"Nice?" Lily reached for the magazine and turned it around. "Lauren Young personally donates ten percent of her salary every year to needy children. Amelia Toren is a mentor for inner city kids. Katya Markova escaped from Russia at age five, and came to America with nothing. She claims to be entirely self-made, and does motivational speeches in high schools for free. And Shelley Solis rescued a pug from a burning building before finding it a new home as a therapy dog for elderly citizens!"
"How do you know all this stuff?" I asked.
"Jord and I took Chloe to the park over the weekend and she didn't stop talking about them. I think I know everything a little kid needs to know about B4U, except how to get concert tickets."
"I told Solomon I needed concert tickets and merchandise, or I wouldn't take the case. Maybe I should visit Chloe and get some inside info?"
"She'll tell you anything you ask the minute you tell her you're working with them. You're going to be the all time number one aunt!"
"I already am."
"Number one biological aunt," Lily clarified.
"Whatever. Still number one!"
"Did I mention they had nine number one songs in two years?" Lily continued. Dragging a bar stool over and perching on it, she began blowing on her decaf coffee to cool it before taking a sip. "Not to mention, I love their TV show."
I took another look at the photo. "Who would want to blackmail four saccharine-sweet, accomplished, self-made, philanthropic young women?" I asked.
"Don't ask me. That's your job! One of them probably has a dirty, little secret. Maybe even a sex tape."
I frowned. "Really? Do starlets still fall for that?"
"Only the really stupid ones."
"I'll check it out," I said, making a mental note.
"When do you start?"
"Officially, tomorrow. They got into town last night and I'm going to meet them this evening. Tomorrow, I'll go through all the existing blackmail demands and keep an eye out for the source of the next one while Solomon works through their security issues."
"I want to come. I bet I could help. Also, I... No, I got nothing. I just want to meet B4U. Do you think they'll come to my bar?"
"I have no idea."
"Could you tell them that Lily's Bar is the hottest hangout in Montgomery?"
"I will."
"And will you also let me know if they plan to come, so I can tip off the press?"
"That would be wrong and possibly an invasion of their privacy."
"Fine, I won't tip off the press, but I might take a selfie. Can I still meet them too? I can take notes or something?"
"Sure, I guess. Solomon didn't say I couldn't bring anyone," I replied. He didn't exactly say I could bring someone either. In my book, that was as good as permission; plus, he usually didn't mind Lily so long as he didn't have to pay her.
"That's settled then. Hey, maybe the blackmailer is someone jealous in their crew? It doesn't matter how nice a person is if someone else covets what they have."
"I wondered that too. It would explain how the blackmailer always knows where they are staying. Solomon said they kept their hotel details under a 'for your eyes only' requirement so that the public wouldn’t know in advance. Sometimes, even the band doesn’t know until they get there; and they even go so far as to book in under false names."
"I would book under something really glam like Countess Esmeralda Blackheart."
I turned the page of the magazine as I raised my eyebrows. "No one would ever be curious over that kind of name."
"I know, right? Perfect! What did you say they were being blackmailed for?"
"Solomon didn't mention it. I don't think he knows. He said they are trying to keep it all under wraps so the press doesn't find out. It's strictly on a need-to-know basis. I can't even see the blackmail letters until tomorrow."
Lily blanched. "But you're going to tell me, right?"
"Maybe."
"How dare you 'maybe' me! You're my oldest friend and now we're related! Since when did we start keeping things from each other?"
"Since my job went on the line if anyone found out. I signed a non-disclosure."
Lily flicked another page, settling her gaze on a shirtless shot of Hollywood's latest heartthrob. "Hey, look at this. It's written by Shayne Winter."
"Who?"
"The Montgomery Gazette reporter who stalked us at the pony convention."
I had a vague recollection of the pretty, but pesky blonde reporter who was so determined to get a story. "She really made it to Hollywood? Good for her."
"Looks like the perfect job. Write fifty words, six of which are 'dribble' and get paid. Anyway, if you get fired, we'll set up our own detective agency. I bet we could attract loads of clients. I could give a free pitcher of margaritas as an incentive to pay up front."
