Page 27 of What They'll Say About Us

The lobby was beautifully refurbished with tile floors, a bar area that had preserved the original wood but modernized the refrigeration and cabinetry, and a ticket office that had been updated with computers. The walls were covered in framed photographs, many from recent productions, but there were also photos from Vivienne's days as a well-respected actress on both the stage and in film. Some of her early youthful photos showed a stunning blonde with beautiful curves and eyes that could express so many emotions. My aunt had been my hero growing up. I'd wanted to be just like her, a fact that had bothered my mother, my aunt's less successful younger sister.

The door to the theater suddenly opened, and my aunt walked out with an older man by her side. I hadn't seen Vivienne in probably four years, the last time when she'd made a quick trip to New York, but she still looked beautiful with a face that looked younger than her sixty-two years.

The man by her side I also recognized, and I felt a little shock and uneasiness when our gazes met. Professor Robert Hale had been a mentor to me as well, but at other times, he'd felt more like an obstacle to my getting everything I wanted.

"Tessa," my aunt exclaimed. "You're early. But I'm so glad you're here." She wrapped me up in a quick, loving hug before turning to Morgan. "And you must be Morgan."

"It's nice to meet you," Morgan said, exchanging a warm handshake with Vivienne.

"And Tessa, surely you remember Professor Hale."

"Of course. How are you?" I asked politely, thinking the professor hadn't changed much in the past decade, either. He'd been in his mid-forties when I'd taken his classes, and he'd been high on the informal "Hot Teacher" list that ran around school, with his tall frame, dark hair and dark eyes. There was a bit of gray in his hair and beard now, but he still looked distinguished, important, and a little intimidating.

"I'm well, Ms. Conway. I've been hearing a lot about you in the past twenty-four hours. You always were one to stir up trouble, weren't you?"

"Sometimes that's necessary," I said, remembering Morgan's recent pep talk. I didn't need to feel inferior to this man. He had no power over me.

"Still not afraid to speak your mind, I see."

"And you still don't seem to like it," I returned.

He shrugged. "Your podcast seems to be riling up some of our cast members and crew, and we're two weeks away from opening. I don't know what you think you're trying to prove, but Paige MacIntyre's death was thoroughly investigated by the police department and declared an accident. Why would you think you could come up with a different conclusion now?"

"I'm just asking questions on behalf of Paige's family."

The door opened behind him, and a young woman said, "Excuse me, Professor, we need you for a second."

"Of course." He followed the woman back into the theater without another word to me.

"I told you people are unhappy," my aunt said with a concerned look in her eyes.

I shrugged. "Professor Hale's feelings are not my concern."

"Okay. Why don't I show you the apartment? You can put your bags away and then come back. We're going to do a run-through in about thirty minutes."

"Great. I don't want to do anything to hurt your show. I hope you know that, right?"

"I do." Her smile broadened. "I'm so glad to see you, Tessa, and while I don't love the reason why you're staying longer, I'm still happy we can spend time together. Let's plan on having dinner tonight. I'll take you both out to one of my favorite restaurants. Now, come with me."

She led us down a side hallway and out a side door to a breezeway between the theater and the building next door. As I'd predicted, the apartment was over the yoga studio and apparently accessed by a side door from the breezeway.

"I have two sets of keys," she said, handing me one set while she used the other to open the door. "There are three keys: one for this door, one for the apartment door, and one for the Toyota in the garage. You can access the garage at the back of the building. The same key that opens this door also opens the garage. The car is twenty years old, but it still runs, and it might help you to have transportation. Sorry, there isn't an elevator."

"That's fine. Thank you so much for letting us stay here and lending us a car. That will really help." I grabbed my bag as Morgan did the same with her suitcase, and we followed my aunt up the stairs to the second floor.

As we stepped into the living room, I felt a wave of relief. The apartment was beautifully decorated with warm and comfortable furniture, rugs, and décor. There were two bedrooms, one facing the breezeway, and another at the back of the building, where I could see the lake through the trees about a mile away. I drew in a deep breath, knowing that I needed to visit that lakefront very soon.

"I'll let you get settled," Vivienne said as we returned to the living room. "I had a grocery service deliver some basics earlier today. You'll find eggs, yogurt, fruit, that kind of thing in the fridge, a few snacks on the counter, too."

"You've thought of everything. And this is really generous."

She waved a dismissive hand. "It's nothing. The apartment was empty anyway. Come back to the theater whenever you're ready."

"We'll be down shortly."

As she left, Morgan turned to me. "You should take the bigger bedroom. I don't care about the view."

I wasn't sure I wanted the lakefront view, but I just nodded and said, "Whatever you want." I hoped we wouldn't be here very long. But in order to speed up our departure, we needed to get more information fast. "Let's unpack and then we'll head next door."