by Leah Burke
“Yeah,” Brand chuckled, resting his forehead against hers, “Now will you promise me you’ll be careful?”
Marissa started to laugh. “How could I refuse after a kiss like that? If there’s more where that came from, I’ll be as careful as you want!”
Chapter 4
Morning snuck up on Marissa quicker than she would have liked and it started in a hectic rush. It was definitely going to be a Murphy’s Law sort of day, she thought sourly.
First, her phone’s alarm hadn’t gone off and she could only guess that at some point during the night she’d turned it off. She’d been known to do some pretty weird things in her sleep, so turning an alarm off without remembering it was nothing. Luckily her body had awakened her with the need to use the bathroom and a glance at the clock revealed she still had time to get ready. Not much, but if she hurried, she wouldn’t miss her flight.
Probably.
She rushed around, throwing things willy-nilly into a duffel bag before sprinting out the door. Thank goodness she’d packed everything else last night.
Lines at the airport were long and moved at a snail’s pace. Marissa made it through the checkpoints without being pulled aside and reached her gate just as they were calling for final passengers.
“By the skin of your teeth, honey,” the woman at the gate teased, taking Marissa’s ticket and scanning it. “Enjoy your flight!”
Marissa hurried past the smiling stewardess and found her seat. Brand had purchased her an aisle seat near the middle of the plane. Beside her sat two elderly women. If she had to guess, she would say that they were in their early eighties. The one closest to her had her head back against the seat and appeared to be asleep already. The other woman, the one in the seat next to the window, was knitting.
“Ladies and gentlemen, this is your pilot speaking. We are preparing for take-off,” announced a deep voice over the loudspeaker.
Marissa buckled her seatbelt and rested her head against the headrest, tuning out the safety speech. The plane took off only a few minutes behind schedule and their ascent was smooth and turbulence free.
They’d been at cruising altitude for a little over three hours into the flight when a voice spoke from her right.
“I hope Ethel’s snoring isn’t bother you, dear.”
Marissa looked up from the legal pad where she was jotting down the questions that she wanted to ask Miss Harlow and Mr. Davis when she met them. Her gaze landed on the elderly woman next to the window.
She was still knitting what looked like a scarf. Her friend, who must be the Ethel she’d referred to, was snoring away. She’d woken up long enough to eat the meal delivered by the stewardesses and then fell right back to sleep.
“No bother at all, ma’am,” she replied.
She’d rather listen to a woman snoring over having a toddler kick the back of her seat.
“Ma’am? So formal! Please, call me Camille,” the elderly woman giggled.
“Camille. That’s such a pretty name.”
“And what do they call you, dear?” Camille asked.
“Marissa. Marissa Larkin.”
“Ah. A strong American name. I believe that means ‘of the sea’.”
“It does! Not many people know that. I’m impressed. So are you and Ethel heading to California to visit family?”
Camille placed her knitting in her lap and folded her hands together. The look in her eyes was wistful. “Oh no, dear. We’re heading to California to check an item off of our bucket lists.”
“Oh? What are you looking to cross off?” Marissa asked, her interest thoroughly piqued.
“Well, Ethel has always wanted to break into a celebrity’s house. It’s been her dream since we were girls. I promised her I would help her. So here we are.”
Marissa thought her jaw was about to hit the floor. These little old ladies were planning to commit a criminal offense because it was one of their bucket list items? They were going to break into some celebrity’s house…and then what? What were they going to do, steal a pair of underwear?
Taking note of the shock on Marissa’s face, Camille smiled. “That’s exactly how I looked when Ethel first told me so many years ago.” She winked. “But it’s our little secret, ok?”
Marissa could only nod in agreement.
Chapter 5
“Enjoy your stay in Hollywood, dear!” Camille said warmly as she and Ethel collected their bags from the luggage carousel.
“You too!” Marissa replied as she claimed her own suitcase. “Ooh, can I get a picture of you two before you go?”
