Freefall

by Kristen Heitzmann

  He had to get out, get out fast, but he was zilch on ready cash. He slammed to a stop in his driveway, ran inside, and stuffed a bag with things he’d need. Except he mostly needed money. His cards were maxed, and if he tried to use them he’d be flagged.

  There had to be something, somewhere. He searched his closet, his drawers. Maybe he’d stashed some cash. But he hadn’t. If he drained one more cent from the Ponzi account, he could kiss himself good-bye. But if they connected him to Malakua, he’d be going down for hard time, and he’d rather be dead. Anyway, it was Saturday and he couldn’t get at it.

  And then he thought of Allegra and her drawer. She’d written a check, but he’d also seen a band of cash. Might not be that other hundred grand she’d offered, but he’d be grateful for whatever. He grabbed his bag and threw it into the car, drove to Allegra’s, and used the key he’d copied in Hawaii.

  He’d be in and out so fast. Except the drawer was empty, and the flashing red light on the alarm box showed he’d triggered something silent. Swearing, he started to slam the drawer, then saw the little snub nose revolver in the back. He grabbed it along with the loads and ran out the door into his idling car. He wished now he’d bought something less recognizable. As much as he hated the thought, he’d have to ditch it for another. But first he needed miles under his tires. And a plan.

  After Gentry’s parents had gone to bed, Cameron squeezed after her through the little hall window onto a section of roof between two peaks. “And what motivated you to explore this particular exit?”

  She pointed up with the most questionably innocent expression he’d ever seen. “The stars, of course.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “You heard my parents. I was a born naturalist.” She settled down between the peaks, reclining against one, feet up on the opposite.

  “So you never snuck out here to—”

  “Tell secrets? Sure. Helen and I planned our lives right here.”

  “To be alone with someone your parents didn’t know you were with?”

  He’d packed an overnight bag in case the party went long but hadn’t anticipated perching on the roof outside the spare bedroom of her parents’ house.

  “Mom caught a pretty good view of things. I doubt she’s in the dark any longer.”

  “I didn’t mean me.”

  Gentry stretched out her defined legs and crossed her ankles.

  “What I mean is, would that window be perhaps a rite of passage for all the men in your life?”

  She stared up into the night sky awash with sparkles and moonlight spilling from a strip of cloud. “This is as close as I could get to that night in the Hanalei Mountains.”

  A balmy warmth washed over him. He’d felt unburdened last night, open for the first time in years to wonder and happenstance. Now side by side with Gentry, so close not even their fears separated them, he felt it again. “That was some night.”

  “Do you think everyone knows the moment they fell in love?”

  “I doubt it.”

  She closed her eyes. “Mine was when you said those Hawaiian words, that I was in the shelter of his wings. I knew you were promising your protection as well.”

  “I just wanted you to shut up and go to sleep.”

  “You knew exactly what to say to soothe my fears.”

  “You were furious with me the next morning.”

  “True. When you woke me, and then at the pool—I could not believe you still suspected me.”

  “It’s my nature to doubt and question.”

  “When you suggested I was having an affair with my uncle, I wanted to drown you.”

  “I didn’t know he was your uncle.” He slipped his arm under her neck and wrapped her shoulders. “And I deal with the darker sides of people everyday.”

  She sighed. “I cannot believe my aunt and that …”

  “Curt Blanchard’s a predator. He looks for marks like your aunt— alone, wounded, wealthy.”

  “And he tries to kill their loved ones?”

  “He got Malakua to do the dirty work, so he probably hasn’t killed before.”

  She frowned. “Will they get him?”

  He pulled her tighter. “Search area’s a little bigger than Kauai, but he’ll leave a trail. Everyone does. It’s just a matter of reading the clues.”

  “Spoken like a sleuth. How did you get into fraud investigation?”

  An innocent question, but it went deeper than she knew. “After our parents were lost, I invented a zillion alternate scenarios. They were spies on a mission so secret everyone had to believe they were dead. Or they’d been kidnapped for some brilliant knowledge only they had. I worked out myriad ways they could have been sneaked off the island, the most obvious that the boat had not gone down, but merely kept going. I studied people’s faces to see who knew the truth, who’d been ordered to keep us from guessing, who might break if I applied the right pressure.”

  “No wonder your teachers were challenged.”

  “I got good at spotting lies, even those that had nothing to do with my parents’ secret mission. Everyone had something to hide; some did it better than others. Some made it a career. I started reading about all the ways people cheated.”

  “Because you felt cheated?”

  He considered that. “Maybe. I studied criminology and specialized in fraudulent schemes, worked for an insurance company when Myra and I married, then branched out on my own and started getting government work.”

  She turned slightly. “Have you found your parents?”

  A smile touched his mouth. “Not yet.”

  “Nica told me she doesn’t go into the water because it’s their grave.”

  Nica was right. It was only when he uncovered something wholly unbelievable that he still allowed himself to wonder. “They never recovered the bodies.”

  “Kai …”

  “I know. But I don’t let go easily.” Except for his son. He’d let go before he had a chance to hold on. For Kevin’s sake—and his own. “Consider that fair warning.” His gaze slid to her mouth.

