scene for sure.”
Dorian slammed shut the trunk.
“And now, all that’s left is to spring the trap,” Andrea said. She smiled, looking around once again to ensure there was no one watching.
She’s so beautiful, Dorian thought, looking at Andrea. And she gets me.
“Hey, what’s up,” Andrea said, “what you waiting for?”
Dorian shook himself slightly, and dialed the cell phone that Ruutor had leant them. “Do it,” he said.
He turned to Andrea, dreading what he would do next. He handed the jammer to Andrea. “Give me your gun.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Just give it to me.”
“No,” Andrea looked at him sharply.
“Please. They guy had my family killed.”
“You’re crazy.” Slowly, she pulled the gun out and handed it to Dorian.
“I’m going to hide in the back of the car, so follow us when Mel drives out of the lot. I’ll need backup. I’ll wave to you if I need you to come closer. Lock me in with the jammer.” He climbed into the back of the Bentley confident the tinted windows made it impossible to see him. He waved to Andrea, and she didn’t react. Thtat’s a good start.
He lay down while the locks re-engaged. This was almost certainly crazy. He put the phone back on his ear. “How’s it going?”
“I’ve got the call set up,” Early Bird said, “so it will look like I’m calling from Lake Arrowhead when I dial 9-1-1. Just listen in.”
“What is your emergency?” said a female voice.
“Oh god, I just stumbled on a murder. There are dead people everywhere. Please come now,” Early Bird’s vadered voice said.
“Where are you located?”
“14 Culbertson Way.”
“You are in Lake Arrowhead, correct?”
“Yes, I think so. Oh god, it’s so horrible.” Early Bird sniffled.
“Can I get your name?”
“It’s so disgusting. You should see the blood..”
“Your name please. I need that to make a report.”
“I have to go. I see someone walking this way. Sorry.” Dorian could hear Early Bird end the call.
Andrea left the lot the way they had entered. Once outside, she drove around to where she could watch the guard station from the car. Setting aside her worry about what Dorian wanted to do she dialed the number to Mel Boxton. This would be a bit wild. A part of her was excited to be taking action against someone so powerful.
“Hello?” The same voice from the speaker phone the day before.
“Mel Boxton?” Andrea said her voice successfully vadered.
“How did you get this number?” he responded. “And what is wrong with your voice?”
“Don’t worry about that. I know all about what you have done. The people you have had killed.”
“What is this? Some sick blackmail attempt? I’ll have this call traced you know.”
“You need to be aware that Colonel and Lieut are dead. I am coming for you next. And that’s if the police don’t beat me to you. They know everything now too. The police are searching a house in Lake Arrowhead as we speak.”
“I have no idea what you are talking about,” but Mel’s voice cracked so that Andrea could clearly hear it.
“You don’t need to. You are dead just the same. Goodbye.”
Andrea hung up.
The adrenaline in Andrea worked for a while, but she found it hard to stay focused on the entrance to the studio. She played little tricks, like counting types of cars that went by. When that didn’t work, she stared down at the phone, waiting for something to happen.
CELL PHONE INTERCEPT – AUTOMATIC VOICE RECOGNITION AND TRANSCRIPTION IN PROGRESS
PHONE OWNER: Mel Boxton (AT&T)
PHONE OWNER 2: Frank Close (Verizon Wireless)
1: Hello? Frank?
2: Yeah. What is it this time, Mel?
1: Someone knows everything. I just got a call.
2: Slow down part noir
1: The person threatened to *KILL* me. I need your help.
2: Mel, your panicking. Calm down won’t you.
1: They must be *TERRORISTS*. I need help. Can you find this person?
2: How am I going to do that? And is that the same shit you were talking about yesterday?
1: Yes, the terminated situation isn’t as terminated as it needs to be. Colonel and Lieut are *DEAD*.
2: Who are they?
1: I shouldn’t have said anything.
2: Exactly.
1: You have to contact Senator free zone. The caller mentioned the police have my name too. You have clout with her.
2: Oh great. The police too? How fucked is this?
1: You don’t want to get dragged in, due you?
2: Fine. You are a total waste. A mistake. Fuck, fuck, fuck.
