Not Talented in Hollywood: Not in Hollywood Book 3 (9 page)

Jorge grunted with a smile and took another drink.

“I thought Monique put you with me tonight because you’re
the nice one” I complained.

Jorge shrugged. “Truthfully, your reputation makes some of
the other security guys a little nervous about working with you. Lucky for you
I don’t believe it and I’m just that brave.”

I looked at him sourly. “Considering my reputation I’m not
sure giving me attitude is a smart idea.”

“I’m a man who lives on the edge” he said grinning at me.

When my head finally hit the pillow at seven the next
morning, I groaned with how good it felt. Jorge and I had accomplished our
mission of getting Blythe Stanton on the plane back to rehab. Carl had accompanied
us to the airport as well. After spending the entire night in his office, they
had decided to give their marriage another go. That started with Blythe getting
herself clean, so she bravely got back on to the plane. We then had to deal
with Carl, who was so overwhelmingly grateful for the part we had played in
helping him get Blythe back, that he got weepy with us in the limo when we were
taking him home. Poor Jorge had looked uncomfortable as the man had hugged him
repeatedly on the way back. For me that sight alone had made the whole night
worth it. The only thing that would have made it better is if I’d managed to immortalize
the moment with a photo. Although considering the dirty look Jorge was shooting
in my direction as I was obviously trying very hard not to laugh, I don’t think
my camera would have survived the experience.

Just as I was drifting off my cell rang. Drowsily I slapped
my hand on the bedside table and knocked the phone on the floor. Faced with the
choice as to whether I would get up and answer the phone or cover my head with
the pillow and go back to sleep I decided that no one was more important to me
than sleep at the moment. Finally the ringing stopped and I snuggled down further
into the covers and drifted off, only to be woken suddenly when the covers were
ripped off my bed.

“What the...?” I gasped as I looked up into Crystal’s
smiling face.

“Get dressed, we’re going to Vegas” she said as I tried to
pull the covers back over me.

“I’m not going anywhere” I groaned. “I just got home from
work and I need to sleep.

Crystal turned and grabbed my overnight bag and started
throwing clothes in. “You have to come. I’m getting married and I need you with
me.”

I laughed. “I must be more tired than I thought. I’m
beginning to hallucinate. For a moment there I thought you said that you were
going to get married.” I dropped my head back to the pillow. “Go away and leave
my key here.”

“Not going to happen” said Crystal, still packing my clothes.
“Edwin and I are getting married today and you’re going to be the bridesmaid
and best man. You are going to be standing there so I don’t panic and run at
the last minute.”

Something in Crystal’s voice finally made it through my
sleep deprived brain and I sat back up. “You’re getting married?” I said.

“Yes.”

“To Edwin.”

“Yes.”

“In Vegas.”

“Yes.”

“Have you told your dad?”

Crystal gulped. “No.”

“Do you think you should?”

“No” and in case I didn’t get it she shook her head
emphatically.

“Why the rush to get married?” I asked. “Don’t you want a
big wedding, have your family there, except your mom of course.”

Crystal grabbed hold of my hand and forced me to look at
her. “I don’t want the big wedding, I don’t want to wait. I know, in my soul
that Edwin is the one for me, I’ve known it forever but I just didn’t want to
risk doing anything to our friendship. If I wait and get caught up in the whole
wedding fiasco I may run or do something really stupid. I may find out that I’m
a little too much like my mom. I just want him, do you understand?”

I nodded, tears forming in my eyes. It was crazy but it was
so sweet. “Crystal, you know I’m your friend and I’m with you all the way and
it is only as your friend that I am saying this, but have you really thought
this through?”

“Yes” she said.

“Fine, I’m with you, just get me some coffee.”

By the time we got to the airport I was on my second cup of
coffee and was feeling much better. In no time at all we were in Vegas. Racing
straight from the airport to a Vegas chapel it hit me that Crystal and Edwin
were actually going to do this. Admittedly there seemed to be some undue haste
around the whole thing but they were actually going to do this. As we stood in
front of the duly authorized celebrant of the state of Nevada, a part of me
envied how sure the two of them were that they were making the right decision.
Despite Crystal’s fears that she would be tempted to run at the last minute she
stood next to Edwin and recited her vows in a strong voice. Edwin rushed
through his vows as if desperate to finally make Crystal his. I provided the
happy tears as my two friends promised to love each other forever. When Edwin
swept Crystal into his arms and kissed her at the end of the ceremony I felt a
tiny bit of jealousy. Edwin looked at Crystal like he couldn’t believe his
luck. I hugged them both.

“I am so happy for you” I said fiercely.