  “It might be harder than you think to make this work.”

  Her call last night had shown him that. He pulled her tighter, in case doubt wormed in between them. “But see, I believe in the impossible.”

  “That from the man who scoffed at hope?”

  “Well, God showed me once and for all that I’m not uncovering his scam. He’s no fraud. He’s the only real thing there is. That and what I feel for you.”

  Her mouth was soft under his. He had a flash of Alec doing the same, and it ached somewhere deep.

  She touched his face. “You’re the only man I’ve brought out here.”

  Again that tropical warmth. “Not even Dan?”

  “Unless the house was on fire, Daniel would never shimmy through a window. It would feel disreputable.”

  “I have a hard time seeing you together.”

  “I was a new believer, voracious, and he knew so much. I’m grateful for the things he taught me. We just had… different views. Irreconcilable views.”

  “Does it hurt?”

  “A little … that he didn’t believe me.” Her gaze ran over his face like warm, misty rain. “He doesn’t think God puts a call on women’s lives. Only their husbands have that right.”

  “Then he hasn’t seen your work. If that’s not God-given talent I don’t know what is.”

  She sighed. “He won’t watch a Hollywood movie.”

  “There’s a lot of junk out there.”

  She nodded. “That’s why it matters. It’s shaping our culture, and if every believer bails, if all the moral voices walk away, what check will there be for the realm of darkness? Who will shine, as Nica said, the Shekina glory?”

  Her passion rang in his ears. He didn’t like to think of her in that realm, but he knew now that everyone had a call on their lives. He drew and released a slow breath. “If anyone has the strength and courage to do that, it’s you.”

  “Can you stand i
t?”

  He brushed her lips with his. “I’m not going anywhere.”

  Buoyed by the weekend spent with Cameron and her family, Gentry held her ground in the meeting before Monday’s shoot. “Sexual tension is secondary for this character. The audience has seen the sparks, but does the movie jump the shark if Eva cares more about the thousands of starving people stranded by war than having an affair with her colleague?” They had all—including her—made the assumption that Matt and Eva would behave that way, but why? If she and Cameron could resist their intense attraction, why couldn’t her screen identity do the same?

  “Why dilute the reason we all chose this script? Its moral call to global responsibility and personal sacrifice; that’s what makes it work, what makes Eva work.” She only dared speak because it was true. She would not compromise the project after she had agreed to take it on, but it had all come clear as she’d needed it to.

  Because of Friday’s kiss, the director wanted to shift from the original tensions to Eva’s relationship with Matt Cargill. Alec wanted it too. Ultimately the director made the call, and if he said play up the relationship, that was where they’d go. But the producer was an issues devotee. He chose projects with meat. He might, just might, agree with her, and Dwight had to consider that.

  She thought of Cameron standing in the sea, surrendering to a will beyond his, as he’d described his encounter with the living God. Dwight Spellman might not realize his control was secondary, but she appealed to that higher power.

  “All right, today we shoot it straight.” He speared her with a glance. “I better see the fire for your cause that I saw Friday with Alec.”

  She nodded, not even a smile of victory, and played the scenes with all she had. By the end of the day, exhaustion hit hard. She had focused so intensely, she hardly heard Alec when he invited her over for drinks.

  “Hey. You can forget the starving kids now.” He chucked her chin.

  She smiled. “Sorry. I have a lot on my mind.”

  “Like keeping as far from me as possible.”

  “It’s not personal, Alec.”

  “You are an enigma.” He ran his fingers down her arm. “Come over for a drink. All the cast’ll be there.” He must have read her reluctance. “It’s not like I’m getting you alone. Matt would get you alone.”

  “You mean Eva.”

  He smiled.

  “I think I’ll just—”

  “You ought to rub elbows, Gentry. It’s how you get known, considered for the next one. As much as your screen performance, your ability to fit in to the cast and your hunger for the life matters.”

  Was she hungry for the life? She had played a crusader today, someone who couldn’t turn her back on misery. Those scenes would speak to the world. Did she have to play a game to earn the chance for more?

  “Dwight’ll be there. He’s watching you closely, measuring your potential. He pulls weight.”

  She rested her hands on her hips. “Free career counseling?”

  He gave her the hundred-watt smile.

  She didn’t want to banter. “I’m just tired.”

  He turned her around and rubbed her shoulders, lowered his mouth to her ear. “They’re bandying your name for the co-lead in Vanished.”

  She spun. “How do you know?”

  “I’m the other lead. If they come through on the contract.” He tugged the braid that hung over her shoulder. “You ought to come over. Let your hair down. They know you’re professional. They want to see if you’re real.”

  “Is any of this real?”

  “It is to the ones shelling out the money.”

  She had meant what she said to Cameron about being a presence in the industry. To do that she’d have to carefully consider each and every project. She had dodged a bullet by keeping the script straight this time. Did she want to play beside Alec again? “Tell me about Vanished.”

  “Come over and I’ll show you the script.”

  “I don’t want to compromise Eva by reading someone else now.” She avoided overlapping projects that could dilute her character.

  “It’s perfect for you.”

