Hollywood Underworld: A Hollywood Alphabet Series Thriller (The Hollywood Alphabet Series Book 21)

by M. Z. Kelly

After she filled in a few more details, I asked her for the latest on Mogul Studios. “Any word on that girl who went missing? I think her name was Laura...I forget the last name.”

  “Keene. Still missing, but we’ve done some interviews at the studio, including talking to Tony Rogers, that stagehand Natalie’s boyfriend told you about. We’re sure Robert Zemaris was involved with her. I think it’s just a matter of time before we put a case together against him.”

  We chatted about the studios for a few minutes longer, before I mentioned my conversation with the lieutenant about Chief Bronson. “This is just between us, but Lieutenant Byrd thinks Bronson wants me out, as in off the force. I wouldn’t be surprised if he has me transferred to some thankless job, hoping I’ll quit.”

  “I don’t understand. What’s his beef with you?”

  “I think it goes back to issues he had with my father when he was on the force. Pearl and I also think he might have been on the take, or maybe even involved with the Rylands at one time.”

  “You really think he was dirty?”

  “It’s just speculation at this point, but I’m going to eventually find out what went on during his early days on the force to make him hate my father and me.”

  Olivia sympathized with my circumstances before my driver turned off the freeway in Hollywood. I told Olivia I would see her back at the station in a couple days and ended the call.

  As we pulled to the curb in front of my house, and the driver helped me with my bags, my friends and Bernie came running out of the house to greet me.

  We spent a long time exchanging hugs, crying, and me giving Bernie lots of attention as we sat on the porch. The day had dawned warm and clear, in contrast to my time in Wyoming and Washington, making me appreciate the simple pleasures of the day and being with my friends. In some ways, it felt like a homecoming after being away at war.

  Otto eventually came out of the house with Grover and his Sheepadoodle, Lady G. The two dogs then spent several minutes running around the yard.

  “Them two got a serious case of the love crazies,” Mo said. “Makes me kinda jealous.”

  “Don’t worry,” Natalie said. “Our JPS run is tomorrow morning. Kate and me are gonna help you find a guy.”

  I’d forgotten all about the event and said, “I’m not sure I’m up for a run through the mud.”

  Mo’s eyes narrowed on me. “You just practically singlehandedly saved the world. Besides, we need you to keep an eye on Nana, Fred, and Mattie.”

  “Don’t tell me they’re coming.”

  “They’re hoping they got a group of senior mudders.”

  “I heard they’re gonna dress up like a bunch of old Hollywood stars,” Natalie added. She regarded me. “As it turns out, everyone is supposed to come in costume. Mo and me got you something to wear.”

  I laughed. “I’m not dressing up as Wonder Woman, if that’s what you have in mind.”

  She and Mo exchanged a look, making me wonder what they really did have in mind.

  We chatted for a few minutes, and saw Robin arriving with my mother. I went over to them as they got out of the car. “Is something wrong?”

  My brother smiled. “We just heard you were coming home and wanted to see you.”

  We exchanged hugs and kisses, my mother even giving me an unusual display of affection. The three of us returned to the porch, where Otto and Grover said hello, then excused themselves to fix some refreshments. Natalie and Mo went with them, maybe sensing I needed some alone time with Robin and Mom.

  “How are things with you and Adam?” I asked Robin, after we took seats.

  My brother’s blue eyes brightened. “Better. We talked, and I think we’re in a better place now. Adam just isn’t sure he’s ready to get engaged.”

  “I think it’s good they’re taking things slow,” Mom said.

  Mother had her long gray hair in a bun, and wore a paisley dress and beaded necklace that probably would have been popular about fifty years ago. I remembered Robin telling me that Mom might know more about Daniel than she’d let on, and that he might even have some mental health issues. I decided to move the conversation in that direction, but started by asking Robin if he was still receiving FBI protection.

  “They cut me loose,” Robin said. “And it’s just as well. Adam and I got tired of being followed.”

  “I remember Joe saying something about the Swarm possibly being after Daniel,” I said. My gaze moved between him and Mom. “Have either of you heard anything about him?”

  Robin said he hadn’t, then we both looked at Mom.

