“No, it’s making sure we have our own insurance.”
“I don’t like this. We should either leave this stuff alone, or destroy it all.”
Aidan looked at her. “You know what? You’re right. Anyway, if we gave it to the cops it likely wouldn’t be admissible as evidence anyway.”
He tapped a key, cancelling the transfer, and started to delete the files that had already been copied over.
“Hey, hang on, what’s that one?” said Sofia, jabbing a fingernail at the screen.
The file name read “Margo and Me.”
“You wanna take a peek?” Aidan asked.
“Not really. No, this is wrong. It isn’t ours. It’s private.”
“You think it’s him and Margo . . . together?” said Aidan, arching an eyebrow, and making a rude gesture with his hands.
“Maybe. I dunno. Listen, let’s just get out of here.”
“You’re a total spoilsport,” said Aidan.
Outside, they got into Sofia’s Tesla. Brendan had texted them that Stanley had just left his meeting with Python. Brendan was going to speak with Python now to find out what had been said, and to persuade him to go to the cops.
If anyone could convince Python it was Brendan. He could also smooth the way, and make sure Python would be able to broker a deal that would keep him out of jail.
Aidan lifted his laptop out of the box, and opened it. He laid it on his knee, and powered it up.
“What are you doing?”
“Sorry,” said Aidan. “Curiosity got the better of me. I need to see what the ‘Margo and Me’ video involves.”
“I don’t believe it,” said Sofia.
“Oh, come on, like you don’t want to know.”
“I don’t,” Sofia protested. “Okay, maybe part of me does. But not the good part.”
“Embrace your dark side,” said Aidan.
He opened the clip, and hit play.
The screen was dark. It showed what looked like a bedroom but the curtains were closed. The camera whip-panned to a bathroom door. Someone came out. Despite herself, Sofia peered at the screen.
“Wait, I’m confused. Is that Stanley?”
“No, I think it’s Margo,” said Aidan, his expression a mix of equal parts disgust and amusement.
“But she has a . . .”
“That’s not hers,” said Aidan. “Look, there’s a belt holding it on.”
The camera moved to a mirror. They could see Stanley holding the camera.
“She’s not going to stick that in his . . .?” said Sofia, barely able to speak.
Any hint of a smile had disappeared from Aidan’s face. Now he just looked horrified.
“Yeah, I think she is,” he said.
55
“I can’t believe you’re actually going through with this,” Sofia said to Aidan.
“Hey, I rehearsed for it, didn’t I?” said Aidan. “Plus, I want to be right there for the big finish.”
“And the encore,” added Sofia.
“Yeah, let’s not forget that.”
They were in Sofia’s Tesla, which was parked in an alleyway next to the Hollywood theater where the Beef Cake Boyz were about to give what Sofia guessed would be their final appearance, at least for a while. In the case of Stanley and Margo it would be the last time they’d see the inside of a theater, or any public place, for a number of years.
“Okay, you ready?” Sofia said.
Aidan reached round and grabbed his bag from the back seat. “Ready.” He opened the passenger door.
“Break a leg,” Sofia shouted after him, as he headed for the stage door. She watched as Python turned into the alleyway.
Python saw her sitting in the Tesla, but kept walking, heading straight past her and following Aidan inside. Sofia backed onto the street and pulled into a parking spot one block down. She could see Brendan sitting in his car a few spots behind her.
Now all they had to do was wait for Stanley and Margo to make an appearance. Because of the shoals of cash that changed hands at the merch tables, and for pictures and autographs, this was the one place they could guarantee Stanley would show. There was no way he’d let someone else dip their hands into the till without him there. Especially now that the heat was on. He and Margo would need every dime they could muster.
Right on cue, they appeared together, walking side by side towards the front entrance of the theater, where a small crowd of raucous women was already gathering. Margo, a.k.a. Cherry, was jabbing her finger into Stanley’s face. From what Sofia had seen on the video it must have been a familiar experience for him, although his face hadn’t been the target last time, and it hadn’t exactly been her finger she’d been jabbing.
