by Jerry Cole
Gabe glowered with frustration. “Because there's always an addition, Roland. That's how this always goes. Every partner I've ever had has had this conversation with me.”
“I'm not one your past partners, Gabriel. I'd never impose such a thing on you. Never.”
“Don't call me that.”
“What?”
“Gabriel. You can't call me that.”
Roland exhaled loudly. “Maybe this is too much right now for you. I don't want either of us to be stressed. I presume we both have work tomorrow.”
“Maybe you're right.”
Silence enveloped the car. The moon illuminated patches of earth in the distance, revealing the mountains beyond the desert. Gabe observed them quietly, unsure of what to say. He could practically cut the tension between them with his finger and he didn't like it.
He licked his lips again, turning to Roland. “You never answered my question.”
“No, I'm not scared of you, Gabe. You've done nothing but fill me with joy.”
“And worry.”
“And excitement. You're the first person here I've made a real connection with aside from my boss.”
“Have you dated your boss?”
Roland groaned. “Don't tell me that my boss would make you jealous.”
“But have you?”
“No, I have not. She's a woman and I'm a man. I'm gay. That doesn't match up. She's more like a mother to me than anything else.”
“I'm just wondering.”
“I've told you I haven't dated. Is my word enough?”
Gabe looked hurt. “I mean, yeah. I didn't say it wasn't.”
“But you implied it just as you had accused me of implying that I was scared of you.”
“That's not what I said.”
“But it's what I heard. It sounded like you were accusing me of lying about dating my boss. And that hurts me, Gabe.”
“I don't think I like your tone.”
“I haven't quite liked yours for this entire conversation. It hasn't been pleasant.”
Gabe crossed his arms over his chest. “Well, I'm sorry I'm not as refined as you.”
“I would never judge you for that.”
“I don't know that. I don't know a lot of things about you.”
“Because we took this too fast.”
Gabe nodded, feeling the weight of their tension pressing on his shoulders. He was buckling underneath it. “That makes it very clear. I can take you home now if that's what you want.”
“It's not what I want, but I won't stop you.”
“Don't you want to spend time with me?”
“I do. I hope I've made that clear.”
“But you're worried. I can't have you worried about me while I'm doing stunts. I just can't stand it!”
A look of concern flickered over Roland's face. His lips were pressed flat in a line and his jaw was tense as if he were biting back words.
“Don't hold back on my account,” Gabe jabbed. “You can say whatever you need to say to me.”
“I'd prefer you didn't drive angry.”
“I promise I'll be fine.”
Gabe turned the key in the ignition, bringing the Jeep roaring to life. The engine hummed as he maneuvered carefully out of the parking lot, driving back on the main road that led into the city. He drove in silence, finding it preferable to their cyclical conversation.
It's just the same old story all over again, he thought heatedly. Soon, he'll be asking me to stop. It always starts with this ridiculous worrying speech and then it goes from there.
It didn't take long for him to pull up in front of Roland's apartment. Roland hopped out of the Jeep and stood on the sidewalk with his hands in his pockets, standing idly by the car. “So, this is it, then?”
“I guess so.”
“I had a good time with you, Gabe. I hope you change your mind, but I won't hold my breath.”
“How kind of you to say,” Gabe spat.
He kicked the car into gear and yanked the Jeep away from the curb, barreling into traffic. He didn't bother looking back. There was no point.
Because if he did look back, he might turn around.
***
Gabe sat in his Jeep in the lot just below the Hollywood sign. He hadn't wanted to drive back out to the desert, but he wanted to be somewhere that wasn't his apartment. He couldn't get Roland out of his head. He couldn't shake the feeling that something weird was happening at work and he had to get on top of it.
Jax's words circled through his mind: It's best to run those ideas by that detective instead of me. I'm not much help.
Gabe shook his head. He popped open the center console and withdrew the business card that the detective had handed to him that fateful day. The card was worn from sitting in the car too long. He held the wrinkled paper up to the streetlight and opened his phone, tapping the appropriate numbers on the screen.
It didn't take long for the line to click. “This is Moses.”
“Hello, Detective? This is Gabe Hyde from the Night production. I was friends with Ben Crop.”
“Yes, hello, Mr. Hyde. Is there anything I can do for you?”
Gabe hesitated. He steadied his shaking hand against the steering wheel. “I still don't think that Ben's death was an accident and I think there's a chance that another accident could happen.”
“Do you have any leads that I could follow up?”
“I'm not sure. I just have a really bad feeling.”
“Well, I'm afraid I can't follow up on a bad feeling, Mr. Hyde.”
“Please, call me Gabe. Maybe you could look into the wires again. They had to be tampered with.”
“Our team inspected the wires and didn't find any foul play.”
“What about the pulleys that held the wires? We have guys that go up and check them before every run and there's a possibility that one of them was tampered with.”
Static interfered on the phone, cutting off part of Detective Moses's words: “...could potentially send somebody in to look at those. But I can't unless there's a witness. Can you think of anyone at all that could have seen something?”
