Chapter 6

6

At 11:00 a.m. on Sunday morning, a driver picked up Billy from his home in the Hollywood Hills and drove him to the Van Nuys Airport, where Centurion Pictures’ Gulfstream G-700 jet awaited.

A man in a black polo shirt and khaki pants met him at his car. “Good morning, Mr. Barnett. I’m Kyle and I’ll be your flight attendant today.”

“Good morning, Kyle. Are we waiting for anyone else?”

“No, sir, you are the last. Luggage in the trunk?”

“It is.”

While Kyle handled the bags, Billy boarded the plane.

“Finally,” Tessa said. She was in a seat close to the door. “We were beginning to think you’d found some way to weasel out of the trip.”

“Me?” he said dramatically. “I would never.”

“So, you did think about it.”

The passenger area had single seats running down each side with an aisle in between. Peter and Hattie had taken a row toward the back of the cabin, while Stacy Lange—Billy’s personal assistant—sat across from Adriene Adele, the actor who had played Tessa’s sister in Storm’s Eye . The final passenger was Lizzie Franks, the Centurion Pictures PR person who would be riding herd on everyone throughout the trip. She was seated directly behind Stacy.

The seat across from Tessa was empty, so Billy gestured toward it. “May I?”

“I’d be insulted if you didn’t.”

Kyle climbed on board a few minutes later, closed the door, and approached Billy. “A mimosa before the flight?”

“It’s like you’re reading my mind. Thank you.”

The drink arrived as the pilot’s voice came over the intercom.

“Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. This is Captain Chisholm. We’ve been cleared to taxi. If you haven’t already, please take your seat and buckle in.”

Takeoff was textbook, and in short order, Captain Chisholm’s voice came over the intercom again. “Folks, we’ve just reached cruising altitude. Feel free to move around, but for your safety I advise keeping your belt fastened when seated.”

The intercom had barely switched off when Stacy jumped out of her seat and knelt in the aisle, next to Billy.

“Here,” she said, thrusting a stack of papers at him.

He eyed the pages without taking them. “What’s all this?”

“Location reports, latest revised budget, and new schedule for The Scapegoat .” The Scapegoat was Peter’s next film, which would begin shooting in a few months.

Billy raised an eyebrow. “Are you familiar with email? It’s a very efficient way of sharing information without killing trees.”

“Bless your heart, trying to be the funny guy.” Stacy’s expression turned annoyed. “I did email them to you, but you didn’t respond.”

“When?”

“Yesterday morning.”

“I don’t recall seeing—”

“Before you finish answering that, tell me. Did you even check?”

Saying he hadn’t had time because he’d spent the last day prepping for the mission Lance had given him was not an option. So he chuckled and said, “It must have slipped my mind.”

Stacy studied him. “That is very unlike you. Are you sick? Should I arrange for a doctor to meet the plane?”

“I’m perfectly fine. I was just busy.”

Her eyes narrowed. “What were you doing that kept you so occupied? I know I blocked out plenty of time on your schedule.”

“Perhaps the things I was doing were none of your business.”

“Unlikely. Everything you do is my business. I’m your assistant, remember? But we can discuss that later.” She held out the papers again. “Lucky for you, I printed everything out. And since you’ll be sitting here with nothing else to do for a while, what better time to go over all of it?”

“You do remember that you work for me, not the other way around.”

“If I were your boss, you would have already dealt with all this to avoid my wrath.”

“Wrath?”

“What? It’s a perfectly acceptable word.”

“For a nineteenth-century robber baron perhaps.”

She stood, said, “You have until we land,” and headed for her seat.

“Don’t work for you, remember,” he said to her back.

“Not listening,” she retorted, then sat and promptly put earbuds in her ears.

Across the aisle, Tessa looked like she was about to burst out laughing.

“You have something you’d like to say?” Billy asked.

“Not a word.”

“That’s what I thought.”

“It’s fun watching someone keeping you in line, though.”

“That’s nine words.”

“Huh. I guess I did have something to say, after all.”

It took a bit more than twelve hours to reach Rome, Italy, where they landed on Monday, at 9:10 a.m., local time.

Passport control was handled on board by an airport official, after which they deplaned and walked to the luxury van that would take them to their hotel.

Before Billy could climb into the vehicle, Stacy stepped in front of him. “Well?”

