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Getting to Jason Reed proved to be easy. Mason simply called Jade. The actress sounded bored and was pleased to hear from her.

“Sure, I’ll introduce you to Jason. I think he’s on location right now, but we can take a ride. It’ll be fun. Do you wanna pick me up?”

Which is why, an hour later, Mason was driving the ’55 Porsche Speedster, a car capable of racing speeds, at twelve miles an hour down Beverly Boulevard. She’d picked Jade up at her hairdresser, and despite the fact that she’d just spent three hundred dollars having her hair done, Jade begged her to leave the top down.

“Then people can see me,” she explained, simply. “It’ll be fun.”

It wasn’t fun, and Mason didn’t enjoy it. The first fan scream happened as they turned up Robertson, and seeing as they moved at a snail’s pace, continued pretty much all the way up the four blocks they had to drive. People mobbed the car, asking Jade for selfies, autographs and kisses. Paparazzi had been quick on the uptake, and TMZ ran several shots of Jade looking gorgeous while a “mystery woman” threatened everyone in sight. Mason managed not to kill anyone with the car, but not for lack of desire. Once they reached a stretch without screaming or flashes, she pulled over and put up the top.

“Spoilsport,” pouted Jade, then grinned and settled back for the drive to Solvang.

It takes around two hours to get to Solvang, and Mason learned a lot on that drive. She learned that finding your “best side” for selfies was more a science than an art, that you don’t actually need to sleep with anyone to get a job these days, and that Jade had originally wanted to be a kindergarten teacher when she was a kid but once she got rid of her braces and grew six inches in her thirteenth year she had to give up that dream and become a movie star and model instead. Mason also learned a lot about The Baby-Sitters Club , a series of books that Jade considered central to a woman’s understanding of herself, and which Mason promised to read while knowing full well she’d rather cut her own throat. She also learned that Jade spent a lot of time volunteering at the same animal shelter that Helen Eckenridge did.

“Oh yeah, Helen’s there quite a bit. She’s more of a big-dog person, so she and I are usually in different sections, because I am, like, a small-dog fanatic . But we’ve talked, sure.” Jade’s eye’s widened. “She’s a writer, which I think is amazing. I can’t write at all, seriously. I love writers; they know so many words and always say what I’m thinking, but better, right?” She laughed. “Mark Twain said writing was easy, all you have to do is cross out the wrong words, but I bet it’s more than that.” She paused. “Tom Sawyer was a little bastard, am I right?”

Mason nodded. She’d tried conversing at first, but realized it was more restful to just wait for a gap in the flow and nod. Sometimes she murmured, but that was about the extent of it.

Jade was still going. “Jason’s a writer, too, did you know? I mean, he’s a director, but he also produces and writes.” She laughed. “Bossy and controlling like a director, but nervous and self-absorbed like a writer. It’s a cute combination.”

Mason muttered unintelligibly, but then decided she might as well gather some background.

“How did you meet Jason?”

Jade frowned. “It was a while ago. I think it was at a party.” She pondered, and her face cleared, suddenly. “No! It was organized by my agent, because of the Netflix thing.” Another pause. “No, it was a party, it was just my agent that introduced us.” She turned to Mason and smiled brilliantly. “Does it matter? I’m not good with details.”

Mason shook her head. It might matter, but listening to Jade plumb the shallows of her recollection was challenging her anger management. They were approaching Solvang, and Jade got on her phone to an assistant who told her how to get to the shoot.

Solvang is a pretty California town, famous for its windmill, half-timbered houses and giant red clog. The whole town was founded in the early twentieth century by Danish Americans who were presumably homesick, but not enough to go home. The weather in Southern California may have been a factor. It was adorable and cute and kind of like Danish Disneyland.

“Are you hungry?” Jade asked, pointing to a pancake restaurant. She asked it in the form of a question, but Mason knew it was more of a request.

Ten minutes later, they were sitting in a booth, waiting for the house special, a pancake the size of a sea turtle.

“What are they filming here?” asked Mason, playing with her cutlery.

