by Mia Carson
He shrugged. “I didn’t think of it at the time. That happened well before the rumors started, and I hadn’t heard from her in a while. She’s called me a couple times, trying to hire me, but I told her I was booked. She called me last night and said something that made me wonder.”
“What?”
“She mentioned the rumors and how she knew I’d lost a client. She said she was willing to hire me, in spite of the rumors, and if the rumors continued, I might be glad to have her as a client.” He glanced at me before his eyes returned to the road. “When she first said it, it flew all over me, but after thinking about it some more, she didn’t really say anything, and what she said could be taken as an offer to help.” He glanced at me again. “But still, there was something about the way she said it…”
I bobbed my head. “I’ll look into it. Who’s April Rumson? I assume since you were giving her private lessons, she’s someone with money and influence.”
He snorted. “You might say that. Have you heard of the Emily Bellona series of movies?”
I nodded. “Yeah. She’s an ancient Roman goddess sent to modern-day Earth to right wrongs, or something, right? I’ve never seen them, but I understand the movies are popular.”
“You could say that. Anyway, her production company makes the movies and she produces them. So, yeah, to answer your question, she’s got money and influence.”
“Got it. How do I get in touch with her?”
He handed me his phone. “Call her. I almost guarantee she’ll answer if you call her from my phone.”
“Sneaky,” I murmured. “I need to call Amity Dymunde, first.”
“Use my phone. The number is in there.”
“I’d rather conduct the interview alone.”
“Don’t worry about me. I won’t say a word, and Amity will never know I’m here. I’m not afraid of anything she has to say.” He took his phone from me, tapped on it a moment, then handed it back. “Now it’s disconnected from the car so I can’t hear what she says.”
I found the contact for Amity, but used my own phone so I could use the app that would record the phone call. The phone purred in my ear a moment.
“Hello?”
“Ms. Dymunde? This is Tanya Jacobs. Neil Gibson said you were expecting my call. Is now a good time?”
“I can give you five minutes.”
“Thank you. I’ll be brief. My understanding is you released Mr. Gibson because of the growing rumors of sexual harassment. Is that true?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“During your time working with him, did he ever act in a way that made you uncomfortable or was inappropriate?”
“No. He was very professional.”
I frowned. “Then why did you terminate your contract?”
“Diamond Hotels has a zero-tolerance policy on sexual harassment. We—”
“Do think he’s guilty?” I interrupted.
“I wouldn’t know.”
“But you never witnessed any questionable behavior?”
“No. As I said, he was very professional.”
“I don’t understand. If his conduct was—”
“Ms. Jacobs,” she said, cutting me off. “As I was going to say, we have a zero-tolerance policy. Diamond Hotels will not tolerate questionable behavior from our employees or our contractors. If these allegations are proven false, I will consider employing Mr. Gibson again, but until that time, I will err on the side of caution. Our clients expect complete professionalism at all times, as do I. Until the matter is resolved and Mr. Gibson is cleared of any wrongdoing, he will not be employed by me or anyone associated with Diamond Hotels.”
“I understand,” I said, though I didn’t. Amity had decided he was guilty until proven innocent.
“Excellent. I wish you the best of luck in your investigation. Goodbye,” she said, then was gone.
“That woman is a hard ass,” I muttered after making sure the call was disconnected.
“Why do you say that?” he asked.
“She’s already decided you’re guilty without a shred of proof.”
He shrugged. “You know Diamond Hotel’s reputation. Can you blame her for being careful?”
“You’re very forgiving.”
He grinned. “It’s bad for business to run down your clients. It also helps that my livelihood doesn’t depend on these sessions.”
Before I could answer, we turned into another Bel Air mansion. Like the other two homes I’d visited, this one was set well back from a gated wall. Neil buzzed, and after a brief conversation, we were admitted. The home belonged another aging star, Randi Danaher, who had worked regularly in film for years. She’d been everything from a starship captain to a World War I nurse to an aging drug addict. She’d gotten her start as a Bond girl in the late 60s, and I hoped I aged half as well.
Like yesterday, I stood to the side and said nothing as Neil worked with Randi. Her workout appeared to be mostly stretching and cardio, but for a woman who had to be close to seventy, she was surprisingly spry. Toward the end of their workout, I passed the time watching Neil as he bounced on the floor mat, enjoying how his shirt was sticking to him as he sweated. Neil was bubbly, energetic, and full of encouragement, but he was also polite and all business.
After their workout, he stepped outside, and I ran through my now standard set of question. Like his other clients, Randi had nothing but positive things to say. Like Julie, she hadn’t heard the rumors dogging him, but she poopooed the idea that Neil was a sexual predator.
Learning nothing new, I thanked the woman for her time and hurried out to meet Neil. I was much more interested in talking with April.
“Do you still fit in your Boy Scout uniform?” I asked with a grin as I approached his car. He’d changed out of his sweaty shirt into a dry one. I’d never admit it to anyone, but I was a little disappointed.
“What?” he asked with a snicker.
“I assumed you must have been a Boy Scout growing up. Everyone seems to have only positive things to say about you.”
