The Celebutantes by Antonio Pagliarulo

breath.”
    â€œAnd maybe do a quick yoga stretch,” Madison chimed in.
    Tallula rolled her neck. “Oh, I’d love to be able to stretch right now.”
    â€œExcuse me!” Detective Roan shouted. “Nobody is doing anything except answering my questions!” He glared at Madison, Park, and Lex. “And
you
three are just getting in the way! You’ll have to wait outside!”
    â€œAbsolutely not!” Tallula screeched. She clutched Madison’s hand firmly. “I won’t answer any questions without my new BFFs here!”
    â€œNeither will I!” Coco said quickly. And just as quickly, she whirled in Madison’s direction. “I thought
I
was your BFF!”
    â€œYou are,” Madison answered shakily. “Both of you are my friends. Really, you are. But right now, just stay cool and answer the detective’s questions.”
    Detective Roan’s face took on the expression of a pit bull. “I’m only going to say it once, got it? The only people I want here with me are Tallula Kayson and Coco McKaid. That means anyone named after an avenue has to leave!”
    Lex clucked her tongue. “Can’t you be more original than that?” she snapped.
    â€œI agree,” Madison said firmly. “There’s no reason to resort to clichés. I mean,
really.
”
    â€œDetective, may I ask you a question?” Park took a step in his direction. “Are you conducting an official police interrogation here? Because if you are, I believe Coco and Tallula have the right to have an attorney present.”
    His lips curled in a little snarl. He stayed quiet.
    â€œThat’s right!” Coco snapped. “And a publicist! I’m being made to feel like a criminal!”
    â€œAnd you can’t expect
me
to answer any questions!” Tallula wailed. “I’m in shock!” She stumbled toward a chair and plopped into it, covering her face with her hands.
    It was a clear defeat for Detective Roan, and he knew it.
    But Park didn’t give him a smug expression. Instead, she smiled brightly, dug into her purse, and pulled out a roll of Life Savers. She popped one into her mouth and then gingerly offered him one.
    The snarl still in place, he grabbed a piece and crunched down on it.
    â€œNow,” Park said firmly. “We need some questions answered, right? Let’s start with you, Coco. Tell us exactly what happened, please.”
    â€œIt happened just like I said,” Coco explained. “When I left the luncheon I went to the bathroom, and I…I saw the chain on the floor and I picked it up. End of story.”
    Madison looked at Lex, who looked at Park.
    â€œWhere’d you go after the bathroom?” Park asked.
    â€œMadison, you told me that Lex went to the bathroom when I first arrived at the luncheon,” Tallula said.
    â€œSo the two of you went to the bathroom together,” Detective Roan stated. “Is that right?”
    â€œNo, it’s not.” Lex sighed.
Damn.
She didn’t want to have to speak up about Coco’s whereabouts just yet. But she knew she had no choice. “I went looking for Coco because Coco never came back from the bathroom. I looked for her for nearly an hour.”
    Coco blushed.
    â€œSo then where did you go during that time, Miss McKaid?” Detective Roan asked.
    â€œI…I was just wandering around.” Coco cleared her throat nervously. “I had a little too much to drink at the luncheon and I was annoyed and I—”
    â€œElijah went to the luncheon before I did,” Tallula interjected. “Did any of you see him?”
    Madison bit down on her lip.
    Lex played with the strap of her purse.
    Park didn’t bat an eye. She stood as calm and unshakable as ever. “Yes. In fact, we met him. And Coco was with us.”
    Coco shot Park a
how-could-you-do-this-to-me?
look.
    â€œPark, did you or your sisters see Coco leave the room with