“Are you going to do that knife thing from Aliens ?” Jade was semiserious; she clearly viewed Mason as a kind of superhero, despite the fact that she’d personally seen her get her ass kicked. She spread her hand on the table and looked hopeful.

Mason was fine with disappointing her. “No, I was preparing to spread butter on the pancakes.”

“I think they’re filming a car commercial.” The pancakes arrived and Jade made a little ooh of happiness. “They usually are.”

Mason poured syrup. “So Jason doesn’t just do movies?” She thought about how important work was to all these people, the way they took it all so seriously. But seriously enough to kill for? It felt a little silly to her.

“No, of course not. He has to eat. He says even car commercials can be cool.” She poured precisely a teaspoon of syrup on her pancake and spread it around. “Have to watch the waistline, am I right?” She then sprinkled about half a pound of confectioners’ sugar over the whole thing. She looked up and caught Mason’s expression. “This doesn’t count. It’s powdered.”

Jason Reed was indeed filming a car commercial, for a cute little Fiat that made Mason think of baby shoes. He seemed to be focused on getting a shot of the car driving past the giant clog, because that was what was happening when they arrived. The car would drive past; Jason would look at a monitor, then tell the driver to do it again.

“Can you be more jaunty?” Jason asked through his headset. The car drove past again, exactly the same way.

“Again, with more jauntiness, please.” He was clearly getting a little frustrated.

Mason was surprised to see Jason Reed was young, probably no more than a decade older than she was. He was very attractive, with the kind of energy that Mason saw a lot in Los Angeles, a type of highly focused interest in the matter at hand, whether that matter was making a movie or taking an order for lunch.

“How is the driver supposed to be jaunty? You can’t even see him.” Mason was standing pretty close to Jason when she asked the question, and he jumped slightly. Turning, he saw Jade and broke into a smile.

“Hello, lovely. Did you just ask a question?”

“No, that was me,” said Mason. “I was just wondering how you’ll know the driver is jaunty when you can’t see him?”

Jason frowned. “Firstly, it’s a woman; secondly, it’s not her I want to be jaunty, it’s the car.”

“How can a car be jaunty?”

“Let’s see.” He told the driver to try it again, while at the same time holding up his phone playing the music that would accompany the shot. Undeniably jaunty.

“Huh,” conceded Mason, then stuck out her hand. “I’m Natasha Mason. Jade was kind enough to bring me here so I could ask you some questions about Tony Eckenridge. Any chance you’re going to take a break soon?”

Jason looked surprised, which was impossible because Mason had heard Jade tell him essentially the same thing on the phone, and then concerned.

“Of course. What a terrible loss Tony was to the whole city. The whole world, really; his movies transcended national boundaries.”

“If you say so,” replied Mason. “So, a break?”

“Sure,” the director replied. “Once I get a few more shots done. Why don’t you ladies go wait by craft services, and I’ll come find you when we stop for lunch.”

Then he turned back to the monitor and the five people who had been waiting to speak to him, and that was the last Mason saw of Jason Reed for another four hours.

Eventually, Mason got annoyed and called Julia.

“He’s dicking me around,” she said.

“He’s also dicking Jade around. Let her go cause trouble. She’s an actress; it’s expected.”

Mason rolled her eyes. “Are you joking? After thirty minutes she left to go shopping. Then she texted me that she found a spa and was having a massage, a manicure, a pedicure and a blowout of her hair which she just had done five hours ago.”

Julia chuckled. “A true professional. I might like her after all.”

Mason shook her head, not that Julia could see her. “Can I just come back? I can see him when he’s back in town.”

“No, stay there. Will found out he’s mortgaged to the hilt, which isn’t rare, but could increase his rage at having his project shut down. Get back to waiting, and get used to it. A lot of basic detective work involves long periods of waiting for something to happen.”

“Thanks for the advice. I’ll get it embroidered on a pillow. Did Becky show up yet?” Mason watched as a girl in a headset tried to prevent pedestrians from crossing the road, something they seemed pretty intent on doing.

“No. She’s not missing. I put her somewhere safe.”

“You did? Where?”

