Not Happily Married in Hollywood: Not in Hollywood Book 2

by Leonie Gant

  “Ha ha” said Travis as he stopped next to a car and opened the passenger door.

  I took one look at the car and burst out laughing. Travis’s current ride was a little compact that was about twenty years old and bright canary yellow.

  “Just get in” he said slamming the door behind me as I got in the seat, still laughing and wiping my eyes.

  The car’s interior was a horrendous brown color and the look on his face as he squeezed himself into the small car was priceless and sent me into peals of laughter again. Starting the engine up, his knee banging against the steering wheel, he sat stony faced.

  “I thought the cars you drove were supposed to blend in” I said still smiling.

  “That’s true but my car got totaled a couple of days ago thanks to this case and this was the only other car that I had available” replied Travis.

  “Why do you have it? It looks like a rubber ducky on wheels. Not exactly the blending in type of vehicle.”

  “Every now and then we want someone to know that they are being followed or I need a decoy car” said Travis. “Rubber ducky on wheels works for those times.”

  “I’m amazed you actually fit in it” I said.

  “I don’t really, we had to bust the springs in the driver’s seat to give me a bit of head room.”

  I burst out laughing again. Looking up as I wiped the tears out of my eyes I saw Travis smiling at me as he smoothly pulled into the street.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Sitting on Ruby’s couch my heart, went out to the poor girl. The second she started talking to us about Eric she had dissolved into tears. Travis’s face had taken on that panicked look that most men get when faced with a woman crying. Looking at him in disgust I got up and sat next to the poor girl, putting my arm around her shoulders and had her sobbing into my chest.

  “I’m so sorry” I said repeatedly and I was.

  I never liked Eric but there must have been something in him that made him special to Ruby. Wiping her eyes she sniffed.

  “I know what people think of Eric” she said quietly. “We grew up without any money at all. He never wanted to go back to that. He wanted to have money, it was all he worried about. He knew women found him attractive and they would always throw gifts at him, things he could never afford otherwise. He figured if he just kept taking the money until he could get a good amount together, then he could buy a gym himself and then he wouldn’t need to answer to anyone. We could get started with our life together then.”

  Travis cleared his throat. “Why would he marry Adele Wesson if he was already married to you?”

  I choked on the temptation to tell the insensitive male in the room to shut up, but Ruby proved stronger than I thought she would.

  “He thought being married to one of these rich women would be his big score. He just needed to find one dumb enough not to get a prenup.”

  I winced. That did sound pretty accurate.

  “That didn’t bother you at all?” pushed Travis. “Knowing he was going to be with another woman, that he was married to another woman.”

  “Of course it bothered me” Ruby said once again on the verge of tears. “But Eric told me that what he did physically with those women meant nothing. He was doing it for our future. I would always be the only one who really knew him, the only one that he really loved. Everything else was just a way of getting money. He was doing it all for us.”

  She dissolved into tears again.

  “Please” she said. “I know you’re working for her. If she did this to Eric, please don’t help her go free. I know what people think of him but if she killed him, it wasn’t right. She shouldn’t get away with it just because she’s rich.”

  “Is there anyone else that you know of that could have done it, someone who Eric may have hurt?” Travis asked.

  Ruby smiled through her tears.

  “Women don’t like being used for their money, even when they know what the score is. Eric always had women mad at him, and if it wasn’t the women it was their husbands or boyfriends.”

  “Do you have any names or anything that we can follow up on?” Travis asked.

  “No” said Ruby. “Eric never wanted any of that part of his life to touch me. He didn’t want me to know what he was doing, he didn’t want me to be hurt by it.”

  “Was there anyone else that he would have confided in?”

  Ruby thought carefully for a moment. “His friend Anton. Anton and he have been friends since they were kids. Anton got him the job at that high class gym that Eric worked at before he met Adele. If anyone knows about the women Eric was with, it would be Anton.”

  Leaving Ruby I didn’t look at Travis as I got in the car.

  “You know, I don’t know whether those two had a devoted relationship, or whether she was a completely delusional fool” Travis said heavily. “You knew Eric for a little while, could you see that side of him.”

  “No” I said. “As far as I was concerned he was a gold digger with the morals of an alley cat. Dealing with him was the worst part of my day at work.”

  Travis nodded “Ruby seems to be sweet. If he was taking advantage of her it kind of takes him to a whole new level of lowlife.”

  I nodded in agreement.

  “Ready to tackle Anton?” Travis asked cheerfully.

  I smiled and before I could answer my phone rang. Looking at the caller ID I could see that it was Griffin. My smile faded. Without thinking about it I hit the reject button and put the phone back in my bag.

  “Griffin” queried Travis.

  I looked at him startled. “How did you know?”

  “Trained investigator remember” he smiled.

  “Yes.”

  “So you’re at the ignoring his phone calls stage of the relationship.”

  “I don’t even know if what we had could be called a relationship.” I said glumly.

  “You’re mad” Travis observed.

  “Yes I am and don’t you start telling me I’m being unreasonable.”

