Deception

Vanessa Sheridan pushed open the glass door of the Producers Building and walked confidently out into the brisk sunshine. She had just given an inspired reading for the lead in a pilot and there was every reason to be optimistic. For once, it hadn’t been necessary to pretend she was younger than she really was, and she’d been able to relax and concentrate on her performance.

It was almost lunchtime and people were milling around the courtyard between the Producers Building and the commissary. A couple of tourists smiled as they recognized her but were either too shy or too polite to ask her for her autograph. Jobs had been few and far between in the past couple of years, and she was grateful for the acknowledgment. Long live all those lovely reruns and the residuals they brought.

Vanessa decided to reward herself for her exceptional performance today and take herself to a matinee. She walked the few yards to the Coffee Bean to pick up a paper and sat at one of the tables outside of the commissary to see what was playing. An article on the front page caught her attention: “NO ARRESTS YET IN MOVIE DIRECTOR’S MURDER.” Her hands trembled and shook the paper involuntarily as she read. The police had no leads but there would be an extensive investigation. Vanessa’s mind reeled. She had been trying to forget about Stan’s death ever since she had first heard about it on the news. Could Lila have had something to do it? She had never trusted the woman and suspected she was capable of anything, even murder. It was very possible that the police would want to question Vanessa, and she dreaded the thought. She had nothing to fear from them, but she did have a reason to hide from Lila. Vanessa was definitely afraid of her.

Vanessa forced herself to calm down. She caught a couple of worried glances aimed in her direction and knew she must do better at controlling her anxiety, especially if the police ever got around to her. She had no idea what happened that night, but she had her suspicions. Please, God, let them find the murderer without involving her…not now, when she finally had a shot at something good.