"You sound like my mother. She's still trying to persuade me to set something up with my dad."
"Your poor dad. Did he enjoy the cruise?"
"He loved it, but you could have asked my mother that."
"What? How? I haven't seen your mother in so long. Not at all."
I narrowed my eyes. "Yes, you have."
"Have. Not."
"I saw you!"
"Where?"
"Outside the library, this morning. You were following a man. You were in disguise."
"Then how did you know it was me?"
"I called you and spoke to you!"
"Oh… yeah."
"I also watched you through my zoom lens."
"Stalker!"
"Hardly, I was wrapping up a case. What were you both doing anyway?"
Lily's nostrils flared. "I'm not at liberty to say."
"I'll ask Mom."
"Great! Now tell me how you intend to bring down the blackmailer, and keep one of the biggest, most famous, current bands safe, while not getting mobbed by the media? Do you need to borrow a disguise from me?"
I checked my watch, blanching as soon as I noted the time. If I didn't hurry, I would be late to meet the band. Judging by Solomon's excitement at getting the case, that wouldn't do at all. "We have to go," I told Lily. "Still want to come?"
"You betcha." She spun around on the stool. "Ruby, watch the bar... and all the people in it! Lexi and I are going to do something really cool!"
~
Solomon met us in the lobby of the Marchmont Hotel, which I visited a few times before and loved. The plush furnishings, the expensive curtains that pooled in front of floor-to-ceiling windows, the cocktail bar... It even had a pretty, walled-in garden where I attended a wedding reception the previous year. Yes, I could have moved right in.
"There are a few things you need to know before entering," Solomon told me as he rose from the leather wing chair he'd been sitting in. He kissed me first, then he kissed Lily on the cheek. "Lily, what a surprise," he said, sounding resolutely unsurprised.
"I know! Isn't it?!" Lily said, utterly delighted. I decided not to burst her bubble that Solomon wasn't even one iota surprised at finding me with my best friend in tow. "I just thought I'd lend Lexi a hand." She leaned in, lowering her voice. "I know a lot about B4U."
Solomon moved closer. "What does B4U stand for?" he asked.
Lily blinked. "I have absolutely no idea. Ask me an easy one."
"What do I need to know?" I asked, ignoring the question without admitting that I, also, didn't know what the band's name meant. Possibly, I decided, it meant nothing at all. Or maybe it was really crappy text speak from a sweaty, old, balding, music exec who thought it was "cool."
"For one, they are having a few issues right now," Solomon began, signaling for us to follow. We followed him to the elevators and he jabbed the up button.
"You’d probably be having issues if you were being blackmailed too," chimed Lily. "Have you no sympathy?"
"What she said," I replied, nodding to Lily, "but what kind of issues?"
"Personality ones," replied Solomon. "Don't expect them to be too friendly."
"Check. Anything else?"
"They're under a lot of pressure, just trying to keep the situation out of the media."
"No problem. We'll solve everything and get it under control," said Lily, stepping into the elevator as the doors slid back.
"Did I recently employ her and forget about it?" Solomon asked softly.
"I heard that. Get in! There's no time to lose!" Lily clapped her hands as she beckoned us to hurry. We stepped inside and Solomon punched the button for the top floor.
"The whole top floor is reserved for the band. There're three suites. The band have two, and their manager has the third," he explained. "We'll meet all of them together."
"I'm really looking forward to this," I said as the elevator began its ascent. "I've never met anyone really famous before."
"You might regret it."
I frowned. "Why? I know they're having a bad time, but like Lily said, that's why we're here. We'll get everything under control." I added, remembering my own stipulations. "Do you think they'll let us watch their video being filmed?"
"The manager has agreed to allow us total access while we investigate, so yes, I guess that would be okay."
"Me too?" asked Lily. "No one will see me, I swear. Unless they want to, like if they offered us small, but pivotal roles with screen time. I'm happy to dance like no one is watching, although I have to insist on clothes, if that's a deal breaker... No, wait, we've talked about this stuff, haven't we, Lexi? Did the band make a sex tape? A naked, sexy-times sex tape?"
