MURDER ON A DESIGNER DIET by Shawn Reilly Simmons

Penelope asked tentatively, unsure how far to step.
    Sienna smiled tightly. “Of course not. I never saw anything, and for all I know he was just mouthing off, trying to impress the younger guys.”
    Penelope sat back and thought about what she’d said. “I can’t imagine everyone in the fashion industry is on drugs, Sienna.”
    Sienna scoffed. “Well, of course not. But it’s not like they’re hard to find if you’ve a mind to. I don’t allow it when they’re working. I don’t know why they do it at all, to be honest.”
    Penelope rubbed her temples. “If you had to guess, where do you think Max and Hannah are?” Her eyes flicked to the bedroom door.
    Sienna picked up her mug and avoided Penelope’s stare. “I honestly have no idea.”
    Penelope sat back for a moment and crossed her arms over her chest. “I 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?”
    Sienna snapped to attention, her cheeks flushing. She looked slightly ill and held a wad of tissues up against her mouth. “No. She’s only got eyes for Max, as far as I’ve seen. You must be mistaken.”
    â€œI don’t think so,” Penelope said. “I’m pretty sure it was her. It was definitely him. And it didn’t seem like it was the first time they’d hooked up.”
    Sienna took a deep breath and waved her off.
    â€œSo, maybe they see other people. What does that have to do with anything?”
    â€œYou have to admit it’s a concern when one third of a love triangle ends up dead,” Penelope said.
    â€œBut that would mean Max is the guilty party. What’s your theory…he went wild in a jealous rage and killed Christian?” She shook her head. “I have to lie down. I’m sorry I can’t be more help right now, but I’m not feeling well.”
    Penelope started asking another question but Sienna held up her hand, fending her off. “Please go. If I hear from Max, I’ll get in touch with Arlena.”

Chapter 17

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    Penelope walked slowly back toward Max’s neighborhood, oblivious to the people around her, going back over everything that had happened and wondering what to do next. She felt like Sienna wasn’t 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 Joey’s number, listening to it ring until it went to his voicemail. “Hey, Joey, it’s me. Give me a call, okay?”
    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 Christian’s brownstone. Penelope was curious to see where they’d been the night before in the light of day. She also wanted to see if any of Christian’s 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 wasn’t 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 restaurant’s 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 Gomez’s 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.
    â€œGomez,” Officer Gomez answered crisply.
    â€œOfficer Gomez, it’s Penelope Sutherland.”
    â€œWhat can I do for you?”
    Penelope took a sip of her water, sloshing a little onto her lap. “I was just wondering if there was any news about Max or Christian,”