Burke gave her a boyish grin, the same grin that set the hearts of every female between sixteen and sixty beating faster than normal. “That sounds serious. Don’t you know you shouldn’t be serious on a night like tonight?”

“Why not?” Hannah stalled for time.

“This is a night for celebrating. The movie’s going to be a huge success, your niece is going to be the toast of the silver screen, and your cat will be famous. What could be better than that?”

“Not much,” Hannah said, “except maybe the lead in Remember Last Tuesday.”

“What was that?”

Burke looked totally confused by what she’d just said, and Hannah would have sworn he’d never heard the movie title before if she hadn’t known better. “Remember Last Tuesday is the major motion picture that would have made you a star

” Hannah paused and let that sink in, “

except Dean Lawrence made a phone call and kept you from getting the part.”

“What are you talking about?”

Burke still looked baffled and it was disconcerting. For a brief second Hannah wondered if she could be wrong, but then she reminded herself that Burke was a very talented actor who could play any part, including innocent.

“Dean was angry about that interview you gave and he found a perfect way to get even. All it took was a couple of words to his important director friends, and your career was down the drain.”

Burke gave her a tight smile. “I don’t know if you’re crazy, or if you had too much to drink at the wrap party. Whatever it is, I think you’d better go home and sleep it off.”

About time! Hannah thought as she heard a siren in the distance. Mike was coming and she didn’t have to stall much longer. Within seconds, he’d pulled up on the other side of Burke’s car and was rolling down his window.

“What’s going on here?” Mike asked, looking at Hannah and then Burke.

“I want you to arrest Burke,” Hannah said, hoping that Delores had given him a satisfactory explanation. “He killed Dean.”

Burke laughed long and hard, and then he turned to Mike. “That’s the third time she’s said that and I don’t know what she’s talking about. You’d better take her home and sober her up. She’s got some ridiculous idea that I’m a murderer.”

“Is that right?” Mike addressed Hannah.

“That’s right. Dean wrecked Burke’s career and Burke got even by switching the revolvers. He stood right there and let Dean demonstrate the suicide and he knew the gun would go off.”