When Crystal was a child, whenever her mother wanted to
squeeze a bit of money out of her father, she would exercise her maternal
rights and Crystal would be spirited away to Vegas. How long her stay was
depended largely on how big a payoff her mother was looking for. Of course once
she had her daughter in Vegas, Crystal had been pretty much left to her own
devices. As a result Crystal had a good knowledge of parts of Vegas which
didn’t necessarily show up on the tourist map. This included a little Italian
restaurant where the three of us toasted a great day and some truly exceptional
food. As the morning wore on I could feel my eyelids growing heavier until
Crystal clicked her fingers in front of me.

“We need to get you to bed” she said.

“On your wedding night” I said smiling. “I know we’re
friends but that’s going a bit too far.”

Edwin grinned.

“Very funny” said Crystal. “We’ll take you to the hotel and
you can get some sleep.”

“No” I said, “you guys are having fun. It’s your day. I can
take a cab to the hotel, no problems and you can enjoy the rest of your day.”

The two of them protested but I finally managed to find a
cab and make it back to the hotel.

Crystal had organized a suite for the three of us but at the
front desk I ordered my own room. The three of us were close but I knew the
friendship etiquette for sharing a suite on your wedding night was kind of
gray. So they didn’t worry, I sent a text message to Crystal as I unlocked the
door. Dropping my bag I felt like I was not going to make it to the bed. I am
not the sort of person who deals with lack of sleep well. If I don’t get a
decent night’s sleep I am a bitter and angry person until I can put my head
down on a pillow.

Just as I started towards the bed there was a knock on the
door. I contemplated ignoring it but the knock happened again, this time more
insistent. I grabbed the door handle ready to politely tell whoever was
knocking to go to hell. I was stunned to see the mobster debt collector from
the funeral standing at the doorway. In a moment he had grabbed my arm, spun me
around and was holding me against his chest.

“This isn’t gonna hurt a bit” he murmured in my ear.

I struggled desperately as I felt a small prick in the side
of my neck. I started to scream and a hand was clasped over my mouth. As I
fought against the iron bars holding me, I could see the room getting darker
like storm clouds crossing the sky until everything went black.

Opening my eyes was a struggle. I felt like I should use my
arms but my whole body felt heavy. When I finally got my eyes open, I found
that I was lying on a hard wood floor. My stomach started rolling and I felt
like I was going to be sick.

“Oh good, you’re awake” I heard from above me.

I had to concentrate to move my head in the direction of the
voice. The voice came from behind a desk and I couldn’t see who was talking. I
was going to have to sit up. Concentrating hard I managed to pull my arms up
underneath me. I levered on my hands and felt my stomach starting to rebel
again. Pushing up into a sitting position I squinted my eyes and saw a well-dressed
man walking towards me. His suit said businessman but there was no way that was
all he was. Every move he made seemed to scream danger and I’m not just saying
that because I’d been kidnapped and ended up on his floor.

“Here, I think you’re going to need this” he said passing me
a glass of water.

I looked at it suspiciously.

“If I had any nefarious plans for you I could have carried
them out while you were passed out on my floor” he said. “I did not mean for
you to be here. One of my colleague’s made an error in judgment. I am now
trying to rectify it.”

“And yet I don’t see any police or paramedics” I croaked.

He smiled crookedly. “Unfortunately, my colleague’s rash
actions have put me into a bit of a difficult position. I have a certain
reputation which could count against me if I contacted the police. That being
said I was starting to get concerned. I was assured the drug cocktail you were
injected with would only last a few hours and you’ve been out considerably
longer than that.”

“How long?” I asked.

“You’ve been unconscious for approximately nine hours. If it
makes you feel better you have been checked by a doctor.”

“I’ve been laying on a floor for nine hours.” No wonder I
needed a bathroom. “You couldn’t have found somewhere more comfortable for me.”

“As I said, I didn’t expect you to be out for so long. I
just kept thinking you would wake up soon and I had work so I kind of forgot
that you were even there and the time just flew by” he said waving his hand
around to emphasize his point.

“That makes me feel special” I grimaced taking a sip of the
water. It didn’t taste like I was being poisoned.

“Why am I here?” I asked.

“Have a seat” the business man went to his chair behind the
desk and gestured to the one opposite.

I sat down carefully.

“Are you going to kill me?” I asked.

He smiled. “You are very direct” he said. “I don’t intend to
kill you but as you are here I do have some questions for you.” It could just
have been my sensitive state but I think I noticed a slight emphasis on the
word intend.

“Can I go home?” I asked.

“No, not yet, I think we need to get to know each other
better before you go home. This situation could be misinterpreted.”

