“Yes, Cody Castle, sir.”
“Cody, it’s so nice to meet you.” He turned. “Kicky, come over and say hello.”
The brown-haired, brown-eyed Kicky smiled warmly as she walked over and extended her hand to Cody. “It’s so nice to meet you.”
Cody shook her hand. “My pleasure.”
“I love your firm grip,” she said.
“Thank you. Your hands are so lovely and soft,” Cody flirted back.
Thomas slapped Cody on the back. “They better be! She’s a hand model. I think she makes more money than I do. Kicky and I just met a couple weeks ago in Aspen, and I feel like the luckiest man in the world.”
Cody hoped that Dean wouldn’t faint.
“A hand model?” Dean said as he shook Kicky’s hand. “That’s so interesting. I’d love to hear all about it.”
Kicky waved her beautiful hand. “There’s not that much to say.”
Wanna bet? Dean thought.
“I’ve enjoyed the work,” Kicky continued. “Only problem is you always have to be so careful to not get a scratch, or, God forbid, develop a freckle, or—”
“What about a wart?” Thomas interrupted. “That would put you out of business, wouldn’t it, honey?” He started to guffaw, clearly amused with himself.
Kicky smiled and rolled her eyes.
“Don’t you wear gloves for…?” Cody began. The words were barely out of his mouth when he felt Dean’s body tense. He knew what Dean was thinking. Don’t say anything that will in any way associate us with, or bring to mind, the annoying Lois. Kicky might very well know her.
“Gloves? Sometimes I wear them, but not in the house. I’m careful.” She patted Thomas’s arm. “And now I have Thomas to pamper me.”
“Yes, you do,” Thomas affirmed. “Hey, boys, have a seat. Care for a cup of coffee?”
“No,” Dean said quickly as they sat. He wasn’t in the mood to take a stab at proper etiquette while being served coffee by a butler, never mind the worry of spilling even a drop on the couch. “We’ve both had breakfast.”
“We have,” Cody said. “I’m staying at the Beverly Hills Hotel. The breakfast I ordered from room service was just amazing. Their fruit is so fresh.”
“Oh sure,” Thomas said. “Sure, sure, sure. Love that place. Especially the Polo Lounge.”
“It’s a great spot,” Dean agreed. “I just love going there, too.”
“Glad everyone is well fed. Now let’s get down to business,” Thomas said. “Cody, it’s great to meet you. Kicky and I are excited about the project. We really loved the script. Loved it. As I said, we met in Aspen, so we both really enjoyed the skiing background.”
“I’ve been going to Aspen every Christmas but I hadn’t skied for years,” Kicky explained. “I was afraid of breaking a hand. But now that I’ve met Thomas, I’m risking it. Thomas doesn’t want to ski without me.”
“No, I don’t.”
“How romantic,” Dean said, trying to sound touched. “Of course our story is set in Vermont.”
“Oh, that’s right,” Thomas noted. “Vermont it is. Well, as I said before, I like the idea of investing in a movie that’s only thirty minutes long. You promise it’s not going to run one minute over?” He laughed heartily as did Kicky.
“We promise,” Cody said.
“Now, you think you’ll be able to sell this to cable?”
Dean cleared his throat. “The possibilities are endless. Cable, foreign rights, DVD sales…an Academy Award?”
“Wouldn’t that be fun?” Thomas laughed. “Then I’d really have a big party. You promise our star will be there?”
“Oh yes. Stella would be thrilled to come.”
“We would have loved to meet her now,” Kicky said.
“She’s so busy,” Dean replied earnestly. “She’s got that series in New York—”
“Listen,” Thomas interrupted, “I think you guys are great. I really do. Don’t you, Kicky?”
“They are lovely young men.”
Thomas grabbed her hand and kissed it, then held it up to Cody and Dean. “Can you believe how gorgeous? For most hand models work is over by the time they’re Kicky’s age.”
“Thomas!” Kicky protested.