“She’s a photojournalist,” Camille explained to a puzzled-looking Ethel.
“Oh, heck, why not?” Ethel laughed.
Marissa fished out her camera while the two women struck poses. Arms wrapped around each other’s waists and heads together, they smiled hugely. Marissa counted to three, then took her picture. The two women peered at the small screen and Ethel nodded in satisfaction.
“Now remember to use that when you write about our great caper,” Ethel instructed.
“I will,” Marissa laughed. “Good luck, ladies!”
“Thank you, honey,” Ethel replied, “but I doubt we’ll need it. This should be cake!”
Marissa could only shake her head. Though she doubted she’d ever see them again, they’d made the flight an interesting one. She planned to keep an eye on the local paper to see if the two really did carry through with their plans. Wouldn’t that make for a great little side article? Harlan would laugh himself sick.
She waited in line at the car rental counter and was finally given the keys to a Toyota Corolla. Leave it to the magazine to outfit me with nothing but the best, she thought with an amused shake of her head. After signing the agreement, she collected the folder of paperwork she needed to keep with the rental and the smiling agent pointed her to the parking spot.
When Marissa pushed through the glass doors and onto the sidewalk a few moments later, a wave of warm autumn air washed over her. She tilted her head back, closed her eyes, and soaked in the sunshine. She’d been in some warm places before, including Mexico, and some humid places, like Georgia, but California seemed to offer the best balance of both. She loved it and made a mental note to take at least one day to lounge on the beach.
Her Corolla was a demure little thing; white with beige interior. Nothing special, but nothing that might catch the attention of the cops if she happened to be going a little fast. There was plenty of room in the trunk for her two bags and the AC worked like a dream. While she waited for the interior to cool down, she fiddled with the controls in an attempt to link her phone to the car. A pleasant voice guided her though the steps.
“Your destination is nineteen-point-one miles from this location. With current traffic conditions, you should arrive in thirty-one minutes,” the car announced.
“Thanks, Car,” Marissa responded absently. With that long of a drive ahead of her, she should call Brand now. She wanted to check in with him and let him know that she landed safely in California.
The phone rang only twice before it was answered.
“Good morning, Miss Larkin!” chirped a bright feminine voice.
“Tammy?” she asked in surprise. Had she accidentally called the office? She pulled the phone away from her ear to check the number. Nope, she’d definitely called his cell. Why was the office secretary answering Brand’s cell phone?
“It is. All the office phones are down, so Mr. Williams left his phone with me in case you called,” Tammy explained, “He asked me to tell you he’ll call you later this afternoon.”
“Oh. Ok. Thanks, Tammy!”
“You’re most welcome. Do you have a message you’d like me to give him?” Tammy asked.
“Just that I’ve landed in L.A. and I’m on the way to the hotel.”
“I’ll let him know. Oh, and enjoy your trip! I checked the forecast this morning and the weather there looks like it’ll be gorgeous. I’m jealous.”
They
engaged in a little more small talk before saying goodbye. Marissa put her phone in the cup holder and backed out of the lot. The car helpfully guided her over the next thirty-odd minutes and she found the hotel without incident.
It’s cute, she thought as she pulled up in front of the Hotel Hollywood. Maybe not a 5-star, but cute!
The World at Large had never paid for a luxury hotel, but the white Spanish-mission style building looked better than some of the places she’d stayed during the pursuit of a story. A few years back, she’d had the pleasure of a fleabag motel with stained sheets and a roach-infested bathroom. She’d slept in a chair for those four nights, as it had looked like the cleanest thing in the room. After checkout, Marissa had felt invisible bugs crawling over her skin for a week. Then there’d been a hut in Panama, with a hammock hanging several feet above the floor to protect the sleeper from venomous snakes. Unfortunately, there’d been little that could be done about the spiders or scorpions.
