Dying to Have Her

  Serena kept silent about the one tape she had been aware of.

  Allona joined them in Serena’s dressing room, bearing sheets of script rewrites. She heard the last of what Kelly had to say.

  “I told you he was a sicko,” she announced.

  Serena glanced at her with an arched brow. “He didn’t have anything on you, did he?”

  “Me, honey? I’m as sweet and pure as café au lait.” She laughed. “I’ll bet you a few people are going to be caught in some trouble on this one, though.”

  “Probably,” Serena agreed.

  “Hopefully no one who was too innocent. He kept inviting Jinx over, I know. She must be in complete shock,” Kelly said, “though I can’t imagine her having sex with someone—besides Jay.” She looked up sharply at this idea. “You know, the cops questioned everyone again. That must have made her a nervous wreck. I’m surprised she’s been making it in to work through all this.”

  “She loves her work,” Allona said. “Wish I did.”

  “I wonder who is caught up in all those tapes Amesbury made?” Kelly mused.

  Allona laughed delightedly. “I’m willing to bet that both our producers will be caught with their pants down.”

  “Joe hated Amesbury,” Serena said.

  “Yeah, but Joe loves a party, and he loves sweet young things,” Allona said.

  “Well, men thrive on their reputations, and Joe and Andy like to be known as studs,” Serena said. “If their names get out, it will only enhance their reputations.”

  Kelly giggled. “What if they’re on tape not being able to get it up?”

  “That’s about the only thing that would horrify the two of them,” Serena said. “Well, and then, if they caught Andy’s bad side. Or if his hair wasn’t perfect. Oh, my God, look at the way we’re talking,” she added. “A man is dead.” She shuddered. “I really didn’t like him, but …”

  “He was a sleazoid who fell drunk into his own pool.” Allona sighed. “Serena, you can’t save the world.”

  Serena didn’t reply because someone knocked on the door. It was Thorne, coming to tell Kelly she was needed on the set. Kelly left, and Serena remembered her pages.

  “Here,” Allona said. “There’s so much going on, I forgot to tell you. We’re going to do location shooting for the next two days. I think the big guys want to get out of the studio, despite the fact that it’s been gone over with a fine-tooth comb.”

  “Oh?”

  “Not far from here. They found a location that looks like Egypt.”

  “I’m—I mean, Verona is going back to Egypt?”

  “Yeah. The Valentine finale takes place there.”

  “And we still don’t know what happens?”

  “We’ve written a bunch of pages. They’re not even telling the writers what they’re using until the last day.”

  “Well, who may be getting it?”

  “Everyone.”

  “Everyone?”

  “From Mama and Papa Valentine to the waiter.”

  “The waiter?”

  “I’m kidding. But every main cast member is up for grabs.”

  “Including me?”

  “Hey, I hear you haven’t got that much longer on your contract. And you did screen-test for Eddie’s movie.”

  “With everything that’s been going on, we should have a pleasant Valentine’s Day episode.”

  “Oh, Doug and I wrote you back in for a scene today, too. I’d written you out, having Vera and Maria talk about you returning to Egypt, but since you’re here, it will be a much better scene if you’re in it, saying you have to go, you have to get away, after the incident with the sarcophagus and all. Hey, I saw the tape—it’s great. Liam should be an actor.”

  “Don’t tell him that. It just makes him mad.”

  Allona smiled. “I won’t say a thing.”

  With that, she left. As the door opened and closed, Serena saw her young off-duty officer just outside. He smiled, assuring her of his constant presence.

  She thought about calling Liam, who had gone home for a few hours.

  He might not want to hear from her, she thought. She stared at the phone. She didn’t pick it up. He didn’t always have to be at her side.

  Liam spent more than an hour at the hospital. He talked with Sharon’s doctors, away from her parents, whom he’d never met. They were hugging one another outside the intensive unit. He wanted to speak with them, to do something, say something. Tell them she was a beautiful person, smart as a whip, wonderful. He almost approached them, then he saw that their priest was joining them.

