SUNDAY, 3:45 A.M., AUGUST 4, 2001
Ashley elbowed the person in the stomach and heard the sharp intake of breath as she knocked the wind out of them. She pivoted and studied the person.
“Josh...?”
It indeed was Josh. He coughed and looked up at her, his blue eyes glittering in the moonlight. “Yeah?”
“What the hell did you think you were doing?” Ashley exploded. “You scared the shit outta me!”
“I could ask you the same question, so I will: what the hell did you think you were doing?”
“I told you! I’m Johnny’s new assistant and I was catching up on some work. Geez!”
“In a black cat suit?”
“It’s not a cat suit! Mine had a tear in it—-I mean, it’s just black pants and a turtleneck.”
“What’s your real name?” Josh pursued.
“That’s a stupid question! It’s Ashley. Ashley Duvall.”
“See, that’s where you’re wrong,” Josh said softly.
“What do you mean?” Ashley snapped.
“Your real name is Renee. Renee Blake.”
‘Ashley’ gasped. “How did you know that? Were you spying on me? Getting information from Bobbie?”
“You’re sure informing me today. That’s the second time you’ve slipped up.” Josh smirked.
Ashley scowled. “You let me do my job and leave me alone!”
Josh stepped closer to her. “Just let me share what I found out about you. In my studio.” He took her hand and led her a few floors down to the studio level. He gestured to a desk chair, and he stood up near the soundboard.
Ashley didn’t see him press the ‘Record’ button.
“What have you found out about me, Mr. Know-It-All?” Ashley asked and waited.
“Well, first of all, your name’s not Ashley, it’s Renee.”
“How did you know?” Ashley prompted.
“When you hesitated telling me your name on the plane, I got curious. When I met you later, I decided to do a little background check. I ran a drivers license check on the Internet and here’s what I found for ‘Ashley Duvall.’” Josh took a copy and showed it to her.
The picture showed a girl with practically white blonde hair and blue eyes.
“I bleached my hair,” Ashley lied, hoping to elude him.
“That’s what I thought at first,” he admitted. “So after we had sex, and you were asleep, and your head was laying on my chest, I checked it. Brown all the way through. Don't lie."
"Fine." Ashley threw her hands up. "Go on."
"So your name's Renee. I wondered why you would lie, unless you had something to hide. When you gave me back my keycard, I noticed that you watched me open it, how I used it. I had heard about the cat suit burglar, and wondered if you were her since she hits all the big companies. My suspicions were confirmed when I saw you on Johnny's computer earlier. But, the secretary told me about a girl who she described as you had taken some important papers to Johnny. However, when you went out the window, you dropped a paper. That's how I found out that you had them and some confidential information."
"That doesn't prove anything," Ashley remarked.
"I'm not finished." Josh stared at her and continued, "I asked Johnny about an assistant, and he asked me if I was nuts. He never hired one. So you weren't supposed to be there."
"So?" Renee's voice has gotten softer. She was found out now.
"It just made me believe that you could be the cat suit burglar," Josh said. "So, are you?"
"Yeah, I am."
Josh froze. Ok, so he had expected it, but now that she had said it, it seemed...different.
"You're not gonna turn me in, are you?"
Josh nodded. "I'm gonna have to."
Renee stood up. "I'll deny everything. They can't hold me with just your word."
Josh went over to the soundboard and a tape popped out. "I'm way ahead of you. I recorded the conversation."
In one swift movement, Renee was up on her feet. She kneed Josh in the sensitive area and as he started to get up, she kicked him in the stomach, making him double over.
Josh felt cold metal pressing against his forehead.
Renee was holding a gun to his forehead. "Too bad you won't get to share your information with the police," she said bitterly.
She pulled the trigger.