by Doug Cooper
A deep voice emanates from the shadowy outline. “I need those pictures.”
Gabe attempts to get up. “What pictures?”
A boot drives into Gabe’s ribs. “Don’t make me do this. You know which ones.” The guy kicks Gabe again, then picks him up and lands several blows with his fist, one to the face and two more to the body.
“There aren’t any more,” Gabe says, spitting in between gasps. “Everything’s been released.” His attacker responds by slamming Gabe against the side of the Suburban. His face bruised and bleeding, Gabe slides the camera bag from his shoulder and pushes it toward his attacker. “They’re on the disc in the camera. Take it.”
The guy snatches the bag and flings Gabe back to the ground. He takes out the camera and removes the memory card. Gabe squirms on the pavement in pain. Having what he came for, the thug spikes the camera next to Gabe. “This ends here, or I’ll come back and finish what I started.” He hurries off, lumbering down the street.
Gabe twists himself upright, leaning against the back tire. He watches the man get into a later model pickup truck but can’t see any details or the license plate due to the sparse light.
◆◆◆
Later that morning, the same pickup turns off the PCH into a parking lot at Topanga Beach. The sun hangs directly above in a cloudless sky. Trolling through the parking lot, the truck stops behind Levi’s open Jeep tucked between a late-sixties red convertible Beetle and a rusted white conversion van. Leaving the truck running, the man gets out and walks to the driver’s side of the Jeep. He roots around in his pocket and pulls out the camera memory card.
Levi says, “I was surprised to hear from you so soon.”
The guy rests his wrist on the door frame, his knuckles and back of his fingers scraped and bruised, and drops the memory card in Levi’s lap. “You said it needed to happen right away. How’s that for speedy service?”
Levi picks up the memory card, holding it between his fingers. “You sure this is it?”
“That’s what was in the camera. The dude put up a little bit of a fight, but he eventually cooperated. They usually do. If that’s not the right one, I’ll go back…no charge. Just let me know.” He turns and shuffles back toward his truck.
Two girls in their late teens wearing bikini tops and cutoff jeans walk from the beach toward the red Beetle. One whispers to the other and motions toward Levi. He turns his head away, looking back over his shoulder waiting for the guy to pull away so he can leave before the girls confirm their suspicion and he has to do the whole autograph-selfie thing.
◆◆◆
In her office, Eva sits at her desk with a phone headset on. “I understand that,” she says speaking into the microphone extending down in front of her mouth. “All I’m saying is that—” Levi barrels in. Eva, still talking into the mic, says, “I’m going to have to call you back.” She removes the headset and tosses it on the desk.
Levi holds up the memory card between his fingers. “At least one of us has been working on our problem.”
Eva rises from the desk. “Please tell me you didn’t.”
“Someone had to,” Levi boasts.
Eva walks out from behind the desk. “Jesus Christ, Levi, I told you to let me handle it.”
“I found an easier way.”
“But how?” Eva asks, her quivering voice revealing she is questioning if she really wants to know the answer.
Levi hands her the memory card. “Let’s just say I out-sourced the retrieval process.”
Eva takes the memory card and walks back around the desk, inserting the small disk into her computer. “He’s not hurt, is he?”
Levi strolls around next to her to view the monitor. “He’ll heal.”
Eva opens the digital folder containing the files. On the monitor, a picture of the Bixby Bridge with its distinctive open-spandrel arches connecting the Big Sur coastline just south of Carmel fills the screen.
Levi waves his hand toward the screen. “Click through this bullshit. Must be toward the end.”
Eva advances through more pictures of the Central Coast with the Santa Lucia Mountains rising abruptly from the Pacific. None of which are of Levi or Emily.
Eva says, “These are definitely his pics, but they’re not from the waterfall. Are you sure they’re here?”
Levi takes the mouse from her and clicks frantically through the images. “They’ve got to be. My guy took the disk right from the camera.”
