Read On the Avenue for Free Online Page B

“You're right. They probably do. And it makes perfect sense. Zahara Bell was wearing one of Lex's dresses: Does that tie us to the crime? We're probably
suspects,
for God's sake!”
    “Don't say that! I can't even hear it!” Coco covered her ears with her hands.
    “What are we gonna do?” Lex said, panic rising in her voice. “How are we going to explain this to people? The press will have a field day. We'll all be tried as murderers. It'll be worse than when …”
    Park didn't flinch as all eyes locked upon her. She stared back at her sisters and Coco and then ran a hand through her hair. “There's only one thing we
can
do,” she said calmly. “We'll just have to find the killer first.”

4

In
Bleu
    Jeremy was breathless. He had been speed walking for ten solid minutes, and now a film of sweat was beginning to dampen the exquisite fabric of his Dolce & Gabbana tuxedo. He finally slowed his pace as he neared the corner of Fifth Avenue and Sixty-third Street. Traffic was heavy, crowds thick. The city was just starting to boom with nightlife. Under normal circumstances the vibe would have excited him, but he wasn't in a partying mood anymore. His heart was thudding. His palms were slick. And for the first timein three fame-filled years, he found himself wishing for complete anonymity.
    Running a hand through his wavy hair, Jeremy eyed the dozens of occupied cabs streaming past. There was no chance of flagging one down. What would be the damn point, anyway? He was only a few short blocks from the Pierre and the safety of his penthouse suite. It made more sense to continue walking, but the possibility of being spotted and fawned over by ten or twenty fans was all too real— and all too dangerous. Cameras would flash. Word would spread. By morning there would be pictures of him in all the major newspapers looking scared and disheveled and totally spooked. And every reporter in the city would put the pieces together and know that he had fled the crime scene. It wasn't exactly the kind of publicity he wanted. One little connection to a dead body and your movie career was downgraded to daytime television status.
    He reached the corner of Sixty-first Street. He scanned the endless stream of cars again. Everything was just too damn bright. Here, on the west side of Fifth Avenue, he stood ensconced in shadows, the trees of Central Park camouflaging him beneath a leafy canopy. One more block and the avenue widened to a concrete jungle. There was no safety in the harsh glare of headlights and glowing skyscrapers. Still, he knew it was only a matter of timebefore
someone
with a brain recognized him. He had no choice but to keep moving. Holding his breath, he stared at the flashing crosswalk signal and cut quickly to the opposite side of the avenue. He walked with his head down. Several pedestrians zipped by him, but no one threw a glance his way.
    Good. Ignore me. Let me be invisible.
    Even as the words echoed through his brain, Jeremy knew that becoming invisible was as impossible as going a week without sex. His face was currently gracing the covers of five national magazines, a billboard in So Ho, and countless promo posters for his upcoming film,
Knight.
Yesterday, while in Los Angeles, he had granted Mary Hart an interview for
Entertainment Tonight.
There was also his appearance on the
Today
show to think about. And just two hours ago, he'd been the main attraction of the Met's fund-raising gala. The whirlwind of publicity was constant. It hadn't stopped in three years, ever since he'd starred in
All Cut Up,
his first blockbuster movie. Jeremy had gone from fifteen-year-old Iowa farm boy to international celebrity overnight, and the world's eyes were locked on him. He liked to think it had everything to do with his acting abilities, but deep down, he knew his good looks were the reason for his fame. He was tall and lean and solidly built, with washboard abs and killer pecs. He couldn't take a bad picture. Women went crazy