Mama Sees Stars: A Mace Bauer Mystery (9 page)

When I’d finished, he smirked at me. “A highly reliable source, Barbara.’’

“What do you mean?’’

He poured himself a glass of whiskey, pointed the bottle toward the sofa next to his recliner. “Have a seat. You’re making me nervous.’’

I sat, stiffly. I was sure to have a bruise where Jeb knocked me down. Not taking my eyes off Tilton’s, I waited for him to answer.

“Listen, I’ve been in Hollywood a long time. I’m used to people lying about me, spreading gossip. I’m not surprised the same bullshit is happening here. But that’s all it is.’’ He took a swallow of the Scotch. “I’m completely happy with my role in this film. I wanted the part, and I wanted to work with the other actors they’ve hired.’’

“Even Toby?’’

“Especially Toby. He’s the next Leo DiCaprio.’’

I searched his face for evidence he was lying, or being sarcastic. I didn’t see it.

“Maybe you should ask Barbara what she was doing when she claimed she saw me.’’

“Barbara? What would she have to gain?’’

“She wanted out of this production almost from the start. It’s bleeding money, and she never believed there’d be an audience for the film once it’s finished. You know she and Norman were still in business together, right?’’

I nodded.

“Well, they fought like crazy about even taking on this project. Barbara would have had a good reason to see her ex-husband dead. Now that he is, she’d be a lot better off financially if this movie would just go away.’’

He drank again, his blue eyes beaming sincerity at me from above the rim of his glass.

Leaving Tilton’s trailer, I
looked up to see clouds massing and a helicopter circling. Stymied on the ground, the media was taking to the air to try to get pictures of the private ranch where
Fierce Fury Past
was filming.

When the sun peeked out, I caught a quick flash from the corner of my eye of a sparkling diamond earring and chestnut-colored hair.

“Hey, you!’’

As Savannah Watkins turned toward me, a wide smile lit her face. “Girl, I am so happy to see you standing on two feet. I heard about your close call. You must feel as lucky as a cat on a cream truck.’’

“Yeah, I should buy a lottery ticket,’’ I said. “Listen, you knew Norman pretty well, didn’t you?’’

She nodded, thick hair swinging against her cheek.

“How about his ex-wife?’’

“Oh, I know Barbara. Everybody in Hollywood knows Barbara. Why do you ask?’’

I’d only met Savannah the day before, but for some reason I felt I could trust her. Maybe it was the Southern accent. Maybe it was her friendly, down-to-earth manner. She didn’t seem like the rest of the Hollywood crowd.

“You want to grab a quick cup of coffee?’’ I asked.

As the chopper made another loud pass, Savannah glanced upward. I did, too. It was flying low enough that I spotted a cameraman. He’d slid the door open on the passenger’s side, and was aiming a long lens our way.

“Vultures!’’ Savannah spit out the word.

“Don’t worry,’’ I said. “The cattleman who owns this ranch is politically connected. There’s also a colony of endangered wood storks in a swamp on his land. It won’t be long before he pulls the right strings to shut down the air space up there.’’

“Really?’’ Savannah looked impressed.

I nodded. “Environmental concerns.’’

We made our way to the craft services truck, and helped ourselves to a couple of coffees. Once we were seated comfortably in two chairs in the shade, I detailed my suspicions about sabotage. I told her how Norman’s ex-wife had pointed me toward Tilton, who in turn had aimed me right back toward Barbara.

“What do you think?’’ I asked. “Is somebody trying to derail this movie?’’

Savannah blew on her coffee and took a sip. Balancing the cup gingerly between her knees, she poured in another packet of sugar. “Girl, your mama wasn’t kidding when she said you’re a detective. Didn’t you say you were going to stay out of it?’’

It wasn’t clear from her voice if she was being critical or just curious. When I looked at her, though, she grinned.

“I don’t always do what I say I’m going to do,’’ I shrugged.

Her tone got serious. “Well, Barbara was right when she said money is king in Hollywood. And Greg hit the mark about this picture being Norman’s baby, not hers. She didn’t want to do it, and she didn’t want Paul as the director, either. With Norman dead, I’m sure she’d love to pull the plug, but she can’t. Contractual obligations.’’

“Would a murder and a string of accidents make it easier for her to shut it down?’’

