Celebrity in Death

Otherwise, it’s just reprise until you feed us more info. Unless you’re going to tell me Steinburger strolled up to the roof and killed Harris.”
    “Off the record.”
    Nadine’s eyes narrowed, flashed. “Oh, to borrow from you, Dallas,
bite me.
You drag me all the way downtown, lay out a tease like you suspect one of the most respected, successful, and revered producers in the business might have killed one of his most bankable if difficult actors? And you expect me to go off the record.”
    “Off the record, or you take a hike in those ankle-killers, and I take one in my new, comfortable boots.”
    “God! You piss me off.” Nadine studied Eve’s boots and sulked. “They’re nice boots.”
    Eve shot out her legs, gave her boots a study in turn. “I guess they go with the coat.”
    “I’m not even discussing the coat because it should be mine. I’d appreciate its soft, leathery goodness and superior lines a lot more than you.”
    “I like it.” She waited a beat. “So do you want to sit here and talk about our clothes, or are we off-record?”
    “Damn it. I—”
    “Hold that thought.” Eve rose, strode over, and grabbed a skinny guy in a baggy jacket and camo pants by the arm. “Look, you and I both know that woman’s an idiot for carrying her purse that way.”
    “What’s your deal?” He shoved at her, tried to yank free. Eve just shifted and tightened her grip.
    “She’s an idiot, and so’s the woman with her. But they’re probably from Wisconsin or somewhere. So snatching their bags in the park is just bad public relations for the city.”
    He sneered, fisted his free hand in warning. “Get outta my face, lady, or I’m calling the cops.”
    “Okay, so you’re an idiot, too. I am a cop, moron. I’m sitting right over there, and I’m watching you scope your mark. It’s insulting.”
    “I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about.” But his fisted hand fell back to his side, and his voice took on a whine. “I’m walking here. I’m just walking here.”
    “Do us both a favor. Just walk somewhere else. Now.”
    When she let him go he didn’t walk. He ran like a rabbit away from the two women, possibly from Wisconsin, who strolled with their handbags dangling from careless fingers.
    Eve walked back, sat on the bench. “Sorry for the interruption. Now where were we?”
    “How did you know he was a purse snatcher?”
    “He’s been stalking those two women for the last few minutes, keeping pace, eyeing the bags. Trying to gauge if he could do a double-snatch or just go for the one. I think he was going for the double. Anyway. If you want to know what I know, say the magic words.”
    “Goddamn it.”
    “Those aren’t the magic words.”
    “All right, but it damn well better be good. It better be gold. We’re off the record.”
    “Steinburger not only killed Harris and A. A. Asner, he’s killed at least seven other people. I think it’s more, but we’re sticking with the nine total right now. He’s been killing people for forty years.”
    Nadine blinked once, slowly. “Joel Steinburger. Academy Award–winning, Kennedy Center–honoring, Big Bang Productions–founding Joel Steinburger, a killer, for four decades?”
    “Starting with one of his housemates in college, and ending, if I have anything to do with it, with Asner.”
    “Fuck me sideways.”
    “Thanks, but you’re just not my type.”
    “You’re sure.”
    “I’m sure men are my type, but if I went for women, I’d do you.”
    Nadine gave Eve a punch on the shoulder with the heel of her hand. “About Steinburger. Of course you’re sure. You wouldn’t tell me if you weren’t sure. Jesus. Jesus. I actually have to hike.” She pushed up, strode along the path, back and forth in her crazy high, glossy shoes. “This is huge. It’s bigger than huge. It’s a monster story. It’s Godzilla. And a book, oh yeah, the follow-up bestseller with a guaranteed vid to follow with the Hollywood scandal connection.”
    “And only nine people, give or take, had to die.”
    “Just give me a minute, would you? I’m restraining myself from doing the mambo over this, and that’s taking some work.
Joel Steinburger: Producer in Death.”
    “Maybe you can brainstorm your titles after we put him away.”
    Nadine sat again. “All right, I’m finished with the glee portion of my reaction. It probably wouldn’t have been quite so gleeful except I don’t like him. I expected to, wanted to. The man’s