File M For Murder

“It’s okay, sweet boy, you go on up to bed. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Laura kissed his nose and scratched behind his ears. He jumped to the floor across the coffee table. Thanks to his size, he had little trouble leaping that far.

I bent to kiss Laura’s forehead, and she then kissed my cheek. “Good night, love,” I said. “See you in the morning.” I squeezed Sean’s shoulder and wished him good night.

As Diesel and I headed up the stairs, I heard Sean and Laura talking about having some coffee, and I knew they didn’t mean decaf. I shuddered. How could they drink regular coffee this late at night and then expect to sleep? Ah, youth, I told myself.

Before long Diesel and I were in bed, the cat with his head on his pillow, lying on his side facing me. I rubbed his head and down his side several times, and he rewarded me with chirps of contentment. He was soon asleep, and I drifted off not long after.

At some point during the night a barking dog woke me, and I rolled over. The sounds came from the stairwell. That meant Stewart was home, and so was Dante, his poodle. Dante originally belonged to Sean, but once Stewart moved in and started fussing over him, the dog switched his adoration to my boarder. Sean seemed happy with this because, even though he was fond of the little fellow, he wasn’t that keen on having a dog. He had taken Dante to keep him from being sent to a shelter and brought him along when he moved to Athena back in the spring.

Diesel and Dante got along pretty well, though occasionally Dante turned rambunctious and Diesel had to calm him down. Since the cat was about five times the size of the dog, Diesel always had the upper hand—or paw, that is.

The next thing I knew my alarm went off at seven. I sat up, groggy, and reached over to silence it. I saw that Diesel wasn’t with me. Most days he didn’t get out of bed until I did, but when there was a new guest in the house, he sometimes went visiting in the morning. I expected he was in Laura’s room happily curled up next to her.

I breakfasted alone, and it was nearly ten before anyone else appeared downstairs. After that the day sped by. As I expected, Stewart and Laura really hit it off, and Laura kept Stewart entertained with bits of Hollywood gossip. Stewart insisted on cooking lunch for everyone, and Sean and Laura cleaned the kitchen afterward.

After lunch Sean pulled me aside for a brief conversation. Earlier in the day he’d called around town and verified that Damitra Vane was indeed here. She was staying at Farrington House, the best hotel in Athena. He also looked her up on the Internet Movie Database and showed me her picture on his laptop. She was beautiful, in what I thought of as a plastic, Hollywood manner. Her expression was vacant, and she didn’t look all that bright.

“Since she’s definitely here in town, looks like Laura could be right about the source of the photograph.” Sean powered down his laptop and set it aside.

“I guess, but I still don’t like the situation. I have a good mind to go over there right now and talk to her.”

“Why don’t you let me do that?” Sean said. “As Laura’s lawyer. Maybe frighten her enough with legal repercussions that she’ll back off and leave Laura alone.”

“Sounds like a plan. Thanks, son.” I paused to think for a moment. “Why don’t you wait until Laura and I leave for the cocktail party? That way you won’t have to make up some errand.”

“Good idea,” Sean said. “What time are you leaving?”

“Around five,” I said.

The arrangements made, I spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying myself, talking with my daughter and her new best friend, Stewart. The two of them together entertained me, trading gossipy trivia about movie stars past and present.

Laura disappeared upstairs at four to get ready for the party, and I went up shortly afterward to do the same. Diesel stayed downstairs with Sean, Stewart, and Dante. He wouldn’t be happy when Laura and I left the house, because I wasn’t going to take him with me as I usually did.

Stewart solved that problem by taking Diesel and Dante to the backyard for a play session. When Laura came down the stairs a few minutes before five, I was ready.

She was stunning in a sheath of turquoise silk that fit her figure and set off her tanned skin perfectly. Dangling silver-and-turquoise earrings that once belonged to her mother accentuated the long line of her neck. Her lustrous dark hair was pulled back in a chignon, her curls for once sleekly restrained. She carried a small clutch the color of her dress, and her high-heel shoes were a shade darker. I’d forgotten just how mature and elegant she could look.

“Maybe I should carry a big stick with me.” I smiled at her as she reached the bottom of the stairs. “They’ll be swarming all over you.”

Laura laughed. “You are so good for my ego.”

As I backed the car out of the garage, Laura pulled an invitation from her purse. “The address is 1744 Rosemary Street. Do you know where that is?”