died during filming.” She looked at her cousins. “Look at the way you two just reacted. It’s huge. It changes everything we think about Johnny’s death. But Mick—when Captain Livingston told us about Johnny, Mick acted a little surprised, but not anywhere near what you would expect.” Talking it out, she realized at least part of what was bothering her so much about the situation. “So, why would he take me all the way out to Catalina in the middle of the night to find this guy and interview him when it was something he already knew?”
“Maybe he was trying to seduce you,” Sailor said, the exact same thing that Barrie had been thinking earlier in the evening.
“Sailor, this is serious,” Rhiannon reprimanded her. “If Barrie thinks there’s something off about it, she has to be very careful about this guy. What do you know about him, anyway?” she asked Barrie.
“Besides that you like him,” Sailor said.
“I don’t like him,” Barrie started, but the words sounded like a lie even to her. “Okay, maybe he’s smart, and perceptive, and an ace journalist....”
“And hot?” Sailor suggested.
“Yes, and hot. And a great dancer,” Barrie said, a little wistfully.
Sailor raised an eyebrow. “He sounds like a dream. So, what’s bothering you about the guy?”
Barrie could never get anything past her cousins; they all knew each other too well.
“Well, for starters he’s a shifter,” she said. “But it’s hard to explain. I think he’s lying to me about something.” In fact she knew he was lying; she just didn’t have any proof.
“The thing is, he’s not just a shifter, he was concealing being a shifter, completely passing as human...and he did it so freaking well. I had no idea. Really, none. It’s kind of scary.”
“I’m going to have Brodie check him out,” Rhiannon declared, and Barrie was about to protest when she realized that Rhiannon was right; it would be useful to have Brodie get some real background on Townsend.
“That would be great,” Barrie thanked her. “And, Sailor, I need a huge favor from you, too.”
“Anything, honey,” her cousin offered instantly.
“I need to talk to Darius Simonides.”
“Why? I mean, of course, I’ll call him first thing in the morning, but why do you need to talk to him?”
“He repped all three of the Pack, and Travis Branson, too.”
“Of course, that makes sense,” Sailor murmured. She sounded troubled.
“But really, I need to talk to DJ,” Barrie said.
“Talk to DJ!” Sailor exclaimed.
Rhiannon looked equally startled, and Barrie knew why. The actor was so famous it was sort of like saying she wanted an audience with Kate and William, and somehow crazily expecting to get one.
“I know,” she told them. “But he’s the one who’s really going to know what happened on set. Well, him, and Travis Branson, the director. Captain Livingston said they were shooting the last scenes on a closed set, and only the principal actors were there. And realistically, DJ and Branson are prime suspects. God knows I’d love to talk to Robbie Anderson, too, but—”
She stopped, with a sudden thrill of realization.
“Maybe I can. If Robbie is dead, then there’s a chance I can talk to him. And Johnny Love, too.”
She stood, then hurried out the back kitchen door toward the main house.
* * *
Inside Sailor’s house, Barrie moved into the back wing where Merlin kept his own room.
Merlin was the most polite ghost imaginable, an impeccable gentleman, and very firm about keeping civilized human boundaries. He would never think of just appearing in a room; he used doors just like anyone else, and when any of the cousins wanted to get in touch with him, she knocked on his door just the same as she would for anyone.
Barrie knocked, and waited, and after a moment the door opened, as if by itself. It took Merlin a moment to fully appear; he must have been out of the house—somewhere else—when she’d knocked. He’d been a man of medium height and weight, with a charmingly lined face, bright blue eyes and a cap of snow-white hair, and that was how he appeared as a ghost, as well. At the moment, though, he looked anxious.
“Barrie, my dear. Is something wrong?”
His concern made her remember the hour. “No, nothing like that,” she reassured him. “I’m sorry to disturb you so late.”
“Oh, the hour doesn’t matter in the slightest, as long as you and your cousins are all right.”
“We’re all fine, truly. But we’re discussing a case, and you may be able to help.”
“How lovely. I’d be