  He’d asked Olsen to have a man watch her bedside. Even Olsen had seemed to think that he was overboard, but he promised a department man for the next forty-eight hours.

  Comas could still be a mystery, even to physicians who specialized in head trauma and neuroanatomy. They considered the next few days crucial, though people had been known to survive comas at many stages. So far, she was showing more than ample brain activity; there had been no suggestion about taking her off of life support.

  Liam stared at Sharon, looking pale and pathetic, full of tubes and wires, and feeling tremendous sorrow and frustration. No one saw this as anything other than an accident. Olsen was humoring him, with his police guard.

  Finally, realizing that he was doing no good, he determined to get into Sharon’s house.

  He sidestepped the police tape that still wafted forlornly around the front door of the house. He still had a key. He opened the door and went in.

  He felt another surge of anguish as he entered the house. She was always so neat and organized. Her small house had always been spotlessly clean, but homey.

  Little had been touched since the paramedics had been in. He looked at the smashed wood, the crushed furniture, and the multitude of volumes spilling around the floor. Most of them had to do with her love of the past. There were books on anthropology, archaeology, ancient man, Egyptology, Stonehenge, the Etruscans, Chinese civilization, Mayans, the study of bones, forensics in archaeology, and much more. He went through title after title, then fell against the chair, frustrated. Then he saw the volume that had fallen, its cover badly damaged, by the broken chair. He picked it up. It was a yearbook from Hollywood High.

  Leaving the police tape still flapping around the house intact, he departed her house.

  Serena was able to put the day to good use. Jim was delighted to reblock the scene and play it as originally intended. Everything went well.

  When she finished, she was relieved to find that Liam had returned and replaced the off-duty officer, and was waiting for her in the hallway. As they walked together to her dressing room, she said, “How’s Sharon?”

  “Holding her own.”

  She nodded. “I’m sorry.”

  “I know. I’m sorry, too. How have things been here?”

  “It was a good, uneventful day.”

  He arched a brow. “The Amesbury scandal is uneventful?”

  “No, of course, it’s all anyone is talking about. Makes me glad I kept my distance from him whenever I could.”

  “I guess a few people from here are worried about what might be found.”

  “Did you tell the police about the tape you have?”

  “No,” he said flatly.

  “Perhaps—”

  “I’m not ready to turn it over to them yet.”

  “Do you still think that he might have been in on what happened? That he called me to scare me out of my house?”

  “I don’t know.”

  They left the studio and drove to his house, stopping at the store to buy groceries. Serena insisted on choosing the food, telling him she was going to cook. He agreed, and, once back at the house, he didn’t tease her about the fact that she actually knew what a kitchen was. He sat in the living room, going through a book on deepwater exploration.

  He seemed to try to be cordial and light when she told him dinner was ready.

  “Chicken cordon bleu? So, you do hav
e hidden talents.”

  “I can actually make many meals. My hot dogs are to die for.”

  “Great. Chicken cordon bleu and hot dogs. Interesting combo.”

  “Verona cooked chicken cordon bleu for one of her husbands once—I forget which one.”

  They had wine with dinner, and afterward washed the dishes together. But later, Liam returned to the living room, built a fire, and immersed himself in the book again. Serena sat in the living room, watching the flames as well. After a while she grew sleepy, from all the flying, she guessed.

  “What is that?”

  “Sharon’s yearbook.”

  “Is it relevant?”

  “It may be,” he answered curtly. Then he looked up at her. “I have to admit, I thought Amesbury was in on it somehow. Someone on the set—and Amesbury.”

  “Maybe he was. And he’s dead now.”

  Liam nodded. “And now, I don’t think it’s Amesbury.”

  “He drowned.”

  “After a party, attended by many people from Valentine Valley. And now Sharon …”

  “Sharon wasn’t a part of Valentine Valley.”

  “I think her accident was.”