Eva steams from behind the desk, pushing her hands through her hair. “Why couldn’t you just let me handle it?”
After several times backward and forward through the pictures, Levi flings the mouse across the desk. “I don’t understand. They’re supposed to be here.”
Eva says, “Obviously your brilliant associate got the wrong memory card.”
“I’m telling you, you better fix this,” Levi says. “Because if my guy has to go back, he’s not going to be very happy about being lied to.”
Eva pads to the desk and removes her mobile phone from her purse. “Hopefully Gabe hasn’t already gone to the police.” She locates the number, then signals for Levi to be quiet while dialing. Swinging around to the other side of the desk, she stares out the window as she waits for Gabe to answer. After a brief pause, she speaks into the phone. Her voice changes into a sweet, lilting cadence. “Hey, babe. Been thinking about you.”
Eva quiets, listening to the response. “My god. When?… Are you okay? Did you call the police?… Okay, I’m coming over… No, it’s no trouble. Can I pick up anything for you on the way?… Sure. See you in a little bit.” Eva ends the call and faces Levi. Her words regain a sharp and direct tone. “The good news is he doesn’t know whether it was you or Emily who sent the guy. He sounds pretty bad. Could barely understand him. Your guy must’ve really done a number on him. The neighbors found him lying in the street.”
“You expect me to feel bad?” Levi asks. “He brought this on himself. You better get the rest of those pictures or it’s only going to get worse.”
Eva snatches her purse off the desk and walks with Levi toward the door. “Just please go home and don’t talk to anyone or do anything else until you hear from me.”
“I’ll give you until the end of the day, or I’m sending my guy back.” Levi says. “Call me as soon as you have anything.”
◆◆◆
Gabe reclines in bed, propped up with pillows against the curved sleigh headboard. His eyes are closed, his face bruised and swollen. A knock raps against the ajar door, pushing it open.
Eva slides through, stopping abruptly when she sees him. “You said it wasn’t bad.”
Gabe opens one eye, the other tremoring, struggling against the swelling. “You should see his boots. They’re going to need a professional shine after what my face did to them.”
Eva sits on the side of the bed. “Come on, I’ll take you to the hospital. You really need to see a doctor.”
“Bruises heal,” Gabe says, placing his hand on her thigh. “I’m more upset about my smashed camera and the memory card.”
Eva strokes his forearm with her nails. “All he wanted was the memory card?”
Gabe says, “Unfortunately for him, the wrong one.”
“I don’t understand,” Eva says. “Why would anyone want to steal your pictures? Don’t get me wrong, they’re beautiful, but it seems like such an extreme move.”
Gabe sits up, wincing in pain. “There’s a bit more to the story. That day of the show when we met, I inadvertently took some photos of a certain celebrity with another much younger actress. You may have seen them in the news.”
Eva continues the ruse, not knowing it is her that is being played since he knows exactly who she is and why she was at the gallery opening and is here now. “Wait, you mean? Noooo way. That was you? The ones of Levi Combs and Emily James on Forbidden Fot
os? Those had to fetch a pretty penny.”
“Yep, that was me.” Gabe pats next to him on the bed, inviting Eva to stretch out beside him. “But I didn’t sell them. I wasn’t going to do anything with them. Abbie, thinking she was helping her dorky older brother get ahead, went behind my back.”
Eva slides up next to him and kisses him, careful to avoid the bruises. “You mean cool and hip older brother.”
Gabe laughs, grimacing from the shooting pain in his ribcage. “I’m pretty sure she’s never thought of me that way. I just wish I could get the pictures from today back. I had some great shots on that card.”
Eva continues kissing him, touching her lips to each of the swollen and colored contusions on his face. Gabe relaxes back into the pillows. Eva says, “Did you go to the police? They could find out whether it was Levi or Emily or whomever.”
Not lifting from the pillow, Gabe shakes his head. “The DA came yesterday, but I told him I didn’t have any other pictures and couldn’t really add anything to what was in the ones that are out there.”
