"Wow! That's far out. So do you speak Russian at all?"
"Poorly, like an American high school kid who took it for a coupIe of years. I learned it in my late teens. It would have been suspicious if I were fluent. That was all part of the cover."
"Amazing."
"I like things the way they are now. I don't think I would have made a good spy. But I probably wouldn't make a good American, either. Anything else?"
"No. Sorry for the digression."
"No problem. Now, about making Cassie's Dream. How much did Andrei tell you?"
"Basically, nothing. My job is to make the movie; he says he will do everything else. I'm to ask you for any help I need, and tell somebody named Angelika when I need to spend money."
"That's not a bad summary of the way things work around here," Baklanov said. "Angelika handles all the finances for our businesses. You'll meet her in a bit. But first, I should tell you, Andrei is 100 percent committed to making the movie, in case you have doubts."
"I don't doubt his commitment, but I'm worried about his understanding of the process. He said he'd deal with the studio, and everything business related. He didn't want to discuss percentages with me, or anything like that. I'm scared he'll be eaten alive by the crooks in Hollywood."
"Andrei does things differently. He's impulsive, and he doesn't have much patience for red tape and bullshit. He's a firm believer in vertical integration. When he decided to go into the movie business, he bought a studio and all the distribution that went with it. He's working on a couple of big theater chains now."
"Whoa!" Strong said. "You mean he's already cutting deals with the theaters, before we even — " he stopped as Baklanov shook his head.
"Not there yet. When I said he was working on the theater chains, I meant working on buying them. By the time Cassie's Dream is released, there won't be any negotiating. It'll be shown exclusively in our own theaters. Our percentage will be 100 percent."
"I had no idea," Strong said, shaking his head. "He bought a studio? Which one?"
"Westvid Productions," Baklanov said, locking eyes with Strong.
"Westvid ... " Strong said. "They were the studio I ... " He shook his head again and swallowed hard.
"None of those people who screwed you over are there any longer, Kev."
"But they weren't easy to ... I mean, they had the backing of ... "
"The Italian gentlemen who gave you so much trouble? They lost interest in the movie business once they understood the terms of Andrei's offer."
"It must have been one hell of an offer; they were one of the biggest, most successful. Besides, I'm pretty sure those Mafia guys were laundering money through Westvid."
"I wouldn't know about anything like that. But Andrei can be incredibly persuasive when he wants something."
Their conversation was interrupted when the steward brought their breakfasts. They ate in silence. When Strong finished, Baklanov poured them each a cup of rich, dark coffee.
"So, Andrei tells me you have an actress in mind to play Cassie," Baklanov said, stirring sugar into his coffee.
"Well, yes. She's not an actress, though. She's just perfect talent in the wild, so to speak."
"He said you were having some difficulty with her."
"I saw her in a bar at the resort the other night, and I knew right off that she was the one I wanted. I thought she was looking for company, so I made a move on her."
"I take it that didn't go well?"
"I managed to offend her right off; I thought she was going to punch me or something. Her friend grabbed her and hustled her out."
"I see. Her temperament does sound just right for Cassie, at least the way I read the script."
"Yeah. Cassie's a fireball, all right. And not only that. This gal's drop-dead gorgeous, and she doesn't even seem to know it. Every guy in the place was drooling over her when I walked in. I just followed their eyes, and there she was."
"Have you had any contact with her since that night?"
"I sent her flowers and a note yesterday, apologizing. I asked her to give me a call on my cellphone so that I could try to make things right."
"So you know how to find her?"
Strong shrugged. "Yeah, more or less."
"You think she'll call?"
"I'd put the odds at less than 50 percent, Greg."
"Let's give her a day or so and see what happens," Baklanov said. "Meanwhile, I'll get somebody to do a little background check on her. What's her name?"
"Danielle Berger."
"And where is she?"
"She and her partner run a charter yacht called Vengeance. Last I knew they were in Jolly Harbour, Antigua. Which reminds me; where are we?"
