After She's Gone (West Coast 3)

to believe.”

“Look, I’m glad I caught you, but I have an appointment in like . . .” She glanced down at her phone for the time. “Five minutes ago.”

“I just wanted to talk to you. I really didn’t need a haircut.”

Laura frowned. “About . . . Allie?” she guessed.

“Yeah.”

“I don’t know anything, Cassie. That’s what I already told the police.”

“I know. But you were Allie’s friend as well as makeup artist. She spent hours with you daily, especially when Dead Heat was filming. I thought you, of all of her friends, might have some idea of what she was going through. What was happening in her life. Why she didn’t show up for the last day of the reshoot of the movie.”

“I have no idea. We talked, sure. But just about normal, everyday stuff. Nothing deep, trust me. It wasn’t like I was her shrink or anything.”

Cassie pushed, “But everyone talks to their hairdresser because of all those hours in the chair.” When Laura didn’t respond, Cassie added, “Look, of course you’re not her shrink, but maybe her confidante? It’s what we all do. People are always talking to, or even dating, sometimes marrying, the person who does their hair and makeup, especially in this business.”

“We weren’t dating,” Laura said with a glimmer of humor.

“But you knew who she hung out with. Who she was seeing.”

“Other than Brandon?” Laura shrugged. “He’s the last one she was really involved with. It made things kind of awkward on the set.”

Not exactly news. Cassie had been there. “So what was she thinking before she disappeared? Was she depressed? Anxious? Did you think there was any reason she would take off? Anyone she was scared of?”

“Cassie, what do you want from me? If I knew anything about Allie, I’d tell the police or you or Jenna.”

“Mom?” That surprised Cassie.

“Mothers always worry. So, of course I’d let her know.” She shifted in her chair, as if suddenly uncomfortable.

“I didn’t know you knew her.”

“I don’t, not really, but Allie introduced me once, on the set. It was obvious that she really cared about her kids.”

That much was true. And it was obvious that she and Allie shared enough of a bond for Allie to feel comfortable enough to introduce Jenna to her. Cassie tried again. “Are you sure Allie didn’t say anything to you about what was going on in her life?”

Laura checked the time on her phone once more. She seemed to wrestle with her conscience then said, “Oh, hell. Look, I really don’t know much . . .” Again she hesitated, then through the dark glasses her gaze found Cassie’s and her voice was almost a whisper. “What I do know, you’re not going to like.”

“What?”

“It’s about you, Cassie.” For a second, Laura looked away. “She . . . she was jealous of you.”

“Jealous of me?” Cassie barked out a short laugh. “Sure.”

“I knew you wouldn’t believe me.”

“Allie was successful. On top of the world.”

“Was she?” Serious.

“Of course she was. She had her pick of movie roles.”

Laura let out a sigh. “It wasn’t about her work.”

“What then? Why would she be jealous of me?” The idea was ludicrous. Allie had always been the baby of the family and as such, both Cassie and Jenna had protected her in their ways and Robert had coddled her. Allie had shined in school and then later in the same profession where she competed with Cassie, always, always crushing her older sister in any audition.

“There’s always been some kind of competition between you two, hasn’t there?”