Jax greeted her enthusiastically and Keely gave him a treat before going into the bedroom and changing into shorts and a tank top. She laced up her sneakers and opened the slider. Jax bounded through the opening, yodeling happily. She closed the door behind her and followed the dog down to the sand. As Jax caught sight of her, he spun in a circle several times and then took off. Gamely, Keely followed, jogging along to keep pace with him.
The water sparkled in the afternoon sunlight. Not a cloud floated in the sky. Jax galloped as if he were a racehorse, taking long strides and then circling back to her. When he got too far ahead, she whistled, the shrill sound bringing him back.
“Let’s head home,” she suggested. “Mac will be back soon. Then the three of us can go out again.”
Jax seemed to understand and fell into step beside her. Keely felt a little like twirling, a la Maria in The Sound of Music. She couldn’t sing a lick but she had the same joy in her heart as Maria did. Keely had never been one to define herself by a man but now that the right one had entered her life, she felt the richness of each day with Mac by her side to enjoy both the small and large things in life. Murder at Magic Hour was shaping up into an incredible thriller, thanks to Sydney’s deft hand in directing it, and Keely knew the Ashley Conner role would open new doors to her. She’d never been in a better spot professionally and her personal life had taken on new meaning. Glancing down at her engagement ring, the diamond shone brightly as the sunlight struck it. She needed to call Cassie and get the ball rolling regarding the wedding now that she and Mac had decided on a date. Cassie’s legendary organizational skills would be tested with such a short window but Keely knew she could trust her friend to pull it off. In fact, all of their friends would pitch in to make the day special for her and Mac. Not only did she have a solid career and a man she loved but a strong group of close friends who had become family.
Keely made her way up the stairs behind the bounding Jax. The basenji jumped onto a lounge chair and sat as regally as if it were a throne. She decided to let Jax enjoy the sunshine as she opened the slider and went inside. She shut it behind her and removed her sunglasses, tossing them on a table.
“Hello, Keely.”
Her head whipped around. Finn Jarvis sat on her sofa. Alarm bells sounded in her head as she faced him.
“Finn. I’m surprised to see you here.” Her voice remained calm but her heart beat wildly in her chest. Immediately, she knew her carelessness had allowed him to enter the cottage. Mac had warned her about locking the door when she left on a walk with Jax.
The actor looked perfectly at ease as he said, “I’d like you to read with me, Keely.”
“What?”
He moved forward and picked up the script on the table in front of him. “From Magic Hour.” He flipped through the pages and stopped. “Here it is. The scene we did together during my audition.”
Finn hadn’t made any threatening gestures but he was sitting in her home, uninvited. Keely took a step back. If she got the slider opened, she could outrun him. He didn’t seem to have any weapon.
Until he did.
A gun appeared in his hand as she prepared to bolt. “Come sit. In that chair. I want to read with you. Now.” The last word came out firmly.
Keely crossed to the chair and sat. She wrapped her arms around her knees.
“No, don’t hunch,” Finn chided. “You’re Special Agent Ashley Conner, brimming with confidence and purpose. I’m Thorne Mayfield. Smart. A little cocky. Determined to get the killer that’s plagued Seattle.” He paused. “You remember which scene?”
She nodded. Her mouth had gone dry. She didn’t know if any words would be able to come out. Fear rippled through her as she realized Mac would soon be home. If he stumbled into this, she feared Finn would kill them both. Somehow, she needed to talk him down from whatever ledge he danced upon.
Jax suddenly scratched on the glass door, whining. When Keely didn’t let him in, the dog began yodeling mournfully.
“Shut that mutt up!” roared Finn, his calm demeanor turning on a dime as rage reddened his face.
“I can let him in. Put him in the bedroom and close the door.”
“No,” Finn said. “Keep him quiet or I shoot him.”
A chill ran through her. She turned in the chair, knowing if she stood it might anger Finn. Meeting Jax’s eyes, she said, “Go, Jax. Go. Now.”
The basenji looked as if his world were ending. He slunk from view. Keely turned to face Finn. “He’s gone. We’re good.”
“Let’s do the scene.”
Keely knew her lines by heart and sparred verbally with Finn as they went through the four pages.
Disappointment shone in his eyes when she said her last line. “You had more emotion when we read together the first time,” he chided.
“I wasn’t frightened out of my mind that time,” she retorted and then flinched as he raised the gun.
The actor burst out laughing. “That’s more like the fiery Ashley Conner. What you said. Not the scared little girl who’s shaking. Let’s do the scene again, Keely. I need to practice being Thorne.”
She disregarded his suggestions and asked, “Why are you really here, Finn?
“I told you I had something in the works.”
“What does that have to do with me?”
He settled back against the sofa’s cushions. “I’m going to play Thorne Mayfield.” When she didn’t respond, he said, “I was in line to get the part. It never should have gone to Beau Braxton. When I fixed it, Josh wanted me.”
“You fixed it?” she echoed. Understanding flooded her.
Finn shrugged. “I removed Beau from the equation. He swung both ways but never wanted that to get out.” He smiled broadly. “And it didn’t. Beau got a nice Hollywood sendoff and no one was the wiser as to who his last bed partner was.”
“You killed him.” She remembered Beau’s savagely beaten body lying on the floor of the shower.
“I was a better fit for Thorne. Not him. And certainly not that daredevil Randall. Josh told me I had Thorne in the bag until the powers that be at RCDS overruled him. That’s ridiculous, letting a stuntman assume a leading role that demands talent and finesse. This movie is meant to be my big break. I can move into the big leagues with it on my resume.”
Keely wanted to shout that Mac was a thousand times better than Finn Jarvis ever could be but she held her tongue, afraid what might happen if she provoked the unstable actor.
“I did everything to slow production down. Take Josh out of action. Ruin the sets. Nothing worked. The only way I can be Thorne now is if they start over. The best way to do that is to eliminate you from the picture, Keely. If you’re gone, there’s still too much left to finish the production. Your death will cause your new fiancé to go off the deep end. He never thought he’d be an actor anyway. With you gone, he’ll withdraw. I’ll be the only one left standing, already knowing my lines, ready to work. Maybe even with Josh. He knows me so well.”
The horror of what this man had done enfolded her. He’d been the hit and run driver that had injured Josh. The one who burned their sets down, causing a security guard to perish from smoke inhalation.
And now, Finn Jarvis planned to kill her.