"Oh, we're holding a position about 30 miles west of Antigua. Andrei likes to stay in international waters unless there's a good reason not to. You mentioned a partner? A man?"
"No. I made that same mistake; that's one of the things that upset her, I guess."
"So she's a lesbian?"
"I didn't get that vibe; I don't think she is. She got really pissed off because she thought I'd jumped to that conclusion, though. Who knows, with women?"
"Indeed," Baklanov said. "Well, I'll have our people check her out. If you hear from her, let me know right away, okay?"
"Sure, no problem, Greg."
"Good. Let's walk around. You need to meet Angelika and some of the other people that make things happen for us."
****
Blaine Wilkes was finishing his breakfast in the lobby dining room of the resort in English Harbour. Dani had ferried him ashore earlier, and he'd taken a taxi from Jolly Harbour, wanting to be on hand as the resort guests began their day. The women were going to sail Vengeance around to English Harbour later this morning; Dani had told him they'd probably be at anchor near the entrance by lunch time. She had given him a card with her cellphone number so that he could call for a pickup when he was ready.
So far, his effort had gone unrewarded. Business in the dining room was thinning out; it was mid-morning, and he had seen several people who had eaten earlier leaving the premises to explore the attractions of Nelson's Dockyard. If nothing else, Mindy would get some great video there.
"Sir?" The waitress stood with a hand on her hip, the coffee pot poised over his cup. He smiled up at her.
"No, thanks. I'm over-caffeinated. But if you could spare a few minutes, I have a question or two for you." He held his loosely curled right hand at an angle so that she could see the folded bank note. "I'll make it worth your while."
She looked around the empty dining room, catching her supervisor's eye and raising her eyebrows as she tilted her head toward his table. The other woman smiled and nodded. "Would you mind if I sat down with you and had a cup of this coffee while we talk?"
"Of course not. Be my guest. Can I buy you a late breakfast?"
"Thank you, but no. I ate much earlier. It's thoughtful of you to offer. I must tell you right off, though, I'm a happily married woman. Don't take that the wrong way, but I get — "
"I'm sure you get endless propositions. It shouldn't be that way, but you're an attractive woman and people leave their inhibitions behind when they're on holiday. And I'm happily married, myself. My wife will be along later today; she's sailing around from Jolly Harbour on the boat we've chartered."
"I see; that sounds very nice. Me, I grew up here in Antigua and watched the yachts come and go, but I fear the water too much to sail. What is it that you wish to ask me?"
"You know the term, paparazzi?"
"The photographers who hound the famous, trying to make embarrassing pictures?"
He grinned. "Yes. I'm one of those."
"One of the famous?" She raised her eyebrows, giving him a hard look, pursing her lips. "Should I recognize you?"
He chuckled. "No. Not one of the famous. One of the paparazzi."
She smiled. "I see. And you want to know about our guests?"
"I don't want to get you in any trouble. I he
ard that an American movie star was staying here; a 'bigshot.'"
Her face gave nothing away, but she gave a slight nod as she raised her coffee to her lips. She took a sip and put the cup down. "I normally wouldn't gossip, but I think it will do no harm, this time. He went out of his way to let everybody know who he was, so I think he wanted to be noticed."
"You make it sound as though he's not here any longer."
"Yes, you are correct. He left late yesterday."
"Do you mind telling me who he was?"
"No, not at all. His name is Kevin Strong. I never heard of him before he came here, but he is one handsome man. All the single girls were trying to get his attention." She smiled. "Even some of the married ones; he is that handsome."
"But not you, I'm sure."
"Certainly not. I have a good man; I don't need one like this Mr. Strong. He tried to get one girl to come to his room. He told her he is making a movie here, and she could be a star."
Blaine smiled, waiting.
"She didn't go; she said God would not be pleased with her if she did that. But she also said that Satan made some good arguments for going with Mr. Strong." She smiled.
