Breaking Hollywood (40 page)

‘Marilyn McLean is in LA.’

The words were like a mallet to the mind.

Total knockout, possible concussion.

‘What?’

A tear ran down her face and she wiped it away with the grubby palm of one hand.

‘Marilyn McLean. She’s in LA.’

‘Why?’

‘We don’t know.’

‘We?’

She sighed wearily. ‘Mirren and me.’

He didn’t know what to say to that. Even after twenty years, the name ‘Marilyn McLean’ still took him back there, still made him want to vomit.

‘Sarah, I’m not getting this, so you’re going to have to explain it to me.’

She took a deep breath. ‘A few weeks ago, Ed at the
Daily Scot
called me, said some crook in Liverpool had been arrested and everything he owned confiscated under the Proceeds of
Crime Act. There was a rumour going round that his long-term girlfriend claimed to be Mirren McLean’s mother, and was trying to sell a story. Then she disappeared.’

‘And you didn’t tell me this?’

‘Davie, you were busy. It was at the same time as you were launching the show and Jizzo died. I went to Mirren. Told her. She hired a PI, asked me not to worry you until we had proof that
she was here. We found out this week that she definitely is.’

Unconsciously, Davie ran both hands through his hair, his standard reaction in times of pressure and stress. ‘What the fuck would Marilyn be doing here?’

Sarah gestured to the chaos around her. ‘I think she might already be doing it.’

Davie turned his head away from her and threw up on the grass.

When he turned back, she reached for his hand. ‘I think we need to get out of here. Go somewhere safe until they find her.’

Mike Feechan had just come within earshot. ‘I was just telling him the same thing.’

‘Mike, there’s some additional information you should know. Mirren McLean has a PI called Brad Bernson.’

‘I know Brad. He’s a good guy. Ex-FBI.’

‘That’s him. Can you give him a call? He’ll fill you in. But this goes no further. No LAPD. It’s about as confidential as it gets.’

Mike didn’t ask questions. Davie knew he wouldn’t. He’d once told him that he’d spent his life working for people with secrets and when police became involved, the chance
of a leak multiplied. It was why Davie felt safe with Mike Feechan looking after him. Present situation excluded.

Sarah turned back to Davie. ‘But, Davie, you have to listen to me. We can’t stay here. If you stay, I stay, and that puts us both in danger.’

‘That’s the worst emotional blackmail ever.’

‘Indeed it is.’

He thought about the angles for a few moments. The fire would be all over the news, so there would be sympathy out there for him right now. The story naturally spun out in his head. If he had to
take a week off after inhaling smoke when he ran into the burning building to save his housekeeper, a poor, frail woman who lived to cook and loved nothing more than country music, America and her
boss, Davie Johnston, then the nation would understand and support him.

Genius. Actually genius.

He was getting carried away with the prospect of TV appearances, press interviews and maybe a campaign for the fire service when he realized he had another priority, a task that had to be
carried out before he could move on.

He had to fix his karma.

‘Look, I’ll come with you – we can go wherever you want – but there’s something else I have to do first.’

‘I Would Die 4 You’ – Prince

Mirren

Mirren hung up the phone feeling exhausted after another call from Brad Bernson. They’d discovered that Marilyn had been staying in a motel in Santa Monica, but
she’d checked out the day before. No location on her now, but they were working on it. Wearily, she slid out of the leather booth in the corner of her kitchen and made a cup of tea. As she
drank it, she stood looking out of the window at the ocean, too anxious to sit.

She was so deep in thought that she didn’t realize Logan was behind her until he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head. ‘Morning, Ma.’

Just two words but so, so good for the soul. Having her boy back was bitter-sweet, though. She wanted him there, needed to be able to see with her own eyes that he was OK, but was this putting
him in danger? At least on the road he was surrounded by security and there was virtually no chance that anyone could get to him. Here at home was different. He liked to try to live a normal life.
He’d stick on a baseball cap and head for a restaurant. Stop in at a store.

How could she stop him?

She had to let him know that there was a risk, but how did she do that without confessing that she’d lied to him for years? How could she suddenly introduce a grandmother to him, with a
‘By the way, I think she might be a psychotic maniac’?

Yet she had to keep him safe.

