A Talent for Murder by R.T. Jordan Read Free Book Online Page A

John
, over her mediocre
Heaven and Nell.”
    Placenta said, “The important thing is that Polly was the top story on news radio all the way home!”
    As Polly and her entourage entered the mansion, they automatically headed straight for the great room. “Bubbles and Brie please,” Polly called out as her maid raced ahead to pop a cork.
    As they entered their main play area of the house, Polly continued. “Forget Ped-Xing. I’m much more miffed with Brian Smith. Who does that brownie-baking ex-Pip think he is, copying me! I signed on to be the
nice
judge! I gave each contestant the full one hundred points and cooed lovely lies about their half-assed performances. He copied me exactly.”
    “Being nice got you insults and a death threat from a lunatic gangsta with so many body piercings, he’d never make it through any airport security,” Randy said as he settled himself comfortably on the sofa.
    “Ped-Xing is just a young blowhard and braggart. Of course, with a body like his …” Polly stopped and looked at Tim. “Did you get any vibes, dear?”
    “Um, no,” Tim said, helping himself to a glass of champagne, and trying to evade the ongoing issue of his mother always being on the lookout for someone who might take him away from her.
    Polly cleared her throat. “As I started to say, with a body like his, and all the work that goes into crafting such a sculpture of flesh, he’s won bragging rights.”
    Desperate to change the direction of the conversation, Tim picked up the television remote and turned on the wide-screen television. “Let’s see how Channel Four spins the story,” he said.
    Everybody focused on the honey-blond female reporter who was holding a microphone to Ped-Xing’s face.
    Polly said, “That little twerp is stealing my limelight! Channel Four didn’t ask
me
to do an interview!”
    “You didn’t threaten to be the next star-turned-killer,” Placenta reminded her.
    The reporter said, “Tonight, probably a bajillion viewers watched as you said a few mean things on
I’llDo Anything to Become
…” She stopped to look at her notes.
“Famous
. In fact, you threatened to murder one of the judges.” She stopped and spoke to the anchor in the newsroom. “Roll the tape, please.” A replay of Ped-Xing telling the world that he’d be famous if he killed Polly Pepper filled the screen.
    The camera returned to the overly serious reporter. “Do you have any comment?”
    Ped-Xing looked at the woman as if she had green teeth. “Aren’t there a couple of wars in the Middle East that you should be covering? Or a drive-by shooting on the freeway? Or a sex scandal starring a Disneyland costume character?”
    The reporter looked taken aback. “We’re also told that the police are taking your threat seriously and have placed Polly”—again, she looked at her notes—”Pepper, under round-the-clock protection.”
    Polly smiled and leaned against Randy. “Are you my big and strong security detail?” she purred.
    “If Bambi Levitz, the Wonder Reporter who doesn’t seem to know you, says so, it must be true,” Randy said.
    As Ped-Xing tried to move away from the camera, the reporter grabbed him by the arm. “One last question. How, when, and where will you kill Polly… Pepper?”
    “I’m not killing anyone or anything!” Ped-Xing roared. “Except maybe my competition! Dang! That old judge should consider my remark a huge compliment. I hear she used to be a star. Thane Cornwall is nobody. The headlines would be bigger if I took
her
down. D’ya think?”
    “Old? Used to be?” Polly fumed. “From now on, he’ll never get more than fifty points from me! Refill, please,” she called to Placenta, wiggling her glass above her head.
    * * *
    Unless the household was preparing for one of Polly’s legendary soirees, Saturday morning at Pepper Plantation was never any different from every other day of the week. Placenta was up by six, but the mistress of the manse crawled out of bed only