Not Talented in Hollywood: Not in Hollywood Book 3 Read online

  “Really?” I was having a little trouble stopping the skepticism from showing. I knew Travis’s reputation and I also knew that he was not cheap. The thought that someone had hired him for this kind of job didn’t quite sound right. Usually people hired him when there was a chance of a major pay off.

  Travis sighed. “That was the reason I got given but I looked into it. The professor over there has money and I’m guessing the real reason is the daughter doesn’t want anything to get in the way of her inheritance, a new husband may do that.”

  That sounded more like it.

  “So what have you found so far?” asked Crystal excitedly.

  “That if I was married to Catarina Badal I’d have killed her way before now” Travis said.

  “How much exactly do they pay you for your brilliant insights?” I asked dryly.

  “Not as much as I’m worth sweetheart.” Travis grinned.

  “So, do you think he killed her?”

  Travis shrugged, “He had every reason to. She seduced him, forced him into marriage with a fake pregnancy scare, used him to further her career and then refused to let him go when he fell for someone else, and believe me, from what I’ve found out he has definitely fallen for the other woman.”

  “Enough to kill?” I asked.

  Travis shrugged. “And there is the million dollar question isn’t it? I haven’t found anything to indicate that he did kill her, but it’s still a possibility. The fact of the matter is that he is now free to marry the new girlfriend and we haven’t even looked at what he could be getting out of the will.” We all looked thoughtfully over at Evan as he precariously juggled a plate and a drink, all while listening solicitously to his soon to be wife, if what Travis was telling us was true.

  “I really think we should go” announced Crystal.

  “Over it already?” I asked.

  “I was over it before we walked in the door” she said.

  “No problems” I said. “Just give me few minutes to find Tomas and say goodbye.”

  “You’re just going to leave me here” Travis whined plaintively.

  “Afraid so” I said. “Maybe you’ll get lucky and he’ll be overcome with guilt and admit to killing her.”

  Travis looked at me sourly. “You know sometimes I really don’t think that you take me seriously.”

  Looking for Tomas I rounded a corner to see the man Travis had said was the debt collector, with Peter cornered in the hallway. Peter looked panicked.

  “Your boss stole from Mr Caldwell and owed him a lot of money.”

  “But she’s dead” sputtered Peter.

  “You really think that matters to Mr Caldwell” he drawled. “That money needs to be paid sooner or later by someone. If it isn’t her then those close to her need to start coming up with the cash.”

  A hand touched my arm and I leapt back clapping a hand over my mouth to stifle the scream that was coming out.

  “What are you…?” Tomas managed to get out before I clapped the other hand over his mouth. The debt collector looked in our direction and seeing a door behind us I opened it and quickly pulled Tomas in, still with my hand clamped over his mouth. In the darkness I could see that I had pulled us into a closet. Tomas, obviously knowing that there must be a reason for my crazy antics, didn’t struggle and stood there patiently with my hand covering his mouth. I could hear footsteps coming down the hall. Through the light coming underneath the doorway I could see a shadow as a figure stopped. I held my breath and I could feel that Tomas had stopped breathing against me hand. Neither of us moved as we both looked at the doorknob willing it not to turn.

  “Because I’m a generous man I’m giving you one chance to make this right. If not you just may be looking at joining your boss.”

  Tomas’s eyes widened and we listened as heavy footsteps made their way down the hall. Lighter ones went in the opposite direction and I started to breathe again. Just as my racing heart started to calm down, the door was pulled open. I gave a short scream that got strangled when I saw it was Travis standing in the doorway. He looked at the two of us standing in the closet, my hand still covering Tomas’s mouth and leaned back.

  “Not what I was expecting to find, but hell I’ve seen worse.”

  I dropped my hand. “You’ve probably been part of worse” I hissed.

  Travis shrugged. “Not going to argue with you there.”

  “What are you doing here?” I asked as I came out of the closet peering around to make sure we were alone.

  “Crystal and Edwin got into an argument over some stupid thing. Crystal stormed out and Edwin went after her. I told him I’d take you home.”

  “What were they arguing about?” I asked.

  “I don’t know” he said impatiently. “It just seemed like some weird kind of foreplay they were doing. Frankly the whole thing made me uncomfortable.”

  “I would have thought it would take a lot to make you uncomfortable.”

  “Exactly” he replied. “Gives you an idea of how bad it was.”

  “So you came looking for me. How did you know I was in the closet?”

  “Saw you drag the poor guy in here, I was just getting ready to rescue him when I saw D’Angelo. Figured I’d better get out of the way. When he was gone I came to get you.”

  “Did you see what happened?” I asked

  “No, think I was too late, but anything that has D’Angelo involved is very bad news.”

  “He may have something to do with Catarina’s death.”

  “Not a big leap” Travis said thoughtfully. “The guy works as a freelance debt collector for some of the casino owners in Vegas. Mostly works with the high rollers who have got in over their heads and think their position or their money means they don’t have to pay. D’Angelo is very good at disabusing them of that notion. Looks like Catarina may have got herself in some trouble.”

