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perfect for the role,” Hiroaki whispered.
    Everyone around the reading table was aghast. With as much dignity as they could each muster, Hiroaki Goldfarb and Charlotte Bunch rose from their folding chairs. Charlotte blew a kiss to her now former cast members, and she and Hiroaki began to walk off the stage. “Things aren’t always as they appear,” she said, looking back at her colleagues.
    “This appears to suck,” Hiroaki spat.
    “I’ll call you,” Polly yelled out as they disappeared into the wings.

Chapter 6
    D uring the drive back to Pepper Plantation, Polly steamed in silence. When Tim finally turned the car onto the estate grounds and parked under the front portico, Polly got out and climbed the two steps up to the front door. She pushed the keypad to disarm the alarm system and opened the door. Tim and Placenta followed behind as Polly made straight for the great room and the wine cooler.
    As she withdrew a bottle of Krug and handed it to Tim to open Polly exclaimed, “I loathe bullies! Gerold Goss is the adult male version of Mandy Montevecci, my personal bête noire from Hollywood High. For no reason whatsoever she hated my guts from the moment I walked on campus. After I became famous I tracked her down, mainly to rub her nose in my success, but I also wanted to find out why she treated me so poorly all through school. You know what she told me? She said she didn’t know why she hated me, but that she just did. Then she said that she hated my show too.”
    “But she must have watched it to make that judgment,” Tim said.
    “Gerold has the same problem as Mandy,” Polly continued. “He hates that I’m popular and talented and he’s a big fat garbage bag. Those who can , do. Those who can’t , diet on Ding Dongs and Twinkies and become small-time regional theater directors or critics!”
    Tim poured three flutes of champagne and handed one each to his mother and Placenta. He raised his own to theirs. “Gerold never said one word that suggested how sorry he is about Karen’s death, or that we should think positive thoughts for Sharon. It’s weird that he didn’t declare a moment of silence, or insist that Sharon was innocent until proved guilty. Even if it’s true that she was responsible for Karen’s death, you’re supposed to pretend to hold out hope that the real killer will be found. Even O.J. promised to track himself down.”
    “Everybody grieves in his own way,” Polly said. “But you’re right that he should have at least suggested that we support Sharon. I mean, just because her car was at the scene of the crime around the time of Karen’s death, and that her Emmy was the murder weapon, and her cell phone was discovered beside the body, and that Sharon and Karen’s phone logs show that they were in communication with each other that morning, despite the fact that Sharon lied about being at the theater, doesn’t mean that she’s guilty. We’ve got to hear her side of the story.”
    Polly stood up and walked to the cordless telephone that was resting in its charging station on a chrome and glass desk by the bay window. She picked up the handset and pushed the numbers on the keypad to connect with her paramour, Detective Randy Archer of the Beverly Hills Police Department. In almost an instant, Polly seductively cooed, “Hey, you.” In a childlike voice she said, “Are we still on for Friday night?” She chuckled. “Ooooh, you’re too naughty. Say that again.”
    Tim and Placenta looked at each other and smiled as they eavesdropped on what was obviously lovers’ podgy-woo chatter. After years of watching Polly’s lack of interest in dating, they were happy to see that she was finally realizing that just because she was a woman of a certain age, that didn’t mean she wasn’t still alluring and able to take a handsome lover.
    Polly continued her conversation but cleverly steered it in a different direction. “You’ve obviously heard the horrible news about my