Jeopardy in High Heels (High Heels #12) - Gemma Halliday Page 0,16

I saw mad at Dog was Rupert Blick," Angela said. "He's an executive at the network and didn't seem too happy with Dog's performance. He came over and yelled at him every commercial break."

I'd seen that too. In fact, I'd seen him arguing with Dog before the show even started taping. I glanced at Tina, wondering what she was up to. This felt more like a witness interrogation than an interview.

"So when am I meeting this kid?" Angela asked.

"Hmm?" Tina's head popped up. "Oh, right. Yeah, we'll be in touch."

* * *

As soon as Angela was out of earshot, I turned to Tina. "Okay, spill it, Bender. What were all those questions about?"

Tina shrugged, getting up from the table. "I told you. I'm doing a story on Dog's death."

"But why were you asking if anyone argued with him? What does that have to do with his death?"

Tina didn't answer, instead avoiding my gaze. She was definitely hiding something.

"Why did you want to know who visited Dog backstage?" I pressed. "What does that have to do with his death?"

Tina chewed the inside of her cheek, still not answering me.

"I mean, Dog's death was an accident. He died of a drug overdose, right?"

Tina sucked in a breath of air and let it out audibly before finally answering. "That is the official story. But I don't think it's the whole story."

"Why not?" I asked.

"I heard something on my police scanner."

"You have a police scanner?" Marco asked.

"Doesn't everyone?" When neither of us answered, she just shrugged. "Anyway, I heard some chatter last night after the call went out about the 10-54."

"What's a 10-54?" Marco asked.

"Cop code for a possible dead body," Tina explained.

"What chatter did you hear?" I asked, halfway wondering if it had been from my own husband.

She paused, seeming to weigh how much to share. "I heard them mention ethyl glycol ingestion."

"What's that?"

"Antifreeze."

"Antifreeze!" Marco gasped. "Dog drank antifreeze?"

Tina shrugged.

"So his death was not a drug overdose like the police originally thought?" I asked, skeptical.

Tina shook her head. "Didn't sound like it from what I overheard."

"But he did drink poison?" Marco added.

"Or someone poisoned him." Tina shot us a pointed look.

"Wait—are you saying it's possible Doggy Z was murdered?" I asked.

She nodded very slowly.

"And you think Angela Gold did it?" I glanced behind her to where I could see the brunette mingling with her fans.

"Possibly. Or possibly another Jeopardy! contestant." Tina paused, that pointed look making a reappearance. "Like maybe Fernando."

"Oh, now you done it, woman." Marco stepped forward, putting his fists up as if about to fight her.

Tina didn't look very scared. Then again, Marco was 100 pounds soaking wet and wearing a schoolgirl uniform.

"What reason would Fernando possibly have to kill Dog?" I asked. "He didn't even know him!"

"Maybe he was killing off the competition."

I scoffed. "Dog could barely work the buzzer. He was hardly tough competition."

"Well, maybe it was personal," Tina reasoned. "Maybe Dog found out some secret about Fernando that he didn't want told."

I felt a chill run up my spine. "Tina, Fernando was not involved in this. If someone killed Dog—and that sounds like it's a big if—it was not Fernando. I can assure you he had nothing to do with it."

Tina looked from me to Marco and back to me. "But we all know he has something to hide."

I clenched my jaw. "What is it going to take for you to leave him out of this?"

Tina cocked her head to the side, assessing me. I had a bad feeling she was calculating her demand, and the longer she stared the higher I could feel her bid going.

"Your husband works homicide, right?" she finally said.

The chill was back. "Yes," I answered slowly. "So what?"

"So…I bet you he knows if Dog accidentally drank antifreeze or if this was a case of deliberate poisoning. And I bet you could get that info out of him."

"No. No way." I shook my head so hard my hair whipped my cheeks. "I'm not asking Ramirez to do that. He could be in real trouble if the department thought he was leaking details of an ongoing investigation to the press."

Tina shrugged in an over-the-top display of nonchalance. "Okay, fine. Then I run with my story. Beverly Hills' most sought after hairdresser isn't who you really think he is…and possibly killed to keep his secret."

I felt my stomach drop.

Marco whimpered, shooting me a pleading look.

"The choice is yours," Tina said with a smirk.

I took a deep breath. I counted to ten. It didn't work. I