There was a buzz at the front door and she checked the monitor in the corner of the room to see her friend waving at the screen. Despite herself, she smiled. If there was one person she wanted
to see today, it was Lou.

Logan let her in and returned to the kitchen with his arm slung around her shoulder. ‘Aunt Lou pined for me every moment I was gone,’ Logan told Mirren, with Lou grinning beside
him.

‘It’s true,’ Lou agreed.

‘Says life hasn’t been worth living without me.’

‘Also true,’ Lou confirmed breezily, before coming over to hug Mirren. ‘Figured the boy needed an ego boost. Must be hard being him,’ she said in a stage whisper. Logan
was still laughing when he grabbed a soda from the fridge and headed out to the back yard. Mirren looked out of the window and saw that he’d lain down on a lounger, headphones on, eyes
closed.

He was always like this for the first couple of days when he came off tour. Needed to recharge the batteries.

She made Lou a cup of coffee and they slid into the semicircular dining booth. How many days and nights had they sat here over the last twenty years, discussing every issue, solving problems,
making plans, and especially over the last year, crying into their coffee cups over the shit-storm life had served up for them.

‘You look awful. You OK?’ Lou asked, typically blunt.

‘Just tired,’ Mirren told her. ‘Bit stressed.’

‘Did you agree terms with Pictor?’

‘Nope.’

Pause. Lou eyed her curiously.

‘Why are you looking at me like that?’

Lou’s eyes twinkled as they narrowed. ‘Oh, you did.’

‘Did what?’

A cackle from her friend now. ‘Oh, you so did,’ she repeated. ‘You had sex with Mark Bock again.’

Mirren had no idea why she was blushing. ‘Yeah, well. Moment of weakness,’ she confirmed.

‘And, sweet baby, you like him.’

‘Lou, I have no idea who or what I like right now. I really don’t.’

‘Why? Look, honey, I know Chloe has gone, but you still need to live some kind of life.’

Lou’s misdirected sympathy made her groan inside. She so wanted to tell her. Keeping this huge weight of worry from Lou was only making it heavier.

‘I know. But it just seems like whenever I get on a steady footing with someone, the rug gets pulled from under me. I’m just not ready.’

Lou was quiet for a moment, and Mirren couldn’t help thinking she was building up to something.

‘You talking about Zander?’ she eventually asked.

Mirren shrugged. ‘He failed a drug test.’

‘I know,’ Lou said softly.

Of course Lou knew. She was the editor of the
Hollywood Post
. No one farted in this town without her knowing about it.

‘I can’t believe he’d do that. I trusted him. He promised . . .’ Her words tailed off as she felt a huge lump form in her throat.

Lou sighed. ‘Honey, I wasn’t planning on saying this today, but it’s just gonna get worse.’

Mirren put her mug down on the table. ‘What do you mean?’

‘The
LA Headline
is about to do a story on him. An air stewardess on a private jet back from London is saying he exposed his dick, groped her, harassed her. They’re doing
the whole sex-pest angle. It’s not going to be pretty, hon.’

Mirren tried to speak, but nothing would come out. Her chin dropped, her throat closed, and suddenly, she couldn’t breathe.

Mirren was shaking her head, desperate to get the words out.

Lou put her hands on hers. ‘Honey, I’m sorry. But it’s better I tell you than you hear it from someone else.’

Mirren paused until her oesophagus finally opened wide enough for her to speak. ‘He didn’t do that.’

‘Darling, I know he’s your friend, but the girl has signed an affidavit to say he did. It’s a pretty compelling case.’

‘He didn’t do it,’ Mirren repeated forcefully.

Lou exhaled. ‘Honey, you can’t be sure.’

‘I can,’ Mirren blurted.

Suddenly, it was enough. No more. Enough lying, enough secrets. Lou would never betray her, never breach her trust. It was time she knew.

‘I can, Lou. Because a long time ago, someone attacked me, violated me, and Zander almost killed him for it. It changed our lives. All of us. He would never, ever touch a woman that
way.’

Now it was Lou who responded with utter incredulity. ‘And you’ve never told me this? Mirren, I’m so sorry. But – oh my God, I can’t take this in – what
happened?’

Mirren sighed, every ounce of resistance leaving her. It was time.

‘The man who did it was Zander’s father, Jono Leith. He and my mother were lovers my whole life. She was obsessed with him. When I was seventeen, he raped me. Zander and Davie . .
.’