“Somewhere useful to me, and safe for her. It’s not important that you know the details. Just stay there, Mason, and call me once something interesting has happened.” She hung up, and Mason sighed and reached for another bear claw. Her new job was so rewarding. At least craft services was well stocked, with pastries, burritos and soft-serve ice cream. She might die of impatience, but not hunger. She noticed that the girl with the headset had resorted to handing out twenty-dollar bills to the pedestrians; once, that is, they had signed a piece of paper. Mason idly wondered how much she could make if she just attempted to cross the street repeatedly but talked herself out of it. She reached for a banana; she must be growing up.

Several times over the course of the next few hours, people came up to Mason and asked her questions, assuming she was part of the production. She started off saying she didn’t know, but after the fourth or fifth time she began making stuff up. She told one frantic girl the last time she’d seen the production designer he’d been heading to the nearest bar, which sent her off in a panic; she told another guy that a dingo had taken the second grip, whatever that was; and just as she was about to defy Julia and get up to leave, she had the pleasure of telling a guy that Jason Reed had last been seen calling an impotence clinic in tears.

“I’ve got plenty of issues,” came a voice from behind her, “but keeping it up isn’t one of them.”

Mason briefly closed her eyes, then stood and got ready to brazen it out. But fortunately, Mr. Reed appeared to have a sense of humor, because he was laughing.

“I’m sorry I kept you waiting so long, but it seems like you found ways to amuse yourself.”

She nodded and shrugged. “The devil makes work for idle hands. What can I say?”

He just smiled and took her arm. “The bruises make more sense, that’s for sure. Let’s go find some coffee and privacy, and we’ll find a way to keep your hands busy.” His hand was warm on her skin, and as he guided her across the street, she could smell a faint but clearly expensive aftershave. There was something about him, something…seductive. Mason frowned at herself and stepped slightly away from him. He said nothing, just pushed open the door of a large trailer and gestured her to precede him up the steps.

Inside the trailer was a mess, but clearly a working mess, and more importantly there was a small espresso machine. Jason Reed made them both a coffee and sat down and grinned at her.

“I am ready for the third degree. Shoot.”

Mason crossed her legs and tried to look serious. “What was your show for Netflix about?”

He didn’t flicker. “It’s about Galliano’s, the burlesque club. I have Maggie Galliano ready to cooperate fully; I have access to all their historical documents, which are extensive; and I have the beginnings of an A-list cast lined up. It’s going to be a great show.”

“Going to be? I thought Tony shut you down?”

He nodded. “He did, but I can go back to it now, while preproduction on The Codex is happening. I’ve always got several projects on the go. You have to, in this business.” His face got serious. “They had a murder recently, so the place is trending.”

“Lucky for you,” Mason said, dryly.

“Yup.” He looked at her. “Don’t judge, Miss Mason. The victim was actually a girl I was thinking of hiring for the show. She was smart, talented. This business is all about publicity, about what the public is interested in. You have to move quickly and watch for the right moment. The idea that The Codex is cursed generates inches and inches of coverage every time it comes up. Coverage drives business, and business means more movies being made.”

“I’m not judging you. I’m just being generally sarcastic. Did you and Tony ever have a conversation about it?”

He nodded. “Yeah, but only over the phone. He was as charming and evasive as ever. He didn’t deny he’d had a hand in shutting me down, but he suggested I’d be better off working on a different project anyway, like directing The Codex . Galliano’s isn’t as interesting as you think, he said, which I seriously doubt.” He turned up his palms. “I was pretty mad, but you can’t stay mad in this business. You make a little note in your brain for payback later and move on.” He looked suddenly somber. “And payback came for Tony without any effort on my part, so there you go.”

“Divine intervention?”

He shook his head. “Probably just bad luck, wouldn’t you say?” He looked at her and tipped his head slightly. “You have a great look, despite the bruising. Have you thought about acting?”

She ignored him. “And now you’re directing The Codex ?”

