“Now if you’ll excuse us, Addie, we have show business to discuss.” Val gave me a satisfied smile. She might have initially lost control, but this woman had the final say.
And she wasn’t ready to give me an all-access pass to my favorite show yet. But that was okay. I was on the set, and I could work with this.
It was on the tip of my tongue to protest. Until we figured out who slipped the oleander into Diana’s dish—Sig was often shown taking bites from the judges’ dishes since he didn’t get his own—Parking Lot Potluck business was my business.
But without my own car, I had free rein of the empty set.
This had nothing to do with fangirling. I wanted Persephone to start putting together as many scents as possible. I couldn’t count on Chloe coming around.
I tapped the table to signal to Persephone it was time to say goodbye to her new bestie. “I need the info on my rental car.”
Val nodded. “It’s on my list. We can chat after the meeting.”
The answer should’ve been, it’s waiting for you in the lot, but that was okay, because this gave me a chance to explore set.
Whoever put oleander in Diana’s dish meant to do much more than send a message. She was lucky she survived. I wondered if she was the target, and Sig was collateral damage, or the other way around.
I checked my phone, calculating what time Henry would be out of class so we could chat. Poisonous flowers might not be his area of expertise, but he’d surprised me before.
There was a message from Casey with a picture of one of our favorite yorkies attracted. Frank’s going to his forever home today, and he wanted to make sure he had a chance to give you his love before he went.
Aww, Frank. He was a senior gentleman who’d been with us a while. People were fearful of the mature animals leaving them before they were ready, but these guys were still so full of life. Frank loved to play, but he also loved chilling. His new parents were an older couple themselves, and they were flanked either side of him, and I couldn’t tell who was happier about this new arrangement.
And just like that, I was homesick.
I hope you gave him tons of kisses for me and Persephone.
Of course I did. How are things on Parking Lot Potluck. Tell me everything!
I told myself I needed to do a lap around set before I could truly tell her everything, but the truth was that I wasn’t ready to admit that things weren’t going as smoothly as I’d daydreamed about.
Trailers were parked in a semi-circle around the competition area. Some of them had people’s names on the door, others simply marked by department. Persephone took her time, sniffing around each trailer, and I was in no position to rush her.
I hadn’t seen another person since we left the production meeting. I crouched down to see things at her level. “Anything interesting?”
“Not sure. Things are different inside the TV. Lots of new scents.”
“Anything that you’ve smelled somewhere else on this trip?”
“Maybe.” She moved on to the next thing, so whatever it was didn’t seem important.
That could be because everything was new, or she wasn’t sure she was looking for. I wasn’t crazy about my cat sniffing around for poisonous plants. I’d treated animals who’d gotten into troublesome treats. At the shelter, I had a kit assembled in case of emergencies. I’d been so frazzled coming to Parking Lot Potluck I didn’t think to pack it.
I could order the items and have them at the hotel within the next few days. Until then, I’d have to be extra vigilant about what Persephone investigated.
“Is there a reason you stopped in front of Lindsay? You walked right by everyone else.”
“She’s nice.”
“She is.” If it hadn’t been for her, I might have never gotten into the production meeting today. “Any other reason you spent so much time with her?”
“She wanted me around.”
My heart panged. Lindsay was possibly a bigger Diana Diamond fan than I was, and Diana being in critical condition had to be weighing heavily on her.
But everyone else was stressed out, too.
Val was afraid she’d lose the show, George was starting a food truck business, and Maxim ran a high-end restaurant. But they were all here for a reason. Would all their names be too tainted by association to get another high-profile gig after Parking Lot Potluck?
We’d reached the end of the trailer horseshoe. My stupid heart skipped a beat every time the set came into view. The cooking stations had been mostly broken down, and all the appliances were being stored in the tent where we had the meeting. But the butcher block workstations still stood, now wrapped in weatherproof material. Yellow crime scene tape waved in the breeze, like everyone had forgotten about the crime.
I stepped over it, bringing Persephone over to the area. I scanned the ground, looking for any evidence of leftover oleander. The bright pink petals would stand out against the pavement, but the crime likely took place after the cooking had been done.
