Not So Model Home - By David James Page 0,68
a son.”
“Correct.”
“And Aleksei’s death?”
“Because of something he said.”
“And you’re not going to tell me that right now, are you?”
“No, but trust me. Just help me chase down some leads. When Aurora announces the winner of the contest, we’ll have our own announcement to make.”
The weekend sped by. Jerry dutifully made a lot of calls and hustled things along. Me, I made three important calls. One to Brian Hopper, celebrity gossip Web reporter. I had a simple question: Who does supermodel Darryn Novolo spend his time with when he’s in Los Angeles? The answer didn’t stun me, but it was unexpected nonetheless. I mean, I just couldn’t picture the two of them together, but it bolstered my theory, making it bulletproof.
The second call was to Ken in Ohio. I filled him in on everything. He listened patiently, and after spilling everything I knew, he congratulated me on solving the case. I mean, he was really impressed and excited by what I had accomplished. And, oh, he missed me desperately. I told him I felt the same way. And he confessed he was horny. Me too, I said. Then Ken told me the best news of all: that he’d be back in two weeks. His mother was back home and getting around fine.
The third call was to Alex. In all the excitement, I realized I hadn’t talked to him in a few days. He had summited Thunderbolt Peak and descended safely. Tomorrow afternoon, he would be heading back to Palm Springs.
Great, it was only Saturday afternoon and I had the rest of the weekend free. Free to nap and then plan on setting my trap.
CHAPTER 29
Colonel Mustard Was Blowing Professor Plum In The Library
Monday finally rolled around, the day we filmed the final episode. Or should I say night. Yes, Jeremy and the directors all decided that by filming outside around Ian’s pool by torchlight, the announcement would have more drama. Everyone in the cast, the support people, and everyone who made the show happen—the cameramen, grips, electrical people—everyone was excited. Me too. But for a different reason.
The only change in our normal routine was that this one-hour episode was going to be very short in terms of filming. And most of it would be shot around Ian’s pool by torchlight. The lead-up to the big announcement would be intercut with flashbacks of each contestant as they were highlighted for six minutes on this final episode. The purpose was, as Jeremy explained, to allow viewers to recap what had happened to each cast member over the course of the season and to keep them guessing as they tallied both the good and bad qualities of each contestant and how they reacted to stressful situations. The real reason was more pedestrian: to stretch out the episode so that advertisers would have more places to shove their commercials.
Before the cameras started rolling, Jeremy whipped the cast up into a frenzied state. “Well, guys, this is the day it happens . . . the day one of you will have his life change forever. I have five cameras to catch your emotions the minute the announcement is read. Now, I don’t have to tell you that, no matter what Aurora and Ian’s verdict is, I want big emotions. Big win! Big loss! Just make it big! And remember, you’re under legal contract not to divulge the winner under any circumstances until the show airs. You got that?”
There was a murmur of agreement among the guys.
“And that goes for everyone on this set, has been on set at one time, or is in contact with anyone on this show.”
And that was it. Even the threat of legal action didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of us all that day. But it wasn’t going to take a lot to stir up the energy, the guys were so wound up. Even David managed to show emotion. I was impressed. He had become quite the actor.
We all filed out to Ian’s pool, which was decked out for the occasion with lots of torches and strategically placed uplighting. Since it was now late March, the nights were still chilly, but we went in short sleeves (and my cleavage showing—Jeremy’s request) and pretended it was a balmy night.
Since all the flashbacks would be edited in later with Aurora’s commentary on the ups and downs of each contestant, there was little to film. But Jeremy wasn’t taking any chances. He hired a professional TV studio “cheerleader” to whip up the excitement the way they