Page 33 of Dangerous Kiss
“Jesus.” Biba felt sick, and Stella nodded.
“He’s going to kill me. What else could he mean?”
Biba wanted to reassure her, but she knew it wasn’t possible. The stalker’s meaning was clear. She looked up and saw a tear escape Stella’s eye. “I’m scared, Beebs.”
Biba wrapped her arms around her boss and held her as she sobbed out all her fear. Stella was never this vulnerable in front of her, ever. She must be terrified,Biba thought. She leaned her cheek against Stella’s blonde head. “We’ll contact the FBI again, Stel. Cos won’t let anything happen to you, I swear.”
Stella sniffed and sat up. She gave Biba a strange smile. “Cos, is it now?”
Biba nodded. She held Stella’s gaze, and finally Stella nodded. “Oh. I see.”
“I’m sorry, Stella. It just happened.”
Stella shrugged. “Don’t apologize. You wanted him, you got him. All’s fair and all that.” She pulled at her bottom lip, in thought. “I’d been thinking anyway that I might just…take a break—from men, from relationships.”
“You should. You have so much more to offer than just fucking randoms. You deserve more.” Biba flushed at her outburst—would it sound like she was just relieved Stella wouldn’t go after Cosimo?
But Stella just nodded. “You’re right. Look, my eyes are disgustingly puffy now.”
“Cold spoons and some cream, they’ll be fine. You’re not scheduled until this afternoon, anyway.”
Stella was watching her. “I’m sorry about all the times I treated you badly, Biba. Like that message this morning. I was just in a bate.”
Biba grinned. “I’m used to it.”
Stella laughed a little. “I didn’t use to be like this, you know. Before, I was sweet.” She sighed. “But in this business, the things you see, the things you’re forced to do…it’s such a relief to be onthisfilm set, you know? Working with a director of Cosimo’s talent, his kindness, his…protection. You must feel that.”
“I do.”
“I’m sorry again about Damon.”
“Not your fault, Stel. Look, let’s have a chill out for a half hour, get you relaxed, and then we’ll tackle this,” she held up the iPhone, “together. We’ll call the FBI and get to the bottom of this.”
Special Agent Luke Harris arrived just after lunch, and he gathered Cosimo, Lars, Channing, Rich and Gunter, Stella and Biba, and Reg into the manor’s large drawing room. Reggie nudged Biba. “Is Poirot going to tell us which one of us is a wrong ‘un?”
Biba had to hide her snort of laughter as a cough.
Luke Harris took the photos on Stella’s iPhone into evidence. “We’ll process these as soon as possible. We’ll need your fingerprints, Ms. May and Ms. Reckless for comparison.”
“No problem.”
Cosimo shifted irritably. “So, there’s been no progress on the case?”
Luke Harris shook his head. “Whoever this is knows what he’s doing. Ms. Reckless, we need to have a long conversation about your personal life, I’m afraid.”
Stella grimaced. “It’s all on Wikipedia. Can’t you look it up?”
“I’m afraid not. And, I think you should know…Mr. Tracy’s got good lawyers. He got the attempted rape charge dropped.”
“What?” Cosimo was outraged, as Biba went pale. “What the hell? Why weren’t we informed before?”
Harris shook his head. “I don’t know, I’m sorry. Wherever Tracy fled to, he’s well-hidden.”
“This could be him.” Cosimo shot a worried glance towards Biba. Harris nodded.
“Believe me, we have him on our suspect list. The only thing that prevents me from making him our number one suspect is that his motive would likely be revenge, not obsession, and I would think he would target Ms. May, rather than Ms. Reckless. To shut her up, so to speak.”
“Jesus,” Reggie hissed, his hand on Biba’s shoulder, and even Harris looked apologetic.
“Sorry,” he said to Biba, “that came out wrong. But I stand by my argument. I don’t think this is him, which isn’t to say you shouldn’t be vigilant.”
“This set is rapidly turning into a prison,” Lars murmured to Cosimo. Cosimo’s face was strained.
“Look, Agent Harris, we need to communicate better. Rich and Gunter are leading a strong team now, but you’ve seen this place. The woods around the lake, the openness of the manor itself…an army couldn’t protect every inch. If someone gets in…I don’t even want to think about what could happen.”
Everyone in the room felt a chill creep down their spine, and when Biba looked in Cosimo’s eyes, all she could see was fear.
