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“Not really,” Odelia admitted. She’d hardly spoken to the girl throughout the preparatory stages of the production. Then again, suddenly being thrown into this project had been so overwhelming there had hardly been time to get to know every team member.

“She was a very studious young woman,” said Wolf. “Always to be found digging into her ebook reader. She was probably the only person in this production who could recite the verses of the bard backward and forward. She’d read all of his work and was a big fan.” He smiled a wistful smile at the memory. “A dedicated little wench, our Dany Cooper.”

“I find Shakespeare’s words a little… opaque,” Odelia said.

“I know. He’s tough to wade through. There’s an app I use. It adds little side notes and explanatory popups to put his words in the right historical context. Here. I’ll show you.”

He took out his smartphone and called up the app. And as it loaded, Odelia could see, in a flash, a message Dany had sent Wolf. It read:‘Hurry up, Wolfy. I’m naked and ready.’

It disappeared before she could read more, supplanted by the iconic face of William Shakespeare. And as Wolf went on to demonstrate the app, she wondered if she should say something. He made no indication to have noticed himself, though, and the moment passed.

So Wolf had known Dany a lot better than he admitted, huh? Weird…

Wolf was called away to deal with a creative dispute between two actors, and Odelia searched around for Chase, wondering where he’d gone off too. She saw he was chatting amicably with a pretty young actress. The woman had draped her hand on Chase’s arm and was laughing just a little too loudly at a joke Chase was apparently telling her. A twinge of jealousy sliced through Odelia at the sight of her boyfriend chatting up another woman, and suddenly she could relate to Harriet’s annoyance at seeing Brutus sniffing another cat’s butt. Not that Chase was sniffing the woman’s butt, but if left to his own devices he looked as if he were on the verge of doing just that.

She abruptly turned, and almost bumped into Don Stryker, who’d been standing right behind her.

“Oh, how the mighty have fallen,” he said, steadying her by placing both hands on her upper arms. He immediately let go again, but not before giving her a gentle caress that sent shivers running down her spine—and not the good kind of shivers.

“What are you talking about?” she asked, quickly composing herself.

“The great and powerful Detective Kingsley. Obviously even our stalwart upholder of the law isn’t immune to the charms of the innocent and beguiling ing?nue.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said, more brusquely than she intended.

He laughed an obnoxious laugh.“Oh, dear me. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Detective Kingsley, if I’m not mistaken, is not getting any tonight.”

“Oh, Don,” she said. “You are—”

“Incorrigible? That, I am. And if you care to apply that age-old remedy for the wandering eye, my dear, I’m all yours.” He gave her a wink. “Use me as you see fit.”

Ugh.“No, thank you.”

“Not that! You do have a dirty mind, young lady. No, I was thinking more along the lines of this scenario: you pretend to laugh uproariously when I whisper something in your ear, and I can promise you the handsome detective will suddenly find the company of the delectable Miss Grey a lot less appealing.”

He’d taken her hand again, and she jerked it free. Having to kiss this man was bad enough, but she drew the line at having to undergo his repulsive flirtations.

“Let’s make one thing clear, Don,” she said. “I am not now, have never been, nor will I ever be, interested in you, so bury those romantic notions or you’ll be very disappointed.”

“And already the lady starts to adopt the language of the bard,” he said, and faux-applauded. “Bravo, Odelia Poole. Bravo, indeed.”

“Oh, can it, buddy,” she said.

“Not very Shakespearian, but I get your point,” he said with a smirk. He glanced around. “What did you think of our great leader’s speech? Not giving in to murderous bastards and all that?”

“I think he’s right. We shouldn’t stop this production just because of one madman.”

“You do realize that there are ulterior motives at play here, right?”

Odelia studied her co-star.“What do you mean?”

“Wolf isn’t doing this for poor little Dany’s sake. He’s sunk every last dime he owns into his production company. If these shows get canceled he’ll be broke, and so will his producing partner.”

“But I thought they were the most successful producers on Broadway?”

“Bullshit,” spat Don. “Dear old Wolf has a serious gambling problem. When he’s not studying the works of the bard, he can usually be found in Las Vegas squandering other people’s money.”

This was food for thought.“You don’t think he had something to do with Dany’s death, do you?”