Sofia’s cell phone rang. It was Brendan. She answered.
“You see that?” he said.
“I did. Lovers’ tiff?”
“From what you and Aidan have told me, they have a very strange definition of love.”
“It take all kinds to make the world go round,” said Sofia. “You see the cops yet?”
“Nope,” said Brendan. “But they’re here. You can bet on it. A nice juicy blackmail case handed to them on a silver platter? It’s like Christmas, Hanukah and Cinco de Mayo rolled into one for these guys. Tom King owes me one for this collar.”
As soon as they had destroyed the last remaining copy of Marcie’s indiscretion with Python at Stanley’s apartment, they’d called Brendan, who had collected Python and taken him to speak with some of his old buddies at the LAPD. Python had spent several hours telling them all he knew.
As part of the homicide investigation into Dwight Danson’s murder, the cops had discovered a listening device in his apartment. They couldn’t link it directly to Stanley or Margo, but it explained why he’d been targeted shortly after Brendan and Sofia’s visit. Python had also told the cops that Dwight had talked about turning the tables on Stanley by threatening to tell the authorities about the blackmail ring – unless Stanley gave Dwight a proper pay off. Python didn’t know if Dwight had actually made the threat, but it gave Stanley even more of a motive for having Dwight killed.
In return for Python’s cooperation, and this new information, they’d agreed to recommend to the district attorney that Python be used as a prosecution witness. In return for his continuing cooperation, he wouldn’t be arrested or indicted. Brendan had gotten Python a really good deal.
Forty-five minutes later, the line outside the theater was a half-block long, and the audience was getting boisterous. Sofia watched as the two guys on the door began checking the time.
She dug out her phone and texted Brendan. Not long now.
He texted her back: Yeah, five minutes.
Once everyone had gone in, the two guys on the door would move inside. Sofia would give it another fifteen minutes to make sure the coast was clear. Then she would go in, and get things set up for the final, unscheduled, part of the show.
Brendan had been very firmly against this part of the plan, but Sofia and Aidan had talked him around. It wasn’t absolutely necessary. It probably wasn’t necessary at all. Sofia and Aidan had argued that Brendan, Python and the cops could deliver criminal justice but this was poetic justice.
As the lights dimmed, the whistles and catcalls reached fever pitch. Brendan and Sofia slipped into two seats in the very back row of the theater. The entrance music started up. The footlights came up to a soft glow.
The music lowered, but only slightly, as the announcer roared: “The wait is over! It’s time to welcome THEEE BEEEEEEF CAAAAKE BOOOOYZZZZZZ.”
Anaconda, Python, Highlander, Jumbo and Aidan all appeared on stage in their top hat, tuxedo jacket, and bow-tie combo. Sofia had to admit that Aidan didn’t look entirely out of place, especially with the lighting, and the baying crowd. He even managed to yank off his bow-tie and throw it into the audience right on cue. As women dove to catch it, Sofia saw him smile.
Maybe letting him perform live hadn’t been the best idea. If his ego was ba
d now, who knew what it would be like after the experience of hundreds of women screaming at him?
The music shifted to the seventies disco number and the five Boyz went into their first full dance routine. Amazingly, Aidan managed it without making any major mistakes. Sofia noticed him glancing at the guy next to him a couple of times to check his steps. But she doubted anyone in the audience would notice. Especially as they weren’t exactly focused on the choreography or where the guys’ feet were landing.
The number came to an end, the music stopped, the Beef Cake Boyz exited stage left. They were back a few seconds later, minus Aidan, dressed as construction workers, complete with hard hats and tool belts.
Like the routine Sofia had seen before, they each invited a woman onto the stage. Although “invited” maybe wasn’t the correct term, as a sea of women fought their way to the front to be picked.
