Chosen by a Killer by Laurie Nave (read e book txt) 📗

“Exactly,” Tasha nodded. “But of course I could not do that. I was able to get a revolver, however. For several days, I attempted to talk to my father about my mother. I told him I was angry, but I knew he was trying to protect me. It was stupid, but it came from a good place. I told him I wasn’t sure I could have him in my life anymore, but I wanted to try.”

Celia nodded. Somehow she knew where Tasha was leading him, so she waited for the actress to continue.

“The idea that he might be cut out of my life upset him. His fear of being cut off superseded his suspicion of me. I knew it would. He began to beg for a second chance. So I told him I wanted to go together to see my mother, to at least see where she was buried and say goodbye. He readily agreed.”

“So you went to the cemetery where she was buried.”

“We did. The trip took a couple of days. He didn’t want to fly, and I didn’t question it. We used the GPS on my phone.”

“I see,” Celia said. That explained how the police knew where to find her.

“My father got a phone call while we were at the cemetery. It seemed innocuous as if it was from one of his friends. He told them he was on vacation and would take care of whatever they were talking about when he returned.”

“But it wasn’t innocuous.”

“No, it wasn’t. I had brought flowers for each of us to place on her grave. When he knelt to lay his bouquet on the ground, I shot him in the back of the head. Then I took everything from his pockets, his glasses, and the keys, and I drove to a hotel. Fifteen minutes after I checked in, the concierge knocked on the door. When I opened it, he stepped aside, and the police were there.”

“Were you surprised?”

“It’s funny. I was a bit surprised when the concierge stepped aside. But as soon as I saw the officers, my first thought was to chastise myself for being so idiotic. While I was manipulating my father, he was manipulating me.”

“And did you still have the gun?”

“Stupidly, I did. I had planned to take a different route home and discard it the next day. But there wasn’t time. My father had one of his friends tracking my phone, and when he did not call the friend back within half an hour, the friend called the local police and told them a murderer was at the hotel. He gave them my description and the location of the cemetery.”

“Damn,” Celia said softly. She had read an anonymous tip led to the arrest, but the reporter had no idea the plan was so elaborate. Like father, like daughter, she supposed.

“Yes, my father was smarter than I had believed. Underestimating him was a grave mistake. I should have known better.”

Celia made a few notes, and Natasha smoked in silence. Her father had betrayed her twice. First, he lied about her mother. Then he trapped her into being arrested. Celia felt a bit sorry for the actress. She looked up to see Tasha staring at the wall. She almost looked vulnerable. For a moment, Celia wondered whether she should bring up the topic of William after such a revelation, but the clock was ticking, and she had promised herself she would ask about him if only to see Natasha’s reaction.

“I hate to turn the subject on a dime, but I’d like to ask you something.”

“A change of subject would be appreciated,” Tasha said.

“William and I talked about my projects earlier this week. I had not told him about our interviews because I wanted to respect your privacy; however, he already knew because John told him.”

“Of course he did.”

“Yes, well, William didn’t seem at all upset that I kept it secret. In fact, he was pretty accommodating. He seemed to be glad that I cared about your privacy.”

“Almost as if we knew each other?” Tasha smiled.

“Exactly. I’ve seen some photos of the two of you. It seems like you were friends. Or maybe more?”

Natasha crushed her cigarette and laughed. “Surely you know that I am not William’s type.”

“I had heard that, but I wasn’t sure. Look, it doesn’t matter, I guess. But it felt like there was something there I didn’t know about, and I am not fond of that feeling.”

“I understand that. And now that we have talked and I know that I was right about you, I’ll be glad to fill in the missing pieces.”

“I’d appreciate that.”

“I have known William for years. He approached me at a premier event, and we became friends. My father seemed to take an instant dislike to him, so of course, I spent lots of time with him after that. He took me to my first awards show.”

“Yes, I saw that photo.”

“People speculated, but I knew William was gay. He was always very respectful and kind, and he shielded me from a lot of probing eyes and ears. He couldn’t stand my father, which I enjoyed immensely.”

“Really?”

“Yes, he was very upfront with me about it, He thought my father was using me. He was the one who suspected my father might compromise my privacy if it meant notoriety. “

“Wow,” Celia said. “Then again, he does seem pretty perceptive.”

“He is. We remained friends, but I didn’t advertise it. Neither did he. I didn’t want the press hounding him the way they did anyone they thought would give them a quote. I tried to distance myself after my arrest. But we remained in touch. He was the one who gave me information about my mother.”

Celia was shocked at the revelation. It made sense that William would know a lot of people. But Tasha must have really trusted him if she reached out to him in that way. After all, it could have clued him in to her plans, and she could have been