Solomon took a deep breath.
"What's your take on the manager?" I asked before Lily broke into an interpretive dance.
"Seems like a nice guy. He's been with the band since they decided to move from TV into the music business so... three years, I guess. He's got a solid background with a lot of successful stars. B4U is his biggest achievement to date. He appears to genuinely care about them, and it was he who came to the agency for help. He is very nervous of the magnitude and impact this could have on the band."
"It's only blackmail. What could possibly be so bad that there would be any fallout?" I asked.
"Their image is so squeaky clean. They can't risk damaging that when their stardom is built on it. Whatever they're being blackmailed about, we can assume it's something that they don't want made public. Their whole careers are based on them being everyone's girls next door. Without that, they're just like any other pop starlets," said Lily. The elevator glided to a halt and the doors slid back.
"What she said," replied Solomon as he stepped out. He greeted the two enormous security guards who rose from the stiff-backed chairs as we stepped into the corridor, and introduced us both.
The larger of the two nodded, and ticked off our names.
"I'm on the list?" asked Lily.
"I figured you'd turn up," said Solomon. "And took the liberty of adding you."
"Awww."
"They're waiting for you in Room One," said the man I nicknamed “Larger.” He was huge, and at least twice my girth. His legs looked like tree trunks.
"How've things been?" Solomon asked.
The security guards glanced at each other and sighed. "The usual," said Larger.
"What's the usual?" I asked as we passed them, and walked to the end of the corridor, pausing outside a door. A scream pierced the air. I glanced back at the security guards, but neither of them moved.
Solomon opened the door.
A vase sailed through the doorway, clearing the narrow space between Solomon and me before colliding with the wall behind my head. It smashed, of course, and all the pieces dropped loudly to the floor.
Solomon closed the door.
"That," he said. He knocked even more loudly before opening the door again. "It's Solomon," he yelled over the screaming, hysterical voices. "With my investigator."
"And her best friend," yelled Lily, following us.
I had to stop and take in the scene. This was B4U, but certainly not the sweet, giggling, fun-loving B4U I knew from TV. Nor were they the perfectly poised women from the magazine articles. Sure, they were all gorgeously dressed, and their hair looked perfect, but Amelia and Shelley were screaming at each other, Lauren was holding her cheek, reddened from what appeared to be a recent slap, and the final member, Katya, was grabbing another vase to hurl from the credenza as we watched. She brandished it over her head, screaming horrible obscenities. The man in the center of them all, waving his arms and yelling somewhat ineffectually, had to have been their manager.
"Hello?" Solomon shouted. The band and their manager continued hollering.
Lily stuck two fingers into her mouth and gave one hell of a whistle, silencing the room. Katya turned her attention on Lily. She gave her mere seconds to dart out of the way before launching the vase. It bounced off the sofa and slid onto the floor. Lily picked it up and handed it back. "Better luck next time," she said. "I like your shoes. There is nothing on this earth like a pair of killer stilettos."
"Who the hell are you?" asked Katya, accepting the vase.
"I'm Lily Shuler-Graves, a big fan. Lexi Graves, who is taking the case, and her boyfriend-slash-boss, Solomon. Only Solomon. No first name."
"You're not single?" said Katya, addressing Solomon. Her voice sounded silky, despite the former screaming, and she gave Solomon the once-over. She turned to her manager. "You said he was single."
"I said I didn't know if he were single, and I didn't care."
"What's the point of hiring a hot guy to do our dirty work if he's not single? Fire him and get someone else."
"Katya, I'm not firing him."
Katya pointed to me. "Fire her!" She fixed her eyes on me, mouthing, "Bitch."
I blanched at seeing the vitriol in her eyes and took a step back. I was tempted to take another step back and slide behind Solomon, but Lily was already edging in that direction.