“But there are more?” Eva asks. “Why didn’t you just give the DA what you had? Aren’t you worried that the person who did this might come back?”
Gabe says, “I just really don’t want to get involved in any of it. I knew the DA would want me to testify. The attention will never stop, and I don’t want anything to blow back on Abbie since she was the one who sold the photos.”
Eva leans her head on his shoulder. “At least you’re all right. That’s most important. Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?” She rubs the inside of his thigh.
“As much as I’d like to take you up on that, I really don’t think I physically can.” He slides down in the covers. “I probably need to just get some rest. Rain check?”
“Of course,” Eva says, swinging her legs onto the floor. “Can I get you anything before I go? Some aspirin, an ice bag, or maybe food? I can run out and bring something back.”
“Only if I can drink it through a straw.” His laugh leads to another groan. “Hurts too much to chew.”
“I understand. Just rest then.” Eva strokes his hair. “Call me later. I’ll come back when you wake up.”
Gabe closes his eyes and turns on his side. Eva bends down and kisses him again, staring for a moment before quietly closing the door on her way out.
In the hallway she checks the other rooms to see if Abbie is home. Not seeing anyone, she follows the hallway to the kitchen. “Abbie? Are you home?” She continues toward the studio and stops at the back door, listening one final time for any activity in the house. She hears only the hum of the refrigerator and faint screams of the kids playing outside in a neighboring yard. Satisfied she is alone, she hurries toward the desk and opens the laptop.
On the screen the dialog box appears again. This time she knows the password. Looking over at Milton lounging on the worktable, she types in his name. He stands up and jumps over onto the desk. She pushes him to the floor. The desktop appears on the screen. She searches through the directory and locates the files of Levi and Emily. Milton hops back up on the table. She reaches to push him away again. He arches his back and hisses at her. She takes her phone and a cord out of her purse and connects to the computer through the USB port. One by one, she transfers the pictures to her phone.
Gabe appears in the doorway watching her. “Find what you’re looking for?”
Eva recoils. “God, you scared me. Why do you keep doing that?” She rises and angles toward him, snagging her phone and the cord and tucking them both in her purse. “What are you doing out of bed?”
He eases down the steps, letting one foot lead then the other follow and settle next to it before taking another step. He limps past her toward the computer. “Why didn’t you just ask?”
Eva stops but doesn’t follow him. “It’s not what you think.”
Gabe steps behind the computer, looking at the screen. “That’s exactly what it is, Ms. Florez.”
Eva grimaces at the sound of her real last name. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t want to lie. You have to know, I didn’t have anything to do with the attack this morning. I would never do that.”
“So that’s why you were at the gallery the other night. You wanted the pictures?” Gabe scans the screen, noticing all the files are gone. “You know what? It doesn’t matter. I’m glad these fucking pics are gone. They’ve been nothing but trouble since I got them. Just take them and go. I hope they’re worth it.”
Eva watches him for a moment then turns and walks toward the door, stopping in the archway. “If you already knew who I was, why didn’t you say anything before?”
“I don’t know.” Gabe limps toward her. “I think at first I just didn’t want to believe it. Hoped you would change your mind and come clean. Wanted what we had to be real. Who knows? I guess I’m just an idiot.”
Eva reaches for him, rubbing the side of his arm. “No, you’re not. It was real. I mean, it is. The pictures are my job but what happened between us was all me. You have to believe that.”
“Would you believe you?” Gabe asks. “Imagine how I felt when I pulled up the Forbidden Fotos article and saw references to Eva Florez and pictures of you with Levi in other articles.” He shifts and stretches, uncomfortable standing in one place. “I think I need to lie down.”
“Of course,” Eva says, her hand running down his arm to his hand. “Let me help you back to bed.”
Gabe pulls away toward the door. “I can manage. Please just see yourself out. I hope everything works out for you with the pictures. You earned them.”