There was another message from Casey waiting for me when I pulled my phone out of my pocket.
Is everything okay there? I know you’re busy and I’m probably overreacting, but I’m getting a vibe.
Her vibe was right on. I sighed as I leaned against the judging table and hit send to talk to her. Persephone put her front paws on my leg, and I lifted her off the ground.
“Helping Paws Animal Shelter, where you can vote on the upcoming Ballers and Collars celebrity calendar.”
“What?” It was like she was talking a foreign language.
“Oh, Addie. I’m so glad to hear from you.” Casey let out a sigh of relief. “You know sometimes I have an overactive imagination.”
“Yeah, I do. How did you answer the phone? Ballers and shot callers?”
“No!” She laughed. “I’ve been in touch with Liz from the Gulf Coast Exotic Sanctuary, and we’re hammering out the plans to do another calendar, this time with athletes instead of military vets. The proceeds would be split between Helping Paws and the big guys at her sanctuary. So I was trying it out for size.”
“I love the idea. The calendar, not trying it out for size when someone calls. It’s a little confusing.”
“I’ll keep working on it. But enough about me. How are things at Parking Lot Potluck?” She sounded so excited.
“Good. A little weird. I’m leaning against the judging station as we speak.” Persephone strolled back and forth, stopping to sniff the butcher block tabletop. I was fairly certain this was the same station they used every episode, every location. Unless it was built especially for the location. I’d have to ask. We’d passed a small construction station with plywood and a table saw, so it was possible, but not entirely relevant to the case—unless Persephone was picking up old scents from the traveling tabletop.
“That’s so cool. What’s everyone like? Have you met any of the judges yet?”
“I’ve met them all.”
“You must be over the moon. I’m so glad you took this case. You and Persephone will save the show.”
“I hope so. When was the last time you talked to Josh?” Henry still wasn’t done with his classes, and Josh had been pretty amazing at trivia night. He might know about poisonous flowers.
“Ugh. He ghosted me. Can you believe it?”
“No, I can’t.” This was impossible. “He was so into you.”
“Yeah, I thought so, too. But then he said work was crazy, and then he just stopped responding to my texts.”
“Maybe he’s telling the truth. Sounds like he’s got a stressful job. I’d give him another chance if I were you.”
“Why are you changing the subject? Is everything okay? How’s Persephone?”
“She’s right here, the world’s best crime-solving sidekick.” I ran my hand over her back. “It wasn’t really changing the subject. I was curious if Josh knew anything about—”
“Ma’am.” A woman rounded the corner, wearing a vest emblazoned with the word SECURITY and a disapproving frown. “Do you have an ID badge?”
“What? No.” I covered the phone with my hand. “I’ve got to go.”
“Addie! What’s happening?” I didn’t have time to answer Casey before I hung up the phone. I’d have some explaining to do later.
The security guard let out a heavy sigh. “I’m going to have to ask you to leave the premises. No one is allowed on set without credentials.”
This was the first I’d heard anything about needing credentials. This security guard had been standing in the parking lot when Lindsay had driven past the checkpoint.
“I’m here investigating the case,” I protested.
“Then you should have credentials.” The guard had one job, and no one could ever accuse her of not doing it.
“I came in with Lindsay, Diana’s assistant.”
No reaction.
“Production hired me. And my cat. Spy Kitty in the City.”
“Follow me, please.” She obviously didn’t have kids.
Nowhere on my vision board did I ever get escorted off the set of Parking Lot Potluck. I was willing to be a little flexible about solving a case on my favorite show, but a trespassing charge was where I drew the line. They’d flown me out here from New Hampshire to work on the case, for crying out loud.
“Can we at least stop by the tent where the production meeting is taking place? Let everyone vouch for me?”
Someone, anyone?
“I’m sure you understand why that would be a bad idea, ma’am. Please follow me, or I’ll have to call the police to have you removed. As you know, this set is an active crime scene already, and they have very little tolerance for anyone who interferes with their investigation.”