Helena Goes to Hollywood: A Helena Morris Mystery (8 page)

“We’re not all evil.” He returned to his pizza and stuffed his face. “Did you want something else?”

“If I thought you were evil you’d never have married my sister. You have any hand in hurting Sonia, you’ll need some serious plastic surgery. You know her life as well as she does. So you either help me or you’re a suspect—call me.” He wasn’t my criminal but he could be a source of information.

“I will.” He looked me up and down. “Nice boots. When did you start dressing like a diva?”

“I’m undercover. Don’t worry, if you come near my sister, I can still kick your ass with these!” I walked out the door and shook off the stress.

Jordan was right. People noticed labels even when there were other more important things on their minds. Talk about a freak show of a town!

Danny knew the real me. I couldn’t fool him, but that was good. He’d been put on notice. Part of me wished that I could trust men but Dad started it and Danny wasn’t helping. Even good ones like Todd didn’t really listen. My life wasn’t going to revolve around a man’s career. I was relieved to see Sonia wouldn’t let Danny run her life either.

A
fter a long day on the set Sonia informed me we were going to the nail salon. Yanking her from her normal routine wouldn’t work so I picked my battles. Maybe immersing myself in her life would help me uncover the stalker.

I parked around back of a small white building in what she told me was West Hollywood. A trendy looking herbal tea and exotic coffee shop sat across the street next to The Laughing Buddha Café which boasted gourmet sandwiches, plus more retail shops all around. It felt less pretentious than Rodeo Drive or the Brentwood mansions but the overall feel was trendy which meant expensive.

We walked in the back door and were greeted by a petite Filipino woman perfectly made up right down to her bronzer. With a big smile and big hair, she hugged Sonia.

“I know who this is.” The woman who had no hint of an accent pointed at me.

“Hel, this is Emerald, the best nail tech on the West Coast. Emmy, this is Hel.” Sonia acted like nothing was wrong but her mood swings were normal.

“I’ve heard a lot about you. Here to visit?” Emmy waved us into chairs and placed Sonia’s feet in a tub to soak before starting on my hands.

Sonia answered for me. “Well, yes, more to fix the stalker issue.”

“Stalker? Poor thing! You can’t catch a break.” A cold and cutting female voice answered instead of Emmy. The voice came from a side room before the woman emerged.

“Carmen, you’re so sweet.” Sonia air kissed the tall brunette stick figure with flawless features.

“Of course, honey. Anything you need, you just call me and I’ll be there like that.” Carmen snapped her fingers and checked to make sure the polish hadn’t smudged. Then she nodded in my direction. “I have to go now, but it’s a good thing you hired a bodyguard.”

I wanted to slap the false eyelashes off this woman and I had no clue why. Sonia didn’t take that crap, but she was now. The Sonia I knew was always popular and the leader. Yet she was being nice to Carmen.

“Actually she’s my sister just in for a visit. Nothing that dangerous. But you’re so nice to worry about me.” Sonia put an arm around me and suddenly I felt like I had slipped into a parallel universe.

“Sister? Really? Well, don’t worry. Plenty of leading ladies have one just like that at home. Genes can be cruel.”

“So can I,” I muttered under my breath.

Carmen hugged Emmy and slid a large tip into her pocket before walking out the door with a swish in her walk.

“Who was that bitch?” I asked.

“No one. She used to be on the soap playing a very brief character. Then Carmen married rich and divorced him,” Sonia said as if that explained everything.

“Good story, but more details,” I requested.

“The hubby married her and then did the illegal maid in their bed. The man scored a gorgeous Latina trophy wife like her and he had to hit the help? Carmen came out of it looking like a saint.” Emmy shrugged. “Men. But Carmen is more of a frenemy than a friend.”

“Why talk to her then?” I asked.

Sonia sighed in annoyance. “Today’s bitch is the next big thing. One good part, she’s the big name, and I’m sucking up to her. It’s complicated here—shows get cancelled after one season or one episode. You have to understand demographics too. The Latino population is only growing so who is better fixed in that area? Me or her? Her.”

Frenemies were nothing new but if Sonia thought Carmen wasn’t going in my file of potential problems, she was wrong.

“She’s nothing special.” I hoped that would boost my sister’s ego.

