Mitchell held up a hand to silence him. “Who’s she talking to?”
“Jeez, I don’t know, man. Quit being creepy.”
“That’s Julie’s voice,” Mitchell said slowly.
But that didn’t make sense. He’d left Julie with Grace and Riley not long ago.
Colin froze and cocked his head to listen as well. But he didn’t look as confused as Mitchell felt. In fact, if he’d looked wary before, he looked downright hunted now.
Mitchell instantly went on high alert. Something was wrong.
Julie’s voice was raised now, and definitely not happy. Mitchell started toward the arguing women, but Colin grabbed his arm. “Hey, dude, did you read the paper today? The Tribune?”
Mitchell shook his head in confusion. “I haven’t had a chance to read the paper, and I read the Times. Who cares?”
Colin now looked vaguely sick. “You may want to take a look.”
“You want me to read the paper now?” Mitchell asked incredulously.
“Yeah. Now. Just know that Kelli didn’t mean any harm. Well, not to you.”
“Who’s Kelli?” Mitchell asked, now thoroughly confused.
“My girlfriend. She and Julie work together.”
Chapter Sixteen
Julie pounded on the front door of Kelli’s brownstone, not caring whom the hell she woke up. Grace had suggested Julie walk the few blocks to Kelli’s in an effort to cool her temper.
It hadn’t worked.
Hell, Kelli could have lived in Vermont and the walk wouldn’t have been long enough for Julie to cool down.
She deliberately put a finger over the peephole so Kelli couldn’t screen her. Kelli had painted the door since Julie had last seen it. It used to be a nice, classic dark wood. Now it was a bright, obtrusive mustard yellow. Tacky. Just like Kelli.
Other than that, everything looked the same as it had the first and only time Julie had been here before, for Kelli’s long-ago birthday party. Back when they’d been friends of sorts. Back before Kelli had decided she’d hated Julie’s guts and stabbed her in the back.
Back before Kelli had sold her out to freaking Allen Carsons.
The door finally opened and Julie took a deep breath. As usual, Kelli was perfectly made up, not a strand of straight blond hair out of place. Her white skirt and buttercup-yellow twin set were sweet and innocent. What complete bullshit.
They stared at each other wordlessly before Kelli stepped aside to allow Julie inside her home.
“Are you alone?” Julie asked.
Kelli lifted a shoulder. “Alone enough.”
They faced off in the entryway, all but circling each other like a pair of feral cats.
“Did you do it?” Julie asked.
To her credit, Kelli didn’t play dumb. She gave a smile and a tiny shrug as if to say, Oopsie.
“You did,” Julie said, in response to Kelli’s silent admission. “You sold me out. No, you sold Stiletto out.”
Kelli gave an eye roll worthy of a snotty preteen. “Oh, come on, Julie. Even you can’t think you’re so important that the entire magazine would take a hit because their golden girl columnist has the morals of a monkey.”
Julie sucked in a breath at that.