My Dad, the Private Eye: The Falling Star

CHAPTER 8

As a city medical examiner inspected Patty Delaroy's lifeless body and police officers taped off the area behind the hotel set, Dad stood there staring at her in disbelief. She was the first movie star he'd ever met, and now, just a few hours after he'd met her, she was dead.

A plain-clothes detective named Roger Perotta walked up to my dad. "You Drew Winnette, the guy who saw her fall?" he asked.

"No," Dad said. "I mean yes, I'm Drew Winnette, but no, I just heard her fall. I was looking the other way. When I looked back, she was there on the floor."

"You mean, you didn't see anything, you know, while it was happening?" Detective Perotta asked.

"Well, just before, I saw her and the Director talking."

"They were rehearsing?"

"Yes."

"And she went up the stairs?"

"Well, I heard her climb the stairs."

The detective's patience was wearing thin by this point. Generally a friendly guy, he was getting a little annoyed with Dad. "So... you didn't really see anything at all?" he asked.

"I... I guess not," Dad said. Part of him wanted to make something up just so he wouldn't come off as so useless, but he figured he'd stick to the truth instead. He'd had a lot of experience feeling useless, so, in that sense, this was just another day for him.

Perotta pulled out his business card and handed it to Dad. "Thank you, Mr. Winnette. If you think of anything else, just give me a call."

Dad watched the detective walk over to talk to his fellow cops, including one who was questioning Blight. The Director looked completely distraught, almost crying. Dad figured that Blight and Patty must have gone way back, and it was tough to lose such an old friend.

Or was Blight a little too distraught? Was he maybe... faking it?