disgust. “Two days of surveillance wasted. The family’s not going to pay me for this. They wanted proof. Now the kids will be scared off for weeks. This guy will be back on the street in a few months and in the meantime, someone else will take his place in the scumbag pecking order. All I asked you to do was keep the door locked and text me, Hannah. It’s like you intentionally tried to mess this up. Is that what happened?”
The cop was getting closer, trying to clumsily unholster his weapon as he approached, now moving at more of a slow jog.
“No.”
“What then?”
“I don’t know,” Hannah said. “I thought maybe if he sold to me, you’d have him on that. Also, I was worried about Errol and the others.”
“We both know that’s BS. Are you going to be straight with me?”
“I am being straight, Kat,” Hannah insisted, not even sounding convincing to herself.
Kat shook her head, ignoring the dealer’s muffled moans as she lifted her arms in the air.
“Raise your hands above your head and stay still,” she ordered. “I don’t need Sheriff Sweaty over there shooting you after all this.”
Hannah did as Kat instructed. She made no mention of her still-tingling fingers or the pleasantly unfamiliar rapid beating of her heart.
CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT
The crowd was getting bigger.
While Jessie and Trembley waited in the long line of cars at the Sovereign Studios main gate, she was able to get a closer look at the burgeoning memorial for Corinne.
The sidewalk was now littered with multiple canopies, each offering much-needed shade to the mourners and their makeshift monuments to the actress. Earlier today she would have estimated the congregants at two dozen. Now there were easily double that.
After getting waved through and parking, they moved quickly to the Fairbanks Building, hoping to escape the midday heat and get some relief inside the air-conditioned office of Miller Boatwright. To Jessie’s surprise, an unfamiliar voice greeted them on the intercom when they entered the Harlow Bungalow.
“Where’s Alana?” she asked.
“She’s a little under the weather today,” the disembodied female voice told them. “I’m Linzie. How can I help you?”
Trembley told her why they were there and they were buzzed in moments later.
“We know the way,” Jessie said when Linzie started to lead them back.
When they arrived at Miller Boatwright’s office, the door was open. But this time he was alone, seated behind his desk. He didn’t get up to greet them.
“If you keep coming by, people will say we’re in love,” he said without a hint of warmth.
“Where is everyone?” Jessie asked, ignoring his comment. “The place seems empty.”
“Meetings,” he replied simply.
“That’s great,” Jessie said. “It should allow us the chance to talk more frankly than we did on our previous visit.”
“I feel like I answered all your questions the last time you came by.”
“We often need to re-interview people once we get additional information,” Trembley said as if it was no big deal.
“Well, it would have been nice if you’d called ahead. I’m dealing with a troubled shoot in Malta. And back here, I’m handling a first-time director who refuses to edit his film down to two hours. This isn’t ideal.”
“Murder never is, Mr. Boatwright,” Jessie said. “Why don’t we jump right in? The sooner you answer our questions, this time in a completely forthright manner, the sooner you can get back to your Malta situation.”
He looked like he was about to make a crack, but then bit his tongue. Jessie could sense the increased combativeness emanating from him. When he finally responded, he spoke slowly.
“You think I wasn’t forthright before?”
“No,” Jessie replied.
“What do you want to know?”
“Tell us about Tara Tanner,” Jessie said simply.
Boatwright hid it well, but Jessie noticed a slight pursing of the lips and quickening of his breath before he responded.
“She’s an actress.”
“Thanks. Do you know her?” Jessie pressed.
“Yes.”
“Why did she initiate legal action against you?”
He paused, weighing his words carefully before replying.
“There is a confidentiality agreement in place regarding that matter,” he said. “All I can tell you is that I haven’t done anything untoward.”
“You know you have a reputation when it comes to actresses,” Jessie said.
“Is that a question?”
“Yes.”
“I’m aware there’s a perception of me around town,” he acknowledged. “If I thought it would do any good, I’d take issue with its accuracy.”
“We reached out to Ms. Tanner and she wouldn’t speak to us,” Trembley said.
“I hear she’s a very private person.”
Jessie, despite her frustration, appreciated how quick on his feet Boatwright was. She liked being tested.