Best Girl by Sylvia Warsh Read Free Book Online Page B

in him, so I showed up at Brooke’s with time to spare. I walked through the bar. No Stu. I went through the same door as last time and stepped into the hall. I knocked on the office door where I’d found Brooke before. No one home. I headed back the other way and opened the wide door toward the stage. Lexy and a few other guys were setting up for the show.
    Without looking up, Lexy said, “Show’s in an hour. Come back then.”
    I walked in, all confident. He was just a kid. “I was talking to your mom the other day, remember? Old family friend.”
    He looked up and blinked, some curly bangs in his face. “Oh. Yeah, sure.”
    â€œI’m looking for Stu.”
    â€œUpstairs,” he said, giving me another quick look before going back to work. Probably wondering why his mom had never mentioned me.
    I climbed the stairs, past the Private sign. I hesitated at the door. Maybe this wasn’t such a smart idea. Stu was a big guy. If he didn’t like what I had to say, he could knock me flat without trying. I took my cell phone out of my bag and held on to it. He might think twice if he thought the cops were on speed dial.
    I wasn’t going to wimp out. I could do this. I knocked.
    Stu opened the door, blond hair freshly spiked. “Hey, babe. Glad you could make it. Come on in.”
    I took a breath and followed him, holding my cell in my hand. The place was decorated in expensive modern. White leather sofa. Abstract blue and white rug on the dark wood floor. Big-screen tv. Snazzy. Royalty money.
    â€œDrink?” he asked, pouring one for himself at the bar. “Vodka? Tequila?”
    I shook my head. Now that I was here, it was awkward. He was the star. I was the kid who cut hair for a living.
    â€œTake a load off,” he said, sitting down on the sofa. He looked at my hand. “Expecting a call?”
    Good. He noticed. I reached into my handbag and brought out the folded photocopy of “Best Girl.” I walked toward him and handed it over.
    â€œWhat’s this?” he said, unraveling it. He sat still, his eyes taking it in. “Wow! This is ancient. Where’d you dig it up?”
    â€œMy mother kept it.”
    â€œNo shit.”
    â€œRead the words,” I said, sitting down on the edge of the sofa, nervous.
    He stared at the page. His face went white.
    â€œLook familiar?”
    â€œWell…”
    â€œIt’s ‘Playgirl.’ Everything’s the same but a couple of lines.”
    â€œNo, it can’t be…”
    â€œâ€˜Playgirl’ is ‘Best Girl.’”
    â€œIt’s probably a coincidence. Freddy and me were close. On the same wavelength, you know?”
    â€œYou stole his song!”
    â€œNo! I—”
    â€œYou killed him for that song!”
    Stu’s mouth opened, then closed. He shook his head. “No! You got it all wrong.” He closed his eyes. “He was already dead when I found it.”
    He rubbed his forehead as if it hurt. “Freddy kept a stash of songs in our van, and I was cleaning it out after he…you know. Then I saw this piece and it was good. Not great, mind you. I gave it style. I rocked it out, man! I put my own stamp on it. This song would’ve gone nowhere without me .”
    He was so full of himself I wanted to smack him. “Here’s what I think. You wanted the song so bad, you killed Freddy when he wouldn’t give it to you.”
    He shook his big blond head. “If I’d sung it for him and he liked it, he would’ve played backup guitar for me. He wasn’t stupid.”
    â€œWhy should I believe you?”
    â€œBecause you’re not stupid either. Look, how much do you want?”
    I stared at him. “What do you mean?”
    â€œHow much will make you happy?”
    â€œAre you trying to pay me off so I don’t go to the cops?”
    He laughed. His face went bright, made him look years younger. “ Go