Read Diva's Last Curtain Call for Free Online Page B

yesterday then had to hop a plane out here at the crack of dawn. I’m running on empty.”
    “Ms. Delaney, Allegra is the one who found Vivianne’s body,” I said, since Allegra seemed to have lost her tongue.
    “Oh, my God! Are you kidding? You found her? You poor kid! Are you okay?”
    Someone once told me that Hollywood was home to legions of insincere and phony show-biz people. I was now a witness to this fact as I listened to the concern that spewed from Noelle lips and noticed that her words didn’t quite match the glitter of excitement in her green eyes. She looked as if she’d just hit the entertainment-news mother lode.
    Allegra finally spoke up and explained what had happened that morning, conveniently leaving out being picked up for trespassing the day before. When she told Noelle about having to go down to the police station to make a statement, Noelle looked a little worried, but I figured it had more do with negative publicity for Hollywood Vibe than concern for my sister.
    “Can I ride to the station with you guys? I told my cab to go. I should probably be there, too,” said Noelle.
    “Sure, but it’ll be a tight fit with all of us in my car,” Carl said, looking at me for some reason. I’m no skinny Minnie, but surely he didn’t think I’d be a danger to his car’s shocks. I knew I was being overly sensitive, but why was I feeling like he didn’t want me around?
    “No problem. My car’s here. I’ll drive myself and meet you guys there.” I watched as they all left and tried not to blow my top when I looked out the window and saw Allegra give Carl a seductive smile as he held the car door open for her. Flirting was as natural as breathing to my sister, but I didn’t appreciate her doing it with my boyfriend.
    I was pulling the back door shut when I heard a shrill chirping sound from inside my purse. It took me a second to realize what it was. It was my cell phone. Carl had given it to me for Christmas. I’d accepted the gift graciously, because I knew it had cost him a lot of money. But I don’t need a cell phone, a new car, most definitely, but not a cell phone. I rarely used it, and especially not during peak calling hours, which, of course, it was now. This had better be important I thought, pressing the talk button.
    “Hello.”
    “Kendra, it’s me,” said a small voice I barely recognized as my best friend’s.
    “Lynette?”
    “Are you busy? Can you come over here, please?” I heard what sounded like sniveling.
    “What’s wrong? Is it one of the kids?”
    “No, they’re fine. I just…I just really need to talk to someone,” she said dissolving into tears. Between her and my sister I was going to drown in a sea of tears.
    “Lynette, honey, I’m on my way someplace important, but I’ll be by just a soon as I—”
    “The wedding’s off, Kendra! I know you really didn’t want to wear that dress anyway. So, now you don’t have to.”
    “What happened?” I asked, but I was answered by the sound of the dial tone bleeping in my ear. I couldn’t believe she’d hung up on me. Damn! Why did everyone’s problems have to hit on the same day?
    Figuring Allegra and Mama would be tied up with giving their statements, and hoping I wouldn’t be missed for a while, I hopped in my little blue Nova (see, I told you I needed new car) and headed over to Lynette’s.
    Lynette and her kids lived with her mother Justine in a brick tri-level on Pickett Avenue. Six years ago, after catching her husband Lamont in bed with their babysitter, Lynette had moved back home and filed for divorce. Living with her mother was supposed to be temporary. But Justine usually found one reason or another to discourage Lynette from moving out. Free child care was the biggest reason Lynette had stayed at her mother’s. Justine worked part-time and was able to take care of her grandkids while Lynette worked. The arrangement kept her from having to entrust her children to the care of strangers. I