“I’m sure you can convince them to accept someone else. Get your lawyers on it.”
Cartwright started pacing again. “Okay, I’m going to be straight with you Lexi. We had the highest ratings in the history of the show tonight. It’s going to be the buzz at every water cooler in the country tomorrow. The suits are beyond delirious. We’ve already had three requests from talk show hosts to have you on. At this moment, you are the best thing that has ever happened to this show. I’ve got the name of a good agent who can review your contract and guide your career.”
“I’ve already got a career.”
“But this is the career. You’ll go places. Besides, you’re perfect for us. The sky is the limit.”
“I’ve already arrived at the place in life I want to be.”
“I’ll pay you more. A lot more. More than double what I paid Lucy.”
I crossed my arms. “This is not about money.”
“Fine. We’ll throw in a vacation or two. All expenses paid. A car or three.”
“Are you even listening to me?”
“Of course, I’m listening. But let’s get one thing straight. You will be on this show because your ultimate job is to bring down this hacker. It’s in your contract.”
“That’s exactly why I’m not going to be on this show. My contract is for working with computers, not cameras.”
“Technically, it doesn’t say that. If the best way to catch the hacker is in front of the camera, then you are bound to agree, in principle, of course.”
“I’m not bound by any such thing. Stop trying to intimidate me. I’m not Lucy. You do know my boss, Finn Shaughnessy, is also a lawyer, right? He’s not going to let this just slide by.”
“Honey, I have a boatload of shark lawyers of my own—the best Hollywood can buy. I’m sure Finn is a bang-up lawyer. But do you really want to spend all of your company’s money in court? Look, I don’t want to argue semantics, laws or loopholes with you. I just want to catch this son-of-a-bitch, once and for all, so I can continue producing the best reality shows on television without the shadow of him hanging over me. If that means putting you in front of the camera, I’m on board.”
“First of all, stop calling me honey. Secondly, I assure you that this show hardly qualifies to be in the same sentence as the word ‘best.’ If you want my honest opinion—which you probably don’t but I’m giving it to you anyway—this show sucks. Now I’m going to be straight with you. It would be a blessing for the entire human race if this travesty of a show disappeared.”
He beamed. “You are so going to be the perfect girl for this show.”
“No!” I shouted.
Cartwright took a deep breath. “Then let’s talk bottom line. I want you to catch this guy. You want to catch him. We have a mutual goal. SWM absolutely cannot have him ruining whatever show I might produce now or in the future. It’s your responsibility to catch him. I’m paying you good money to shut him down. If you have to do that in front of the camera, then so be it. Personally, I don’t give a shit. If it adds to the ambiance of the show, then I get an added benefit. But above all, I need you.”
“Nice speech, but those are all moot points. If the show doesn’t have voting that matters, I can’t catch him anyway.”
“We are going to continue the voting in one capacity or the other, if for no other reason than to help us catch him. The problem is, if we don’t have a show at all, we can’t get him.”
“Fine, then we’re back to the easiest solution. Find another girl to be your champion and continue with the show. I’m willing to stay on behind the show to catch him. He’s mine. But I’m not going to be your star and that’s final.”
Kyle cleared his voice and we all looked over at him. “Um, Lexi. You might want to see this. It’s an email that came to Cartwright just after the show ended.”
He unfolded a piece of paper he held clutched in his hand and passed it over to me. He didn’t meet my eyes as I took it.
My stomach did a funny flip as I looked down and read.
For once in the existence of this miserable show, things are getting interesting. The guys finally got some balls and have banded together to protest their unflattering portrayals. This is a fascinating development, one I like. The power is now theirs. Until this moment, my goal was to end this travesty of a show. Now, I’m intrigued. The show may continue...for now. I would suggest you accept all their demands and keep Lexi Carmichael on the show. Put her in front of the camera instead of having her play housekeeping with the keyboard. She cannot beat me there. If you don’t keep her on the show, more than just this show will go down. The future of SMW now hangs in the balance. I have the power. I’ve been accommodating so far. You must choose, but choose wisely.”
I looked up from the note. “Indiana Jones.”
“Huh?” Cartwright frowned at me.
“Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. It almost sounds like he’s referencing that movie at the end of the note.”
Cartwright snatched the paper from my hand. “What? The choose-wisely thing? Why the hell did he say that?”
“I don’t know, but he’s referenced two movies in the two notes we’ve received from him. First The Matrix and now Indiana Jones.”
Kyle rubbed his chin. “It might be prudent to remember that Walter Donovan, the character who desires the Holy Grail and betrays Indiana Jones, did not choose wisely.”
Cartwright stared at me, his eyebrows wiggling. “Didn’t that guy drink from the wrong grail and then die a horrible death? Is this guy threatening me with death?”
I considered. “More like he’s insinuating the death of the show, and possibly other SMW productions. However, he’s definitely blackmailing you.”
“Exactly. You can see why we need you, Lexi. Please. You have to help us.”
“We can’t give in to blackmail.”
