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“The only reason she didn’t sleep with your husband is because she wasn’t interested,” said Emerald now, giving Abbey a sad look. “She told my Pete how Seger came on to her, and offered to have a quickie in her trailer. She said she wasn’t into girly men like Seger, and turned him down flat.”

Abbey looked shocked.“What?!”

“Yeah—so don’t act like your Seger is a saint who practiced amazing restraint. He’s just as big a philanderer as Pete or Reinhart.”

“Well, shit,” said Abbey. “Shewas a horrible little tart, wasn’t she?”

“We’re talking about a woman whose body is lying upstairs,” said Odelia, who didn’t think this conversation was appropriate. “Show some respect.”

“I would show some respect if she hadn’t gone after my husband,” said Alina, her face now flushed.

“And mine,” said Emerald, holding up her can and taking a sip.

“And mine,” said Abbey. “Or actually my husband went after her.”

“So did she go after Verna’s husband?” asked Emerald now, turning to Verna, who still sat brooding in a corner, nursing a glass of an amber liquid that didn’t look like apple juice.

“Worse,” said Abbey, pressing her lips together.

“Worse? What are you talking about?” asked Alina.

Abbey shook her head, her lips still clamped together.

“Oh, come on, you can tell us,” said Emerald, tugging at Abbey’s sleeve. “We’re all friends here—more or less. We told you our biggest, dirtiest secrets, so you can tell Verna’s.”

“Kimberlee did have an affair, but not with Verna’s husband but with…” She darted a meaningful look at Verna. “… her.”

Alina and Emerald look appropriately shocked, and so did Odelia.

“Kimberlee had an affair with Verna?”

“Yup,” said Abbey. “And then she dumped her. Just like that.”

“I didn’t even know…” Emerald began.

“That she liked to play both sides? Oh, yes, she did. She once came on to me, actually. We were best friends and she came on to me. Tried to kiss me and grab my boob. Can you imagine that? We were sitting there, chatting nicely and suddenly she grabbed my boob. Or both boobs. No, this is how it went down: she looked me in the eyes—deep, you know—then grabbed one boob, kissed me and grabbed the other. I was so shocked I didn’t even react.”

“And then you grabbed her boobs.”

“I did not!”

“I remember—you used to be thick as thieves, until you weren’t,” said Alina, clasping her hand to her face.

“We were besties—or at least that’s what I thought. And then one day she decided to take matters to the next level, or what she assumed the next level was, and when I told her in no uncertain terms I wasn’t up for that kind of thing, she dumped me—froze me out completely, and started hitting on Verna. Soon they were thick as thieves, and a little more. Thieves with benefits.”

“Oh, my God,” said Emerald with a snort of shock.

“So that’s why she’s in mourning,” said Alina. “She just lost her girlfriend.”

“I don’t think they were still together,” said Abbey. “I’m sure Kimberlee moved on already. She wasn’t one to linger. Hit and run kinda girl.”

“But she had a boyfriend,” said Odelia. “How did Zoltan feel about this whole… sleeping around thing?”

“Oh, he didn’t like it,” said Abbey. “Kimberlee once told me Zoltan hated it, and threatened to leave her if she didn’t change her ways.”

“Maybe she did, change her ways,” said Emerald. “I mean, they’re still together, aren’t they?”

“Zoltan Falecki is a weak, weak man,” said Abbey. “Amazing physical strength but a personality like a wet sock. He may have told her he was gonna leave her, but between telling and actually doing it lies a world of difference. So no, I don’t think she changed her ways. And yes, I think Zoltan hated it.”

“She really doesn’t sound like the kind of person who would kill herself,” said Odelia thoughtfully. “I mean,” she added when all eyes turned to her, “people like that don’t kill themselves. On the contrary. They thrive. They prosper. And they live life to the very fullest.”

At least that was the impression Kimberlee had given her the night before. And that morning. She glanced over to Verna once again, and just in that moment the young woman looked over at her. Their eyes met, and Odelia was surprised to find in Verna’s expression not the sadness and the grief she’d expected but a different emotion altogether: pure relief.

Chapter 20

Franklin Johnson was having a rough day. Being a security guard for one of the world’s most famous movie stars wasn’t usually a walk in the park but this weekend had been worse than usual. Word had somehow gotten out that Emerald had invited a few of her famous friends over and the gate had been hounded by paps ever since. There were easily a dozen of them, with their cameras clicking incessantly the moment they thought they saw movement at the front door of Casa Emerald. Unfortunately the architect who’d designed the grounds had neglected to follow the advice of wiser, more experienced architects to design a curving driveway that hid the main house from view. Instead,it was a straight line to the house, a trait of the place the paps loved.