1: Stop whining and do it.
2: Okay. You jack ass.
There! The tan Bentley pulled out of the studio. The motor roared, turning the heavy vehicle right, down the street away from her. Andrea fumbled with the ignition and lurched her car into gear. By the time she’d pulled into traffic, the Bentley was a few lights ahead, and picking up speed. Fortunately there wasn’t much traffic. She just had to hope that the lights didn’t change and stop her. Stay focused. Dorian’s in that car.
She dodged around a slow-moving pickup truck and crossed the light just as it turned yellow. A bit closer now. The Bentley turning right a few blocks ahead, forcing her to gun her engine so she was going as fast as she dared. There was no point in getting stopped for speeding, she’d lose the Bentley then for sure.
She turned right where the Bentley’d turned and momentarily couldn’t spot the car. She hit the accelerator again, hoping he hadn’t turned down some obscure side street. But truth was, this was the fastest way to the freeway, so it was highly likely that was where he was going.
She drove a few more blocks, getting more and more worried as she went until finally she saw the car, revealed when the truck it had been hidden behind turned right. She sighed out loud with relief.
By the time the Bentley pulled westbound onto the Ventura Freeway, Andrea was only a few car lengths behind. She prayed that Mel was too panicked to notice someone tailing him. She was pretty sure someone looking out for a tail would see her, given she knew nothing about tailing cars and hadn’t learned it on CSI. Well worst case, even if she lost Mel, Dorian was in the back seat. But that was good and bad. Good, because Mel wouldn’t get away. Bad because Dorian would be by himself with a homicidal maniac.
Frank picked up his phone, and dialed, his heart pounding in a very bad and ominous way.
“Senator Freestone, this is Frank Close of the MAIG.”
“Yes, I know you Frank. Good to hear from you. How’s your wife?”
“Excellent. And your husband and the kids?”
“Good as well. Timmy just graduated from Stanford.”
“You must be truly happy.”
“I am. Extremely.” A polite pause. “What can I do for you then, Frank?”
“I need your help. I need you to put some pressure on to cool a situation.”
“Frank!”
“This is serious. After all the cash I’ve thrown at you, you need to suppress this investigation, or whatever it is that’s about to happen. Otherwise we have a real problem. I’ve never come to you with anything this important I promise you.”
“Frank, stop.”
“Mel Boxton’s got someone threatening to kill him because of some anti-piracy shit he’s done. I want you on the case and making sure nothing blows up. This is critical to the movie industry. We can’t afford to be on the wrong side of this scandal. I need it to disappear.”
Senator Freestone sighed. “Frank. I’m sorry. I will have to say no.”
“You don’t fucking say no to me, do you hear?”
“Frank, we are speaking over an open line.” She paused. “A recorded open line, Frank.”
“Do I l
ook like I care?”
“I’m sorry.”
The Bentley merged smoothly onto the 101 Freeway heading South. Andrea followed, trying to keep a low profile as best her driving skills allowed her. She couldn’t tell by the way the car was driving if Dorian had made himself known, or even if anything at all was going on.
Whenever Andrea drove longer distances, her mind would tend to wander. She had a name for the part of her brain that did the driving: autopilot. It left her mind to wander into numerous angles of worry, all of which ended up with Dorian shot with his own gun. That wouldn’t be good.
What was Dorian up to? The whole thing seemed ridiculous. Why hadn’t he left it as they’d agreed. Let the police pick up the job of mopping up the mess. There was no need for his heroics.
And then why had she let him do it in the first place? She could have stopped him. Now she was stuck in a car, in a chase that would never end well.
Except for, she remembered, what happened to squelch and what she’d seen at her own apartment. Not to mention the police searching for her, Tara, and Colonel and Lieut. She was lucky to be alive. No, the reason she’d let him go ahead was because she wanted to see Mel pay for what he’d done almost as much as Dorian did.
The Bentley turned onto Route 1 towards Malibu. Andrea followed as close as she dared.
At this point surely Dorian had revealed himself and was telling Mel where to go. But from where she was, there was no indication that anything had changed.
After continuing into Malibu, the Bentley turned right, just as the highway was heading back towards the