
Alex Knight
Making it to the lobby unrecognized was a miracle, but now Phyllis needed another one. While smoothing her hair back from her face, she realized the diamond-encrusted platinum P earring was missing from her right ear. The C was still in her left one. Phyllis knew she had them both when she left the studio and prayed her trademark earring wasn’t underneath Richard’s bloody body.
No one would ever believe she hadn’t murdered Richard, especially after the bitter argument they had on the set of her talk show earlier that morning. Even the show’s producer didn’t know it was engineered to generate more publicity and add fire to the rumors that had started when these ex-lovers announced that they were doing a major motion picture together. Groaning, she imagined the sound bites, “Academy Award Winner and Talk Show Queen, Phyllis Carter Kills Former Lover, Director Richard Arnett after a bitter, public argument, news at eleven.”
Creeping along the hallway, Phyllis was once again at Richard’s door. She entered the apartment with great trepidation and made her way to Richard’s den. Phyllis remembered how she planned to surprise him earlier with tickets to New Zealand, stealing into the den, coming up behind the chair as he looked out over the ocean view. She spun the chair around fast saying, “Surprise.” Only she was the one surprised when Richard’s body fell to the floor. Suppressing an urge to scream, Phyllis had fled the scene.
Phyllis knew if she didn’t find her earring right away, she would have to look underneath Richard’s body. Wobbly legs carried her over the threshold where she stopped short. Richard’s body was back in the chair, just as it had been earlier, and there was no sign of her earring. (more…)