His grin spread a little wider. “Maybe it’s because I’m a nice guy.”
“Maybe,” I allowed with a smile of my own. “Where now?”
“Malibu.”
“You really get around.”
He smiled. “At what I charge, I can afford to drive.”
I was dying to ask, but it was none of my business, so I nodded. The drive was a solid hour from Bel Air to Malibu, which would give me plenty of time to make my phone call. While Neil drove, I used his phone to get April’s number, then placed the call using mine.
“Rumson, go,” a woman’s voice ordered.
“Ms. April Rumson?”
“Yes. Who is this?”
“Ms. Rumson, this is Laura Conner with the U.S. Olympic Committee. How are you this morning?”
“How did you get this number?”
“Mr. Neil Gibson listed you as a contact. If you have five minutes, I’d like to talk to you about Mr. Gibson.”
There was a long pause. “What about him?”
“Mr. Gibson is being considered for a coaching position on the U.S. Women’s Gymnastics team for the 2020 Summer Games in Tokyo, Japan. As part of our consideration process, we’re speaking with Mr. Gibson’s past and current clients. I’m wondering if you have a few minutes to speak with me?”
“I really don’t have—”
“It will only take a moment,” I interrupted. “It’s very important that I speak with you.”
April sighed. “Make it quick.”
“Yes, ma’am. Something that has come to our attention during our selection process are some disturbing rumors regarding Mr. Gibson’s personal life. Are you aware of the rumors of sexual misconduct?” I waited for April’s response with no luck, so I nudged her again. “As you can imagine, the U.S. Olympic Committee is very concerned over these allegations. Mr. Gibson will be interacting with young women, and there can’t be even a suggestion of impropriety. Are you aware of
these allegations?”
“I’ve heard something about them, yes.”
“Any comment?”
“No. I find it difficult to believe he would be guilty of any type of sexual indecency, though.”
“My notes indicate you terminated your contract with Mr. Gibson.”
“Other way around. Neil, Mr. Gibson, became overbooked. We agreed to stop our sessions for the time being.”
“So you’d hire him again?”
“Yes.”
I cleared my throat for effect. “There is no delicate way for me to ask this, so I will come right out with it. Did you ever observe any unwanted behavior from Mr. Gibson?”
“No. He was always very professional.”
“So, you and he parted on good terms?”
“Very good terms, I think. As I said, he became overbooked, and I agreed to a break, but I still hope to resume working with Neil. I can really tell I’m not getting the exercise I was before.”
“So, to your knowledge, the rumors are false?”
“To my knowledge, yes.”
“Any thoughts on who might be spreading the rumors.”
“No, no idea. Neil seems like decent guy to me. Did you ask him who he thought it was?”
“Yes, of course. He claims to have no idea why someone would be spreading false rumors. That’s why we’re following up. It seems a little odd, don’t you think, for there to be so many rumors, yet he claims to have no understanding of who would be spreading them, or why?”
“Welcome to Hollywood, where stabbing each other in the back and spreading gossip is considered a sport.”
“Thank you, Ms. Rumson, for your time,” I said, then hung up.
“Well?” he asked as he looked at me.
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “She’d have to be crazy to admit to doing anything, but I gave her plenty of opportunity to sow doubt. Not only didn’t she take it, she defended you. She said you were a decent guy.” I grinned at him. I was becoming more comfortable around him. “She wants to start working out with you again.” He snorted but said nothing. “Anyone else I should know about? Anyone at all?”
He shook his head. “Nobody I can think of, no.”
“No lovers’ quarrels? No upset business associates? Nothing?”
“No, not really.” He paused, then looked at me. “Before Megan left, we fought some. I’ve had a few women get a little pissy when I didn’t want to see them again, but nothing out of the ordinary, I don’t think.” He looked at me again. “And I own 100% of Gibson Fitness Enterprises.”
I scratched furiously at my head. Someone wanted to take a swipe at Neil for some reason, but who? I was starting to see the pattern. His clients loved him, and even Amity Dymunde admitted she was only pushing him away for appearance’s sake, not because she thought he was guilty.
People were quick to believe any rumor that came along, even if there was no proof of any wrong doing, and that was what was wrong with the world. I knew it was nothing but my own cynicism that made me feel this way, but I found that people usually were guilty of what they were being accused of. Despite that, Neil appeared to be the exception that proved the rule.
I was going to dig deeper into April Rumson because she was the only suspect I had at the moment. I’d only interviewed half his clients so far, and there was a chance something would develop, but at the moment, my initial prediction that I wouldn’t be able to help him appeared to be more and more likely.
“This April chick… is she the type to want to get even?”
He shrugged. “How would I know?”
He had a point. I had no idea if the guy that serviced my car would want some payback if I were to suddenly drop him for another shop. Why would I? It hadn’t come up, and if I left, I wouldn’t see him again to know if he was upset or not.