  “Hey, sister. I already told you I think the guy is a douchebag.”

  I smiled. “Bit harsh, don’t you think? I thought guys stuck up for each other when it came to women.”

  “Not all the time. Sometimes even men can see when a guy’s being a jerk. Or sometimes they want the girl themselves and are just looking for the opportunity to take his place.”

  “Really?” I questioned.

  “Do you have any idea the number of people who find out their significant other is also doing their best friend?” Travis said, a grin on his face.

  “You are just a whole new level of depressing aren’t you?” I said.

  “I’m serious, it happens all the time, and I’m not even going to start on how many times it’s the sister or brother.”

  “Stop talking please? Every time you start I get a little more demoralized about the way that the world is.”

  “So you should” nodded Travis sagely, a small smile playing on his lips.

  The gym that Anton worked in was completely removed from the one that we had been to for Eric previously. The place screamed money and sophistication. The people who were working out were wearing designer gym clothes and even some high price jewelry. I could see how Eric would think he’d hit the jackpot by working here. Getting to the reception area I was surprised to find Edwin behind the desk.

  “What are you doing here?” I asked before Travis could start speaking.

  “Temp job” said Edwin. I shouldn’t have been surprised. Looking around the place at the mostly female clientele and the incredibly muscular and gorgeous, predominantly male staff I could see how Edwin had landed the job.

  “What are you doing here Trudie? Thinking of signing up?” Edwin asked.

  I allowed myself a quick fantasy of swanning around the gym, attaining that perfect body surrounded by gorgeous male personal trainers. Alas a moment was all I could give that particular fantasy, before reality and my love for chocolate intruded.

&n
bsp; “Not today” I said watching as one particularly muscular specimen of manhood walked past me in the tiniest of shorts.

  Behind me I could here Travis snorting but to his credit Edwin, despite knowing that my willpower when it came to fitness was never the best, kept a completely straight face.

  “We were wondering if we could speak to Anton.”

  “Any reason in particular?” Edwin asked curiously.

  “He was a friend of Eric Wesson. We are just doing some follow up for Adele.”

  “Don’t see a problem with that” said Edwin as he pressed down on an intercom system and called for Anton.

  “Here he comes” said Edwin.

  I turned around and felt like I was stunned. Anton was masculine perfection. His body was not overly big, but it showed the hours that he spent in the gym in all their glory.

  “Close your mouth, you’re drooling” whispered Travis.

  I felt my hand reaching for my face when I realized who said it. My eyes narrowed.

  “I hate you.”

  “Not the first time you’ve said it” Travis grinned.

  “Maybe not” I stated. “But I think it needs repeating”

  “What’s up?” Anton directed at Edwin.

  “These people need to speak to you” said Edwin waving a hand in our direction and then turning his attention to the computer again.

  “What can I do for you?” asked Anton.

  “Is there somewhere private we can talk?” asked Travis.

  “This way” said Anton and led us into one of the locker rooms. There was a distinct citrus scent in the air which masked the stale sweat odor that I usually associated with gyms.

  “So what’s this about?” Anton asked.

  Travis pulled out a card. “My name’s Travis Cooper and this is Trudie Eyre.”

  I smiled warmly, maybe a bit too warmly from the look Travis gave me.

  “We are looking into the death of Eric Wesson and we were told that you were good friends with Eric.”

  Anton sat down heavily on a chair.

  “Yeah, Eric was my best friend from when we were kids. Always got into trouble with each other. Always got ourselves out of it too. Can’t believe some woman killed him, especially not that rich woman he married. No way did she seem the type.”

  “We heard that you got Eric a job here before he met Adele” Travis said.

  “Yeah, Eric was the type they like working here. This place isn’t too bad but it caters for a certain type of clientele. Management like us to keep the customer very happy, if you know what I mean.”

  Travis and I nodded, Travis because he understood, me because I didn’t want to understand.

  “Eric met Adele here, she wasn’t really into the exercise side of things but then not many of them are. She fell for him pretty hard and he married her.”

  “Even though he was already married to Ruby?” I interrupted.

  “Oh, you know about Ruby” Anton said.

  “Yes we do, Ruby came to the funeral. Made for quite a scene” I said. “First funeral I’ve been to where both of the wives turned up.”

  “Look, you got to understand where we came from. We had no money, none at all. And then you have these women, who have got so much money and they’re willing to spend it on us. We’re not going to turn it down, not when all they want is some attention. That’s the way it started with Eric and Adele. She was buying him all this stuff but she wanted more and more attention. She needed it. The more Eric gave her, the more she wanted and then she wanted him to make it into a relationship. All Eric could see was that this could be the big payday for him. If he could pull this off, give up a year or two of his life and he could take care of himself and Ruby for years.”

  “So, he hadn’t ditched Ruby?” asked Travis.

  “No” said Anton, “if there was anyone that Eric loved it was Ruby.”

  He obviously saw the disbelief on my face.