“Jax.”
“Who's that?”
“My friend Jax is another stuntman on set. He helps rig everything up. He might have seen something, but he wasn't there the day Ben fell. But maybe he saw something before. It might be worth checking.”
“Listen, kid. I know you're concerned and, quite frankly, I am, too. Have you ever heard of Dante Cross?”
Gabe nodded. “Yeah, of course. I always honor my predecessors.”
“Well, about ten years ago, we had a series of accidents on movie sets that eventually led to the death of Dante Cross.”
“I remember that. He got tanked in a barrel over a bridge. I think the lid had gotten stuck.”
“Yeah, we discovered that the lid wasn't properly checked before the stunt. We weren't sure if anyone had tampered with it on purpose, but that's just because we didn't find any evidence.”
“Do you think it's connected to this case?”
“I do think so, Gabe, and I could use your help with that.”
Gabe felt his heart pound excitedly. “What do I do?”
“Well, we're going to have to set up a trap.”
“I can most certainly do that.”
“When's your next stunt?”
“Saturday. I'm doing a barrel-drop.”
Detective Moses hummed. “I don't know about you, but that sounds like the perfect way to catch our potential killer. I'll meet you on the set that day. Don't tell anyone else I'll be there. We can't risk losing our suspect.”
“I'll do my best, sir.”
“I'm going to follow up with some other leads that had originally gone dead. I might be able to link the Cross case with this one, but it'll take some real digging. I'll get back to you soon about your stunt.”
Gabe smiled warmly. “I really appreciate you believing me, sir. It's been a hard time without my friend.”
“I can only imagine, Gabe. Now, go get some rest. I'll talk to you soon.”
When the line clicked, Gabe felt satisfied with his work. He put his car into gear and started heading home, really enjoying the freshness of the air greeting his face. He was still worried, but he felt like he had a real purpose.
And that purpose was to find Ben's killer.
Chapter Ten
Roland
Roland sat in one of the pews of the funeral parlor. Everyone had gone home for the day. The entire place was as empty and quiet as his mind, reminding him that one day soon his body would be just the same: empty and quiet.
“I wonder when that will be,” he pondered out loud. “Hopefully, later than sooner.”
“Are you talking to the clients again?”
Roland chuckled as he greeted Dora. She approached the bench and he scooted over, inviting her to sit down.
He sighed slowly. “I'm just talking to myself.”
“You know, when I was a kid, you'd get thrown in a looney bin for doing things like that.”
“Oh, I think it's quite normal for humans to muse to themselves.”
“And what are you musing about?”
“Death.”
She chuckled. “Must be Halloween, eh?”
“I suppose it's that and a medley of other things.”
“That boy has your brain in a tizzy. I should have known he would be trouble as soon as you mentioned him. Boys are always trouble.”
Roland smiled, feeling comforted by Dora sitting next to him. “Only a mother would say that.”
“All my boys grew up and moved across the country. You're all I've got, so I'm making it count.”
“Don't they come to visit?”
“For the holidays, of course. But they don't call much in between.”
“I suppose that's life.”
She nodded and folded her hands together. “So, what's this boy done to have you so contemplative?”
“Well, he works in Hollywood as a stuntman. I figured that would be self-explanatory.”
“Oh, of course. And we had one of his friends in here recently. I can see why you would be driven mad.”
“I'm not mad, Miss Dora.”
She giggled. “It was a small joke, Roland.”
“Ah, that went right over my head.”
“Because you're distracted.”
He hummed. “I think you might be right. I think I am distracted.”
“You know, love has a funny way of doing that. When you love someone, you worry about their safety, where they are, and what they might be doing. It's just a normal thing to do.”
“He doesn't seem to think so.”
“Did you have a fight?”
“We had an argument. I was expressing concern over his job, but I also told him that I didn't want him to stop doing it.”
“I'm sure he's heard that a million times before.”
“He has. And I can understand the concern in me being concerned.” He shook his head. “Wow, that's a dizzying thought.”
She laughed. “Hey, don't think too hard. Just tell me more. Whatever you can.”
“I think he's worried I'll leave him because of everything. And I think that, because of that fear, he's pushed me away as a result.”
“We tend to do that. We're very fragile creatures.”
“So, I've learned from watching people during funerals. I've seen people break down over losing an earring or dropping their phone. Humans are delicate. We are delicate. And I guess that's why I'm worried about him. He's so delicate to me and I just want him to be safe.”
“But he's happy with his job. Not many people can boast about that.”
“No, that's true. And I'm upset that it came to this. I don't think I can handle dating him, Miss Dora. Not with his job getting in the way.”
“Is it his job or is it fear?”
He hummed thoughtfully. “As your pseudo son, I feel obligated to say that I despise that question.”
She cackled. “It's a good question though.”
“It's a fair question and I think that's why it makes me uncomfortable. I've never really had to face these fears in my life. I was an only child to a single mother and when I lost her, I just moved on.”
“That sounds hard, Roland. When did you lose her?”