“Maybe. But plenty of productions have gone on after horrible accidents, or the deaths of their stars. In the ’80s, a helicopter crashed and killed Vic Morrow and two young kids on the set of
Twilight Zone
. They finished that film. When Heath Ledger died from drugs, he’d just completed his part on
The Dark Knight;
but he was only halfway through a Terry Gilliam film. Both of those projects went on to be released.’’

A dim memory surfaced. “Didn’t that helicopter decapitate somebody?’’

She shuddered. “Yeah, Vic Morrow, the star; and one of the child actors, too.’’

Thinking about that gruesome scene, suddenly the shock of finding Norman’s body hanging on the fence didn’t seem so horrible after all.

Sipping her coffee, Savannah stared into the distance. “It might be different with a murder, though,’’ she said thoughtfully. “The fear of who might be next could be debilitating to the production. More importantly for Barbara, it could also raise an issue of liability.’’

“How so?’’

“Well, what if it turns out someone
is
stalking victims? Suppose nothing is done to ensure the safety of the crew and the actors. If anyone else were to die or get injured, their family would certainly have grounds to sue the production company for negligence.’’

I remembered how quickly Barbara assumed I was going to sue over the light.

“Barbara told me any number of people could be possible targets. I’ve been wondering more about who might be a suspect,’’ I said. “Who hated Norman Sydney that much?’’

Savannah pursed her lips. “That’s a long line, honey.’’

“Yeah, but hated him enough to commit murder?’’

Her expression became wary. She glanced over each shoulder. We were alone, sitting off by ourselves in the shade of a big oak tree. Unless someone was perched among the leaves—I quickly scanned the branches above, just to be sure—we couldn’t be overheard.

“Norman had issues with women,’’ she finally said.

“Like he cheated? He was a player?’’

“Worse. Let’s just say he had some dark tastes when it came to sex. Very young women. Multiple partners.’’ She cupped a hand to her mouth, whispering the last words. “Not all the girls were willing.’’

The disgust must have registered on my face. She nodded. “Awful, right? But it’s true; the Hollywood casting couch at its worst. Many a starlet got her first big break in a Norman Sydney production. He made sure they paid for the opportunity.’’

“Kelly Conover?’’

“I don’t know for sure. Probably.’’

“Jesse Donahue?’’

Savannah nodded decisively. “And it wasn’t just girls. Norman had many wealthy, powerful friends with a taste for young men. He threw parties, stocked with hopeful young actors.’’

I thought of Greg Tilton. Was that possible? Then, Toby’s smooth-cheeked face popped into my mind. My stomach clenched in revulsion and anger. If what Savannah said was true, Norman Sydney was a sexual predator. His murder suddenly seemed like deserving punishment.

“He wasn’t a nice man, Mace. Lots of people on this set could have wanted to kill him.’’

“It’s weird, Savannah. When I try to think about which of these stars might have done it, it’s hard for me to see them as real people. I keep getting them mixed up with their public images.’’

Those larger-than-life movie posters in Tilton’s trailer ran like a slideshow behind my eyes. I blinked them away.

“I know what you mean,’’ Savannah said. “I’ve been part of the industry for a long time; now mostly by marriage. But when I look at Toby, for example, I see him the way he’s usually cast: a troubled boy turning into a man, who always ends up doing the right thing.’’

“Right,’’ I said. “I saw him just like that, playing a part in a TV show where he was in a juvenile detention center. He ended up saving a younger kid from a brutal guard.’’

“
Locked Up,
’’ Savannah said. “What’s Kelly Conover’s image?’’

“Fragile, but with deep reserves of inner strength,’’ I supplied.

“Exactly. Like the beaten single mother who had to track down the molester who kidnapped her daughter.’’

“
The Screwbox
,’’ I easily filled in the title, even though I’m not as big a movie buff as Mama and my sisters. “How about Jesse?’’ I asked her.

Savannah’s pretty face darkened. “Jesse’s got a big problem. No one even remembers she was a talented young actress once. All the public sees is her climbing out of a car without undies, or shoving drunkenly at the paparazzi as she stumbles out of some nightclub.’’

“You know, Jesse’s a lot smarter than she lets on.’’ I told Savannah about Jesse’s father, the emergency room doctor, and the girl’s own medical expertise.

“You’d never know it. Jesse better figure out whether she wants to be Jodie Foster or Lindsay Lohan.’’ A brief flash of anguish crossed Savannah’s face. “Jesse told Paul she wanted this role to help her get back to practicing her ‘craft.’ I hope she can do that, become a respected actress again.’’