“We can’t afford to ignore it. Just be on the show, even if it’s just temporarily. I give you my word that as soon as we have him, you can be off the show. Whatever you need, you’ll get. Just don’t abandon SMW.”
“There has to be another way.”
“Believe me, I’d take it if I could find it. But look at the facts. He wants you. The guys on the show want you. The audience wants you. I want you. No, let me rephrase that. I need you. Come on, help us out here.”
Kyle nodded. “Look, Lexi, as much as it pains me to say it, Cartwright may have a point. It sounds like this guy will stay invested as long as you participate. That’s a good thing if we still want to catch him. If the show goes away, he goes away, or worse, he intensifies his attacks against the studio.”
I stood. “I’m sorry. I really am, but I just can’t do this. I truly can’t. I am not the type to be on television. You need someone who’s pretty, has blinding white teeth, and can make interesting small talk. I can’t do any of these things.”
Cartwright put his hand on my shoulder, which surprised me since he had an aversion to touching others. “Look, all of that is why you’re perfect for this role. Lexi, you’ve already met the guys. You know them. They know you. They actually like you. That’s half the battle right there. We’ll make the rest easy, I promise. We’ll cater to you like we’ve never catered to another star. We’ll work to make this the most comfortable experience you can possibly have. There’s much more at stake than just one television show. We’re talking the future of this company.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose, hoping it would help ease the throbbing headache that had started behind my forehead. “I’m sorry, but my answer still has to be no. Being in front of a camera is something I just can’t handle.”
Cartwright waved his hand. “Okay. Everyone get out. Everyone except Lexi. Now.”
I looked up in surprise. Tony scurried out first and Kyle exchanged a puzzled glance with me before rising from his chair and ex
iting.
I crossed my arms and looked up at Cartwright. “Look, no matter what you say, I’m not going to change my mind.”
“Maybe. Maybe not. However, just so you know, I’m going to fire their asses. Kyle, Tony, and their entire staffs, too, if you don’t work with me.”
“What?”
“They are canned. All of them. They are useless to me...unless you help them find that jerk.”
“You wouldn’t.”
“I would.”
“That’s blackmail!”
He shrugged. “I’m desperate.”
“They’re just kids.”
“We’re talking about a lot of money and the future of this company. You find that hacker and there might just be a raise in store for them.”
“You are contemptible.”
“Which is why they pay me the big money.”
“It’s disreputable. Despicable.”
“It’s Hollywood, honey.”
“Don’t call me honey.”
“Fine. I’m only asking you to reconsider.”
“You’re not asking me to reconsider. You’re trying to blackmail me into a decision.”
“I won’t deny it. I already told you I need you and I’m desperate.”
My brain searched for an alternative, but I couldn’t find one. “Don’t you dare fire anyone. I’m going to think about it. I need to talk it over with my boss and then with the guys on the show. At some point, I’ll make my decision. However, let’s be clear. Don’t rush me, and I’m not in any way saying yes.”
Cartwright released my shoulder. “Works for me as long as you aren’t saying no. Do what you need to do. I’ll be here waiting.”
Chapter Sixteen
Kyle was waiting outside the door, leaning against the wall. “Everything okay?”
I plastered a fake smile on my face. “Sure. Just dandy. I need to make a phone call, but I want you to assemble the team and get them working their angles on finding who sent that latest email. Maybe he made a mistake—got cocky or careless. Let’s see if we can nail him.”
I sincerely doubted they would find anything. But right now, I had to give them something to do other than worry about the thin thread that was holding them to their jobs.
Kyle nodded. “Okay. What was that all about with Cartwright? Why did he want to see you alone?”
“He tried to use his forceful powers of persuasion.”
“Did it work?”
“That’s yet to be determined.”
I walked past him and out of the studio, needing some fresh air and a chance to calm down before I called Finn.
I walked around the parking lot for about ten minutes before I could bring myself to call Finn. In short, clipped sentences, I brought him up to date on all the developments. He didn’t interrupt, but I heard him swearing under his breath on several occasions. When I finished, his voice exploded through the phone.
“No. Hell, no. I hope you said that.”
“Using those exact words. But the hacker is invested now. He wants me on the show.”
“This is the same guy who planted a damn camera in your bathroom. He posted a video of you on the internet. You cannot give him what he wants.”
I closed my eyes, wondering if Finn would look for and find the shower video. I felt like throwing up just thinking about it, but pushed the feeling to the side.
“I have no intention of giving him what he wants, Finn. I just want him to think I am. The truth is if I leave, he wins.”
“So, don’t leave. Work behind the scenes.”
“That’s what I want to do, but it’s not so easy.”
“Of course it’s easy. The show, if we can call it that, will go on. They’ll get another so-called star. You continue your work behind the scenes as we planned. Or the show folds and that’s that. I think we’re in full agreement, it won’t be a loss to the world of entertainment either way.”
“Look, I’m in full agreement that this show bites, but he’s threatened to do serious damage if I don’t go on.”
“All the more reason to get you out of there. Let Cartwright hire someone else to worry about it. Who cares?”