“Yes, Christine called me the day after the funeral and sent over Helen’s old script. It’s a placeholder, obviously; we’ll get it rewritten. It gave us enough to start talking to people. I’ve been attached on and off for years; it’s one of those projects that rises and falls. With all this publicity now it might actually happen.” He grinned. “Which is good because I need the money. Made a few investments that didn’t pay off quite the way I’d hoped, you know?”

“And Jade Solomon?”

“Signed up to play the lead, which is good for all of us.” He smiled. “Jade isn’t an intellectual, but put her in front of a camera and watch the magic happen. She’s a real talent.”

“She’s not dumb.” Mason found herself defending her new friend. “She’s read a lot of books and has a ten-year plan.”

Jason raised his eyebrows and said, “We also hope to get Julia to do a small role, and we signed up Jack Simon and are still pursuing David Paul, although I heard there was bad blood between those two. Hopefully, it was long enough ago that it won’t matter. Jack Simon was a hard get, but we got him in the end. David Paul says he’s considering a reality show instead, but he’s just hoping for more money.”

Mason finished her coffee. “So, do you have any theories about who killed Tony?”

He shook his head. “I thought it was your boss. She’s a force of nature.”

“She’s going to a lot of trouble if it was.”

“Smoke screen. She couldn’t stand Tony, remember? She blamed him for the death of her husband. She accused him on the stand, though he had an alibi and she didn’t. She had been sleeping with him, of course, and also—allegedly—had moved on to an affair with David Paul. Or was it Jack Simon? Both of the men were on set during the time of the murder, and she was nowhere to be seen. That’s what put her away, in the end. Well, that and the fact that she called the judge a colossal square and referred to the jury as ‘the dozy dozen.’?”

Mason didn’t comment. Jason continued. “Don’t get blinded by loyalty. Your boss killed one man. What makes you think she didn’t kill another?”

“I have no idea if she killed the first one, and she has an alibi for the second one.”

“ I was too drunk is not an alibi.”

Mason had to acknowledge the truth of this, but not out loud.

“Tell me about your relationship with Christine. She must like you more than Tony did.”

He shook his head and stood up. “I doubt that. Tony loved me. And Christine has respect for my work. Nothing in Hollywood is personal, Miss Mason, it’s all just business. Sometimes it’s also pleasure, but more often it’s just another day at work.” He took the cups to the tiny sink and rinsed them. “Still, I suppose it could have been someone else, it being your boss is a little predictable. How about his wife? I’ve seen her lose her temper, and for all her quiet affect, she’s as power hungry and obsessive as anyone else in the business.”

“You saw Helen lose her temper with Tony?”

He shook his head. “No, working on a project. She’s a successful writer, you know, works all the time, although she’s always wanted to direct instead. She did one feature that was dead on release and got put in movie jail for a while.”

“What’s movie jail?” she asked.

“A period of time where you can’t even get a meeting, let alone a job. Most people visit movie jail at some point in their career; some just stay longer than others. I wasn’t sure Helen was ever going to get out.”

“You know a lot about it,” said Mason.

He shrugged. “We have the same agent, Helen and I.”

“Everyone seems to have the same agent.”

“They don’t, but good agents know everyone, so it ends up much the same.”

“Did Helen and Tony not get on?”

Jason shrugged. “They were separated, so presumably not. The rumor is he thought I’d be a better director for The Codex , and if she’d heard that she wouldn’t have been pleased. But they had lunch before he died, right? He can’t have disliked her; he wouldn’t eat with people he didn’t like, said it put him off his food. I’m the same way. I tend to want to spend more time with people I like, don’t you? At least until I know them better and realize I don’t like them so much anymore.”

“Does that happen often?”

“Sure, I’m as fickle as the next guy.” He grinned at her. “Would you like to spend more time with me? We could find out if we like each other.”

Mason frowned. “Or discover we have a physical allergy and blow up like puffer fish.”

He burst out laughing. “I have to go back on set now. Can I take you out to dinner when we’re back in the city? I’m sure there’s much more you want to know, and I’m happy to lay bare my soul.” He leaned over and looked into her eyes, a crooked and charming smile taking the edge off his words. “I can be very cooperative given the right incentive.”