“Well what?” he asked.

“Your assignment?”

“What about it?”

“Did you finish?”

“I did.”

“Do you have notes?”

“I do.”

“Can I get them so that I can forward them to the studio?”

“Why, Stacy, don’t you check your email?”

“What?” She opened her phone and tapped the screen. “Got it. Thanks, Billy.”

“Do I get an A?”

She snorted. “Absolutely not. You get a B minus, at best. Points deducted for not turning it in on time.”

“You’re going to make an excellent producer someday.”

She grinned. “I know.”

A mixed group of fans and paparazzi were waiting in front of the hotel when the van arrived. Because of the vehicle’s tinted windows, those outside couldn’t see the Centurion Pictures group, but that didn’t stop them from shouting excitedly.

“Are they here for us?” Adriene asked.

“Of course they are,” Lizzie said.

“To be fair,” Hattie said, “they’re not here for all of us. They’re here for Tessa, Peter, and you.”

“Me?” Adriene said. “No one knows who I am.”

“Are you sure about that?” Billy asked, pointing at a person in the crowd holding a sign that read: Benvenuta a Roma, Adriene.

Her cheeks reddened. “Oh my.”

Having only been cast in bit parts before her costarring role in Storm’s Eye , she’d never been part of a press tour.

Tessa smiled. “I did tell you your life was going to change.”

“You did. It’s just…”

“Hearing it and experiencing it are two different things?”

“Exactly that.”

“Get used to it. You’ve earned it.”

“Everyone, hang tight here,” Lizzie said. “I’ll be right back.”

The noise of the crowd intensified as she opened the door and slipped out, but the shouts quickly turned to groans of disappointment when those waiting realized she wasn’t who they’d come to see.

Billy’s cell vibrated. “This is Billy Barnett.”

Lance Cabot’s voice came over the line. “I take it you’re not in a place you can talk freely.”

“That’s correct.”

“No problem. I just wanted to let you know that I’ve arranged for an old friend of yours to meet you in Rome.”

“Is that so?”

“Do you remember Samuel Rogers?”

“I do.” Rogers had been another one of the agents on Golden Hour.

“He’ll contact you within the next twenty-four hours. I believe he might have some information that could prove useful.”

“Good to know. I’ll keep an eye out.”

“You do that. I also wanted to let you know that we’ve begun seeding the rumor we discussed.”

“Wonderful,” Billy said, less than thrilled.

“Rogers will likely not have heard the rumor when you meet, so it may be best if he continues to believe Teddy Fay is dead. But you decide how you want to handle it.”

“What did you tell him?”

“That he’s meeting with the specialist I’ve sent.”

“Okay. Any update on your rodent problem?”

“Still working on it.”

“So, the problem remains.”

“For the moment.”

“Is there anything else I need to know?”

Lance gave Billy an identification code to use when meeting Rogers, then they ended the call.

“Was that something I need to know about?” Stacy asked.

Billy shook his head. “Just a friend who wanted to send me something.”

“A friend with a rodent problem?”

“Moles in his yard.”

“How awful for him.”

“More than you know.”

Lizzie exited the hotel followed by three bellhops and several people in suits. The latter had to be the security team from Strategic Services’ European office, which had been specifically hired for use by the press tour group when necessary.

As soon as the bodyguards created a clear path through the fans to the hotel entrance, Lizzie climbed into the van and handed out room key cards.

When she was done, she said, “The elevators are on the left side of the lobby. All the rooms are on the fourth floor, except for Stacy and me. We’re on five.”

Adriene glanced out the window at the crowd. “Do we just ignore them?”

“You can if you want. You can also give them a wave as you walk by. Or, if you’re up for it, you can sign a few autographs.”

Tessa caught Adriene’s eye. “What do you say? I’m game if you are.”

Adriene couldn’t hide her excitement. “Are you sure?”

“Of course.”

“I’d love that.”

“Peter, Hattie, do you want to join them or go to your room?”

“Room for me,” Hattie said.

“Me, too,” Peter said.

“Then the four of you go first,” Lizzie said, glancing at Billy and Stacy to include them. “I’ll stay back with Tessa and Adriene.”

“To make sure we’re not out there all day?” Tessa asked.

“You know me too well,” Lizzie said. “All right. Put on your smiles, everyone. Here we go.”