keeping an eye on the booming L.A. real estate market just in case her daughter happened to die intestate, which she did.” Jamie sighed. “I don’t blame her. At least she’ll have something from Karen. Even if it’s just a couple of million dollars.”
“And what do you get from Karen’s death, besides heartache?”
Jamie picked up the carafe from a Braun coffeemaker and poured into two mugs. “Cream? Sugar?”
“Yes, please.”
When Jamie placed the mugs on the table and motioned for Polly to be seated he said, “I get the most valuable asset that Karen had.”
Polly took a sip from her coffee mug and focused her eyes on Jamie.
“I get the legacy of all that she taught me about life and about the theater. Intangible things can’t be lost or stolen or ordered by a court to be returned to an estate. No one can take away my memories of Karen.”
Polly almost choked on a sip of coffee. She wanted to roll her eyes and beg for an encore so that Tim and Placenta could enjoy a laugh. Instead, Polly reached across the table and placed a hand on Jamie’s. “Why did you lie to the police?”
Jamie flinched and Polly did too. They simultaneously withdrew their hands from each other’s. “Um, er, what do you mean? I never lied to the police, or to anyone. Why would you say that?”
Polly offered a wan smile. “I had a lovely conversation with Sharon Fletcher. She tells me that you were present with Karen when that no-neck monster Gerold fired her. An argument between Karen and Gerold ensued and you were there to witness the whole ordeal. But you claim you were at Starbucks at the time. It simply doesn’t add up…the timeline, I mean. One moment you’re in the same room as Sharon and Karen and Gerold, and then poof, you’ve gone to collect coffee for the cast. I don’t think so, dear.”
Jamie sat back in his chair and looked defeated. “I wasn’t there when Karen died. I swear it. When things heated up between Sharon and Gerold, Karen tried to protect me by sending Mag and me up to the office for her bottle of Xanax. By the time we got back Sharon was gone and so were Karen and Gerold. When you discovered her body backstage, that was the first time I’d seen her since about eight fifteen.”
Polly touched Jamie’s hand again. “You were as in love with Karen as she was with you?”
Jamie nodded.
“Then why would you leave her alone if there was even a hint of trouble that might place her in an unsafe situation?”
“I trusted Karen. If she wanted me to leave, it was so that I wouldn’t see the tough business side of her personality. I never for a moment thought that anything bad could possibly happen to her, especially not in the theater. Not in the place she loved best. How was I to know? But of course I feel guilty now. If only I’d hung around a few minutes longer…” Jamie began to weep.
Polly stood up and looked around. She saw a box of Kleenex on the granite bar countertop and brought it over to the table. “Forget my promise to that inordinately unattractive space alien outside.”
Jamie chuckled as he wiped his eyes and dabbed at his running nose. “Did you really think that I could have anything to do with the death of such a beautiful and talented woman as Karen Richards?”
Beautiful ? Polly thought to herself.
“I’m not a perfect person, and I’ve made some bad judgments in my life, but I’d found the woman of my dreams and I wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize that.”
Polly sat down again and leaned forward on the table. She looked deep into Jamie’s eyes. “Do you think Sharon killed Karen?”
Jamie shrugged. “I don’t want to believe it, but Sharon’s Emmy Award was the murder weapon, and Gerold and I and Mag were there when she was fired. She was naturally angry, so she has a motive. If she didn’t do it, I don’t know who else would have. Gerold? His girlfriend? Charlotte or Hiroaki? Maybe.”
Polly sighed. “But ol’ Gerold and his little tart
“And what do you get from Karen’s death, besides heartache?”
Jamie picked up the carafe from a Braun coffeemaker and poured into two mugs. “Cream? Sugar?”
“Yes, please.”
When Jamie placed the mugs on the table and motioned for Polly to be seated he said, “I get the most valuable asset that Karen had.”
Polly took a sip from her coffee mug and focused her eyes on Jamie.
“I get the legacy of all that she taught me about life and about the theater. Intangible things can’t be lost or stolen or ordered by a court to be returned to an estate. No one can take away my memories of Karen.”
Polly almost choked on a sip of coffee. She wanted to roll her eyes and beg for an encore so that Tim and Placenta could enjoy a laugh. Instead, Polly reached across the table and placed a hand on Jamie’s. “Why did you lie to the police?”
Jamie flinched and Polly did too. They simultaneously withdrew their hands from each other’s. “Um, er, what do you mean? I never lied to the police, or to anyone. Why would you say that?”
Polly offered a wan smile. “I had a lovely conversation with Sharon Fletcher. She tells me that you were present with Karen when that no-neck monster Gerold fired her. An argument between Karen and Gerold ensued and you were there to witness the whole ordeal. But you claim you were at Starbucks at the time. It simply doesn’t add up…the timeline, I mean. One moment you’re in the same room as Sharon and Karen and Gerold, and then poof, you’ve gone to collect coffee for the cast. I don’t think so, dear.”
Jamie sat back in his chair and looked defeated. “I wasn’t there when Karen died. I swear it. When things heated up between Sharon and Gerold, Karen tried to protect me by sending Mag and me up to the office for her bottle of Xanax. By the time we got back Sharon was gone and so were Karen and Gerold. When you discovered her body backstage, that was the first time I’d seen her since about eight fifteen.”
Polly touched Jamie’s hand again. “You were as in love with Karen as she was with you?”
Jamie nodded.
“Then why would you leave her alone if there was even a hint of trouble that might place her in an unsafe situation?”
“I trusted Karen. If she wanted me to leave, it was so that I wouldn’t see the tough business side of her personality. I never for a moment thought that anything bad could possibly happen to her, especially not in the theater. Not in the place she loved best. How was I to know? But of course I feel guilty now. If only I’d hung around a few minutes longer…” Jamie began to weep.
Polly stood up and looked around. She saw a box of Kleenex on the granite bar countertop and brought it over to the table. “Forget my promise to that inordinately unattractive space alien outside.”
Jamie chuckled as he wiped his eyes and dabbed at his running nose. “Did you really think that I could have anything to do with the death of such a beautiful and talented woman as Karen Richards?”
Beautiful ? Polly thought to herself.
“I’m not a perfect person, and I’ve made some bad judgments in my life, but I’d found the woman of my dreams and I wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize that.”
Polly sat down again and leaned forward on the table. She looked deep into Jamie’s eyes. “Do you think Sharon killed Karen?”
Jamie shrugged. “I don’t want to believe it, but Sharon’s Emmy Award was the murder weapon, and Gerold and I and Mag were there when she was fired. She was naturally angry, so she has a motive. If she didn’t do it, I don’t know who else would have. Gerold? His girlfriend? Charlotte or Hiroaki? Maybe.”
Polly sighed. “But ol’ Gerold and his little tart
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