“So what did you do when she dumped you?” Dolan asked.

“I used it in my art, man,” he replied intently. “I poured all of my heartache into my latest performance. I think I really have a shot at some nominations for this film.”

“What’s it called?” Dolan asked.

“I.T. Guy. It’s about this nerdy internet technology employee who wins the heart of his CEO’s daughter.”

“Sounds like a winner,” Jessie said, keeping her comment sarcasm-free. “But are you telling us that her rejection never backed up on you? You just moved on? And remember, Dolan over there is an FBI agent. Lying to him is a federal crime. So think before you reply.”

Jett seemed to do exactly that, weighing his next words carefully.

“Listen, I’m not saying I handled everything perfectly—obviously not. I mean, you found the tub of hair. There was the photo album, although I’d bet there are a lot of people who collect photos of their exes.”

“Including naked ones taken without her knowledge kept in a secret room?” Jessie wondered.

“Okay, that part doesn’t look great, I admit. But I wasn’t thinking clearly at the time. I was super messed up, emotions-wise. I’m sure you’ll find other stuff too. I’ll confess to you right now that I found out she had gone out with an executive at a studio I’ve worked for and I told them I’d never make another movie there unless they fired him. I mean, that clearly wasn’t cool. But it’s not stalker-y.”

“Yeah, it kind of is,” countered Jessie.

“Did Claire press charges or something? Is she complaining? Because I don’t think she even knows about any of this stuff.”

“Not even the scarf with her blood on it?” Dolan asked, notably ignoring Collison’s question.

“Blood?” Collison repeated, stunned. “That’s not blood. It’s lipstick. She got it on her scarf and said it was ruined so she tossed it out. I kept part of it, sure. But it’s not blood.”

Jessie and Dolan looked at each other. That claim would be verified or disproven soon. But Collison was looking less viable as a suspect with each passing second.

“Why did you think it was blood?” he asked, his voice rising. “Has something happened to her?”

Jessie could sense they were losing him and tried to get in one last question that had been eating at her before he completely lost it.

“Jett,” she said firmly, “you said Matilda thought you were crazy to propose to Claire. Did she seem upset about it?”

“I don’t know,” Jett said answered, increasingly agitated. “I don’t really pay attention to my assistant’s moods. You didn’t answer my question—has something happened to Claire?”

They couldn’t stall any longer and Jessie was curious to see Jett’s reaction when they told him information he theoretically didn’t already know. She glanced over at Dolan, who nodded slightly, giving her the go-ahead.

“She’s dead, Jett,” she said flatly. “She was murdered.”

“What? No!”

His brow was furrowed as if he’d just been asked a tough math question he couldn’t answer. He looked from her to Dolan, who nodded in confirmation. He looked back at Jessie, as if hoping she might change her mind.