“Really?” I asked trying very hard not to let the sarcasm
through too much. Obviously I failed because he looked at me reprovingly.

“Of course, how do you think I feel? Through no fault of my
own I’ve ended up with you in a precarious state for most of my day. I had
plans that didn’t involve babysitting an unconscious woman.”

“From the sounds of it you didn’t put a great deal of effort
into seeing to my comfort” I said scathingly and wanted to kick myself.
Obviously whatever drugs had been injected into my system had completely shut
down the self-preservation center of my brain.

“I need a bathroom” I said.

He looked at me with the expression of someone whose
patience had reached the limit of normal humans but that I should be grateful
that he had saint like levels available to him.

“Through here” he said tiredly coming around the desk and
helping me up. He seemed to have a bathroom attached to the office and gave me
a small push through the door. I closed it behind me and heard him sigh through
the door. Considering I was the one who had been drugged and kidnapped he was
definitely making a drama out of being the one who was the victim here. I
looked around the bathroom for a window, or any other way of escape.

“There aren’t any windows and no vents” the tired voice
called through to me. “The only way out is through this door. Once we’ve had
our little chat I’ll take you back to your hotel myself.”

I wondered if I could take him. I’m not particularly petite
and thanks to an inability to diet for any length of time I had a bit of weight
to me. Not much but enough to ensure I never intend to wear a bikini. For several
seconds I fantasized about taking him by surprise, but who was I kidding? At
the moment going to the bathroom seemed to be a huge task for me to accomplish.
Taking on a man who didn’t intend to kill me, but seemed like he could change
his mind in a heartbeat, was completely out of the realms of possibility. After
cleaning myself up in the bathroom, I opened the door to find him leaning
against the door frame.

“Who are you?” I asked when I realized that I had no idea
who this man was.

“You don’t know?” he asked as he sat down behind his desk.

“I don’t mean to offend you if I’m supposed to know you, but
I honestly don’t have a clue” I said.

“At least it makes us even” he said, “I have no idea who you
are either. All I know is that my colleague saw you as a threat so decided to
bring you here.”

“Then why don’t you ask him what was going through his
head?” I said. “Because this whole thing is crazy. There is no reason for
anyone to kidnap me.”

“Really?” he said as he leaned forward on the desk and
looked thoughtful.

“You don’t know the man who took you.”

“No” I stuttered a bit and the man eyed me suspiciously.

“I saw him at a funeral that I went to yesterday. I’d never
seen him before then and I have no idea why he would kidnap me.”

“Maybe because you followed him to Vegas” the man ventured.

“I did not follow him. My friends decided to get married on
impulse and I came with them. That is the only reason that I am in Las Vegas. I
have no other reason to be here. I really have to say that I don’t want to be
here. I really just want to go home.”

“How can I send you home?” he asked. “I have no idea who you
are or where you live. You’ve been through a traumatic experience and are most
likely still under the effects of some powerful drugs. It would be
irresponsible of me to just let you out on the streets.”

“You’re telling me that you won’t let me go because you are
worried about me?” I was having trouble keeping the incredulity out of my
voice.

“Of course” he said and I swear he looked as innocent as a
new born baby. “I have no other reason for keeping you here.”

“Who are you?” I asked.

“You can call me Dominic, and you are?”

“Trudie” I said. If he wanted to keep to first names, so
would I.

“Trudie” he said, “that’s an unusual name.”

I know Trudie is an unusual name. What is more unusual is it
is short for Gertrude just like my great grandmother. That is what happens when
childbirth, drugs and emotional blackmail all come together in a perfectly
played hand by my Grandma Rita. After what my mother refers to as the disaster,
she refused to name my sister and brother until she had left hospital and had
two weeks to think about it. Most importantly, my grandmother had been banned
from making any suggestions.

“So Trudie, how do you know Catarina Badal?” Dominic asked.

“Actually I don’t” I said. “I met her once the night she
died and she didn’t even speak to me. I was just attending her last show
because a friend of mine was acting in it.”

“So why were you at the funeral?” Dominic leaned back in his
chair studying me intently.

“My friend wanted to go to the funeral and he wasn’t in a
good way so I went to support him, as a friend” I said.

“That is unfortunate” Dominic said. “My colleague thought
you knew Catarina and that is why you were after him.”

“He was wrong” I said. “I saw him at the funeral, I didn’t
even know he’d be in Las Vegas. Like I said, my friends decided to get married,
they asked me to come to be the bridesmaid and best man. They got married but I
hadn’t slept the night before because I had been working so I was really tired
and I went back to my room. The next thing I know I’m being grabbed by some
scary looking guy and I wake up on your floor nine hours later if what you’re
telling me is true. My friends are going to be panicking by now. Why did he
kidnap me?” I asked curiosity getting the better of me.