I was still turning ideas over in my head when we pulled into the drive of a house on the beach, the vast Pacific Ocean glimmering in the bright, late morning sun. He buzzed and we waited at the gate until it opened. These houses weren’t as huge as the others I’d visited, but they weren’t small either, and sitting on the beach, I could only guess the price was in the four-to-six-million-dollar range.
As Neil went through the routines with a bored housewife, I watched the ocean beyond the floor to ceiling window. The woman was lovely, well rounded and trim with her blonde hair piled up on her head. Each of Neil’s routines appeared to be customized for each client, not only in the exercises he had them perform, but in how he treated them. The woman, wife to the quarterback for the LA Rams football team, was handled much like he had handled Rob, but without the insults. She did all the work, with Neil performing spots and helping her with her technique.
“Come on, Lisa! One more! Push it!” he cheered.
Lisa cried out in agony as she strained at the machine, but she finally got the bar up.
“Great job! That’s two more than last week. Your strength is really improving.”
She lay puffing on the bench. “I’m starting to see it in my clothes. Will has even noticed.”
He handed her the workout towel. “Good for him. I told you the weight would come off if you followed my eating suggestions and kept hitting the machines.”
“You’re right. My girlfriends are starting to get jealous and asking me what I’m doing.”
He winked at her with a big smile. “They should be. You look great and you’re really toning up. You’ve earned this.”
“I couldn’t have done it without you.”
“Of course you could. You’re the one doing all the work. I’m just giving you some guidance.” He paused as he smiled at her devilishly and adjusted the machine to add some weight. “You’re going to hate me, but I want reps until exhaustion.”
She groaned but took the handles in hand and set to work.
“Don’t forget to breathe!” he reminded her as she strained, her face twisting in effort and turning red.
She could only do four reps, but he cheered her anyway. “That’s it for today. Keep working those legs like I showed you. They will really firm up your glutes and give Will something else to pant over.” He paused for a moment. “Lisa, can you do me a favor and talk to Tanya?”
“About what?”
“Some people have been spreading false rumors about me and I’m—”
“I’ve heard. A friend pointed them out to me. She was worried about me.” Lisa shook her head. “She needs to worry more about her business and less about mine.” She glanced at me. “Sure, I’ll be happy to talk to you. What are you, a private investigator or something?”
I nodded. “That’s exactly what I am.”
“No kidding?” Lisa cried, clearly surprised.
I felt like sighing. Always the same reaction. “No kidding.”
After Neil excused himself, I spent about ten minutes talking to Lisa. She was just like all his other clients. She confirmed that he was always professional, always courteous, and he kept his hands to himself except to adjust her form in some way. She never felt threatened or pressured, and like Julie at the restaurant threatened, she’d told the friend that had brought the rumors to her attention to shove them because she didn’t believe a word of it. She was Neil’s newest client. She and he had only been working together for about twelve weeks, but she was looking forward to a long and fruitful relationship with him.
We made one more stop in Hollywood, working with a man that appeared to be in his mid-fifties. The man was grossly overweight, but Neil was patient with him as the man sweated and strained while breathing like a bellows. I didn’t even bother interviewing him.
“What’s that guy’s story?” I asked as we returned to his car. He wasn’t like the other beautiful people I’d seen Neil working with.
“Big real estate developer. His wife left him and he’s working on himself.”
“Good for him, but he has a ways to go.”
“Actually, he’s doing great! He’s dropped over fifty pounds since I’v
e been working with him.” He grinned at me. “The first fifty or so is easy. After that, it starts getting hard, but I think he’s really motivated to drop the weight.”
I couldn’t help but smile. He had something positive to say about everyone, and I liked that. It was a refreshing change from most of my clients, who were often suspicious and looking for something on someone.
“That it for the day?” I asked.
I felt bad about him spending his money when I was making so little progress, but I did enjoy his company. He was funny, personable, and his outlook on life was so positive it made my life seem a little brighter just from the reflected glow.
“That’s it. I need to go see my accountant, but other than that, I’m done for the day.”
He drove me back to my office, and I stepped out of his car. “Same time tomorrow?”
“If you want to go with me to see Bill, I’ll pick you up at ten. He’s not an early riser.”
I was thinking seeing the man was a waste of time. Every client had only positive things to say, and I couldn’t see Neil getting touchy feely with a guy. “No. I think that’s okay. I think my time would be better spent checking out April Rumson.”
“Okay. You’ll keep me in the loop?”
“Of course.”
“Let me know if you need anything.”
“I will. I’ll call you in a couple of days if I find anything.”
“Good enough,” he said before the window began to roll up and he drove away.
I walked to my building and unlocked my door. I was going to transcribe my interviews, then go home. I entered the office and stared at the empty desk, confused that my laptop wasn’t sitting in its normal place. For a moment I thought I’d forgotten and left it at home, then I remembered where it was.
“Shit!” I snapped as I pulled out my phone.
Neil
I was almost home when my phone rang. Tanya’s name popped up on the display and I pressed the button to accept the call.
“Hey.”
“There you are!” Tanya said. “I’ve been trying to reach you. I left my computer in your car.”
I felt behind her seat and found the case. “Sorry. I had to stop for gas.”