On the Hook

by Betty Hechtman

  “That’s really outside my comfort zone. I don’t know if I can do that,” he said as his brow furrowed.

  “Of course, it’s up to you,” I said. “I’m just saying that it would be better if you learned how to make the first move and then follow up.” I struggled with what I was going to say, but I thought it was important to his future happiness. “For example, don’t wait for her to kiss you,” I said.

  He got all flummoxed. “I don’t know how to do that.”

  I pointed to his leather jacket on the back of the chair. “You’ve got the look down; now you need to add the confidence to go with it.” He seemed uncertain, but I assured him he probably had more confidence than he realized. “Don’t let Rhoda pick out a date for you. You go yourself and meet all the women in her sisterhood group. You’ll see; one of them will stand out to you and you’ll find the confidence to make a move on her.”

  I remembered what Rhoda had said about his wife’s view of flowers and candy. “And you can never go wrong sending her some flowers,” I said.

  I dropped the lecture and took the opportunity to glance around the restaurant to see if there was anyone famous to point out to Leo. I did recognize someone, but not from the movies or TV. Brett Williamson and a nerdy-looking guy were sitting with Alexandra Davinsky. The two men seemed to be hanging on her every word, and she was gesturing broadly as she spoke. I wished I could hear what she was saying.

  Leo noticed that I was basically staring at another table. “What’s going on?” he said. “Do you know those people?”

  “We both kind of know him.” I discreetly pointed out Brett and reminded Leo that he had sold him the outfit he was wearing.

  “Should I go up and tell him how much I like the clothes?” Leo asked.

  “No,” I said, a little too quickly, and Leo seemed startled.

  “I’d really like to hear what they’re talking about,” I said.

  Now he was watching them, too. “It’s about your detective stuff, isn’t it?” he said, and I nodded.

  I had an idea and asked Leo if he was up for a little adventure.

  He struck his attempt at a confident pose. “In these clothes, I’m ready for anything.”

  I called the server over and said there was a draft at our table and asked if we could move. I pointed to a table near the group, but in the shadows. The server agreed, and we slipped along the side of the room and went to the table. The slipping around was more for our benefit. The three of them seemed too wrapped up in their own world to even notice us as we took the table near them.

  “Timothy meant well, but he was yesterday’s news. My script is in pre-production right now,” Alexandra was saying.

  She had her hair back in a loose bun with perfectly calculated tendrils falling free. Her outfit was the kind that looked either really trendy or really stupid, depending on the current style. I thought back to the brief moment when anklets paired with heels had been “the look.” Her voice definitely carried, and I’m sure that was no accident; she wanted everyone around her to know that she had a movie in the works.

  The nerdy-looking guy didn’t seem to know her very well and asked what the story line of the movie was.

  “It’s Jason Bourne meets the old beach-blanket movies,” she said. “Chuck Norris plays the senior life guard slash undercover spy.”

  The nerdy guy was savvy enough to have a few questions about when and where the movie would be released.

  “Actually, we’re making it for the Flix channel,” she said. “They’re producing a lot of original content. We’re already working on a deal for the sequel and another script I have an idea for. It takes place at a women’s prison, and they all put aside their differences to put on a musical.”

  Leo was listening with rapt interest, while I was having a hard time not laughing. She segued into talking about her workshops.

  “I really need a commitment from you two soon, as space is filling up.” She glanced around the restaurant and suddenly pointed to someone and then waved with a smile. The two men were too busy looking at her, but I followed her gaze to see who she was waving at. I recognized Steve Bohannon, who’d played a suave detective on a long-running TV show and had later done movies playing similar characters. He never looked up from his conversation or reacted to her greeting. It was all just a ruse to impress her tablemates.

  She was even more aggressive than I’d imagined.

  “Tim had all kinds of connections, and we all know what he did for the girl in Ethnic Smethnic and the one who plays the vegetable fairy. Why should we think you could do the same?” Brett said.

  I heard Leo gasp. “The vegetable fairy—that was Rebecca’s favorite commercial. I loved it too. The way she ran through the broccoli forest.” He was so excited that his voice was loud. I saw that the three of them react and begin to look around. It was more reflex than reason, but I didn’t want them to see us. I couldn’t think of anything else to do, so I grabbed Leo’s shoulders and pulled him toward me before kissing him.

  “Excuse me for interrupting,” an angry male voice said. I stole a look around Leo’s head and saw that Mason was standing next to the table, staring down at us.

  “This is awkward,” I said with a sheepish smile. I noticed that Mason was blocking the other table’s view of us, and I let go of Leo’s shoulders and leaned back in my seat. Leo looked like he’d just been struck by lightning and was speechless.