“About ten years ago.”
“That explains the sudden move to California.”
He shrugged. “It was the one place she wanted to visit, but she could never make it out here. I figured I would live out here and fulfill her wishes.”
“It sounds like you two were close.”
“We were exceptionally close because she hadn't gotten remarried. Although we had our congregation at the church, I still felt like she only ever had me.”
“That must have been hard on a child so young.”
He nodded. “I was a teenager and felt older than I was, but I think it did have a strong impact on my life. I grew up too soon, too fast. I had no choice.”
“Well, as your fake mom, I feel obligated to say that you don't need to hang on to those things anymore. I've seen a lot of people lose their mothers in here. I've seen so many families torn up. But it doesn't have to dictate what you do with your life.”
“No, I suppose it doesn't.”
“So, if you want to see this guy, maybe you should give it a shot. Don't think about all the other details. Just focus on him.”
“Have you done much dating since your husband passed?”
She smirked and shrugged. “Here and there. I've done enough dating to know that it's worth it when the feeling is strong.”
“It definitely feels like a strong connection. But my God, he is wickedly stubborn.”
“Sounds like your type.”
“How would you know?”
“Because you're patient. I just think that would be your match.”
He nodded his head side to side, considering her words. “You may have a point. I'm still not sure how to talk to him. I think I ought to give him some time. And the stunt...I think it's today. It could be happening right now. It has my head spinning just thinking about him dropping from a building in a barrel.”
“Wow, that sounds intense.”
He sighed. “That's why I'm worried.”
“You know, we had a stuntman just before you moved here jump off a bridge in a barrel. His name was Dante Cross.”
“How did that go?”
She looked embarrassed and sank down slightly in the pew. “Well, he didn't quite make it.”
“Miss Dora, that has done very little to help comfort me.”
“I'm sorry, Roland. I shouldn't have mentioned it at all.”
He frowned; his brows tightly knitted together as he stared at the swirling design of the wooden pew in front of him. The more he stared, the more his thoughts came together.
“Wait a second,” he whispered. “Dante Cross did the same stunt...Oh, that's not good. That's not good at all.”
“Roland, what's wrong?”
“I have to call Gabe.”
“All right, well, if you need me, I'll be...”
Dora's voice faded as Roland sprinted to locate his phone.
If Gabe is right about his friend's death, then there might be an accident waiting for him, he reflected grimly. And that means I need to stop his stunt.
Chapter Eleven
Gabe
A crowd had gathered on the sidewalk across the street from the building. Gabe observed the growing number of people filling the sidewalk, all of them appearing like ants from his view on the roof. He stood next to Jax with his foot propped up on the ledge and a mischievous grin planted on his face.
“It's a good day for a drop,” he commented cheerfully. “The weather is mild, and everything looks to be in order.”
“It'll be pretty fast, so you'll have to make this one count,” Jax suggested.
Gabe regarded the crane that held the pulleys and wires which would be attached to his
harness. He lifted the wires that would soon determine his fate and pulled them taut, checking them meticulously for tears or signs of wear.
“They're totally new,” Jax assured. “I checked them myself.”
“You know I trust you.”
“And I trust you, my dear.”
Gabe dropped the wires and clapped a hand on Jax's shoulder. “You've been such a good friend to me since I got here. I'm glad we met, Jax.”
“Me, too, Gabe. Now, let's get you hooked up before Mark has a heart attack.”
“He still isn't used to these big ones, is he?”
“I mean, he was the one who kept insisting on using a realistic dummy instead.”
“But where's the fun in that?”
Jax guffawed. “Exactly.”
As he prepared the harness and started setting everything up, Gabe looked at the crew standing near them. His eyes fell on each face and then on the barrel that would take him down to the ground. He swallowed hard. A few beads of sweat broke out on his forehead that he nervously wiped away.
“You all right, buddy?” Jax inquired. “You look a little nervous.”
“That's twice this week I've been accused of being nervous.”
“Well, you look it.”
“I'm fine, Jax. I'll be just fine.”
Jax nodded grimly. “You know, I can always take your place if you're having second thoughts.”
“You know the lead character isn't Asian.”
Jax laughed. “No, but they won't even be catching a face in this scene.”
“They need that shot of me flipping out of the barrel at the last possible minute and they just want to make sure the stunt double looks exactly like the main character.”
“Ah, Hollywood. Always the details.”
“You know it.”
Mark appeared just behind the handful of crew members who were watching intently from the center of the roof. He tucked his clipboard under his arm and approached Gabe. “Hey, Gabe. How are you holding up?”
“I'm doing good, Mark. How's everything looking down there?”
“All the cameras are set up. We've got every possible angle covered and the camera that will follow you down is all set. Are you sure you're up for this?”
“I'm always up for danger.”
Mark chuckled anxiously. “Well, we have the medical team standing by just in case anything happens to go wrong. We've got a balloon set up just near the drop point that's out of range of the camera. Try to aim for that, okay? It'll deflate as soon as you hit it, so it cushions your fall.”