Set the Stage for Murder by Brent Peterson Read Free Book Online

idea, “ if the theater were big enough and they didn’t sell the first three rows.”
    “ Spoken like a true bitchy chorus boy,” Vicki said, causing Ethan to do a spit-take. With that, the two of them collapsed in giggles, rousing Clementine from her nap and causing Marc to start picking up the stemware.
    “ No, no, no … we promise to be good.” Vicki laughed as she swiped her glass from the tray.
    “ We do?” Ethan asked, grabbing his still half-full Martini.
    “ At least where our bartender is concerned,” she conceded.
    “ Then back to the guest list,” Marc said, only slightly bruised.
    “ Well, the rest of the cast, of course,” Vicki said. “Ed Cortez and Sarah Crandall …”
    “ Are they still married?” Ethan asked.
    “ Still married,” Vicki answered, “although as we all know, it has not been a particularly happy union. She’s put up with a lot from Ed. When Teddy hired him last year, for Pinafore , I tried to get him to put a warning in the chorus girls’ contracts.”
    “ Why does Sarah put up with it?” Ethan asked as he leaned against his partner’s knee. “She’s such a success and so damned funny; she doesn’t need him.”
    “ She’s left him more than once, but they always reconcile,” Vicki said. “Which I suspect has a lot to do with her big, fat paycheck from the sitcom. Still, she takes him back, so there must be some love there, at least on her part. Maybe they stayed together for Connor’s sake. Who knows?”
    “ Well,” Marc began, in that way that indicated this was going to worth hearing so you had better shut up and listen, “I understand he still has a thing for Miss Rosamund Whiting.” With this carrot properly dangled, he picked up the tray and started toward the gazebo steps, as if the subject were closed.
    “ Wait just a minute, you!” Vicki ordered. “That is not an exit line. Just where did you hear that?”
    “ Yeah,” Ethan agreed. “And why am I just finding out?”
    Marc set the tray back down, waved a dismissive hand at Ethan and leaned in conspiratorially to both of them. “You remember my friend John Hawkins, right? We did and Showboat The Unsinkable Molly Brown together that summer in St. Louis . . . they had a whole water theme that season.”
    Vicki and Ethan both nodded.
    “ Well” Marc continued, “he did that Inge play with Ed last summer in the Berkshires, and they got to be friendly in that way you do when you’re away from home and your buddy options are limited?
    Vicki and Ethan both nodded
    “ So,” Marc said to his captive audience, “one night at a little party thrown by the producers – translation, open bar – Ed got schnockered and started telling our always sober, teetotaler friend John that he never got over being dumped by Roz for Tony AND that he and Roz had an affair a few years ago when they both did that Altman film.
    “ Roz and Ed had an affair?!?” Vicki asked, disbelief evident in her tone. “How could I not know about something like that? I’m around Roz all the time!”
    “ Well, apparently not all the time,” Marc commented, rather pleased with himself. “She’s an actor, Vicki; we lie for a living. And let’s face it, neither of them would want any scandal, so they’d be pretty careful to keep it hush-hush … unless there’s an open bar and then all bets are off.”
    “ Maybe that’s what Roz was talking about,” Vicki said, almost to herself.
    “ Okay, spill it,” demanded Marc. “There’s something you haven’t told us. What did Roz say?”
    “ Oh,” Vicki sighed, “I guess it’s pointless to try to keep something from you.”
    “ You’re damn right it is,” Marc agreed as he refilled her glass. “You tell us everything you know and this time really don’t leave one thing out.”
    So she proceeded to tell the two of them about Roz’s strange confession and even stranger request to handle the situation on her own.
    “So do you think Sally Crandall could have sent that