I wondered about that flicker of pain. Had Savannah once had her own Hollywood dreams?

“Did you ever want to be an actress?’’ I asked.

“Hell no!’’ She chuckled. “I’d rather die than drag my ass down a red carpet.’’

“What about Tilton? Did he want this movie for the same reason as Jesse? Did he want to stretch as an actor?’’

“No, it’s simpler for him. He needs a hit.’’

“Barbara doesn’t think it will be a hit,’’ I said. “She also said Tilton’s not happy that Toby’s getting more and more screen time.’’

Savannah shrugged, raked her fingers through that glossy hair. “That’s the business, Mace. Movie stars age in dog years. And there’s always another young pup barking at the old dog’s heels.’’

“But Tilton is a legend. He’s saved the world in about a million different ways. The guy is
always
the hero.’’

Savannah clucked her tongue, just like Mama does. “C’mon, honey, you aren’t that naïve, are you? You do know that real life is nothing like the movies, right?’’

A ring of masked
bandits surrounded Kelly Conover and Greg Tilton. The thieves were insistent, demanding the two stars hand over the good stuff.

Tilton tossed an apple slice at one of them.

Kelly squealed. “Ohmigod, how cute is that?’’

“That little guy should go out for the Yankees,’’ Tilton said.

Sitting back on its hind legs, a raccoon had snagged the snack in a front paw, like Cal Ripken Jr. at shortstop. He’d already polished off that slice, and was angling for another one. I’d seen enough.

“Those are wild animals, not pets.’’ I could hear the lecturing tone in my own voice, but I didn’t care. “You two are turning them into beggars.’’

“Oh, but look how sweet they are! See their little black masks?’’ Kelly asked.

“Yeah. They’re wearing them because they’re embarrassed. Raccoons are only a step up from rats. Keep giving them food, and they’ll have all their buddies swarming the place before you can say ‘suckers.’’’

“You’re nothing like a rat, are you, buddy?’’ Tilton threw another piece of apple.

With a threat of rain in the air, I’d been taking a wooded shortcut to check on the horses in the corral. I came upon the two stars and their pack of raccoons in a clearing. Like everyone I ever caught at Himmarshee Park trying to feed the alligators or any other animal, Kelly and Tilton wanted to convince me they weren’t doing any harm.

“It’s just a few pieces of fruit,’’ she said. “No big deal.’’

“It is a big deal,’’ I said. “Wild animals are meant to forage for natural sources of food, not depend on humans for hand-outs. You’re making them dependent, and also taking away their fear of humans. That’s not good for people, or for the animals.’’

“Who made you boss of the forest?’’ Tilton asked, crossing his arms. Kelly giggled.

I was going to scare them with a story about a seventy-four-year-old woman in Lakeland, Fla., who’d been mauled by a gang of wild raccoons. All she’d tried to do was shoo them from begging for food at her front door. I was distracted, though, by a quick flash of pink and a blur of movement through the woods.

Peering into the trees, I saw the tall, good-looking guy who had tried to calm Kelly after Mama and I discovered Norman’s body.

He crouched, and watched us from the shadows. Apparently he didn’t realize his bright pink shirt made him easier to spot than a city slicker at the rodeo. When he saw me staring, he stood up and emerged from the trees into the clearing.

“I heard arguing,’’ he said. “Is everything all right, Kelly?’’

Tilton’s mouth tightened. “Everything’s under control, Sam.’’

“I’m fine, sweetie.’’ Kelly gave him a warm smile. “We’re just getting yelled at about how we’re destroying all of the outdoors by feeding a couple of pieces of fruit to a few raccoons.’’

“Just watch,’’ I said. “This handful here will turn into a crowd by tomorrow. By the next day, it’ll be a mob. You’ll wish you’d never seen their little masked faces.’’

Sam didn’t say anything. His eyes bored into Tilton. The star took an uneasy step away from Kelly, putting some space between them.

Brushing some dirt off a fallen pine tree, Kelly sat. “What are you working on?’’ she asked Sam.

“Not much, yet. Between the weather and … well, what happened … Paul’s only been able to shoot a few scenes. There’ll be some good stuff from that scene Johnny Jaybird shot, though.’’

“How is Johnny?’’ I asked.

All three of them turned to me, blank looks on their faces.

“As a director?” Tilton asked.

“
Noooo
, as the victim of a gunshot.’’ These Hollywood people were too much. Unless something directly involved them, they weren’t interested.

