Penelope asked tentatively, unsure how far to step.
Sienna smiled tightly. âOf course not. I never saw anything, and for all I know he was just mouthing off, trying to impress the younger guys.â
Penelope sat back and thought about what sheâd said. âI canât imagine everyone in the fashion industry is on drugs, Sienna.â
Sienna scoffed. âWell, of course not. But itâs not like theyâre hard to find if youâve a mind to. I donât allow it when theyâre working. I donât know why they do it at all, to be honest.â
Penelope rubbed her temples. âIf you had to guess, where do you think Max and Hannah are?â Her eyes flicked to the bedroom door.
Sienna picked up her mug and avoided Penelopeâs stare. âI honestly have no idea.â
Penelope sat back for a moment and crossed her arms over her chest. âI saw Christian and Hannah together before your show. They were sharing a very intimate moment in the bathroom. Had you ever seen them together before?â
Sienna snapped to attention, her cheeks flushing. She looked slightly ill and held a wad of tissues up against her mouth. âNo. Sheâs only got eyes for Max, as far as Iâve seen. You must be mistaken.â
âI donât think so,â Penelope said. âIâm pretty sure it was her. It was definitely him. And it didnât seem like it was the first time theyâd hooked up.â
Sienna took a deep breath and waved her off.
âSo, maybe they see other people. What does that have to do with anything?â
âYou have to admit itâs a concern when one third of a love triangle ends up dead,â Penelope said.
âBut that would mean Max is the guilty party. Whatâs your theoryâ¦he went wild in a jealous rage and killed Christian?â She shook her head. âI have to lie down. Iâm sorry I canât be more help right now, but Iâm not feeling well.â
Penelope started asking another question but Sienna held up her hand, fending her off. âPlease go. If I hear from Max, Iâll get in touch with Arlena.â
Chapter 17
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Penelope walked slowly back toward Maxâs neighborhood, oblivious to the people around her, going back over everything that had happened and wondering what to do next. She felt like Sienna wasnât saying everything she knew about Max, Christian and Hannah, but she had no idea what she might be holding back.
She pulled her phone from her back pocket and dialed Joeyâs number, listening to it ring until it went to his voicemail. âHey, Joey, itâs me. Give me a call, okay?â
Penelope walked a few more blocks to Westside Market, an organic farm-to-table bistro, and decided to get some lunch before walking the roughly ten blocks south to Christianâs brownstone. Penelope was curious to see where theyâd been the night before in the light of day. She also wanted to see if any of Christianâs neighbors might have seen Max there at some point the night before, or if she might be able to learn anything else about Christian. She wasnât sure what she was doing, but she had a vague idea that if she found out more about Christian, the information might lead her to Max.
Penelope opted for a seat on the patio under the restaurantâs awning, pointing to a table far away from the other diners as the hostess led her outside. She took a quick look at the brunch menu and tucked it under her plate, then dug through her purse for Officer Gomezâs business card. She dialed the cell number and smiled as the waiter placed a glass of water down on the table in front of her.
âGomez,â Officer Gomez answered crisply.
âOfficer Gomez, itâs Penelope Sutherland.â
âWhat can I do for you?â
Penelope took a sip of her water, sloshing a little onto her lap. âI was just wondering if there was any news about Max or Christian,â
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