Knowing she’d need B-roll shots, Marissa retrieved her camera and snapped a few shots of the hotel and its lush landscape. A ceramic pot overflowing with Bird of Paradise sat by the front doors and she took a few close-ups of the gorgeous flowers before entering the lobby.
A bald African American man with a pale scar over his right eye stood behind the front desk. He wore a pressed suit and a muted tie. As she approached the desk, he smiled.
“Welcome to Hotel Hollywood. Do you have a reservation?”
She nodded. “I should be booked under Marissa Larkin or The World at Large.”
”I’ll look for both,” the desk clerk stated.
Marissa looked around the lobby as she waited for the man to find the reservation in their system. Off to her left was a small tiled dining area with tables arranged next to a bare counter that, at the moment, held only a coffee maker. So, breakfast was included. Excellent. To the right was a den where several comfy-looking chairs were arranged in front of a brick fireplace. She could picture people gathered around it in the winter, eating warm cookies and sipping hot cocoa.
“Here it is, ma’am. Your reservation is for a non-smoking king. Is that your preference?” the desk clerk asked.
Marissa turned her attention back to the man. “Perfect. Plenty of room to spread out and get comfy.”
He chuckled and handed her a glossy white card with the hotel’s logo on it. “Feel free to spread out in room 203. Take the elevator up one floor, then take a left. Your room will be halfway down the hall on the right side.”
“Thanks!” Marissa said.
“Enjoy your stay. If you need anything, feel free to call the front desk and someone will be available to help you,” he added.
Marissa gave the clerk a jaunty wave and headed for the elevator. As the doors opened, a young woman pushing a cleaning cart nearly ran her over. Marissa leapt aside and the woman shrieked in surprise.
“Oh, so sorry!” she gasped, dark eyes wide.
“No, don’t be sorry!” Marissa said with a shaky laugh. “I shouldn’t have been standing so close to the doors!”
The housekeeper gave her a shy, apologetic smile and hurried her cart down the hall towards the first floor rooms
“Well, if I wasn’t awake before, I am now!” Marissa muttered.
The elevator dinged as it reached the second floor and the doors opened. She stepped out and padded to the bright white door embossed with the number 203. When the door opened, she slipped inside and closed out the rest of the world.
Chapter 6
The sound of music jarred her out of sleep, and quite rudely, too.
Marissa groaned and pulled a pillow over her head. She’d been having a lovely dream about her and Brand, so whoever was calling better have a darn good reason for interrupting.
Her phone stopped ringing and she sighed with relief. She was just slipping under the surface of sleep once more when the racket started up again.
Marissa shot up in bed and threw the pillow at the nightstand, intending to hit the phone, but her shot fell short and the darn thing just kept on making noise. That definitely didn’t help her mood and she scowled, as if that would solve anything. She’d never been particularly pleasant upon first waking, and the earlier she had to be up, the grumpier she got.
Leaning over, she grabbed her phone and jabbed at the ‘answer’ button.
“What?” she grumbled, rubbing her eyes.
“Did I wake you?” asked a familiar voice, “Sorry, I forgot about the time difference.”
As the grip of sleep loosened its hold on her, her brain started to function properly. She knew who was on the other end of the line. She also knew that for some reason, the time difference didn’t matter because it was a weird time to be sleeping.
“What time is it?” she asked around a yawn.
“Should be....” Brand paused for a second, “about 2:30 in the afternoon there.”
“Oh. I guess I needed a nap.” She swung her legs over the side of the bed and stumbled to the window, opening the heavy drapes to let the afternoon sunshine pour in.
“Long flight, huh?”
She chuckled, “Yes, yes it was, but the company was interesting.”
“How so?” he asked, intrigued.
“Can’t tell you. There might be a good story there,” she teased.
“Well, Tammy said you called while I was in a meeting this morning. I’m glad you got in safe,” he paused, “and I wanted to hear your voice. You know how much I like it.”
“Flattery gets you nowhere, Brand Williams! I’m not telling!”
