A Fatal Affair

PRAISE FOR A. R. TORRE A FAMILIAR STRANGER “A whiplash suspenser that’s a model of its kind.” —Kirkus Reviews “The author skillfully reveals the characters’ many lies and secrets. Torre knows how to keep the reader guessing.” —Publishers Weekly THE GOOD LIE “Ambitious and twisty . . . Great bedtime reading for insomniacs and people willing to act like insomniacs just this once.” —Kirkus Reviews “This kinky tale is compulsively readable.” —Publishers Weekly “A blend of serial killer story, court cases, and even romance, this is a tricky story that will keep readers going.” —The Parkersburg News and Sentinel EVERY LAST SECRET “Deliciously, sublimely nasty: Mean Girls for grown-ups.” —Kirkus Reviews “Torre keeps the suspense high . . . Readers will be riveted from page one.” —Publishers Weekly “A glamorous and seductive novel that will suck you in and knock you sideways. I love this story, these characters, and the raw emotion they generated in me. I devoured every word. Exceptional.” —Tarryn Fisher, New York Times bestselling author “Raw and riveting. A clever ride that will make you question everyone and everything.” —Meredith Wild, #1 New York Times bestselling author OTHER TITLES BY A. R. TORRE A Familiar Stranger The Good Lie Every Last Secret The Ghostwriter The Girl in 6E Do Not Disturb If You Dare This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Otherwise, any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. Text copyright © 2023 by Select Publishing LLC All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher. Published by Thomas & Mercer, Seattle www.apub.com Amazon, the Amazon logo, and Thomas & Mercer are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc., or its affiliates. ISBN-13: 9781542039901 (paperback) ISBN-13: 9781542039918 (digital) Cover design by James Iacobelli Cover images: © KK.KICKIN / Shutterstock; © Image Source / Getty Images To Jen Webster. Thank you for your friendship and support. CONTENTS START READING CHAPTER 1 CHAPTER 2 CHAPTER 3 CHAPTER 4 CHAPTER 5 CHAPTER 6 CHAPTER 7 CHAPTER 8 CHAPTER 9 CHAPTER 10 CHAPTER 11 CHAPTER 12 CHAPTER 13 CHAPTER 14 CHAPTER 15 CHAPTER 16 CHAPTER 17 CHAPTER 18 CHAPTER 19 CHAPTER 20 CHAPTER 21 CHAPTER 22 CHAPTER 23 CHAPTER 24 CHAPTER 25 CHAPTER 26 CHAPTER 27 CHAPTER 28 CHAPTER 29 CHAPTER 30 CHAPTER 31 CHAPTER 32 CHAPTER 33 CHAPTER 34 CHAPTER 35 CHAPTER 36 CHAPTER 37 CHAPTER 38 CHAPTER 39 CHAPTER 40 CHAPTER 41 CHAPTER 42 CHAPTER 43 CHAPTER 44 CHAPTER 45 CHAPTER 46 CHAPTER 47 CHAPTER 48 CHAPTER 49 CHAPTER 50 CHAPTER 51 CHAPTER 52 CHAPTER 53 CHAPTER 54 CHAPTER 55 CHAPTER 56 CHAPTER 57 CHAPTER 58 CHAPTER 59 CHAPTER 60 CHAPTER 61 CHAPTER 62 CHAPTER 63 CHAPTER 64 CHAPTER 65 CHAPTER 66 CHAPTER 67 CHAPTER 68 CHAPTER 69 CHAPTER 70 CHAPTER 71 CHAPTER 72 CHAPTER 73 CHAPTER 74 CHAPTER 75 CHAPTER 76 CHAPTER 77 CHAPTER 78 CHAPTER 79 CHAPTER 80 CHAPTER 81 CHAPTER 82 CHAPTER 83 CHAPTER 84 CHAPTER 85 CHAPTER 86 CHAPTER 87 CHAPTER 88 CHAPTER 89 CHAPTER 90 CHAPTER 91 CHAPTER 92 CHAPTER 93 CHAPTER 94 CHAPTER 95 CHAPTER 96 CHAPTER 97 CHAPTER 98 SIX MONTHS LATER ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ABOUT THE AUTHOR The oldest love affair in Hollywood is that of an actor with themself. It’s not so much that they love who they are—but they fall for that image on the screen. They fall for the way that the public looks at them. They fall for the story that they’re telling. But the problem is, that story is a lie. The affair is a farce. Eventually, they realize that, and that is when things typically seem to fall apart. —Mayim Place, The Hollywood Report CHAPTER 1 9-1-1, what’s your emergency? I’m calling from the Iverson residence in Beverly Hills—1224 Canary Drive. There’s been a murder. What’s your name? Brenda McIntyre. I’m the house manager. And you said there was a murder? Do you need an ambulance? No. No. They’re both dead. Is anyone in any danger at this moment? No. I mean, I don’t think so. 1224 Canary Drive. Can you confirm that this is Hugh Iverson’s residence? Yes. We’ll need discretion, if you can— We understand, Miss McIntyre. Just a moment, let me connect you to the chief’s office. CHAPTER 2 THE DETECTIVE “Well, this will be interesting.” Farah smoothed down the front of her blouse, hoping the bit of strawberry yogurt on the right breast wasn’t too apparent. The bright-blue, long-sleeved button-up was her favorite—it refused to wrinkle, no matter what she put it through—but she hadn’t expected to meet celebrities in it, or to have needed one of the Shout Wipes she typically kept in her car. She glanced at Kevin, who yawned, clearly unconcerned by the address or his rumpled appearance. They were on their second call of the day, the first one—a gas station robbery—having come in at 8:00 a.m. This was just two miles east but a different world from the dingy 7-Eleven. This wasn’t just rich people—this was Hugh Iverson and Nora Kemp, Hollywood’s golden couple. There hadn’t been a bigger “it” couple since Brad and Angelina, and Farah’s mind was ticking through the potential ways that two dead bodies had ended up behind their private gates. Kevin rapped the knocker on the copper double front door and smoothed a hand over his thinning salt-and-pepper hair. The doors had probably cost more than Farah’s Grand Cherokee and were a glistening standout on the modern white adobe mansion, which was accented with dark woods, more copper, and rich foliage. “Nice place.” “Are you surprised?” she asked dryly, glancing back as two crime scene vans pulled through the gates and parked behind their unmarked SUV. “Nah. You know, me and Trish looked at a place just two doors down last week. Didn’t pull the