On stage, each Beef Cake Boy sat their female guest down and gyrated around them as they performed their routine to a pounding heavy-metal number. It finished with each woman onstage holding the dancer’s hard hat over their groin. Then they took their hand away and the hard hats stayed put. The crowd went wild. They didn’t know that it was a trick involving wire.
After each woman was led back into the audience, the Beef Cake Boyz moved into two more fast-paced numbers. Despite the sleaziness of the show, Sofia had to give them props for the sheer energy they expended. It was pretty amazing to be able to perform that many up-tempo dance numbers back to back without missing a single step.
Brendan reached over and nudged Sofia’s elbow. He nodded towards the doors that led out into the foyer. Margo’s head poked around the door. She pushed it open and walked in, heading towards the side of the stalls.
“You think she’s up to something?” Sofia whispered.
“I don’t know, but let’s keep an eye on her,” said Brendan.
The Beef Cake Boyz finished up their number. The lights went down, and they left the stage. That was Sofia’s cue. She got up from her seat.
“Good luck. Holler if you need me,” said Brendan.
“Thanks,” said Sofia.
A few seconds later Python walked back on stage holding a microphone. He motioned for the crowd to settle down. Sofia watched him as she reached the stairs leading up to the balcony and started climbing.
“Ladies, we’re going to continue with the show in a few minutes but, first, if you’ll allow us, we’d like to take a moment to remember someone close to us who passed away only yesterday. If you’ve been to other shows you might have seen our brother, Horse. We knew him as Dwight Danson.”
Sofia reached the video projector just in time. She already had the laptop computer with the video footage all set up and ready to go. All she needed now was Python to give her the signal.
“In honor of Dwight,” continued Python, “we have put together a little montage of some of his finest moments.”
Python looked up towards Sofia, who was hidden from view by the spotlight shining onto the stage. He gave her a thumbs-up. She hit the button.
Music began to play. The projector threw the images of Dwight onto the stage curtain behind Python. It started with still photographs of Dwight with the other Beef Cake Boyz, onstage and off. They were laughing and having a good time, arms around each other.
Next came older pictures of Dwight as a baby, then a kid and finally a young man. Looking down, Sofia could see the audience watching, completely silent. A few appeared to be dabbing their eyes.
Next came some video of Dwight and the others on stage performing some of their routines. The video faded to black, Sofia hit pause. The music stopped.
Python walked to the side of the stage with the microphone. “Now, we’d like to invite our manager, Stanley, to say a few words about Dwight.”
Sofia scooted down to the other side of the balcony. She could see Stanley in the wings. He was shaking his head. Anaconda and Highlander were trying to cajole him onstage. Finally, he gave in.
Brendan, Sofia and Aidan had known he would. Not to say anything would look even more suspicious and guilty. Stanley had to pretend he cared.
Walking tentatively onstage, Stanley took the microphone from Python. “Uh, ladies and gentlemen, I usually prefer to stay out of the limelight,” he began.
“I bet you do,” Sofia muttered.
“But, yes, Dwight was a remarkable young man, and it was a pleasure working with him. Just as it’s a pleasure working with these other boys.”
The music to the next number started up. Stanley looked around, confused. “Anyway, I hope you enjoy the rest of the show.”
Behind him, the other guys appeared from the wings. Two of them had Margo between them. They were half dragging, half cajoling her onto the stage. They were dressed in their cop uniforms. A couple of stage hands appeared with chairs as the music grew louder.
Stanley was trying to get offstage. Python grabbed him by the arm and pushed him down into one of the chairs. The others did the same with Margo. The audience were clearly confused, but started to clap along in time to the music.
Margo aimed a kick at Highlander and tried to stand up. He easily sidestepped her flailing leg, and took the handcuffs off his police costume belt. He quickly snapped one around her wrist and attached the other to the chair.
Next to Margo, Stanley got the same treatment. He was shouting, but whatever he was saying was drowned out by the music.
A dozen or so women rushed to the front of the stage. No doubt they were hoping to be picked to join in with the number.