  “It wouldn’t surprise me if he’s in the hospital somewhere,” Mom finally said.

  “Why is that?”

  “I think he might be bipolar. Maybe he’s finally getting the help he needs.”

  I studied her for a long moment, realizing there was more that she wasn’t telling us. “How do you know about Daniel and his mental health issues?”

  Mom’s gaze moved off, and she sighed. She finally looked back at me. “The truth?” I nodded. She went on. “I felt guilty about never staying in touch with him when your father and I were together. I guess I’ve wanted to make up for that, and have tried to keep tabs on him.”

  “Do you know if he ever used drugs?” Robin asked, apparently thinking about the motel where Daniel had last been seen.

  Mom sighed. “I can’t say for sure. All I know is that his adoptive mom told me he had a lot of problems coping with his illness.”

  “You’ve been in touch with her?” I asked.

  She nodded. “I’ve even offered to help her find him.” She looked away, her eyes becoming glassy. “It’s the least I can do.”

  Despite my mother’s past issues, it seemed to me that she genuinely wanted to help find Daniel. I was grateful for that and told her as much.

  Mom and Robin spent most of the day with me. Otto and Grover fixed a wonderful lunch, and we all chatted well into the afternoon. I was filled with gratitude for friends and family.

  Late in the day, after Mom and Robin had gone home, I got a call from Hud McKenzie. “Afraid I’m going to have to take a rain check on getting together. I have a case that came out of the blue and I’ll be gone for a couple days.”

  “No problem,” I said. “I probably need some time to rest up anyway.”

  “I’ve heard you’ve been a little busy.” There was a hesitation before he said, “Maybe we can get together in a week or two. There’s something I want to tell you about.”

  I had no idea what he meant. “You want to give me a hint?”

  He chuckled. “I think I’ll keep you in suspense. I’ll give you a call when I’m back in town.”

  After ending the call, I mentioned what he’d said to Natalie and Mo. Mo offered me her opinion. “Maybe he’s married, and felt guilty ‘bout trying to cheat with you.”

  “I doubt that. Hud’s not the type.”

  Natalie chimed in. “It might be that he’s got some kind of tropical disease from travellin’ all over the world. It could even be that he’s turned green and looks like a human toad.”

  I laughed. “What have you two been drinking?”

  Natalie held up a cocktail. “It’s called LSP, Lucy in the Sky with Pee.”

  “You’re kidding.”

  “It’s vodka and lemonade. Want one?”

  I stood. “I’ll pass. I’m going to call Joe, then call it a night.”

  “How is the big lug?” Mo asked.

  “I’m not sure. I’ll let you know in the morning.”

  After going to my room, I tried Joe’s number a couple times, but both calls went to voicemail. I was starting to get really worried but remembered that, a few weeks back, he’d told me his daughter, Michelle, lived in Portland. After doing an Internet search, I found a phone number and called her.

  I took a couple of minutes to tell her I was friends with her father. “I’ve been trying to call him for the past few days, but the calls go to voicemail. I just wondered if you’v
e heard from him.”

  “Actually, I’m glad you called. I heard he was injured while on duty. We talked a few days ago, after he got home, and he said he was doing okay, but he hasn’t returned my calls either.”

  “It’s not like him,” I said. “I’ve been thinking about taking a trip to Phoenix to check on him.”

  “I think that’s a good idea.” She paused. “My dad speaks very highly of you.”

  “Thanks. The feeling’s mutual.”

  “If you’d like, I could catch a flight and meet you at his place late tomorrow, and we could check on him together. Maybe the three of us could have dinner.”

  “I’d like that.”

  After agreeing to meet her late in the day, I ended the call and made a reservation to fly out of Burbank Airport to Phoenix late tomorrow. I lay in my bed for a long time, thinking about Joe. If something bad had happened to him, I wasn’t sure how I would ever cope with that. He was, in many ways, my best friend in the world. He was also someone I loved. I just wasn’t sure if it was platonic love or something more than that. My eyes grew heavy, and sleep found me, leaving the fates to eventually answer my question.

