Read Dying to Have Her for Free Online

to college, then graduate school, then to get her Ph.D. on the pottery of the ancient Etruscans.
    She had married another serious brain, Jeffrey Guelph, and the two of them had lived in academic bliss ever since. They traveled the world—the remote world. They were familiar with dozens of Third World countries and were the only people she knew well who were fluent in Swahili. Serena had been amazed when Joe Penny, at a barbecue at her house one day, had hired Jeff to be a soap opera consultant. Until that time, Serena was quite certain that Melinda and Jeff were basically unaware that there was such a thing as network television.
    After three weeks of working with Jane Dunne, Jeff had come to know her, but why was Melinda so upset?
    “Melinda, naturally there’s an investigation.”
    “Naturally.” Her sister’s back was still to her. “Oh, my God, this is so horrible.”
    “Melinda, it’s upsetting … but I wasn’t aware that you knew Jane so well.”
    “I knew her enough to know that she … she was a horrible person.”
    Serena walked over to where Melinda was standing and forced her sister to look at her. Melinda did so at last, her blue-green eyes, so much like Serena’s own, glittering with tears.
    “Melinda, did she do something to you?” Serena asked, baffled. Here was Melinda, close to shedding tears, while basically saying that she had despised Jane.
    “No, but I … Serena, I did! I hated her. I only saw her a few times, at Joe’s ‘get acquainted’ parties, but she was rude and obnoxious. To me, at least. It’s just that she’s dead! I’m all right, really.”
    “Hey, Melinda,” Serena said softly. “It’s tragic, but you didn’t have anything to do with it. A lot of people—” She hesitated, then spoke the truth. “Apparently, a lot of people hated her. Your hating her isn’t the reason that she died.”
    “I hope not.”
    “What?”
    “Nothing, nothing. Oh, Serena!” Melinda threw her arms around her, hugging her tightly again. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”
    Those words were heartfelt, and again Serena was grateful. They were close, as close as it was possible for sisters to be when they were so unlike each other. Melinda had spent years sniffing at her acting career, merely tolerating what she considered to be a life with no true vocation. When Serena had been younger, acting in plays, Melinda would shake her head, but she would also be in the audience for any show Serena ever did.
    “I’m okay. I’m really just fine.”
    Melinda drew away, smiling, “I’m sorry. I’m being an idiot, huh?”
    “Melinda, I’d worry about you if you weren’t upset about a woman dying!”
    “Oh, Serena, now I feel really terrible. It’s more man that. I’m worried because of Jeff. And he wasn’t home … and he’d been to the studio …”
    “Melinda, you have no reason to worry about Jeff. He left the studio early—before this happened. And he’s a consultant, not a stagehand, and certainly not with the lighting crew.”
    “I know, it’s just that …”
    “Melinda, it’s just what?”
    Melinda inhaled, looking at her as if she was ready to burst into tears again.
    “Melinda?”
    “I don’t know … I’m not really sure. She was so mean to me every time we met. Well, maybe not mean— she just ignored me, totally, as if I were dust to be shuffled under the carpet. She was rude to Jeff … but then there was something else there …”
    “She was a flirt, Melinda. A high-powered flirt.”
    “She was more than that. She used men. She drew them in … like a spider drawing victims into a web to be consumed when the time was right. But I am sorry she’s dead. Do you believe that, Serena?”
    “Of course, I do.”
    “And Jeff … he has his faults, but … it had to have been an accident. Serena, maybe you should leave the show. Maybe they’re too careless.”
    Serena sighed, rubbing her temples. Her sister sounded almost hopeful. “No, Melinda. I’ve worked with