Mason stood, too. “I’m never inclined to offer incentives, Mr. Reed.”

“I doubt you ever have to.” He held the trailer door open for her, and she passed very close to him as she went down the steps. Sometimes her physical reaction to people reminded her a little of her cravings for alcohol, a sense that some lower portion of her mind had wrested control of the wheel for a while. She paused at the bottom, relieved to have put some distance between them.

“Yeah, usually my sunny personality is incentive enough. Thanks for answering my questions. I’ll be in touch if I need to know anything else.”

“Promise?”

Mason just turned and walked away, pretty certain that making promises to Jason Reed was something one could live to regret.

Once she and Jade were on the way home, one of them smelling of essential oils, the other of frosting, Mason asked the actress what she knew about Helen, and about Christine.

Jade shrugged. “I don’t know Christine at all, really. We met last week for the first time, when Jason wanted me for The Codex . She didn’t even really say very much, just looked me over, had me read some lines, hold a gun, make some coffee, you know, that was it.”

“Coffee? Is that a pivotal part of the script?”

“I don’t know. I only read my parts. I think she just wanted a cup of coffee. Cody wasn’t there.”

Mason shot her a look. “She couldn’t make it herself? And doesn’t she have a second assistant?”

Jade looked surprised. “I have no idea. I didn’t see anyone else. Maybe she fired them. It happens all the time. Studio executives don’t make their own coffee, and I was having one, so you know, whatev.” She turned to look out of the window, watching the coast slide by. “I’ll tell you one thing, though, that struck me as really weird.”

“Yes?” Finally , thought Mason, something useful .

“She really likes fish. Her whole office was, like, full of tanks.”

Mason briefly closed her eyes. “Thanks, Jade, that’s helpful.”

“You’re welcome.” The beautiful young woman fell silent, then made a sudden noise that almost scared Mason off the road. “Ooh, look, a dolphin!” She was quiet for a moment, then added, “I know Helen a little bit because of the animal shelter. Like I said, she’s big dogs, I’m small dogs so, you know, we don’t run across each other very much.”

“Neither of you are cat people?”

“I like cats,” said Jade cheerfully, “but sometimes they look at me funny and I get nervous.”

Mason was touched and was about to launch into a description of Phil and their strange relationship, when her phone rang. It was Julia, so Mason kept it off speaker.

“Are you nearly home?”

“No,” said Mason, “we just left Solvang.”

“Jesus, alright, come report as soon as you get back.”

“No, I’m tired. I spent all day waiting. I’m going to bed.”

“You work for me, come and report.”

“No, as your interim sponsor and also as an individual human being, maintaining a work-life balance is important, Julia. If I do anything other than eat and sleep it will be go to a meeting. You went to one this morning; I haven’t yet. You know what they say: Everything you put before your sobriety you’ll lose.”

“Well, you’ll certainly lose your job.”

“Fine with me. I work to live, not live to work. Your generation got sold down the river; mine has handed in the paddle completely. I’ll see you first thing tomorrow.” She was about to hang up the call when Jade suddenly leaned over and shouted, “Julia, I love you!”

There was a pause.

“What was that?” asked Julia.

Mason sighed and handed over the phone. Jade squealed.

“Julia! I am such a huge fan! I am so excited to be playing the part you made famous. I was wondering when I could come over and talk to…”

She fell silent, listening.

“Yes, but…”

More silence. She frowned a little. Mason wondered if Julia was being mean.

“But I saved Mason’s life.” Jade issued this statement in much the same way a small child might say, but you said Santa Claus was real , and it seemed to have the desired effect. A smile broke across the beautiful actress’s face and she said, “That would be wonderful. I’ll bring gluten-free muffins!”

Another pause.

“Really? I didn’t know that. Never mind, then.” She hung up and handed Mason back her phone. “She says I can come over tomorrow. She must really like you.”

“Hmm,” said Mason, not willing to accept this verdict.

They drove in silence for a moment, then Jade added, “Did you know gluten-free muffins cause vaginal dryness? I had no idea.”