“Damn right! A good customer, I can’t complain, but she’s a bit player. Always the Hispanic mom in local commercials. She’ll need plastic surgery touch-ups in a year—she parties too hard. It’ll catch up to her.” Emmy folded her arms and studied me more intently. “Oh good. You’re kick ass girl, right?”

“That’s one way of putting it. I’ll keep Sonia safe.” I nodded.

I started to realize how important labels were here and not just on clothes. Only a few words defined you and other people chose them. I was kick ass and black belt apparently.

“I’m sure you will. Then you fix my ex, okay?” She winked.

“Is Roger still being a jerk?” Sonia studied the bottles of the latest designer nail polish collection.

“Roger is your ex?” I asked. Not completely sure I wanted to get involved but I was a sucker in these situations. “What’s the problem?”

“Yes, the ex. So greedy and lazy plus he’s not paying child support on time. The jerk is already three months behind and I’ve got a little boy.” She turned a picture so I could see it. “Chris is only seven. Always growing out of things and wanting to do sports. He loves baseball and that’s expensive. Roger has never been on time but now he’s just ignoring me and his son. He never buys Chris big things on the weekends he has him. Half the time he doesn’t take him on his visitation weekends.”

“That’s terrible. Chris needs time with his father, divorced or not.” Sonia shot me a look.

I ignored her. Every so often Sonia got on the long lost daddy kick and wanted answers. When she was little it was easier to distract her with makeup or candy. I wondered if I could afford the Hollywood equivalent of a diversion ice cream cone.

For now I focused on Emmy’s issue. “He should definitely pay. Is he out of work or something?”

“Hell, no. He owns three car dealerships with his father—Ford, Lexus, and BMW. All make good money but he doesn’t take a salary so nothing to garnish. Courts won’t do anything until he’s really behind. My lawyer says it’s not worth fighting it yet so let it add up for leverage.” She sighed and massaged my hand.

Inwardly groaning, I marveled at how Emmy relaxed muscles I didn’t know were tense. It helped me think better and I knew this Roger just needed his attitude adjusted. Anyone who could work this magic on my muscles deserved respect. “The lawyer probably charged just to tell you that. I swear, divorce is a bigger money making scam than weddings. I won’t do that again.” I sighed.

“You’re so cynical and you had the best guy.” Sonia picked out a new hot pink polish for her toes.

“With what you’re going through, little sister, you should understand that no one knows what’s going on inside a marriage except those in it. My divorce was pretty amicable but most aren’t. Still, we had to do all the paperwork. You and Danny have lawyers, agents, and a lot more assets. I’m sure you don’t want to give Danny a bunch of money but you don’t want this to drag out either.” It was a good way to bring up Danny. My sister could smell a lecture but I knew he’d come up naturally.

“No, but Danny isn’t my kid. He’s a grown man who can make his own money. You didn’t get alimony. I shouldn’t have to support him for the rest of his life because I make way more and we were married for a few years. If we had a child, that child deserves everything from both parents. Kids are different.” Sonia always wanted children but working in front of the camera all the time, she wouldn’t let her figure go.

Emmy nodded. “It’s so hard.”

“What is?” I asked.

“I spent too much time on the divorce, moving to my own place, and dealing with Chris’s fears when Roger and I split up. The meetings and the lawyers went on forever. He dragged it out on purpose. I lost a lot of clients and some of my nail techs. Without Roger’s money I’m not sure I can make it much longer. With my current cash flow I can afford the rent on my apartment but not this space too.” She pressed her plum lips together.

“I’m sorry to hear that. Is there a less expensive space you can move to?” I didn’t want to act nosy but Emmy seemed to be the open book type.

She had asked for my help, joking or not.

Emmy shrugged. “I haven’t really looked yet. I pick up Chris after school since no more nanny. My mom moved in to help with him so I can work more. He gets bored here after school or some days he has baseball practice. It’s too much. Kids really are too much for one person who works full time.”

“Our mom managed and you will too.” Sonia squeezed Emmy’s hand. “We can go looking for places this weekend.”

Emmy smiled but didn’t seem enthused. I could tell they were good friends. My sister, as self-involved as she could be, was a good friend and very loyal. Someone could take advantage—like that Carmen.