◆◆◆
Abbie peeks into Gabe’s room and creeps over to the side of the bed watching him sleep. His breathing is heavy and inconsistent. She touches the side of his bruised face whispering, “Who did this to you?”
Gabe murmurs incoherently and roles on his side, immediately groaning and returning to his back.
Abbie steps away from the bed and slinks out of the room. She heads down the hall, through the kitchen, and out into the dark studio. Flipping on the light, she angles to the worktable and searches through a stack of papers. Not finding what she’s looking for, she goes to the desk and scours the top. Her quest still unfilled, she grabs his camera bag hanging on the back of the chair and ferrets through the pockets. In the bottom of the back pouch she finally locates Marcus’ card. “Please don’t be mad at me.” She removes her phone from her back pocket and dials the number on the card.
Marcus answers on the first ring. “This is Marcus.”
“Deputy Ambrose?” Abbie squeaks.
“Yes. Who’s this?”
“It’s Abbie Adams. We met at our house. You came to see my brother.”
“Of course. Ms. Adams, how are you this evening?”
“I’m sorry for calling you so late,” Abbie says, pacing in the garage. “My brother will be so mad if he knows I called you. I just don’t know what else to do.”
“Did something happen, Ms. Adams? Are you all right?”
“Yes, I’m fine. But I’m worried about Gabe. Someone attacked him this morning in front of our house and beat him up really bad.”
“Oh no, that’s terrible. Is he hurt? Did he file a report with the police?”
“He says he’s fine, but I’m worried. He won’t go to the hospital or call the police. Said he didn’t know the guy. All that was taken was the memory card from his camera. It had to be related to those pictures of Emily James and Levi Combs, don’t you think?”
“It sure seems that way. I was worried something like this would happen. Those pictures are extremely valuable and dangerous. I thought he said that there weren’t any other pictures.” Abbie is silent. Marcus says, “Ms. Adams? Are there other pictures? If you want me to help, you’re going to have to trust me.”
“I do. But you have to promise that you won’t tell him I called
you. He’s already mad at me for selling them in the first place. I told him I wouldn’t meddle anymore.”
“It was you that sold the original ones?”
“Yes, I did it. But you have to believe me. I was only trying to help. This is all my fault. I thought he could make some money and get publicity for his new show. I never thought he would get beat up for it.”
“Calm down. It’s not your fault. You did the right thing calling me. Do you know how many other pictures there are?”
“I think there are twenty or so. Let me check. I can look on his computer.” She scurries to the desk and types in the password. She opens the folder where the pictures were, but it’s empty. “No way. Where’d they go? They were right here.” She checks the trash folder, which is also empty. “They’re gone.”
It’s now Marcus who is quiet on the phone. He had been calm and soothing, hiding his excitement. Now he struggles for words, sifting through his disappointment.
Abbie finds the words for him. “I bet he gave them to Eva. He said he would’ve if she had asked.”
“You mean Levi’s agent, Eva Florez? Your brother knows her?”
“It’s a long story, but yes, he knows her. She pretended to be someone else to come over here and steal the pictures. When he found out, he said he would’ve just given them to her. He really didn’t want anything to do with any of this. He won’t get in any trouble, will he?”
“No, Ms. Adams. I’ll make sure he doesn’t, and I won’t tell him you called me. You sure you two are safe?”
“I think we’re fine. He already gave them the pictures it seems. What are you going to do?”
“I think it’s time I paid Ms. Florez a visit at her office.”
Chapter 13
Spotlights crisscross and dance across the golden facade of the Hollywood and Highland Center. The Dolby Laboratories emblem and letters glow in soft teal light above the rectangular entranceway to the eponymous theater. A gold curtain, pulled and tied off to the right, hangs across the opening. The red carpeting stretches from inside the theater through the entranceway, bending right in front of the bleachers and running through the tent to the drop-off area. A line of limos extends all the way down Highland Avenue. One by one they pull forward, waiting just long enough to allow the passengers to exit before being waved away by a team of frantic wranglers tasked with expediting the flow.