  “Question is, could that have been the cause of her death?”

  I noticed Tomas still standing there, not saying a word and with the same stunned look on his face that he had when I’d pulled him into the closet.

  “Are you okay Tomas?” I asked, the concern that I had traumatized him evident in my voice. “I’m sorry I did that, I was just scared we’d get caught.”

  “Are you kidding?” said Tomas. “That was amazing. I love it when you come to a funeral, it makes for the most exciting day.”

  Travis raised his eyebrows.

  “Okay” I drew out slowly. “I think it’s time that I got going. Wouldn’t want your day to get too exciting. You ready to take me home?” I said to Travis.

  He nodded and I started to follow him.

  Down the hallway I whispered to Travis. “Is he still looking at me?”

  Travis looked back. “Yes he is, I think he looks like he’s in love.”

  I snorted. “I think I’ve just been a little unlucky with the funerals I’ve attended”.

  This time Travis snorted. “Sure, it’s all about luck. Got nothing to do with you.”

  I got into his car and turned on him.

  “What do you mean by that?”

  “I’m just saying, you’re one of those people that attract trouble wherever you go. Luck’s got nothing to do with it.”

  “I do not attract trouble” I said. “I work in an industry which is highly volatile.”

  Travis laughed so hard that I could see tears coming out of his eyes.

  “You’re a personal assistant” he said. “It’s not like you’re working in counter intelligence. Just accept it. There are some people in this world who when things hit the fan, they are standing right in the middle of it as it rains down on them. You my friend, are one of those people.”

  “I truly don’t like you very much” I said through gritted teeth.

  “I know you say that, but I don’t believe you.” Travis said smiling.

  “You really should” I said warningly.

  “Hey” he protested, “I’m not saying it’s a bad thing. I like
being around you when it comes raining down, the results are kind of entertaining.”

  I sighed. There really was no arguing with that.

  Chapter Ten

  Waving as Travis pulled out of the parking lot after he dropped me off, I found Miss Betsy working in the garden as I usually did. She straightened as she watched Travis drive off.

  “A new young man for you?” she asked expectantly.

  “No, not for me” I said.

  “Why ever not?” Miss Betsy said as she brushed the dirt from her pants. “You’re a sweet girl and deserve a good man.”

  “Then that definitely rules out Travis” I said smiling.

  Miss Betsy smiled back. “Sometimes the bad ones are the best kind” she said softly. “Although, I probably shouldn’t be saying anything or that handsome police officer of yours might be a little unhappy with me.”

  I gave her a tight smile and she looked at me knowingly.

  “So, the boy has made some progress has he?”

  “What do you mean?” I asked.

  “Well, this is the first time I’ve heard you not argue the point when someone has put the two of you together.”

  “He’s growing on me.”

  “Persistent” she said. “That’s good, I don’t think your walls would have come down for anyone less than that.”

  I sat on the low garden wall. “What do you mean?”

  Miss Betsy sat down next to me. “Your ex gave up on you when you needed him most didn’t he?”

  I nodded slowly. Well it was the truth. My ex fiancé had walked into the hospital room where I was laying after a drunk driver decided to try to turn me into a hood ornament, and told me he didn’t love me enough to be my caregiver if my injuries were permanent.

  Miss Betsy continued when she saw my darkening expression. “That kind of low act from the man you loved, no matter how strong you are, it’s going to leave a scar. Makes it hard for you to trust another man. Any man who wants that trust is going to have to work for it, and work hard. The cop has made some mistakes.”

  I snorted indelicately.

  “God knows the man looks fine but he’s not overly smooth with the ladies is he?” she asked.

  I had to agree.

  “But then you don’t want smooth do you? You want strong and loyal and from the looks of it, that cop has got those qualities in spades.”

  “So you think I should take a chance with him?” I asked tentatively.

  “Honey, I am the last person in the world to tell you what man to take a chance on. My abilities at reading a good man from a bad one, verge on the nonexistent. I have made so many mistakes in my life when it came to men, I should have given up on it years ago. What I will say, is that sometimes you let the right one go for all the wrong reasons. Don’t let the one who betrayed you be the one who dictates how you live your life from now on. Learn from him but don’t let him run your life.”

  “You’re a very smart woman” I said.

  “Not so smart” she said smiling softly, but with a touch of sadness flickering through her eyes. “If I had been smart I would have learned that lesson myself a long time ago and I would have been living the lesson not just doling out advice now.”

  I put my hand on the back of hers and squeezed it.

  “If you ever need to talk about it, I’m right here, you know that don’t you?”

  She turned over her hand and squeezed mine back.

  “You are a sweet girl, letting an old woman ramble on like that, but some things are best left in the past.”

  I nodded and stood up.

  “I’d better go find Crystal and Edwin and find out what happened to them. They ditched me at a funeral.”

  Miss Betsy shook her head, “I wouldn’t go looking for them at the moment” she said. “They were arguing pretty bad when they got here earlier.”

  “Maybe I can help” I said.