  EIGHTY-EIGHT

  “You’ve got to be out of your mind,” I said to my friends the next morning. “You really expect me to wear this?” I held up an oversized clown head, a costume that was covered with red and black polka dots, and shoes that were about a foot long.

  “You’ll be goin’ as Dimples the Clown,” Natalie said. “She had a show back in the 1950s that was popular with kids. Besides, no one will recognize you.”

  Mo agreed with her and tried to be encouraging. “Everybody’s going to be in a JPS outfit. Just Plain Stupid. That’s the whole idea. Wait till Nana, Fred, and Mattie get here. Then you’ll know the true meaning of JPS.”

  I sighed. “I can hardly wait. What are you and Natalie wearing?”

  Mo looked at Natalie. “Maybe we should put our outfits on and show her, then she won’t feel so bad ‘bout people calling her Dimples.”

  Natalie agreed. “Good idea. You gotta see our outfit to believe it.”

  I waited in the living room while they changed, holding up my outfit and wondering how I could go out in public. My coworkers would probably start calling me Detective Dimples.

  When my friends came out of the bedroom, all my worries seemed trivial. I laughed so hard that I almost wet myself and was unable to speak.

  “It’s not that funny,” Mo said, poking her head up from the rear of the costume they shared. She called out to Natalie, who was the front end of their ridiculous outfit. “Is it, Henrietta?”

  Natalie’s only response was to make a grunting sound.

  I finally controlled my laughter long enough to say, “I can honestly say you two make the best looking hippo in Hollywood.”

  Mo again took exception to what I’d said, complaining to Natalie, “How the hell am I gonna find me a man, dressed like an animal that’s as big as a bus?”

  Natalie removed her hippo head and looked back at her. “Cheer up, Mo. Maybe you can find a guy dressed like an elephant.”

  Her comment almost resulted in them coming to blows before the Three Stooges arrived. Nana, Fred, and Mattie came through the door dressed in the personas of Larry, Mo, and Curly Joe. They looked so ridiculous that I collapsed onto the floor with Natalie and Mo, convulsing with laughter again.

  “You three just might just win the JPS first prize,” Mo said, after regaining some composure.

  Nana scowled at her, obviously upset by our laughter. She wore a black bowl-cut wig, similar to Moe Howard’s haircut.

  “What’s the prize?” she demanded.

  Natalie answered. “You get your names inscribed on the UDU trophy.”

  Fred, in the role of Larry, glowered at us. “What the hell does UDU stand for?”

  “U Damn Ugly,” Natalie said.

  We broke into another fit of laughter as the Three Stooges went on a rampage, attacking a clown and a hippo.

  ***

  I wish I could say that my morning at the JPS run went better than I’d hoped, but I would be lying. Like all things in life, it had its good moments and its bad.

  The good news is the run was hilarious, with people in every imaginable costume running down Hollywood Boulevard and through a mud obstacle course. The contestants included a couple who won the UDU trophy for wearing costumes that simulated nudity, with grotesquely exaggerated genitalia.

  The bad news is, I had just crossed the finish line and was catching my breath when Nana, as Moe Howard, brought a reporter over. He snapped a photograph of me as she said, “This is what Detective Kate Sexton does on her day off. She’s nothing but a big clown.”

  The reporter laughed and said he would make sure the photograph ended up in the Herald-Press.

  I was heading up the sidewalk to the Pig ‘n Whistle, a bar and restaurant that was a Hollywood landmark, where I planned to drown my sorrows, when I ran into Pearl Kramer.

  He smiled as he saw me holding my clown head under one arm. “I guess decapitation has its humorous side.”

  “Funny,” I said, huffing out a breath. “Don’t tell me, you were in the JPS run?”

  His smile grew wider as he shook his head. “There’s a few things I’ve learned over the years.” His gaze moved up the street. “One of them is to try and avoid situations that are just plain stupid.”

  I exhaled and tossed my clown head in a nearby trash can. “I’ll try to remember that.” I tugged on his arm. “I need a drink. How about a beer? Dimples the Clown is buying.”

  “Best offer I’ve had all day.” His smile faded. “There’s something I need to tell you about.”

