Crash Into Me - L.A. Fiore Page 0,13

together for only four months. She was good, though. On top of everything, always looking for new ways to promote me.” She sniffled and reached for a tissue. “She was trying to get me to change my image, encouraged me to think about being more than a face.”

She’d be offered more roles if she showed this part of herself to the world. Was it possible she couldn’t act because she was being something she wasn’t? I moved on from that. “Samantha was with you at the reception?” I asked.

“Yes. We didn’t leave together, though. I had an early morning, so I really only made an appearance. She was having fun, her first celebrity event. When you’re around it all the time, you forget what it’s like…the glam of it.”

“We’ve learned that she was approached about another position,” Zac offered.

Desiree’s surprise wasn’t feigned. “I didn’t know that, but I can’t say I’m surprised. Milton took me on as an unknown child actress because he and my dad are friends. He’s been moving away from the Hollywood scene. His publicists now support local politicians and businesses. His influence and foothold in Hollywood has dwindled. Samantha loves—” She looked down and corrected herself. “Loved the part of the job that Milton is moving away from, so I’m not surprised she was looking for something else. She really loved the city, the life…all of it.”

“Can you think of anyone who would want to hurt her? Did she have trouble with anyone?” I asked.

“Publicists don’t have an easy job, but she never mentioned anything. Milton would know better than me, though.”

“Did she have a boyfriend?” Zac asked.

“No. Her focus was her work, and she was good. She had a way about her that you couldn’t help but like. She could get her way but have you smiling as she did.” Her eyes grew bright. “She had a hell of a career ahead of her. It’s just so horrible and senseless.”

“If you think of anything…” Zac said, handing Desiree his card. “Thank you for seeing us.”

“Find whoever did this to her,” Desiree said.

Zac nodded. Her assistant appeared to see us out. Like Rothschild’s man, Joshua, she had to have been waiting at the door.

Outside her Brownstone, Zac looked back at the apartment when he said, “She’s not what I expected.” His focus lingered for a second before he started for his car.

“More than a pretty face,” I said.

We got into the car; he started it up. “We got to find the piece we’re missing.”

I knew what he was thinking because I was, too. Murder was awful, a young victim made it even worse, but when they were good, decent…it was a triple hit.

“We’ll find it.” But I wasn’t so sure we would.

Salem was curled up in my lap. It was late. I needed sleep, but my mind wouldn’t rest. I’d been thinking about Samantha’s case, but for the last hour, my thoughts were on Kade Wakefield. My blood heated just thinking about him. Untouchable and out of reach, but for a few hours, he hadn’t been. Funny how someone I’d never really thought about now lingered in the back of my mind. He had stoic down, and you couldn’t help but watch him, waiting for him to give you something. And he had, a few times, a flash in those eyes, the slightest curving of his lips. Even just hearing him say please had my pulse jumping.

He’d asked quite a few questions about me, but when I asked one about him, he ended the night. Why?

I reached for my laptop, stirring Salem who jumped off the sofa. He’d be back. That was his way of telling me he was displeased with being disturbed.

I did a search on Kade Wakefield, tons of paparazzi pictures popped up, pictures taken from wide angle lenses: Kade getting into his car, going into buildings. There weren’t many of him with women, but the women he socialized with were all celebrities.

For a person in the spotlight, there was surprisingly little on him. That was consciously done, took a lot of effort, but then he had an incentive to keep things close to the chest since, allegedly, his business dealings weren’t all above board. Were any of those relative to the case? My gut was saying no.

I shut my laptop. I could dig deeper. I had the resources, but it felt wrong to invade his privacy, particularly since I had no credible reason to dig, except curiosity, and I was curious about Kade