  Serena couldn’t see the connection. She understood his feelings. She intended to leave him alone. As he read, she slipped silently into the bedroom.

  She awoke later in the night. He was with her. He seemed asleep, and she was surprised when he rolled over and made love to her. He was tense and passionate, as if in a tumult, holding her to him afterward. He didn’t speak. Neither did she.

  The phone rang very early. It was Joe Penny. “Don’t forget, we’re on location.”

  Serena looked at Liam, who had awakened as well.

  “It’s Joe. He didn’t want us to forget that we were on location.”

  Liam nodded. “Are the cops going to be there?”

  “Are the cops going to be there?”

  “Either Hutchens or Olsen himself.”

  She repeated the words again for Liam.

  He nodded, then rose and padded into the bathroom.

  “Liam has the address. It’s up in the hills,” Joe told her. “A construction site. You’ll love it.”

  Indeed, they had managed to make a cleared construction site look like an excavated Egyptian tomb. David DeVille had followed Verona Valentine, unknown to her, of course. Serena found out that day that Verona was pregnant, and that, of course, was the main reason she had fled—to talk to herself in the tomb, trying to figure out what to do. David was going to reach her, and Jay Braden, as Randy Rock, was going to follow as well, furious about the way she was trying to ruin his life. Then, of course, Kelly, or Maria, would follow, convinced that something was going on and determined to have a showdown with her sister over David.

  The set decoration for the tomb was great. There was going to be a cave-in after David reached Verona, and the two would be stuck in the tomb.

  Both Joe and Andy were on the set, as were Allona and Doug. Hutchens was there, keeping his distance from the actors, it seemed, but watching with interest. Liam left Serena to go and talk with him.

  Doug seemed to be in bad shape, and Serena went over to talk to him. “Are you upset about Kyle?”

  “That jerk?” Doug said. He shook his head. “Remind me to quit looking for beautiful people, huh?”

  “Darn. No more lunches watching guys?”

  “Serena, I don’t think that you need to keep looking for guys. You’ve got a good one.”

  “Well, you see, I don’t actually have him.”

  “You’re crazy. He’s in love with you.”

  “He cares about me. But I don’t think he wants a life with me.”

  “He must.”

  “Doug, he never even suggests … I don’t know.”

  “You want a ring, a wedding, a house, a home, kids, a dog—”

  “Yeah. He’s never mentioned those things.”

  “You should ask him to marry you.”

  “You’re kidding.”

  “Dead serious.”

  “I can’t.”

  “Why?”

  “I’m afraid of rejection, and … oh, let’s just get through all this, huh?”

  Doug shrugged. “Well, maybe, if you ever do ask him and he says yes, he’ll still let you do lunches. After all, we’ll be looking only for a guy for me then, and it will be a different kind of man we’re searching for.”

  She kissed him on the forehead. Thorne was standing impatiently by the makeup chair.

  Set designers, actors, props, costumes, makeup—everyone was standing by. The assistants were on the set. Everything was ready to go. The set designers and the man sent over from the construction company that owned the machinery for the sand dump were showing Joe and Andy how it all worked, assuring them that there was a safety lever that stopped the machine should the main controls ever fail to work.

  While she was still being made up, Serena saw Jeff arrive on the set. He had obviously discussed his return with the producers, because he waved to them both. He was adamant in saying that he was innocent of any wrongdoing, and he wasn’t going to lose a job he loved over what was happening.

  Serena made a point of jumping out of the chair to greet him, kissing him on the cheek. “Jeff, it’s great that you’re back.”

  “Yeah. I didn’t want you working with any more Egyptian equipment if I wasn’t around.”

  She smiled. “I’m glad you’re here.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Serena, get back in this chair,” Thorne called to her.

  As she sat there, Serena could see that Liam was still talking to Bill Hutchens. When Thorne went back to the trailer for new sponges, Bill stopped by for a moment.

  “How are you doing?”

