I held the Realtor’s gaze, daring him to comment about the cat or the big down payment. He kept his mouth shut. My eyes were drawn back to the view.

“This place is perfect.”

Ten Months Later

All the press coverage from Chloe’s murder brought attention to Flesh and Bone, and starting with the huge audience for the recast Assistant Number Two Doheny show, we had our largest viewership ever. I felt great and was treated like a superstar around the office.

The detectives still came by the office every few weeks with more questions. They spent most of their time in Steve’s office.

That fall, I took my first real vacation in years, splurging on an Ocean Villa at the Palmilla in Cabo. I was sitting by the pool when I read in the LA Times the big news about the arrest of Chloe’s murderer. It seemed Evil Janet left some sort of DNA evidence at the scene. The police had finally concluded Evil Janet had been in love with Steve Jacobs, obsessively stalking him for months. Chloe’s coming to work on the show had pushed her over the edge.

Case closed.

Twelve Months Later

Interior. Day. A fire crackles in the hearth of a cozy living room. Overstuffed couches, slipcovered chairs, and pillows are scattered everywhere. It is a warm and inviting living room, a place where you’d love to sink into a sofa, put your feet up, and read a great book. An open bottle of wine sits on the coffee table, with two wineglasses nearby.

A camera pulls across the room and we hear a male voice yell, “Action!”

On cue, two women struggle into the living room. Their arms are entangled and they’re swiping at each other, struggling to stay upright. The brunette is beginning to get the upper hand, pushing the redhead back two feet, but then the redhead gets a burst of energy and swings the brunette around, overturning a side table. The brunette backs the redhead up against the wall. The brunette grabs the redhead’s shoulders and starts banging her against the wall.

Up until this moment we haven’t been able to get a good look at the brunette, but, with a quick camera move, we reveal Jennifer Love Hewitt.

LOVE

Shut up, I want you to shut up.

LOVE continues to bang the redhead against the wall. REDHEAD is flopping back and forth now. With each bang she dramatically arches her back against the wall, bracing for the next assault.

LOVE

You don’t know me? You don’t remember?

LOVE is so close to the redhead that their noses almost touch.

REDHEAD

He pursued me. He was never in love with you.

LOVE

Shut up, just shut up.