Hayden glanced around my living room.
“The place hasn’t changed much,” I said, although it hadn’t changed at all, really. I was satisfied with how everything was arranged, from my basic furniture to my little sculptures on the shelves. My large living room carpet had been a gift from Hayden after he complained about the floor being too cold.
“Yeah, it’s how I remembered it.” A touch of sadness reached his voice. “Just didn’t think I’d see it again.”
That made two of us.
With my pulse back to normal speed, I said, “I went to see my old agent today.”
He frowned. “You’re thinking of going back into acting?”
I snorted. “God, no. She’s also Nick’s agent.”
“You two had the same agent? You didn’t mention that.”
“It slipped my mind. I thought it was an odd coincidence when I just met him, but Agatha always worked with younger actors, so it didn’t feel all that crazy.”
“I questioned her, but she claimed to not know anything, and it didn’t feel like she cared either way. Did you get anything out of her?”
I took a sip of wine. “Sort of. She didn’t admit to anything, but her reaction was telling. Before I could push further, she had someone throw me out.”
Hayden sighed. “Should I bother saying that going there alone was irresponsible and dangerous?”
“If you want to be a dick.”
He rested his arm on the back of the couch. “What happened next?”
“I got back to my studio and called you, then I drove back here. When I got to the door, it was already open. The same man from Agatha’s office waited for me here.”
Hayden tensed. “Do you know who he is?”
“No, but I doubt regular talent agents have someone like that working for them.”
“You mean he was from The Society?”
It was still unnerving to talk openly about those people after all these years. “He must be working for them, yes.”
“By working with them you mean he isn’t a member?”
I nodded. “Members don’t work as bodyguards. I’m sure he has a criminal record—that is how The Society recruits employees, or at least they did back then.”
“They contacted them after they got discharged?”
“No, theygotthem discharged, then gave them a free pass to hurt others without consequences.” I took a breath, dodging painful memories like bullets. “The man who waited for me here told me to stop asking questions.”
“That likely means he didn’t come here to kill you.”
But was it because of my old agreement with The Society, or because my death could draw attention if I wasworking with the police?
“What can you tell me about your old agent?” Hayden asked.
“I only got the part inHigh Lifebecause of her. After that, I couldn’t score any other roles, no matter how much I tried. It felt like I was cursed. Agatha kept telling me I should go hang out in a club called Pickles for mingling, and that was where I met Eliot, who owned the club.”
“It’s called Avalon now, and Eliot still runs it. Did you two become friends?”
“Yes.”
“Then lovers?”