“I’m proud of you, baby.” He turned back to Cody and Dean. “Listen, fellas, I know we were talking about a twenty-five-thousand-dollar piece of the pie.”
Uh-oh, Dean thought. Please don’t cut us down. We need every penny.
“But what I would like to do is invest more. I believe I’ll make money on this. If not, I’ll just make sure Kicky never stops working.” He laughed. “I know you were closing up the investments, but do you have room in the deal for me to buy two shares? I’d like to invest fifty thousand dollars.”
Dean unconsciously licked his lips, like a dog waiting for a treat. Inwardly, Cody cringed. “Sir, we would be able to accept that, yes,” Cody said. “One of our investors just passed away unexpectedly. We hadn’t received his money and we don’t want to bother the family in their time of grief.”
“That’s a shame,” Thomas said. “I would have invited him to my screening.”
“I’m sure he would have enjoyed himself,” Dean said solemnly.
“Okay then,” Thomas said. “I’ll have my accountant drop off a check here this afternoon.”
“That’s fine. We’ll swing by later and pick it up,” Dean offered.
“I’ve got a better idea,” Thomas said. “You said you love the Polo Lounge so much? Let’s meet there tonight. Kicky and I insist on taking you two for a celebratory dinner.”
“Oh, no, please,” Dean protested, willing his voice not to squeak. “We don’t want to put you out. Honestly, that’s so generous but—”
“We insist,” Thomas said forcefully.
Blood was rushing to Cody’s head. “You’re being so kind, but honestly—”
“We insist,” Pristavec repeated. “If you want that check, meet us at the Polo Lounge tonight. Seven-thirty good for you, Kicky?”
“Perfect. We’ll be there at 7:30 on the dot.”
33
Why don’t I drive?” Regan had suggested to Abigail when they went down to the car. “You’re getting so many phone calls. Even though you can talk on the speaker phone, I think it would make sense.”
“Good idea, Regan.”
They took Laurel Canyon to Sunset Boulevard and turned right. Traffic was heavy, the way it usually was on a weekday morning. People were out, heading to work, going about their daily life. Despite the previous night’s earthquake, it was business as usual in the Southland.
After Abigail spoke to Lois, Regan asked, “Is there anyone else you want to invite to dinner tonight?”
“Not really. If somebody calls to say happy birthday and I feel like inviting them, I will.” Her phone rang. She looked at it. “My lawyer.” She flipped her phone open. “Hello?”
Cornelius was leaning back in his leather chair, phone in hand, staring out the window of his opulent office. He never tired of his view of the HOLLYWOOD sign. At the sound of Abigail’s voice he boomed, “Abigail, how are you? Survive the earthquake in one piece, I trust.”
“Right now the earthquake is the least of my problems, Cornelius. And my arm still feels as if it’s in pieces.”
Cornelius lowered his voice. “Keep your chin up, Abigail.”
“I’m trying. What news do you have for me? I can already tell it’s not good.”
Cornelius whirled his chair around to face his desk and sat upright. “The producers are giving me a hard time,” he said with a grim whisper. “They upped their offer to twenty thousand dollars and insist that’s as high as they’ll go. After all, you already got paid for the whole shoot.”
“Of course I was paid for the whole shoot! I was injured on the last day! And I haven’t been able to work since!”
“I know. I’m just passing along information. They would be really happy to just settle the whole darn thing.”
“So would I! But I’m not accepting that. It’s a pittance. I don’t even know when my arm will be healed so I can work again.”
“I understand. But they insist that’s their best offer and won’t budge on the amount.”
“Then we’ll sue.”
“That will cost money.”
“Doesn’t everything?”
“Abigail, you’re low on funds. They’ve hinted to me that this could hurt your career…”
“Cornelius, if you don’t want to represent me, I’ll get another lawyer. They shouldn’t get away with their continued carelessness. That scaffolding had already fallen down a couple of times before I was hurt, and they didn’t fix it properly. I’m not going to let them bully me. My arm is so sore and—”
“Okay!” Cornelius interrupted, pounding his desk. “I’ll call them right now and tell them we don’t accept the offer.”
