Free Hot Secret by Sherryl Woods

Veronica’s trailer.”
    The actor looked genuinely shocked. “Oh, man, you’re kidding me. I know those two fought like jealous ex-lovers or something, but I didn’t think she’d pull a gun and shoot him.”
    “So you think she did it?” Michael said, pouncing on Duke’s comment.
    Duke looked confused. “But you-all just said … He was in her trailer. I just assumed.”
    “Veronica has an alibi,” Molly said staunchly. Michael looked unconvinced. So did Duke.
    “You checked it out?” Duke said.
    “I didn’t have to. I’m her alibi, at least for all but a minute or two.”
    “No kidding. Then your guess is as good as mine. Everyone else loved Greg.”
    “Including you?” Michael inquired mildly, managing to sound as if his interest was only that of a casual bystander.
    Duke turned his most sincere gaze on Michael. “Including me,” he said emphatically. “I know he didn’t want me on this picture. Hell, I know what half the serious directors in Hollywood think of me.They think I’m a no-talent hotshot who’s trying to capitalize on my looks.”
    He leaned forward, his expression intent. “Well, you ask any director who’s actually worked with me and you’ll get a different story. I know what the hell I’m doing in front of a camera. That’s why the audiences want to see me, not because I’ve got some killer smile and a decent body. Those don’t mean shit if you can’t deliver your lines. Too bad Greg’s not alive to tell you what I’m saying is true. We talked plenty over the last couple of weeks and the man respected me. I turned his attitude around and, believe me, it didn’t happen because I could smile.”
    Duke leaned back in his chair, his arms crossed over his chest. His belligerent expression dared them to challenge him.
    Michael met his gaze evenly, then finally nodded. “Okay, so you and Kinsey got along in the end. Somebody on the set didn’t get along with him quite as well. Did you ever hear anything, see anything that looked like maybe somebody might not be as enchanted?”
    “Besides Veronica, nobody. I flat-out don’t believe there’s a person involved with this production who could have killed him.”
    “You know anything about his personal life?” Michael asked.
    To Molly’s amazement, Duke didn’t seem thrown by Michael’s persistence. He answered readily.
    “Nope. What the man did on his own time wasnone of my business. I was too busy keeping my own squeeze happy to worry about his.”
    “Is your squeeze involved with the production?” Michael seemed to stumble over the description a bit.
    “What difference does that make?”
    “If she’s been around, maybe she noticed something.”
    Duke hesitated for a split second before responding. “She’s been around town, not around the set. Moviemaking bores her to tears.”
    Molly regarded him oddly. She tried to recall seeing Duke with a woman at any time since he’d arrived. She honestly couldn’t remember a single occasion. He showed up, played his scenes, then retreated to the privacy of his trailer or went back to the hotel.
    “Has she been here all along?” she asked cautiously. Apparently something in her tone alerted Michael that she wasn’t entirely buying Duke’s story. He turned his most penetrating gaze on Duke.
    “From day one,” the actor assured them both.
    “Where is she now?”
    “Asleep. Daylight’s not her gig.”
    “Did you talk with the police last night?”
    “I got a message they were looking for me, but we crashed when we got back to the room. I’ll check in this morning.”
    Just then a car cruised to a stop right in front of them and Sergeant Jenkins emerged. He scowled at Molly and Michael. “You two are a long way from home, aren’t you?”
    “Just out for a pleasant brunch,” Molly said cheerfully. “Care to join us?”
    He looked at Duke Lane for several seconds before recognition sparked in his eyes. “Maybe I will at that.” He waved his driver on, then