  “I know who you are,” Alexandra said, looking at Mason. She got up and stood next to him, sticking out her hand. “You’re Mason Fields, the famous attorney to the stars.” Mason turned toward her and thanked her for the compliment. He clearly wanted to leave it at that, but now that she had her foot in the door, she pushed it in. “I’m Alexandra Davinsky. You might have heard about my movie Beach Blanket Undercover.”

  Mason was all polite smiles as he tried to dismiss her, finally pointing out that the server was standing next to her table. She pushed her card on Mason before she sat down. The server was delivering the bill, or should I say bills—they each had a separate check.

  I was about to ask Mason how he happened to be at the Seaside Taverna, but he answered before I had a chance. “What a coincidence running into you two,” he said with just the slightest edge to his voice. “When you said you were busy, I arranged to meet a client here.”

  I looked around the restaurant, not believing what he was saying for a moment. Leo had given him enough information about the place, and I was sure he had figured it out. I wasn’t sure how I felt about it.

  He followed my glance and said, “I’m early. He’s not here yet.”

  What a great save, I thought, thinking how well Mason thought on his feet, but then he was a criminal lawyer.

  “I might as well sit with you until he gets here.” He pulled out a chair and sat on the other side of me.

  “So, what’s new?” Mason said, glancing back and forth between Leo and myself.

  Leo was still stunned by everything that had just happened and was staring down at the table.

  I felt the need to explain. “That woman you just talked to is trying to take Timothy Clark’s place with the acting workshops. I wanted to hear their conversation but not be seen by them. When they turned our way, I had to do something.”

  Leo had found his voice by now. “I was confused since you were telling me I should make the first move on a date. And then you did. Now I get it. It was because I got so excited when that woman started talking about the vegetable fairy,” he said.

  To get off the subject of the kiss, I grabbed at the lifeline Leo had tossed my way. “Isn’t it funny how everybody calls her the vegetable fairy? I’m sure she has a real name.”

  But I’m not sure either of them even heard me anyway. Leo had taken my suggestion of ordering food too far and had offered to handle ordering for Mason as well. Mason, meanwhile, seemed to take it as if he’d just been challenged to a duel. Why couldn’t they all just get along?

  Chapter Twenty
-One

  Shedd & Royal was usually quiet when I came to work in the morning. But Adele had planned a special story time, and when I came into the store the next morning, there was already a buzz of excitement. The café was busy with groups of mostly women huddled around the tables. That was where they all congregated after dropping their kids off in Adeleville, as Adele had renamed the children’s department.

  Mason had ended up ordering his own food and insisted on picking out the dessert for all of us. As expected, his “client” never showed up. I drove Leo home with Mason on my tail. When we got to Rhoda’s, I gave Leo a hug and told him he was on his own now and that I was sure he would do fine. He thanked me profusely and then gave Mason’s car a dirty look.

  Even Mason was wiped out by then and gave up on his after-dinner plans. He followed me back to my place and, when he was sure I was safely in, went home. Barry must have been taking a night off from his Columbo duty, to my great relief. I fell asleep with my clothes on and overslept enough that I had to hurry to get to the bookstore on time.

  Adele was standing at the entrance greeting arrivals. As with everything Adele did, dropping kids off for story time was not a simple affair. She had lists and membership cards and who knew what else. But she was bringing business into the bookstore, so Mrs. Shedd maintained a hands-off policy.

  I almost choked when I saw her outfit that morning. She was wearing a one-piece pink body suit that covered both her hands and feet under a fuchsia one-piece swimsuit. Across the front, she had attached a homemade banner that read MS. MAGNIFICO, who I gathered was a female superhero, though I wasn’t sure if she existed outside Adele’s imagination. Apparently being a superhero didn’t mean you didn’t wear makeup. Adele had gone even heavier than usual.

  I heard talking and laughing coming from inside her area as the kids fidgeted around waiting for story time to start.

  “Here he comes,” Adele said, turning toward her charges.

  The kids, mostly around four years old, rushed to her side and looked out into the store. I felt a blast of air as the front door opened and Wonder Man walked in. He wore an electric blue bodysuit with orange boxer-style shorts over it. There was a decal on the front of his outfit of the silhouette of Wonder Man holding up the world. His head was exposed, and I recognized Mikey Fitzpatrick, even though he was clearly in character. He managed to convey power as he walked through the bookstore. He turned and bowed his head in greeting to anyone he passed. His expression was serious and he had a hawklike gaze, as if he was looking for trouble to take care of.

  The kids squealed with delight as he entered the children’s department.

  I wondered how much of his performance skills Mikey had learned in the workshops. I sure bought that he was a superhero and, as he gave me a nod, I was ready to hand him my troubles to fix.

  Everything quieted down once story time began, and I went back to the yarn department and did some straightening. It was chilly in the store that morning, and I pulled on the cardigan I kept in the bookstore for times like this. I was surprised to find the hook holder still in the pocket. I had left it in the pocket to keep it handy for when I hopefully found its missing piece.