“Unfortunately, my colleague is quite paranoid at times”
Dominic said. “Seeing you in Las Vegas so soon after seeing you at Catarina’s
funeral made him suspicious. He thought he should question you and made an
impulse decision.”

“He injected me with a drug to knock me out” I said slowly.
“How could that be an impulse decision, no one would carry that kind of thing
around with him.”

Dominic inclined his head towards me. “As I said, he is
quite paranoid and has some personality issues which are less than desirable in
a civilized society. He carries tools of his trade wherever he goes, for those
emergency situations, you understand.”

All of a sudden I was grateful that I had ended up on
Dominic’s floor. I still didn’t know what he had in store for me, but I was
thinking that it had to be better than a man who went about his day carrying a
syringe with a drug cocktail capable of rendering some random person
unconscious within a few minutes.

“Why did he bring me to you?” I asked slowly, wondering if I
really wanted to hear the answer.

“My colleague had attended the funeral on my behalf.
Catarina and I had some unfinished business. Her unfortunate demise has caused
me some issues. My colleague had offered to see if he could bring that business
to a satisfactory conclusion.”

“He wasn’t able to, was he?” I said and once again I blamed
the drugs when Dominic looked at me shrewdly.

“I have a feeling Trudie, that you know more than you are
telling me.”

“I don’t know anything” I said.

Dominic looked like he didn’t believe me. All I could hear
in my head was my Grandma Rita’s voice telling me that it was sweet that I
couldn’t lie worth a damn but one day that trait, that was so adorable when I
was a kid, was going to get me in trouble. Looked like today was that day.

“I would suggest that it would be in your best interests if
you were to tell me the truth. My colleague was not happy when I suggested to
him that I be the one to speak to you. I believe he had his own questions for
you, and as you’ve already surmised, he would be less likely to have my
patience” Dominic said.

“I really don’t know anything” I said. “I saw him at the
funeral, and that was only because he kind of stood out. It was a really small
funeral and he didn’t quite look like he belonged. After the funeral I saw him
talking to Catarina’s assistant but I really did not know what was going on and
I really didn’t follow him here, I promise.” Because promises always work with
bloodthirsty gangsters. Dominic may have been trying to pass himself off as an
ordinary businessman but the more time I spent in his company the less safe I
was feeling.

Dominic sighed, “Catarina and I were involved.”

Of course they were, Catarina seemed to be involved with everybody,
although I had to give her points for bravery. Just from the short amount of time
I had spent with Dominic, even I could see that fooling around on him was its
own special brand of stupid.

“I see you are aware of Catarina’s reputation” Dominic smiled
tightly.

I nodded, unwilling to open my mouth until I was sure the
drugs were out of my system.

“We had been together for a few months and I was unaware of
her true character. Until I found something that showed my trust in her had
been misplaced” he said.

“You found the book” I said and clapped my hand over my
mouth. I wasn’t planning on removing it until these drugs were out of my system
because they were going to get me killed.

“What book?” asked Dominic curiously.

“Just a notebook that Catarina kept” I said returning my
hand to my mouth.

“Do you know what was in the notebook” Dominic asked
silkily.

I nodded.

“Care to tell me what was in this notebook.” Dominic looked
like his saint like patience had worn out.

I shook my head.

Dominic leaned over and pulled my hand from my mouth. “I
think I’m going to have to insist” he said quietly, and the hand gripping my
wrist let me know it was not a request.

“Catarina kept a book with a list of all her partners with
ratings” I said hurriedly.

For the first time since I had met him I could see Dominic
showing some emotion other than disinterested civility. Anger seemed to pulse
from him and I started to be very afraid of the man in front of me. The grip on
my wrist tightened and I tried to pull it away.

Dominic let go of my wrist and sat down. “My, I always knew
Catarina liked life a bit wild, I just never realized how close to the edge she
liked to play.”

I rubbed my wrist. That red mark was going to bruise.

“Have you seen this book?” Dominic asked.

“No” I said, “as far as I know the police have it. I’ve just
heard about it.”

“You would think I’d learn my lesson not to trust a pretty
face” said Dominic quietly. “Unfortunately there are some women who make fools
of us all.”

I sat there quietly. No way was I opening my mouth, because
obviously I no longer had any control over what was coming out of it.

“You wouldn’t play with a man like that would you?” Dominic
asked.

I shook my head.

“You wouldn’t steal from him either would you?”

I shook my head again.