Tears were flowing down her face, but she felt strangely calm. Resolute. Like she had to exorcize the demon.

‘Zander and Davie were nearby. I told them. Zander ran fastest, wanted to get to his dad first, and he would have killed him, Lou. He really would have.’

‘But he didn’t?’

Mirren shook her head. ‘No. Because my mother had already stabbed him to death. Not to protect me.’ Mirren’s voice was quiet now, a whisper. ‘But because she
couldn’t cope with the fact that Jono Leith, the love of her life, had wanted me instead of her. So she killed him.’

‘Mom?’

Mirren’s head snapped round and she saw instantly that Logan, standing in the doorway, face pale and trembling, had heard every word.

Another piece of Mirren’s heart broke.

‘I’m sorry, Logan. I didn’t want you to ever know.’

He was shaking his head. ‘Don’t dare say sorry, Mom. Don’t dare. This isn’t your fault.’

‘
The Brutal Circle
,’ Lou suddenly interjected, a realization astounding her. ‘This is the storyline of
The Brutal Circle
.’

Mirren nodded. ‘All of it true. I wrote about what happened. The rest . . . well, you know.’

Lou sat back, flabbergasted, trying to take it all in. ‘No cops back then?’

Mirren shook her head as she moved along the booth to let Logan sit. He took her hand in his as she continued, ‘Jono was a criminal who lived a pretty dangerous life. Everyone thought
he’d done a runner. Zander and Davie buried him. We came here. End of story.’

‘I can’t believe I don’t know this about you guys,’ Lou said, almost to herself. ‘How does anyone survive that? And, God, I feel even more sorry for them
now.’

Even through the trauma, Mirren realized that was an odd comment. ‘Feel sorry for them why?’

Lou looked at her like it was obvious. ‘Didn’t you hear what’s been happening over the last couple of weeks?’

Mirren shook her head. She’d heard nothing. Probably because she’d told both guys she was done with them. In a contest of crap timing, this one was a winner.

‘Zander’s house got ransacked last week. The drug-test fail. The accusations. And Davie. He’s got some weirdo stalker and then the fire . . .’

‘What fire?’ Mirren’s voice had real urgency now.

‘There was a fire at his house yesterday. Don’t worry – he’s OK. But that had to be terrifying.’

She’d known that a couple of odd things had happened to Davie, but not all this.

Fire. Stalker. Housebreaking. Accusations. Why hadn’t she known all this? Why hadn’t she put all this together before?

‘Lou, this isn’t random.’

‘What do you mean?’

It all made perfect sense now. ‘Zander has lost everything. If the fire was worse, Davie could have too. And . . .’ She paused, unable to finish the sentence. ‘We need to get
out of here. Logan, we need to go somewhere safe.’

‘But why? I don’t get it.’

Tell them. Tell them now.

‘Because my mother is here in LA. And I think she’s behind all of this. We took away the thing she loved more than anything. And now I think she’s trying to do the same to
us.’

‘Ashes to Ashes’ – David Bowie

Zander

The banging on the door woke him with a start.

If this was housekeeping, they clearly weren’t paying attention to the ‘Do not disturb’ sign.

Zander always slept naked, so he grabbed a towel, wrapped it round his waist and padded over to the door, checking his watch on the way. Two p.m. Probably time he was up anyway.

He opened the door, fully expecting to see the maid. Wrong.

Mirren McLean, Lou Cole and Logan.

Taking a step back, so the door was wide open, he let them enter, shaking Logan’s hand as he passed. ‘All right, bud?’

Logan turned the handshake into a hug. So one out of three was prepared to be cool with him, Zander decided. Not bad odds.

Lou Cole scoped him from head to toe and muttered something about her lucky day. Mirren barely made eye contact. OK, so it was a start.

As soon as he’d closed the door, Mirren spoke.

‘Still in bed at two o’clock?’ She didn’t look annoyed, more concerned.

Zander picked up a plain white cotton T-shirt from the pile that the laundry had delivered the day before and pulled it on, leaving him only semi-naked now.

‘I was out last night.’

Her left eyebrow raised. It was one of her mannerisms he’d always thought was hilarious. It was impossible for her to hide irritation or cynicism because it was, quite literally, written
all over her eyebrows.