Dark in Death (In Death 46)

The wind blew and with it brought the scents of soy dogs, hot pretzels, roasted chestnuts. The urban street banquet. She caught Peabody’s head swivel toward a smoking glide-cart.

“After,” Eve said.

She badged the guard at the theater door, crossed the empty lobby. She paused at the back of the house as music swelled and the woman onstage finished up a number in a belting Broadway voice.

She ended it with her arms raised high, her head flung back.

Then she dropped her arms, shot out a megawatt smile as one of the three seated in the center of the house applauded.

“Thank you!”

“Thank you, Jessilyn. Or should we say Sadie.”

“Oh God.” She clasped her hands together. “I got it? I got it?” On a throaty laugh she circled the stage in pirouettes. “Oh my God.”

“She looks enough like Rylan to be her sister,” Peabody commented.

“Yeah. Take the three, and I’ll start with her. Let’s see what we get.”

7

With her high, sunny ponytail swaying, the actress bounced offstage toward the three in the seats. Eve started down the sloping center aisle.

She heard the woman bubbling, saw her shaking hands, or in one case, hugging the one she called David.

Eve gave it a moment to play out.

“Sorry to interrupt. Lieutenant Dallas, Dete

ctive Peabody.”

She watched the amused pleasure in David’s eyes fade away. “Yes, of course. David Reingold. We’re running just a little behind.”

“Are you being arrested at last, David?” Still flying, Jessilyn Brooke beamed at him. “For being criminally talented.”

He shot her a quick smile, took Eve’s arm. “Give me a minute,” he said as he led her a few paces off. “We haven’t told Jessilyn yet, about Chanel. Mitzie and George agreed we should wait until after this callback, rather than have Jessilyn carry that through it, or postpone it. If you’d give me a few minutes to speak with her, tell her what happened.”

“I’ll take care of that.” Eve turned. “Miss Brooke, if you’d come with me.”

“Sorry, what?”

“Go ahead, Jess. I’ll be right here.”

“All right, David. You’re the boss. What’s this about?” she asked as she walked up to Eve. “Are you really the police?”

“Let’s sit back here.” Eve gestured to Peabody so her partner would take the group to the front while she took the actress to the back.

“Can we make it fast? I’m really on a high, and I need to contact my agent. My mother. My ex-boyfriend.”

Eve pointed to a chair in the last row, sat on the armrest of the one beside it so she could face the woman.

“Can you describe your relationship with Chanel Rylan?”

“Chanel?” Jessilyn glanced around the theater as if expecting to see her competitor. “Look, I know she got the callback, too, but … Is this some David way of telling me we’re sharing the part? That we’re going into rehearsals co-owning it?” Some of the shine faded, but Jessilyn shrugged. “I can live with that. I still got it. I nailed that number.”

“I take it you haven’t listened to or read any media this morning?”

“On the morning of the biggest callback of my career? You’re joking, right? I spent the morning sacrificing black-feathered chickens to the primeval theater gods. In my brain,” she added when Eve didn’t smile. “No chickens were actually harmed.”