“You do that.”
“Don’t worry about a thing, Abigail. I’ll get back to you.”
Abigail hung up and looked at Regan. “I didn’t invite him to dinner.”
Regan shook her head and laughed. “I like to see you standing your ground.”
“I feel as if I’ve got nothing left to lose.”
When they reached the Pacific Coast Highway, Regan stopped at a traffic light. Across the road, the ocean stretched out in front of them. “I just wish we had some idea of where Dean and Cody’s bachelor pad was,” she said.
“Malibu stretches for twenty-one miles,” Abigail replied. “Most people live close to the highway, but the bachelor pad was supposedly up in the canyons. It was a sublet in the garage of an old house. That’s why I didn’t make a big deal about seeing it. If Cody had been living on the beach, I would have wanted to visit on weekends no matter what it looked like. We would have spent the days outside anyway.”
Regan tapped the steering wheel. “If we only knew of a place where Dean and Cody hung out.”
“There’s a nude beach we could try.”
Regan laughed as she made the right turn onto the highway. “No thanks.”
“With my luck, we’d both end up with a sunburn,” Abigail said, leaning against the car door and staring out the window. “Believe me, Regan, I’ve looked for them a million times out here.”
Regan drove up the winding narrow highway, the coastline on their left, the canyons on their right.
“Malibu is spread out but the population isn’t that large,” Regan noted. “Did Princess ever meet Dean or Cody?”
“If she met Dean, she never told me. She met Cody once when he picked me up at her house. Princess asked us to stay for dinner, but we had plans in town.”
“So they didn’t get to know each other at all?”
“No. Cody came in the house for a few minutes and made small talk with Princess and Kingsley, but that was it. When we got in the car, he told me he thought they were weird and would never have wanted to stay for dinner whether we had plans or not. Sometimes he was a little opinionated. He asked why I’d want to associate with such wannabes. I reminded him wannabes need haircuts, too, and I was getting paid very nicely.” Abigail sighed. “It was honest work, something he didn’t know about.”
“Does Princess know that Cody split with your money?” Regan asked.
“No. I broke my arm shortly after Cody disappeared, so I didn’t come out here again until Princess called and asked if I’d like to look after the house while they were away. She knew I’d had the accident and could use the money. Last week before they left, I drove out here to pick up the keys and go over what I needed to do. It was the first time I’d seen Princess in over three months. They were busy getting ready for the trip so we didn’t chitchat. If I had cut her hair after Cody disappeared, I probably would have given her all the dirt. That’s what happens when you cut people’s hair for a while—you tell each other things you might not even tell your closest friends. As of now, Princess just thinks we broke up. You know, Regan, after a while it gets embarrassing to admit to people how stupid you’ve been. I’d already told the story to enough people.”
“Cody knew that Princess and her husband had money though.”
“Of course. Why?”
“If he and Dean needed money for their movie and knew that Princess and her husband were quite wealthy…”
Abigail shook her head. “Bad as Cody is, I would find that hard to believe. Besides, wouldn’t he have been afraid that I told her he ran off with my money?”
“You’re right. But they sound like the kind of people who would just love to invest in a movie like Cody’s. My guess is they’d have the chance to be more involved than if they’d invested in a big film. Dean could have done the initial work, testing the grounds to see what Princess and Kingsley knew about your breakup.”
“And Princess wouldn’t have told me she invested in his film?” Abigail asked, her voice rising.
“I don’t know. I’m just trying to explore every angle. If she thinks you and Cody broke up without any hard feelings, she might have convinced herself it’s something okay to do.”
“I’d consider that a stab in the back,” Abigail said vehemently. “There would be no excuse for that. We shared secrets. I’m telling you, there’s a code you have with your hairdresser. Or at least there used to be.”
“I’m not saying Princess is involved with the film in any way. But Cody is clearly an opportunist. That’s all I’m thinking. He’s the type who would use your contacts behind your back.”