  “Oh honey, the argument they were having is not one you can help with. I’ve had arguments like that before and believe me they end in one place. Trust me when I tell you that they are not going to want to be disturbed for a while.”

  “But, why, oh…” I said as her meaning finally became clear to me.

  Miss Betsy nodded. “Yes, I would say they are at the making up portion of the proceedings. I personally would suggest keeping well away from the two of them for a while.”

  Good enough for me.

  Chapter Eleven

  Walking up the stairs my cell phone rang. Answering it I smiled when I heard Monique’s rich voice. Struggling with my lock I walked into my apartment.

  “Hi Monique, what can I do for you?”

  “You can tell me why it is that one of my favorite recruits was at the scene of a murder, again, and I didn’t hear it directly from her.”

  I winced. Her voice was too calm, that never boded well.

  “I was nowhere near the murder when it happened, I had a very peripheral part in this one, was barely even there.”

  “Oh that’s good” Monique said, although her voice still had a tone. “From what I heard, you discovered the body, got interviewed by the cops, your friend is a prime suspect and you attended the funeral.”

  Oh, so that was the reason for the tone.

  “See, peripheral, really, just on the edges” I said.

  The silence coming down the phone was deafening. I could almost feel the disapproval beating at me but I was going to be strong, I wasn’t going to cave.

  “Okay, you’re right, I should have called, I’m sorry.”

  Monique changed her tone. “Of course you should have called. I love you darling, the thought of you going through such a traumatic event, it tears at me and then to know you didn’t feel you could come to me with it, it breaks my heart.”

  Emotional guilt from Monique was always done so well.

  “How did you hear about it anyway?” I asked suspiciously.

  “I have my sources” she said smoothly.

  “Uh huh.”

  Of course she had her sources. Nothing happened in this town without Monique knowing about it. If the woman ever decided to sell out to the tabloids there would be mass panic in the streets. After twenty years networking in the background in Hollywood, Monique had information about everyone. Her staff had worked in every section of Hollywood and she learned and retained every piece of information she could find.

  “So” said Monique. “I know you said you wanted some time off after the Kai Roth incident, but I’ve got a job that just came up for this afternoon and tonight. Should be an easy one.”

  I grunted. “That’s what you said about the last job.”

  “Well, you had to know that I was lying on that one. I mean for goodness sake it was Kai Roth. That was never going to be pleasant. Anyway you were desperate to get out of town. You would have taken that job no matter what I said.”

  I had to agree with her there, I knew walking into that job that I was dealing with the perceived stereotype of a spoiled pop star. Thanks to the internet the whole world knew what Kai Roth was like.

  “So why do you have a job for just one day?” I asked curiously.

  “Blythe Stanton broke out of rehab for a club opening tonight. She’s flying in from Europe right now. Her parents contacted me and they want someone to meet her at the airport and escort her until she leaves again tonight. She has a ticket to fly back to England at five tomorrow and it will be your job to make sure she is on that flight.”

  I sat down heavily. This was a babysitting job. Blythe Stanton was almost thirty years old and the heiress to a fortune in Europe. In her life she had dabbled as a singer and actress. She had been married and divorced three times already and was very well known to have a massive drug problem. Rumor had it that her father had finally got tired of her antics and told her that unless she did rehab and kicked the drugs, he was going to pull the trust fund which he still had complete control over. According to the tabloids she had gone into rehab in Switzerland. Sounded like the re
hab hadn’t really worked for her if she was making a break for it.

  “Why on Earth is she coming here?” I asked.

  “Seems one of the ex-husbands is opening a club in LA and she wants to be here for that, whether it’s to help him or destroy him is anyone’s guess right now.”

  “She’s a grown woman Monique, how am I supposed to get her on that plane if she really doesn’t want to go?” I asked.

  “I’m going to be honest with you Trudie, if you can’t get her on the plane her parents are going to give up on her. The trust fund is going to be yanked, she’ll be on her own. If you can impress that on her the best way you can, there isn’t a lot else you can do.”

  “What about the drugs. If she wants to score I’ll do the best I can to stop it but her reputation is well known. The second she hits the airport word’s going to go out and every dealer is going to hone in on us.” I’d been through this kind of situation many times before.

  “You’re not going to have to deal with this on your own. I’ve sent in Jorge with you to help with security.”

  I started to breathe a little easier. Usually I don’t have much time for security people of the rich and famous. I’ve had a few too many clashes with guys who are little more than thugs. Jorge was one of Monique’s staff and there was a good reason for that. He was huge with muscles on muscles and I had actually seen him move a car once by pushing it out of the way. The difference with other bodyguards was that he was also smart. If there was a way out of a situation without violence he would take it.

  “Okay, what time do I need to be at the airport for pick up?” I asked.

  I heard a knock at the door and dropped my head. “That’s Jorge now isn’t it?” I asked Monique.

  “Why yes it is. That man does have an exquisite sense of timing.”

  I opened the door and sure enough there was Jorge, in a tight t shirt that left absolutely nothing to the imagination. His tattooed arms bulged out of the sleeves and not for the first time I wondered whether I would be able to wrap both hands around them.