I sighed. “I do. I accepted this job and honestly, I’m not comfortable leaving it unfinished. I’m close to catching him, Finn. That hacker is mine now. Besides, I’ve already made progress. It’s an inside job and I’m dramatically narrowing my lists of suspects.”
“I don’t care how close you are to catching him, Lexi. I don’t like this situation. I’m not going to make you go on television to catch a hacker. I’m not comfortable with someone targeting you like that.”
“It won’t be good publicity for X-Corp if we leave the job unfinished.”
“I don’t give a damn about publicity. I care about you. Everyone else can bloody well sod off.”
I took a moment to compose myself, feeling better for Finn’s support. “I appreciate you saying that, Finn. More than you know. Look, here’s the bottom line. Cartwright is going to fire the entire IT team and his assistant if I don’t stay.”
“Damn. That guy is a bloody wanker. It’s rank, but it’s not our problem.” His voice was hard.
“Unfortunately, it is my problem. Cartwright made sure of that. I like them, Finn. They’re kids. It’s their livelihood on the line. It’s not going to look good for them if they get canned on their first job.”
“Those kids are probably just as old as you are.”
“Maybe, but they’re green. If they get tossed, it’s on me.”
“That is absolutely, one-hundred percent, not true.”
“Yes, it is. Indirectly, but still as a direct result of my actions.”
“Damn it, Lexi. Don’t you see what is happening? Cartwright is blackmailing you.”
“I know. Unfortunately, so is the hacker. I’m getting squeezed from both sides. The IT team doesn’t deserve this, and neither does Tony. They are doing their best. Not to mention, the poor contestants on the show are vulnerable right now. They’re good guys. I wouldn’t treat them the way Lucy did.”
“Mary, Mother of God. You’re actually considering this.”
“I can’t believe that just came out my mouth, but it did. Finn, I can catch this hacker. I know I can.”
He was silent and I could hear the sound of his shoes slapping against the floor. He was pacing his office and hard. “Lexi, think about it. Do you really want to do this? Go on television in front of millions of people on a show that’s a farce?”
“I don’t want to do it. I’d rather hang upside down by my toenails while being waterboarded by a hundred secret agents. But I need to do it. That hacker issued a challenge. He violated my privacy. That’s what I can’t walk away from. Him and those IT kids. But I’m not going to do it if it’s not right for X-Corp.”
“Wait. You’re putting this on me?”
“Seems like the right thing to do, seeing as how you’re my boss.”
“That’s a bloody hell of a spot you’re jamming me in.”
“Agreed. Guess being the boss isn’t all fame, glory and a great salary.”
He sighed in exasperation. “Okay, let me put it this way. Yes, I’m your boss, but I also care a lot about you in ways I’m not even sure what do about yet. Look, I’m not going to make this decision for you, Lexi. In terms of X-Corp, I support you in whatever you decide. The call is up to you.”
I’d barely hung up the phone when a call came through from my assistant at X-Corp, Ken Kurisu.
“Hey, Lexi. How’s it going in Hollywood?”
“Don’t ask.”
He chuckled. “That good?”
“Worse.”
“Well, I don’t want to alarm you, but X-Corp got hacked last night.”
; My breath caught in my throat. “What?”
“Whoever it was didn’t do any damage. First of all, he didn’t get far. He ran into trouble at the second firewall. As soon as I got the alert, I followed all the security protocols and closed everything up. He won’t come back in—at least not that way again. Plus, Jay and I are on the lookout for him.”
“Damn, damn, damn.” I made a mental note to review and overhaul our security at X-Corp. “I just talked to Finn and he didn’t say anything about it.”
“I haven’t told him yet. I wanted to talk to you first because, well, I don’t know how to put this. The hacker, he left a message behind.”
My heart leapt to my throat. “What...kind of message?”
“A coded one, but I unraveled it pretty quickly. It’s for you.”
I closed my eyes. “What did it say?”
“It said, Lexi Carmichael, the showdown is coming. Stay or else. I don’t know what it means. Does it make sense to you?”
This whole situation was getting uglier by the minute. My phone beeped and I looked at the number. It was my dad.
“I’ll take care of it, Ken. I’ll call you later. Go ahead and tell Finn. Right now I’ve got an incoming call I’ve got to take.”
“Sure. No problem.”
I hung up with Ken and pressed the button to bring my dad on the line. “Dad? Is that you?”
“It sure is. How are you, sweetie?”
“Oh, I’m just great.” I probably said it with too much fake enthusiasm because my dad was silent for a moment.
“Are you sure everything is fine?”
My breath lodged in my throat. I hadn’t thought about my dad, about my mom. What if they had seen the video? I closed my eyes, swallowed hard.
“I’m okay. Work is just a bit stressful. Why do you ask?”
“Well, our law firm was hacked today. I guess some jokester sent out an email to the entire staff.”
“That stinks. Is your IT staff handling it?”
“Yes, yes, of course. But there was this one odd thing.”
My heart sunk. “What odd thing?”
No Biz Like Showbiz Page 12