Regan turned off the highway, heading toward the water, then steered the car up the long driveway to Princess and Kingsley’s residence. The sight of the house in the daylight, perched on a bluff with the sun sparkling off the waters of the Pacific in the distance, was certainly impressive. “Now I can really appreciate what a wonderful setting this is,” Regan said.
“Location, location, location,” Abigail answered. “But they still can’t sell it.”
“Does Princess really need to be that close to Beverly Hills?”
“Yes,” Abigail answered flatly.
Regan laughed.
“The woman loves to shop,” Abigail continued. “She’s bored out here by the beach. She said there are only so many sunsets you can admire.”
When they got out of the car, Regan walked to the edge of the property and looked out at the horizon. The air smelled fresh, and a slight wind was blowing. The ocean was crashing against the cliffs far below. She turned and walked toward the front door. “That water is closer than I thought.”
Abigail had just retrieved the keys from her purse. “That’s another problem. Besides the murder that took place here, which is a turnoff, many people are convinced this house will do a cannonball off the cliff one day.” She unlocked the door and pushed it open.
“In that case, I hope the delivery man gets here soon.”
Abigail turned off the alarm, did a quick walk through the house, then joined Regan in the living room. As they waited, two of Abigail’s childhood friends called to wish her a happy birthday. Regan was deep in thought, going over her notes.
At 10:30, Abigail looked at her watch. “He was due here half an hour ago.”
“You don’t have his number, do you?
“No.”
“Let’s wait a while and see what happens,” Regan proposed.
Another half an hour passed.
“This is ridiculous,” Abigail said impatiently. “We’re wasting precious time.”
“I thought there was something fishy about that call,” Regan said slowly.
“You did?”
“I didn’t want to say anything because you’ve got enough to think about today, and you couldn’t not come out here. But I’m surprised Princess wouldn’t have warned you that mattresses were going to be delivered. You were supposed to check the house every day but not at any specific times, right?”
“Right. As a matter of fact she preferred that I come at different times so there was no established pattern of the house being emp
ty. She never said anything about waiting for deliveries. I didn’t want to bother her while she was on vacation, but I think I will.” Abigail got up, walked into the kitchen, picked up the phone, and pushed the speed dial for Princess’s cell phone.
Regan was right behind her.
“Hello, this is Princess. Sorry I can’t answer your call…”
“Her voice mail,” Abigail said to Regan then stopped abruptly, her eyes widening. “We’re on a plane heading back home. If you need immediate assistance…”
Abigail hung up. “Regan, this is so strange. The voice mail says they’re on their way home. They weren’t due back until Friday.”
“How long have they been gone?”
“A week.”
“That’s enough vacation for a lot of people. All of a sudden they want to sleep…in their own bed.” Regan raised her eyebrows. “Or are anxious to try out their new mattresses.”
Abigail sank into a chair at the kitchen table. Her face crumpled. “Regan, what am I going to do? This all seems so hopeless. We’ll never find Cody. He’s probably spent all my money anyway.” Tears filled her eyes.
“Come on, Abigail,” Regan said quickly. “We’re going to do everything possible to find him today. We’ll give the mattress man another fifteen minutes then we’re out of here. If he shows up and we’re not here, he’ll call you again. We’ll come back and give him a good tip for all his trouble.”
Abigail took a tissue from her pocket and dabbed her eyes. “That’s an idea.”
“And a good one, if I do say so myself. Don’t cry, Abigail. Have you ever heard the saying ‘If you cry on your birthday you’ll cry all year’?”
“Yes, Regan, I have,” Abigail answered, a welcome twinkle in her eye. “It’s one of Grandma Ethel’s expressions.”
Oh brother, Regan thought, as they both laughed. “Some comfort I am. Abigail, let’s lock up and wait outside. Standing in the sunshine for a few minutes will make you feel better. If no one shows up soon, we’re out of here.”
“We’ll head downtown?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, Regan,” Abigail said, her voice slightly shaky. “Thanks again for being here with me. You’re a big comfort. I don’t know what I’d do without you…”
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