“Oh, yeah. Of course,’’ Kelly said. “He’s doing well, thank God. They say he’ll only be out a couple of days.’’

“So Jesse was right when she said it was just a flesh wound. He’s lucky,’’ I said.

She shrugged, and tossed one of the raccoons a slice of the orange she was eating. Tilton laughed, and gave her arm a playful jab. “You’d better watch out. Mace is going to take you to the woodshed.’’

I glanced at Sam. Brow furrowed, body tense, he looked like he’d like to launch Tilton to that same woodshed from the end of one of his clenched fists. Kelly’s gaze followed mine.

“Sam, I missed lunch. Would you be a sweetheart and go back to my trailer and make us something? I’ll meet you there in a little while.’’

Sam smiled at her. “You’re hungry?’’

“Starving!’’

“That’s a good sign. I’ll grab some stuff from craft services. How about one of my famous cheese and veggie wraps?’’

“Yum, yum, yum.’’ Kelly licked her lips. Both men stared at her tongue.

As Sam went off down the trail, she called after him. “Don’t forget to use low-fat cheese. And put the sugar-free salad dressing on the veggies, okay?’’

Why bother eating?

Sam signaled with a thumb up. “I know, Kelly. I remember.’’

“He remembers a lot of things,’’ Tilton muttered under his breath. “What’s he even doing here, besides shadowing you? That guy’s totally in love with you, Kelly.’’

Watching Sam disappear into the trees, she shook her golden curls. “I doubt that, Greg. Even if he is, what am I supposed to do about it?’’

“You could try telling him the truth.’’

I was hoping they’d forgotten I was there, and would reveal something interesting. But Kelly whispered, making a joke. “Please, Greg, not in front of the children.’’ Her gesture took in the raccoons and me.

He laughed, and the secret confessions mood was broken. I was still racking my brain for the scoop on these two. Had they ever been a couple? Mama had nothing stored in her vast reservoir of Greg Tilton trivia, which made me think they hadn’t. Or, at least not publicly. I decided to find out if maybe all those
People
magazines stashed at Hair Today might have missed something.

“How long have you two worked together?’’ Starting innocently, I’d inch my way to more personal questions.

“
Don’t Go in the Water.
’’ Tilton mimicked a deep-voiced movie announcer.

“Say what?’’

“That was the title of our first film together. What was it, Kelly? Fifteen, sixteen years ago?’’

“Twenty-one.’’

“Man, we’re old!’’

“Speak for yourself,’’ she said. “I’m ten years younger than you.’’

He gave her a long look.

“Well, almost.’’ She smiled slyly. “Anyway, all I remember from that shoot is I nearly froze my ass off, and I screamed a lot.’’

“You were a great screamer. Not bad in a bikini, either.’’ He waggled his eyebrows at her.

“How’d you have time to notice? You got killed in the first reel.’’

“Yeah, my character didn’t even have a name. I was Surfer No. 2.’’

As they went deeper into memory mode, I studied their body language, searching for outward signs of their relationship. Were they friends? Foes? Lovers? Tilton had joined Kelly on the fallen log. Their knees weren’t touching, but they were close. The two of them seemed more chummy today than they had the first time I saw them together.

“So, you’ve been friends a long time?’’

“Long enough,’’ Kelly said.

“Long enough to know where each other’s skeletons are buried,’’ Tilton added.

Before I could start to unearth some of those skeletons, Kelly looked at her wristwatch. “Gotta shove off,’’ she said. “I don’t want to keep Sam waiting.’’

“You’ve kept him waiting for years. What’s another few minutes?’’

She punched her co-star in the arm. Judging from his grimace, it wasn’t a playful punch. “You must not have heard me ask you nicely to stop discussing private matters.’’ Her voice was cold; no trace of the famous laugh.

“Don’t mind me.’’ I made the lock sign over my lips. “I’m a vault.’’

“Yeah, we’ve heard that before, haven’t we, Kelly?’’

She ignored him, turned to me. “Look, I’m sure you’re a nice woman. But people like us don’t spill our guts to people like you.’’

People like me?

“
People like you,
’’ I drew out the words, “who don’t know enough to stay away from wild animals, shouldn’t be allowed out into the woods. By the way, those adorable little critters you love so much can also carry rabies. Be careful.’’

“Are you taking notes, Greg?’’ Kelly asked sweetly. “Wouldn’t it be embarrassing if the world’s most famous action hero was done in by a raccoon?’’