  “Good, thanks. Under the circumstances.” She stared at him. “They’re sure that Kyle Amesbury’s death was an accident?”

  “We’re sure that he drowned and that there was no sign of foul play.”

  “Maybe his tapes will provide some kind of answer.”

  “I hope.”

  “Don’t you think some people must have known?”

  “Sure, and they’re suffering right now, with all the tapes in police custody.”

  When Thorne finished with her, Jim Novac called her over and gave her directions for the first part of the scene. Serena rehearsed her monologue, walking among the various canopic jars and statuettes on the set. It went well. Jim called to the cameramen, telling them they were ready to tape. He gave her his “And we’re on in five, four … three …” silent two, silent one cue.

  Her monologue went perfectly. Everyone was pleased. Joe kissed her. “Honey, we do miss you when you’re gone.”

  “Thanks, boss.”

  She rehearsed the scene with Conar, in which Verona confessed to David DeVille that she was pregnant, and David DeVille told her that he doubted the child was his.

  Then they were off the set as Kelly and Jay rehearsed their scene outside the tomb and then ran tape.

  Jinx stood next to Serena, watching with her as the other two worked. Serena noticed then that Jinx was pale and seemed ill. She felt guilty. She had been so self-involved, she hadn’t paid enough attention to the young woman.

  “Jinx, what’s wrong?”

  Jinx shook her head.

  “What is it? Maybe I can help you.”

  Jinx shook her head again. Then she whispered. “The tape.”

  “What tape? The taping is going well.”

  Jinx was distracted. “The cops … after Amesbury died.” She stared at Serena suddenly. “Serena … I’ve been at that house.”

  “Oh? But, Jinx …”

  “I had this ridiculous moment when … oh, Serena, it was so dumb!”

  “Jinx, you had an encounter with someone at Kyle’s house?”

  Jinx went even whiter.

  “Jinx, the cops won’t be showing those—”

  “Names get out.”

  “Well, don’t worry about you
r job.”

  “No, you don’t understand …”

  “Serena!” Jim called sharply. “We’re ready for you.”

  “Don’t worry about anything,” Serena told Jinx firmly. “Trust me. One indiscretion in Hollywood isn’t going to hurt you.”

  “You don’t understand. The one really … never mind.” She looked at her suddenly. “Serena, you’ve been great to work with. I really do think the world of you.”

  “Thank you. But, Jinx—”

  “Serena!” Jim called.

  “Hey, chin up,” Serena told Jinx. “You’re getting upset about something that doesn’t matter. We’ll talk more later.”

  Serena hurried onto the set. Conar was waiting. “Same thing—one rehearsal, we go to tape. Got it?”

  “Yep!”Conar called.

  They rehearsed, stopping at the point when the sand would fall.

  Then everyone was called into place for the scene. Joe Penny stood with Niall Meyers, who would work the hydraulic dump that was set to deliver the cascading sand. There was a safety lever at the rear of the truck, he had explained, if anything should fail.

  “I’m going to stand by the damned safety lever myself,” Joe muttered.

  “All right. Places, everyone. This has to be one take … or we’re back here tomorrow after the sand is cleared.”

  Serena and Conar took their places on the set. The cameras rolled into place. Jim called out an order to wait; a paper had blown onto the set. One of the production assistants ran to snatch it away.

  Jinx, clasping her notebook to her chest and looking forlorn, stood near Joe and the safety lever. Liam was pacing behind the cameras. Jeff was standing close to Jim Novac. Jay Braden and Kelly were just off the set, ready to run in after the sand had fallen, calling and screaming out to Serena and Conar.

  “And we’re on in five, four, three …”

  She and Conar waited for the silent “two” and “one” signals. Conar had the first line. He started shouting at her. She shouted back, reminding him that no one had made him come near her, that he had used the family, used them all, and now he was going to pay. He told her that she had to abort the child. She told him it was her choice, and she hadn’t made it yet. He replied that he was in love with her sister, really in love with her, didn’t she understand that?