  After getting our drinks, we took seats in a quiet area, away from the festive atmosphere of the JPS run. After chatting for a moment, I braced myself and asked Pearl what was on his mind.

  He set his beer down and hesitated before answering me. “I’ve spent the past several days taking a closer look at Nathan Caine and his relationship to the Rylands. I don’t think he had one.”

  “I’m not following you. I thought you said he was probably working for Harlee, along with other members of the Swarm.”

  Pearl shook his head. “It was Phaedrus. He was the one working with the Rylands.”

  I stared at him blankly. “I’m not following you.”

  He pushed his beer aside and levelled his dark eyes on me. “I think we’ve had it all wrong, all this time. Nathan Caine was a terrorist, but he was acting under the influence of someone else, not the Rylands.”

  “I don’t understand. I thought Caine was Phaedrus.”

  “That’s what he wanted us to believe, but there’s another player. The ultimate controller in this game wasn’t Harlan or Harlee Ryland, and it wasn’t Nathan Caine. Phaedrus is the one who controlled the Rylands and the drug empire. He’s the man who ordered your adoptive father’s murder. He’s the person who knows who your bio-dad is. And he was the one controlling Caine.” Pearl softened his tone. “Phaedrus is a watcher, Kate. He’s the killer behind the killers.”

  “A dialogue about the soul, madness, and the divine,” I said softly, as what he said registered, and I remembered what Phaedrus had told my friend Cynthia. “Those were the words of someone else, not Nathan Caine.”

  “Exactly. And they were the words of the man who called you after Noel Sanford’s murder...”

  “It was Phaedrus, not Caine. He’s the one who said this is a game called Underworld.”

  Pearl nodded. “And this is Phaedrus’s game, not Caine’s. His existence is a maze, with more twists and turns and dead ends than we’ll probably ever know. He’s the one who murdered Noel Sanford and left us the message.”

  “You mean what was written on her body?”

  “No. I’m talking about the snake. It was Phaedrus’s not-so-subtle way of telling us there is a serpent in the garden, and it’s his garden that we’re playing in.”

  “At the same time he’s playi
ng us. In the worst possible ways.”

  Pearl agreed, adding, “We’ve just entered the maze that runs through an underworld controlled by Phaedrus. Now it’s time to find where the real killer is hiding.”

  “And my bio-dad? How does he fit into Phaedrus’s game? The feds, at one time, thought he might even be working for Caine.”

  “I doubt that. I think the real reason Caine wanted you and Lindsay in the picture is because Phaedrus wanted to control and manipulate you, maybe to influence your father.”

  “You’re still convinced he’s alive.”

  “Yes. Now more than ever.”

  My breath caught in my throat, and my mouth felt like it was full of gravel. “If there is an ultimate controller, who is he? Who is Phaedrus?”

  Pearl reached over and took my hand. “He’s a ghost, Kate, but even ghosts have names. The master of this game is Nathan Caine’s brother. Isaac is Phaedrus.”

  EIGHTY-NINE

  Late in the day, I caught a Southwest Airlines flight to Phoenix. What Pearl had said replayed in my mind all day.

  Isaac is Phaedrus.

  It now all made sense. Isaac Caine was the puppet master, pulling the strings and making his brother do his will. I remembered that Tex’s creation, Bones, had also said as much, having told me that Lindsay and I were chess pieces in his game.

  There wasn’t much that we knew about Isaac, other than him being associated with an import-export business in Texas at one time, probably another front for bringing drugs into the country. Caine’s younger brother had never been married, he had no children, and few, if any, friends. He truly was the ghost that Pearl had mentioned.

  After landing at Sky Harbor Airport, I met up with Michelle Dawson in the lounge. I knew, from my conversations with Joe, that Michelle was in her early twenties and had just completed college. She’d recently told her father that she wanted to become an FBI agent, something that had made him extremely proud.

  After saying hello and ordering drinks, I asked Michelle, “Any word from your dad?”

  She shook her head and tossed a hand through sandy shoulder-length hair. I noticed her eyes were pale blue, maybe just a shade darker than her father’s. “I made three calls last night and one this morning. All of them went to voicemail. I’m starting to really worry.”