"No one is firing anyone!" their exasperated manager sighed. "Ladies, sit down. These people are here to help us... to help you. Sit the hell down and shut the hell up!"
I was surprised to see the band slink over to the sofas, each sitting as far away from each other as possible. Thankfully, they did it quietly. Unfortunately, the shrill sounds of screaming still rang in my ears as I surveyed the room. Pillows were flung across the floor, and a side table was turned over. One vase was smashed in the hallway, and the other near victim sat on the coffee table after Katya put it there. Magazines were scattered everywhere. It looked like the fight must have been going on for some time.
Solomon, Lily, and I remained standing. I didn't know what Solomon and Lily were looking at, but I decided to assess the exits. There appeared to only be one, the door by which we entered; and fortunately, I was closest to it. However, it didn't appear that any more missiles would be flung in our direction.
"I'm Joe Carter, B4U's manager," said the man, cutting through the silence. "This is Amelia, Katya, Shelley, and Lauren. Sorry for what just happened. The girls are a little highly strung of late."
"I wouldn't need to be highly strung if that bitch would apologize," sniffed Shelley.
"Go to hell," screeched Amelia.
"Guess I'll see you there!" Shelley yelled back. She grabbed a pillow and walloped Amelia on the head. Amelia wrenched it from Shelley's fingers, and slammed it back at her fellow band member's head. All I could do was watch, while inhaling deeply, as the two attacked each other, grabbing and pulling hair. They rolled off the couch and onto the floor before Joe threw himself into the middle, prying them apart.
"You, over there," he said, pushing Shelley towards the furthest couch. He gave Amelia a lighter push, urging her to sit on the couch she just vacated. Amelia crossed her arms, scowling, and gave her hair a little toss. It settled perfectly into a satiny sheet that swung well past her shoulders.
"I hate her. I hate all of you," Shelley sniffed, her jaw wobbling as she stifled tears.
"Feeling is mutual," said Katya, shrugging one shoulder. "I hate your disgusting face. It ruins e
very album cover."
"You odious peasant!"
"Ladies, please! Be quiet!" Joe yelled, waving his arms over his head. "Can you shut up for ten minutes? Can you?"
"Ask Katya; she has the biggest mouth," said Lauren.
"And yet, you're the one still talking," Joe pointed out. "Zip it."
"Hah!" gloated Katya. "Better to have a big mouth than your huge nose, Lauren!"
"I said, zip it!" yelled Joe. "Ladies, this is Solomon from the Solomon Detective Agency I told you all about, and his associate, Lexi Graves and... I'm sorry, who are you?" He turned to Lily. Three more sets of eyes looked at her. The fourth, belonging to Katya, studied the buttons of her sweater, apparently disinterested, but I could tell she was listening. Her posture was a little stiff, and her head was cocked at an angle.
"Lily Shuler-Graves," Lily said, without explaining why she was there.
"Right," agreed Joe. "Like I told you ladies already, and I'm really trying to keep calling all of you ladies, the agency came here to help with our blackmail issue."
"Why don't you all tell us about it," said Solomon, "starting with the basics?"
Every member of the band started to talk at once, each of them suddenly focused and animated. I caught "secrets," and "I don't know what they're talking about," and "money," but I couldn't figure out a single individual story. It seemed like they were all talking about something different, and each girl wanted to get her word in over her band mates’.
"One at a time!" commanded Solomon, loudly. His imperious tone plunged them into silence. "Katya, why don't you go first?"
"Why her?" asked Shelley. "Is it because she's the biggest bitch?"
"No, it's because I asked," replied Solomon, barely glancing her way. "Katya, tell us what happened."
"I got the first letter after our first gig on this tour," Katya began. She was still picking imaginary lint off her sweater. "At first, I thought, 'Hey, this is stupid,' but then the same words were written in lipstick on the mirror in my hotel bathroom in the evening."
"What did the letter say?"
Katya pursed her lips and breathed harshly through her nose. "It said, 'I'll tell them about Russia unless you pay five thousand dollars by tomorrow noon.’ It gave a bank number."
Kissing in Action Page 2