  Just that easily, the lure was there, working in her like a sugar high. She had felt her power today. When they wrapped Just Illusions, would she go right into an even bigger production? How many people got that chance? And what might she do with it? “Okay. Give me directions.”

  “Why don’t you follow me?”

  She’d have liked to go home and shower, change clothes, unwind. Instead she’d go directly, but she wouldn’t stay long. “All right.”

  Intent on following Alec’s Lexus SC, she left the studio without even a glance at the paparazzi at the gate.

  In Okelani’s kitchen, Nica lifted a platter of teriyaki skewers and froze. Icy paws crept up her spine, claws nicking her skin. She looked to see if Okelani had felt it, but she was calmly wrapping paper-thin strips of raw ahi in limu seaweed. TJ stood silently in the corner.

  “Here.” She handed him the teriyaki platter. “Put this on the table. I’ll be back in just a second.”

  She ducked out the door and ran up the path to her house. Wary after Malakua, she crept to her back door and then around to her front. No one. Yet the urgency intensified. Kai? She circled back.

  There was no one in the garden but TJ, who must have followed her up. “Got one feeling?”

  “Someone needs help. But there’s no one here.” She closed herself into her arms. “I need to call Kai.”

  “Your bruddah plenny akamai. He be okay.”

  Yes, Kai was smart, and strong, and he’d told her she could let go. But the claws clung to her spine. “Something’s wrong.”

  TJ took her hand. “Come back.”

  She looked around again. Was someone there in the dark needing help? Maybe TJ’s uniform kept him or her from coming out, but since no one did, she followed TJ back to Okelani’s. When she stepped in the door, her tū tū looked up and said, “Malice.”

  FORTY-THREE

  The party was not raucous or licentious. Yet. Alec had a low-key manner that his guests imitated, though she didn’t have to look hard to find that mood enhancements beyond alcohol were available. She didn’t know if Alec was a recreational or serious user, or if he only had it available for those who were, or if they’d brought their own.

  Tonight he seemed intent on squiring her and maybe sparking some fling-between-leads gossip. Her resistance to escalating their on-screen relationship had probably stung, and she doubted he’d experienced that before. She and Cameron had not agreed to anything exclusive, but they’d established it in the Hanalei Mountains and under the falls. She couldn’t picture Alec diving under to save her finding a corpse.

  He handed her a tumbler of ice and booze from the bartender.

  “What is it?”

  “Amaretto sour. Liquid candy.”

  She took a sip. It tasted like SweeTarts. “I’m not big on liquor.” Especially a drink handed to her in an uncontrolled environment where date rape drugs or other dope could easily be added.

  “Then just carry it so you don’t stand out.” His tutoring seemed sincere. He had broken through with his last two movies, was levels above her but still proving himself. “Mingle awhile; then I’ll grab the script, and we can read.”

  “Okay.” He would have some say in whether she got an official reading, but until she saw the script she wouldn’t even hope.

  He sauntered off to dazzle his guests. As she sampled the veal and asiago nachos, Helen came up and took her arm. “I have to talk to you.”

  It had been a long time since they’d shared that tone of secrets. Since her confession, Helen had fluctuated between solicitous and defensive, and Gentry took her wavering moods in stride. She crunched the last of the chip as they ducked into a game room, where a few diehards were playing electronic pinball and other virtual-arcade machines Alec had there.

  “Are you ready for this?”

  The puckish look in Helen’s face
was so familiar, Gentry laughed. “Tell me.”

  “Dwight’s next movie, Vanished ?” Her heart sank.

  Helen leaned in and whispered, “I’m reading.”

  “For the lead?”

  “Co-lead.”

  Gentry squeezed her arms. “Who told you?”

  Helen’s brow puckered. “I really can’t say. Oh, Gentry, I would.”

  “Who cares!” She shook her. “I’m so excited, Helen. It could be a break.”

  “A big break.”

  Gentry hugged her. “Thank you for telling me.”

  “It’s not—You can’t say anything. I just wondered … I didn’t know if you’d heard anything.”

  “About you reading?”

  “About you.”

  Ah. She should have seen that coming. Helen was not above playing the sympathy card. Don’t mess me up again. “I’m not sure I want to go into something right away.”

  “It’s with Alec.”

  “For sure?”

  Helen shrugged. “He sounded sure.” She put her hand to her mouth.

  Gentry laughed. “Aha. So da leading man iss your source. Verry interestinc.”

  Helen flushed. “Do not breathe a word. We just … hit it off the other night, and he wants me to read.”

  An amazing lightness filled her. “I’m really happy for you. It’ll be great.” They hugged and parted so Helen could go find others to keep her secret.

  Gentry moved out into the great room, awed by God’s providence, how clearly he’d protected her. She didn’t need to see the script to know this opportunity was not his will and Alec was not her mentor—talented actor that he was.

  On her way toward the door, she chatted with Dwight. He set his empty highball on a tray and said, “Just out of curiosity, did you ever remember what happened on Kauai?”

  “Everything but my plunge over the falls. And I don’t mind losing that.”

  He shook his head. “Bad karma. What were you in your last life?”

  She shrugged. “I think this is the only one I get.”

  He eyed her a minute. “Then let me make it better. I’m looking for …”