"Do you know where he went?"
She shook her head. "He checked out and left in a hurry. A boat came for him, to the dinghy dock. But it was very big for a dinghy, with three people in uniforms. Maybe from one of the larger yachts."
"Thanks. I don't want to keep you. You've been very helpful." He smoothed the 20-dollar bill and slipped it under a saucer. "There is one other thing, though."
Looking at the money, she nodded. "Yes?"
"My cellphone number is on the back of the bill. If you learn anything else about him, especially about where he went, please give me a call. I'll pay more if you find him, or even give me a good lead, okay?"
"Yes. Thank you, sir." She took a last sip of coffee and picked up the money, leaving him a check for his breakfast. "Please pay the cashier in the hotel lobby." She stood and walked back to the kitchen.
Chapter 6
"So, how was the hunt?" Dani asked, as Blaine climbed down into the dinghy. He had called to ask for a pickup at the resort's dinghy dock just as Liz and Mindy were trying to decide whether to wait for him before serving lunch.
"I struck out," he said, settling onto the midship seat and holding his camera bag in his lap.
"No movie stars, huh?"
"I just missed one. He was probably the guy your friend heard about. Kev Strong — a good actor, but he lost his shirt as a producer so many times that nobody will touch him now. Not sure whether I could have sold the gossip rags any shots of him, anyway. He's a relatively dull guy, as celebrities go."
Careful to maintain her poker face, Dani asked, "Kev Strong? I'm not sure I've ever heard of an actor by that name. What's his claim to fame?"
"Oh, he's starred in several ho-hum films; not his fault. I guess he was just unlucky in terms of casting. He's pretty good, and he was a serious heart-throb."
"So why wouldn't you be able to sell candid shots of him? Is he boring or something?"
"Not so much boring as just not outrageous enough. The competition to be tabloid fodder is pretty stiff these days, with so many of the stars posting stuff online themselves. They don't need much help looking stupid, now. Besides, it's been several years since Strong had a role in a movie."
"Why is that?" Dani asked. "You said he was a good actor; I don't know much about that business."
"Yeah, well, he was a good actor, but he got distracted. Maybe he was tired of getting crap roles, I don't know. But anyhow, he decided to star in his own productions. Guess maybe he figured he could pick better roles that way. He bombed several times; he started several films and finished none. He kept running out of money before he finished shooting. Pissed off all the major studios and the producers and directors in the process, so he can't find work now."
"What do you think he's up to in Antigua?" Dani asked.
"Rumor is he's trying to put together another movie, starring himself. Your friend said he'd met with a woman from the Prime Minister's office. Antigua's chasing the movie business; I guess they think it'll be good advertising for tourism. Besides, making a movie injects a lot of money into the local economy — odd jobs of all kinds that the locals can pick up."
"Would the government finance something like that?" Dani asked. "I'd think it would be beyond a little country like Antigua."
"You're right. They could make it easy — smooth the way — but we were hearing that a multimillion-dollar picture was in the works. I wouldn't think Antigua could afford that. I'm surprised to find Kev Strong's the impetus for the rumor. He's not likely to find backers after the debacles he's engineered over the last few years."
"You said he left the resort?"
"Yeah. The waitress at the hotel said he was picked up by a big dinghy with three uniformed crew. Checked out in a hurry yesterday afternoon. She figured the dinghy was from a megayacht, but that's all she knew. I gave her $20 and told her there was more if she helped me find him. That seemed to get her attention."
"Twenty dollars? U.S.?"
"Yeah. I didn't have any local currency. Why?"
Dani shrugged. "That's just a lot of money — like $55 or so in E.C. dollars. It may be more than she makes in a day. I'm sure she'll be on the lookout for him. Why are you trying to track him down if you don't think you could sell candid shots of him?"
A look of surprise flickered across Blaine's face. He glanced down and to the right, avoiding Dani's gaze. Shrugging his shoulders, he said, "Not sure; it was an impulse. I guess it's instinctive for me to chase my quarry."