“Flattery should get me everywhere...especially with my girlfriend,” he replied promptly.
Marissa smiled. He always was quick with the banter. “Girlfriend, huh?” she asked, moving the phone to her other ear. “Since when?”
“I thought that kiss yesterday made it pretty clear.”
“Touché.”
“So, are you ready for your interview with Jensen Davis tonight?” he asked, changing the subject.
“I think so. I’ve got a pretty solid list of questions for him and I plan to do more research on the twins as necessary,” she explained, “Hopefully their agent can tell me something that’ll give me a good angle on their mother.”
“Call me after you get back to the hotel tomorrow? We can bounce ideas off one another.”
“I’ll call. I promise,” she stated, “but for now...I’m actually glad you woke me. I need to get myself together for my dinner date.”
“Good luck, Marissa,” Brand said, and hung up.
She tossed her phone onto the bed and rubbed both hands over her face. Her dinner with Jensen Davis, the Marlow twins’ agent, was at 5:00. That gave her just enough time to get ready and scope out the location where they were meeting. She didn’t know much about the restaurant, so she opted for business casual, just to be on the safe side.
Pulling a pair of black slacks and a cobalt-blue button-down shirt out of her bag, she headed for the shower, hoping the hot water would clear the last of the hazy sleep from her mind.
Clean, dressed, and with an hour to kill, Marissa pulled out her phone and Googled the number for the Beverly Hills Police Department and called it. A bored-sounding woman put her on hold to check if Detective Ranger Lawson was at his desk. When Marissa learned he wasn’t, she asked for his voicemail.
“Hold please,” the dispatcher mumbled again and sent her through.
The detective’s voicemail greeting was short and to the point and was nothing more than “You’ve reached Detective Ranger Lawson of the Beverly Hills Police Department’s Major Crimes Division. Leave a message with your contact information and I’ll get back to ya.”
Marissa found herself smiling appreciatively as she listened. His voice was deep, mellow, with a comfortable drawl that indicated he was from someplace south. Probably Texas. In her mind, she pictured a tall, lanky cowboy with a six-shooter on his hip, a cigarette dangling from the corner of his mouth, and a Stetson pulled low over his weather
ed face. A young John Wayne, maybe, or a Clint Eastwood.
Marissa left a message with her contact information and asked the detective to call her back at his earliest convenience in regards to the Jessie and Julia Marlow case. After she hung up, she debated on what her next move should be. Her interview with Siena Marlow wasn’t scheduled until the next morning, which left her with a night to kill. At some point, she needed to head over to the studio where Gossip Queens was shooting and try to talk to the director, cast, makeup people, and anyone else who had interactions with the Marlow twins.
She fished her laptop out of her duffel bag, then propped herself up on the pile of pillows she made at the head of the bed. A quick search turned up the following:
...Gossip Queens is an American television sitcom about the lives of two high school students. It is written and directed by Morris Hoppenheim. The show premiered on ABC on March 12, 2012 and is currently shooting its sixth season at ABC’s Studio 56 in West Hollywood, California. Gossip Queen’s cast includes several big-name stars, including comedian Howard Stelmach, and Julia and Jessie Marlow. You may know the Marlow twins as the adorable faces of the Baby Mine diaper ads from 2003 to 2006...
Marissa made a note of the studio name, then looked up the address. Studio 56 was located, as the article had indicated, at the ABC compound in West Hollywood. That was more than an hour drive from her hotel, so a visit would have to wait until the following afternoon.
For now, it was time to get her first interview.
Chapter 7
Mastro’s Steakhouse was not the classy establishment she imagined a celebrity agent would frequent and in her slacks and button-down shirt, she felt overdressed. It wasn’t like the place was a pit, because it wasn’t, and the neighborhood around it was nice, but the steakhouse had a hokey, cheap feel. She only hoped that the food was decent, because she was absolutely starving.
“How many?” the hostess asked her, barely looking up from her phone.