Python had the microphone in his hand again. He walked to the very edge of the stage. “The Beef Cake Boyz has always been about having fun, without worrying about being judged. You could come to one of our shows, and cut loose, maybe forget your problems for a few hours. No judgments. No questions asked.”
Margo was really fighting now. Anaconda had to step behind her, and pin her arms, doing his best to make it look like part of the routine. She did her best to wriggle free but, like the snake he was named after, his grip was way too tight.
“Sadly, these two people here,” Python continued, “they didn’t understand that. They used this show, and us, as a way to embarrass some of you lovely people in our audience. So, tonight, we’re going to see how they like it.”
He signaled to Sofia up in the balcony. She rushed back to the laptop. Her finger hovered over the play button. Cued up next was the footage they’d recovered from Stanley’s apartment of him and Margo. The plan was to play it while Stanley and Margo were onstage. To humiliate them in the same way they had done first to Python and then to people like Marcie.
Sofia’s finger was still hovering over the play button.
She looked up. Python was still frantically signaling her from the stage. Sofia looked down again at the laptop. Finally, she grabbed the screen and slammed it shut.
She couldn’t do it. It had seemed like payback, but it really wasn’t. Two wrongs didn’t make a right. And, more importantly, no matter how raucous the crowd, she wasn’t sure anyone deserved to watch Margo and Stanley naked together. There were some images no one wanted to have burned into their mind.
Python was still looking up at her. She gave him an apologetic shrug of the shoulders.
Now the audience was seriously confused. Some people were looking around. A few started to scream as real cops in real uniforms suddenly ran onto the stage, and appeared in the exits.
A few of the LAPD officers had to fend off ladies who hadn’t realized this wasn’t part of the act.
“Hey, show me your night stick, Officer,” one woman yelled, at a very nervous-looking rookie cop.
“Stand back, lady,” ordered the rookie.
“Whatever you say, Officer,” she replied.
Brendan and Aidan were heading across the balcony towards Sofia. She picked up the laptop and handed it to Brendan.
“That was the right call,” he told her.
“Come on, let’s get the hell out o
f here,” said Aidan, who had already changed back into his street clothes.
She followed them down the stairs, through chaotic scenes in the lobby. Some people were leaving. Others were trying to find someone in charge to ask for their money back. None of the audience seemed to know what had just happened. Then again, neither did Stanley and Margo.
Flanked by Aidan and Brendan, Sofia headed to the doors. They pushed through the departing crowd and out onto the street The entire block was lined with patrol cars and flashing lights. The three of them walked a hundred yards until they were clear of the crush.
Sofia turned to Aidan. “Pretty good moves.”
“Thanks,” said Aidan. “But I think my showbiz career is over.”
“Wise choice,” said Brendan.
There was more commotion next to the theater entrance. Margo and Stanley were being led in cuffs, by the real cops, towards two separate patrol vehicles to boos from the crowd.
Margo looked homicidal as a patrol cop put his hand on her head, ducking her into the back of the car. Stanley had his head bowed as he was placed in a different vehicle. He at least had the decency to look ashamed.
“You do have to hand it to them,” said Sofia. “That was quite the finale.”
“A real show-stopper,” said Brendan.
“You think they’ll keep performing after this?” Aidan asked Sofia. “You know, once things have settled down.”
“Sure, why not?” said Sofia. “This town loves a comeback.”
Epilogue
Three weeks later
Sofia watched as Fred the Seagull swooped in low over the barbecue pit. Brendan waved a set of tongs in the gull’s direction and went back to flipping burgers. Fred flapped his wings and took off in the opposite direction, his mission aborted.
Jaxon slid an arm around Sofia’s waist. His surfboard was tucked under his other arm. He and Aidan had been down by the ocean teaching Van and Violet how to catch a wave.
“This barbecue was a great idea,” said Jaxon, leaning in for a kiss.
E is for Exposed (Malibu Mystery Book 5) Page 19