The dinghy bumped alongside Vengeance and Dani shut off the outboard, grasping the big boat's toe rail with her left hand as she handed the dinghy painter up to Liz.
"Perfect timing," Liz said. "Lunch is almost ready."
****
"He's eating lunch with Angelika," Greg said, watching Danilov as he tasted the grilled mahi-mahi.
"How is she getting on with him?"
"I expect they'll spend the rest of the afternoon getting to know one another," Greg said, grinning. "She put the make on him, big-time. She was practically drooling — like a star-struck teenager. I was embarrassed — left as soon as I could. But I'm not sure they even noticed I was there."
"He fell prey to her charms, then?"
Greg laughed. "The man's an actor, Andrei. And he knows she controls the money, so of course he fell prey to her charms."
"So cynical, Greg. Maybe he likes her."
"No, I don't think so. I saw the look in his eyes when he was telling me about this Berger woman. She's the one he's hot for. With Angelika, he's doing what he thinks he has to do."
"You talked to her, like I said?"
"Angelika?" Greg asked. "Of course."
"So she understands that she can amuse herself with him, but only to a point, correct?"
"Yes. I explicitly told her that he's not to be damaged in any way — physically or mentally."
"Good. Maybe later she can have him for her own use, but not until we have the movie 'in the can,' as they say."
"But what about the future? I thought this was to be a long term venture."
"We need him to prime the pump, but once we have a track record, we can decide whether to keep him on or not. How did he react to our first meeting?"
"I think you scared the shit out of him."
Danilov chuckled. "Good. I'd hate to think I drooled beef juice on my dress shirt for nothing. I want to keep him uncomfortable with me. You can be his friend, and Angelika, well, they can entertain one another for now."
"We'll have to rein her in if he brings the Berger woman aboard, Andrei."
"Certainly. You can make her understand, I'm sure. Have you made any progress on Berger?"
"Not much. I put our usual people to work on her, but it's only been a few hours."
"What do you know, so far?"
"She's a stunner, for sure." Gr
eg passed his smart phone across the table, a studio portrait of Dani on the screen.
While Danilov studied the photograph, Greg continued. "Twenty-five, single, never married. She has dual U.S. and French citizenship. Parents were divorced when she was an infant. Her mother is a partner in a big New York investment bank; it's a family business. It goes back several generations."
"She is beautiful," Danilov interrupted. "A man could fall into those eyes and lose his soul. Why isn't she working in the family business?"
"We don't know yet. She did, for a couple of years, right after university. She has a master's degree in finance. She was engaged to the son of one of the other partners in the bank for a while, but she took off a few years ago. Ran away to sea. She started crewing on yachts."
"That seems odd, given her background. I'd figure her for a spoiled rich girl. Crewing is hard work," Danilov said.
"Her father owns several large yachts that he charters in the Mediterranean. She worked on them during breaks from school, beginning when she was barely into her teens."
"Her father? What does he do besides own charter yachts?"
"We aren't sure. He's French, lives in Paris. The yachts appear to be a passive investment, at least at this stage of his life. He has a staff that runs them. All we know so far is that he's in international trade, machinery of some kind, I think."
"How did the girl go from crewing on yachts to running her own charter business?"
Greg shrugged. "All we know so far is that she and this partner of hers bought the yacht a couple of years ago and started the business. Perhaps she had some money from her family."
"The partner?" Danilov asked.
"No, Berger. The partner is a Belgian. Middle-class background. Raised by a widowed father. Girls' schools in the U.K. She also has a master's degree in finance. She worked for the European Commission in Brussels for a little while. She was on a sabbatical in the islands when she and Berger met."
"Do we have any indication that the Berger woman is even interested in a career in the movies?"
Bluewater Drone: The Eleventh Novel in the Caribbean Mystery and Adventure Series (Bluewater Thrillers Book 11) Page 4