I didn’t know the area well enough to be helpful on the real estate hunt. However, I had an idea about that ex-husband, Roger. I pocketed one of Emmy’s cards so I had her last name. Odds were she’d kept the ex’s since they shared a son. I’d thought about going back to my maiden name but I liked my ex better than my father.

“Let’s talk about something else.” Emmy held up my right hand. “You’ve got good nails. I can do a nice French on these without any tips.”

“I don’t want fake anything on them.” I imagined grabbing my gun and losing the fight because of a plastic nail jammed in the trigger.

“Good. You don’t need it. French is a clean look and it fits you—simple and classic.” She went to work applying the base coat. “You’re getting famous, Helena Morris.”

“Me? No, that’s my sister.” Being in a room with Sonia usually assured I wouldn’t be the center of attention but Emmy clearly wanted a distraction. Sonia for once didn’t seem to mind.

“No, it’s you. You’re all over the Queen Bees website,” Emmy said casually.

“Who?” I looked at Sonia with a frown.

“It’s a gossip site that has minute-by-minute Hollywood truth and trash. They tell you if a rumor is true or not and have the good gossip. I haven’t checked in a while. They tweet and have a website. They’re covering the divorce so I’ve been avoiding my cell. I get stalker mail.” She gave me a sheepish look. Why did I feel like I was pulling teeth to learn what was going on here?

My sister had decided at some point to bury her head in the California sand. Certainly the happy marriage image was tarnished but if they had truth it could help.

“Let me check it. We need to know if you’re getting stalker mail.” I tried to pull my hand away.

“When you’re dry it’ll still be there.” Emmy held on to my hand tightly. “The site has a picture of you pointing a gun. Plus it said you’d elbowed the lead singer of a band at his own party. There’s a picture of him all bloody and you in a black dress. Looks real, is it true?”

“Oh God!” Sonia moaned in embarrassment. “See? I told you!”

“It’s true, but he grabbed my ass so he asked for it.” I had no guilt. “The gun thing was in Sonia’s house. I didn’t do anything wrong.”

“They’re just saying you’re a little wild. Sonia’s rogue sister.” Emmy blushed. “Just thought you should know that there’s buzz.”

“You’re supposed to fix things, not make it worse.” Sonia pressed her hands to her face. “Why me?”

“You? It’s about me. Who cares what they say? If thinking I’m crazy scares off the stalker, I’ll go do something worse.” If Sonia thought I embarrassed that easily she had a lot to learn.

Being a high level female martial artist meant I was challenged by men who needed to prove they were better than any girl. I’d also been teased and taunted plenty on my way up in a man’s world. Being mocked in Hollywood was no challenge.

“That’s a good sister,” Emmy smiled.

“My sister is crazy. Do you really think this is good for my career?” Sonia asked Emmy.

I rolled my eyes at her. “No, but I think it’s good for keeping you alive. So you have to deal with me here and embarrassing the hell out of you. Consider me a permanent bodyguard or chaperone. I want to check your cell every morning and every night for stalker messages. No deleting!”

Sonia grimaced. “Emmy, do they really have pictures of Hel on that website?”

Emmy nodded. “Let me get my laptop, it’s in the office. With two pedicures we’ll be here a while.”

Short of a few very brief mentions in Vegas papers for my business, I’d never had any publicity. I didn’t want it, but if it drew out my sister’s stalker, fine with me.

The chime on my sister’s phone signaled a message.

“Show me,” I said.

Sonia didn’t even look at the screen and held it up for me while Emmy was in the back.

“See you tomorrow! Be ready for anything!” I read it aloud and grabbed the phone, trying to figure out where it came from. The number was blocked.

I put her phone in my purse. “Don’t worry, I’ll be ready.”

“I can’t handle this, Hel,” she admitted.

“Don’t think about it now. Let’s see the bad pics of me on this queen’s website thing.” Worrying accomplished nothing. I preferred action.

She smiled weakly but I saw the fear swirling in her brain. Maybe some unflattering pictures of me on a gossip site would help. Emmy returned and pulled them up like a frequent visitor.

There I stood holding my gun. Then another picture had me in the black dress after elbowing the rock star. The difference in my makeup was noticeable. My butt coming out of or going in my Mustang was another shot online for the world to see. When did that happen? The angle wasn’t flattering but I was more concerned that I didn’t notice the photograph being taken. It was all under the title of
Hollywood PI
.