Free Everybody Takes The Money (The Drusilla Thorne Mysteries) by Diane Patterson

the laptop. “We know why Courtney was on the show. What did Roger do on it?”
    “He was an assistant producer,” Anne said. “And now there’s this reunion show being planned. I guess he wants in on it.”
    “How is an assistant producer different from a regular producer?” I asked.
    “Oh my God,” Anne said. “There are so many kinds of producers. There’s line producers and executive producers and producers who are just the managers of one of the stars of the show. This is going to take a while.”
    I waved my hand in the air, telling her to continue.
    “You’re certain they didn’t know one another beforehand?” Stevie asked.
    Anne nodded while she typed. “That’s a good point. I already have an interview set up with one of the producers...executive producers. That’s what you think of when you hear the word ‘producer.’ His name’s Micah Schlegel. We can find out what we can about what Roger and Courtney were up to when the show was in production.”
    “How many producers does one show need?”
    “Do you not know about the kinds of producers there are?”
    I shook my head. “Not unless that’s important.”
    She shook her head.
    “You were supposed to do this interview with Courtney. Did you get any contact information for any of the other girls on the show? Maybe one of them kept in contact with her?”  
    Damn, Anne could type like a maniac. She could give Stevie a run for her money. “That is a great idea.”
    “When did this show go off the air?” Stevie said.
    Anne clicked a few things, her face lighted with the strange pale glow from the screen. “Almost two years ago exactly.”
    “What has Courtney been doing since then?”
    Anne clicked on something. “I don’t know. She just moved back to L.A. about a week ago.”  
    “Moved back from where?” Stevie asked.
    “Broken Arrow, Oklahoma,” I said. “You should hear that girl’s accent, Stevie, honestly, it’s to die for.”
    “I gather I’m hearing it right now ,” my sister said. The furrow was back at the top of her nose.
    Oops. Just thinking about all those rich vowels that poured out of Courtney’s mouth, I’d changed my accent. Probably shouldn’t have done that in front of a civilian.
    In fact, Anne had noticed my little switch and was staring at me. “Man, you’re really good with accents. You totally sounded like you were from there.”
    “Mimicry. Like a parlor trick.” I needed to change the subject and get Anne to stop thinking about me and accents. “Why did she go back to Oklahoma? The show had just ended. Wouldn’t that be the time to strike in Hollywood? While the iron was hot and she still had some fame?”
    Anne stared off into space, contemplating my question and forgetting her own. “Maybe she was burned out?”
    “Two years ago she would have been twenty-one. Or something like that.”
    Anne shrugged. “But she’d already been on the show for two years. And reality TV can chew you up and spit you out.” She shook her head. “Television’s gotten crazy. All of my cousins are thinking of getting the hell out and going into investment banking, to get some stability in their lives.”
    I pointed to Stevie. “Find out what Courtney was doing back in Oklahoma.” To Anne I said, “You find out what she’s been doing here since she came back.”
    “And what are you going to be doing, while we’re doing all of this?” Anne asked.  
    “Yesterday Courtney signs an affidavit saying we assaulted Roger and her. This morning she calls you, says she wants to talk to me. Why would she do that?”
    We all looked at one another. Anne shrugged.
    “Exactly,” I said. “After you find out some of these things, I’m going to have myself a nice long chat with Courtney.”  
    Stevie shook her head. “That is a terrible idea.”
    “You think everything I do is a terrible idea.”
    She waited until a few seconds had passed before nodding in agreement.
    “You are so mean to me, Stevie. Anne,