  “Look, Eric was no saint. He liked women, sex and money and not necessarily in that order but, and this is something you have to remember, he loved Ruby as much as someone that damaged could love anyone. His mother did a number on him and his priorities were completely screwed up. He was a good friend to me and I will miss him. He treated most women like crap, but he treated Ruby like a princess. Most of his drive to get more money was so he could set up a life with Ruby.”

  “But he was sleeping with so many women” I said. “How could he reconcile that with being in love with Ruby?”

  “To him sex meant nothing, it was a tool to get what he wanted and he wanted money fast. Adele was nothing more to Eric that a cash machine. He once told me that the more he fooled around on Adele, the more money and gifts she threw at him.”

  Well that explained Eric’s constant sleeping around.

  “Any of the women get upset at the lack of feeling on Eric’s part?” Travis asked.

  “Most of the women here know the score and usually they have husbands at home who are providing them with the money they need to give to Eric. They don’t want anything that is going to actually interfere with their nice little setup.”

  “Husbands then.”

  “Could be. He never told me about any husbands that he had problems with, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t any” Anton said.

  “Any way we could find out?” Travis asked.

  Anton went to a locker in the corner and opened it, pulling out a keychain which had a tag attached to it. He passed it to Travis. “Look, this is a key to a place that Eric kept. The address is on the tag. He never wanted anything he did to taint Ruby, so he kept this place as a home that was separate to her. If there was anything going on in Eric’s life that was going to get him killed, chances are that it would be there.”

  “Thanks” said Travis grasping the key.

  “Eric wasn’t a bad guy” insisted Anton, “he just never had a chance.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  I considered what Anton had said as we drove to the apartment that matched the key.

  “So what are you thinking?” Travis asked.

  “Just about Anton and Ruby. Before this I would not have thought for an instant that there was anyone who would say a nice thing about Eric. As far as I was concerned he was just a horny jerk out to drain as much money as he could from Adele.”

  “Not everyone is good or bad, most people have shades of gray in them” Travis said. “Good people do some pretty rotten things sometimes, and people we see as bad usually have someone who believes they hung the moon. When I was working as a cop the number of bad guys we had whose mother’s swore they were really good kids. It would be easier to believe that people are either good or bad. They’re not, they’re just people. Unfortunately Eric spent his life playing games with other people’s feelings. That kind of thing is a surefire way to get yourself into a world of hurt. Most murders, regardless of who it is, come down to sex, drugs, money or crazy, or a combination of those four. So far Eric was playing fast and loose with sex and money. That makes him a prime candidate for a violent end. What we have to do is find out whether they actually did contribute to his death.”

  I nodded, still finding it hard to reconcile the Eric that I had heard about with the Eric that I knew. Standing in his apartment putting on the gloves that Travis insisted I should wear, I was forced to reevaluate again. I had expected a flashy bachelor pad. Instead the apartment was subdued in earth colored tones, nothing like how I would have pictured Eric’s love nest. The bed in the center of the apartment was huge and I looked away from it, feeling I was invading Eric’s privacy, when Travis jumped on top of it and reached up to the light fitting above the bed.

  “What are you doing?” I asked a little concerned at his behavior.

  Travis looked over his shoulder at me as he started to unscrew the mirrored light fitting.

  “Just a hunch” he said.

  Putting the fitting on the bed next to him he reached up again.

  “Just like I thought”
he said and passed me a tiny little black box.

  Turning it over, I had an awful feeling in my stomach.

  “It’s a camera isn’t it?” I said.

  “Looks like it, which means that somewhere around here we should be able to find some home movies.”

  I dropped my head. “I should have remembered. I was beginning to think he might have been an okay guy.”

  “Best case scenario the videos were consensual and were just a turn on for him and the women he was with.”

  “Worst case scenario?” I asked.

  “Worst case scenario was Eric was screwing women with money and something to lose. He was then blackmailing them to generate another income stream.”

  “If the women knew about the camera why would it be hidden in the light fixture?” I asked.

  “That’s why I think we are closer to worst case scenario than best case scenario” Travis said.

  “So where would these videos be?” I asked.

  “Hopefully somewhere here” said Travis, as he walked towards the desk in the corner of the apartment where a laptop was sitting. “Everything is computer based these days. If he was making videos and considering what we know about Eric I’m going to go out on a limb and assume that he was making a lot of videos, he would need a pretty big hard drive to hold it all.”

  I closed my eyes. “You don’t think he uploaded it to the cloud?” I asked.

  “No” Travis said thoughtfully as he started tapping the keyboard of the laptop. “I think that Eric was too smart and had too focused a plan to allow control over these videos to go elsewhere. I would think that he would have set something up himself. There’s a password on the computer, I can’t get in.”

  “Can’t you hack it or something?” I asked.

  “No sweetheart, despite the many skills you seem to think that I possess, hacking is not one of them.”

  “You might want to look at that” I said. “Never too late to learn a new skill. Who knows one day you may want to move on from catching men with their pants around their ankles.”

  “Not always men sweetheart.”

  “I’m sure it isn’t” I murmured, pretty sure that if we found the information recorded by those cameras it was going to be mostly women we found.