Free Hollywood Prisoner: A Hollywood Alphabet Series Thriller by M.Z. Kelly Page A

with my sister, Amanda, and her husband, Geoff. Natalie and Mo had gone with me, and had brought up my brother-in-law’s past indiscretions with an escort. Amanda had a meltdown and had left the party in a huff. I wasn’t sure if we’d ever see her again or if her husband had survived the ordeal.
    “Have you talked to Mom lately?” I asked, after we chatted about the reunion.
    “It’s been a couple of weeks. She’s talking about going on another spiritual retreat. I think it’s somewhere near Big Sur.”
    We spent a few minutes talking about Mom’s prior retreat and finding her meditating in the nude. We made a pledge not to try and rescue her this time, no matter what kind of trouble she got herself into.
    “What’s the latest with the Tauists?” Robin asked. “I heard there was some kind of search at Ryland’s estate, but he ended up dead.”
    I took a moment and filled him in on Harlan Ryland being in a stasis chamber. “His granddaughter, Harlee, has inherited his entire fortune. She’s…”  I took a moment, trying to come up with words to describe her. “She’s not the most pleasant person I’ve ever met.”
    “Harlee?” He took a moment, mulling over her name. “Is she in her thirties? Has dark hair?”
    “Yes. She’s attractive, but has kind of a hard edge to her. Have you met her?”
    He nodded. “She was in here about a year ago.” He stopped working on my hair for a moment and looked at me in the mirror. “It’s funny, but now that I think about it, she was asking lots of personal questions, some about our family.”
    My brows inched together. “What exactly did she say?”
    “I don’t remember exactly. It seemed…” He took another moment. “I think Harlee asked about you, and said something about seeing you on TV, working your cases.”
    I sighed, realizing that she had probably secretly been checking into my background. I’d worked several high profile cases that had been covered by all the media outlets.
    “Anything else?” I asked.
    He shook his head. “Not really. I just remember her because of all the questions.” As he worked some conditioner into my hair, he moved the conversation in a different direction, asking, “Anything new with your investigation?”
    I knew he was asking about the department reopening my adoptive father’s case. “Not really. I have no doubt that both Collin Russell and Harlee’s grandfather were involved in his death, but proving it…” I released a long breath. “I’m just not sure if that’s ever going to happen.”
    “What about Pearl? Have you…”
    “No word. He’s still missing.”
    Robin was quiet for a long moment before saying, “Maybe when he surfaces, you’ll get some answers.”
    “Maybe.”
    I spent another fifteen minutes in silent thought while he finished up and dried my hair. When he was done, I examined my shorter, sassier cut.
    “I love it,” I said. “I look…” I met my brother’s blue eyes in the mirror again. “I think it gives me some attitude.”
    He laughed. “You’ve already got plenty of that, sis.”
    As I settled my bill, Robin asked me if I was seeing anyone.
    I shook my head. “After what…” I paused. “…after everything that’s happened, I’m on the shelf. I’m planning on staying single and unattached. I have lots of work to do on myself before I even begin to even think about a relationship.”
    My brother smiled and hugged me. “All I know is that with your looks and your new do…it might be difficult staying on the shelf for very long.”
    I kissed his cheek and smiled. “You just made my day.”

NINETEEN
    Harlee asked about you, and said something about seeing you on TV, working your cases.
    As I drove home, I was convinced by what Robin had said that I’d probably been on Harlee Ryland’s radar for months, maybe years, even while she was dating Noah. It also seemed likely that she’d been working with Collin Russell and her grandfather all along, both to protect