Rich hadn’t said anything yet, and I wasn’t sure why he was there. As if he’d read my mind, he spoke up. “Dani, these guys and I, we know each other from way back—we’ve worked a lot of cases together. And, since I work on the show now and know everyone, I thought it would be a good idea if I walked them through the place.”

Detective Steiger leaned forward. “Ms. Hale, did you know Chloe Johnson before working with her here?”

“No, I didn’t know her.”

The detectives exchanged another look. “Apparently Ms. Johnson mentioned that she thought she may have met you before,” Steiger said. “One of the costumers on the show recalls Chloe mentioning that.”

I shifted in my chair. I thought they were playing it that Steiger was the bad cop and Robinov the good cop. I knew all about that. It was supposed to draw me to Robinov so that I’d feel he was a nice guy and that he was looking out for me, and all this would lead to a confession. I inhaled deeply.

“When you say ‘know’ her, I had met her once, but that was ages ago. I remember she worked on a show being directed by a guy I was dating.”

I knew my tone sounded a tad defensive, but I was being interrogated and I knew how innocent people reacted. They dealt with their feelings up front. “You two are making me feel like I’m a suspect,” I said. I paused, making eye contact with the two detectives, one after the other. Rich watched silently from the corner. “I thought someone said that her murder may have been drug-related?”

“Where did you hear that?”

“I don’t know, the news?” I shrugged. “Or maybe the drug talk was around here—maybe someone mentioned she’d been into drugs and my crime-writer mind just assumed the rest.”

“But you did know her?”

“You ever hear of six degrees of separation? This is LA, and we worked in the same business. Everybody’s met everybody after a while. Sure, I may have been introduced to Chloe, but I didn’t know her. I didn’t pick her up at the airport or anything.”

“Can we please have his name?”

“His name?” For a second I felt like running. I could say I was sick. I could say I wasn’t feeling well and had to go home. I could say I was pregnant, and then they couldn’t be mean to me. Men never wanted to go there if you were on your period or pregnant.

“Are you talking about Dave Gallagher?” the cop continued.

“Um, yes, so you know about Dave. If you know about him, why ask me?”

“And you dated for how long? We’re just here because she said she knew you.”