No frigging idea. Another stellar investigating job by
More or Less Investigations
. Sometimes we really missed the obvious. No one knew who the third guy was. I had to lay this one on James, but then, I always lay the blame on Lessor. And Iâm almost always right.
When the breeze died down, the warm, still evening was almost cloying. The humidity coming off the bay and the eighty-plus-degree temperature covered me in a damp coating of moisture. As I turned, ready to walk back to the trailer, I heard what sounded like a cough or someone clearing their throat. Very soft.
Maybe a tropical bird. Maybe a motorboat starting up on the bay. Then faintly another cough, on the backside of the scaffold. Now stone-cold silence. Was someone out there watching me? Or just innocently having a cigarette break? I sniffed the air. No sign of tobacco.
âIs somebody there?â
No response.
âHello?â
Nothing.
I considered walking toward the sound, making loud sounds like clearing my throat and stomping on the ground as I walked. I had several options, but I also possess the courage of the Tin Man. No courage at all. So I stood still for several minutes, then crept back to our trailer.
I was convinced someone had been following me, watching me. I just didnât have the courage to find out who it was. And then I was confused. Maybe it was the lion who wanted courage. The Tin Man wanted the heart. I figured James would remember so I didnât worry about it.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
At midnight we met Em at Primos, a trendy club in the lobby of her condo building. Crowded around a small table, I watched the bar as leggy European women in short skirts, young men with airbrushed tans, and guys and girls in jeans and T-shirts all jockeyed for position, ordering outrageously priced drinks with infused vodka or spiced rum.
âGreg Handler is not Greg Handler,â I said.
âIs this a riddle?â she asked.
âNo. The photograph doesnât match the description that the crew recalls. Our picture doesnât even come close.â
âThen who is he? The guy we have in the driverâs license photo?â
âThe guy who is the head grip says the photo doesnât look anything like the camera guy he met.â
âMakes no sense.â
âChad, the grip, says our photo looks like a bad makeup job.â
Em smiled and rolled her eyes.
âWeâre in the middle of make-believe, boys. Movie magic.Someone could make up anyone to look different. We women do it all the time.â
âAnd, someone can fake a driverâs license. This entire business revolves around fooling one hundred percent of the people.â I realized Em was right. We were in the middle of make-believe.
âAnd,â Em added, âso far someone seems to be doing a pretty good job of fooling everyone.â
âYou talked to Clint Anders?â James wanted to make sure she was earning her third of the take.
âI did, James. He was reluctant at first, but I told him Iâd been hired by a third party and that I was harmless. I explained I just wanted some general information, so he agreed. The guy seemed genuinely broken up about the suicide. The death.â
Looking at me, James said, âThereâs a lot of money riding on this, amigo. You know if it was suicide, we donât have a case.â
âWell,â Em stated, âClint thinks the man took his own life. When I talked to him, there was no question about it.â
âHe was a good friend. Any reasons?â
âHis marriage was over. He was distraught.â
âDistraught?â James frowned. âOver a failed Hollywood marriage? Man, if everyone out there who got divorced decided to off themselves, there wouldnât be any movie actors left. Look, he was murdered.â
âOkay,â I agreed, âletâs assume he was murdered. After all, weâre collecting a nice paycheck from Ashley Amber to prove
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