”
She walked away laughing.
My laugh faded fast as I worried about the possibility of her being in danger. I rushed off to find Derek. He would have to add Angie to the growing list of people needing protection from a stalker who was getting more dangerous every day.
? ? ?
Later that afternoon, Derek and I were both working in the dressing room. I was munching on a chocolate peanut butter granola bar when Inspector Lee called.
“I won’t say it’s good news or bad news,” she began.
“That means it’s bad news,” I said, glancing at Derek.
“Not necessarily. Gary Jones, better known as Grizzly, was arrested near Daly City last night.”
“Really?” My neck and shoulder muscles relaxed instantly. “That’s great news.”
“No, it’s not,” she said sharply. “They let him go.”
“What? Why?” My poor neck ached all over again.
“A technicality,” she muttered. “They didn’t have the latest updates on their computers or some such crap. Something fell through the cracks.”
I slumped down, resting my elbows on the dressing table. If my mother were here, she’d have given me the look. No elbows on the table. “Damn, I hate cracks.”
“You and me both, Wainwright.”
I stood and stomped my feet on the carpet, too antsy to just sit there. “Can’t you assign someone to follow him around so we’ll know if he’s coming near me?”
“That would be nice, wouldn’t it?” she said pleasantly.
Derek crossed the room and spoke clearly into the speaker. “Nice, but not necessary, Inspector. Brooklyn will have my protection twenty-four hours a day until the bugger’s behind bars for good.”
I kissed him soundly on the cheek. “Thank you. My hero.”
“Aw, that’s adorable,” Lee said. “I’m going to go lose my lunch now.”
Derek laughed. “Keep us posted, Inspector.”
? ? ?
Inspector Lee called again on Derek’s phone four hours later. We were in the car, driving home from the studio. He was wearing his Bluetooth and answered, listened, and began to swear a blue streak. When he hung up, he looked grim.
“What in the world happened?” I asked.
“Larry Jones is out on bail.”