  The rise in the noise level was a clue that story time had ended. I moved to the information desk and looked up to see kids running in circles next to their mothers as they headed to the front of the store. It seemed as if most of them usually ended up at the cashier line. Despite all her craziness, Adele certainly did seem to help the bookstore’s bottom line.

  “Another successful story time,” Lara-Ann said, stopping at the information booth as the stream of kids finally stopped and the last person in line checked out. “I offered to help Adele since she had such a crowd.” She put her hands up in a helpless expression.

  “Don’t feel bad, she never wants anyone’s help. She is the queen of the kids’ department.”

  Mikey came out of the kids’ department as Adele gave him a theatrical hug.

  “Is he a kids’ author?” Lara-Ann asked.

  “No. More like a special guest. He’s an actor that Adele knows. I think he did it as a favor to Adele. And he probably gave out his card to the mothers. I bet he does parties.”

  As he approached, I noticed that, out of character, he had lost a little of the power in his step and his expression had returned to that of a mere mortal rather than a superhero. If anything, he looked a little worn out. I really wanted to talk to him about Timothy Clark. And now seemed like the best chance I was going to get.

  “Since he worked for free, I think the least the bookstore could do is get him a Bobaccino,” I said to Lara-Ann. “Could you keep an eye on things for a few minutes?”

  She agreed, and Mikey seemed to perk up at the idea of a sweet drink.

  The café had emptied and Mikey and I both went up to the counter. Bob immediately recognized Mikey’s character and acted slightly awed, as if the man standing in front of him really was Wonder Man. The power of the costume fascinated me, and even I had a hard time calling him Mikey when he was dressed like that. Mikey slipped Bob a business card before he ordered a cherry almond Bobaccino.

  “Sorry, but we just have plain cherry,” Bob said.

  “Give it a slug of that,” Mikey said, pointing to bottle of almond-flavored syrup in a row of bottles on the counter. “Or I could do it myself,” he said, noting that there was easy access.

  Bob insisted he’d take care of it and turned to me. “I’ll take a red eye.” I stifled a yawn, still recovering from the night before.

  Bob sent us to sit and said he’d bring the drinks. I suppose it was special service for a superhero. I wasn’t sure how I was going to break the ice with Mikey and turn the conversation to Timothy Clark, but the superhero across the table turned out to be easy to talk to. All I had to do was ask him how he’d gotten his start playing Wonder Man. Then I merely waited until he got to talking about the workshops and Timothy.

  “It’s too bad what happened to him,” I said.

  “It’s really too bad for me,” Mikey said. Bob had just brought the drinks, and Mikey dipped into his right away. “Hey, man, this is really great,” he said, holding up his glass in a toast of thanks to Bob.

  I looked at the drink in all its pinkness and with its almond flavoring and couldn’t help but think of Timothy’s pink squirrel habit and the drink that someone had left me.

  “Tim was all about timing and keeping us going until the right thing came along. I have to thank him for this. It’s not exactly acting acting, but I get to play a great role and I’m paying the rent. Just today I probably booked three or four birthday party appearances. I do fairs and some street work too. Timothy was going to help me get a regular gig at Universal near the studio tour.”

  “I suppose hearing what he’d done for others was what kept your hope alive,” I said.

  “You mean the girl in Ethnic Smethnic and the vegetable fairy?” he said in a tired tone. “He had them come and speak to the workshop once a while back.”

  “They must have actual names,” I said.

  “You’re right, but frankly I don’t remember either one of them. It’s kind of like how the people who hire me never call me Mikey. Even when they call to set it up, they call me Wonder Man.”

  “I understand that someone in your group is taking over the workshops,” I said, trying to sound nonchalant.

  Mikey almost choked on his drink. “You mean Alexandra?” He shook his head in dismissal. “She thinks she’s such hot stuff, but she doesn’t have any connections. Big deal—so she has a movie in production.”

  I almost corrected him and said pre-production but managed to stop myself, realizing it would seem odd that I knew so much about it. He didn’t seem to notice and continued on.

  “Between this other woman in the workshop named Deana and Alexandra, it was almost a catfight every week. It was always about who was more important to Timothy. I mean, c’mon, they had different positions in his life. Alexandra was his assistant,
almost like his pimp. She always hung out at any free events trying to get new students for him. The big score was if she landed him an acting coach gig. And Deana, well, we all knew they were going home together.”

  “Do you have any idea who would have wanted to kill him?”

  “The cops asked me the same thing.”

  “What did you tell them?” I asked, trying to sound casual.

  “It’s not for me to point the finger at anyone and sic the cops on them, so I told them I didn’t have any idea and that as far as I knew, everybody loved Timothy.”

  “But I’m guessing they didn’t,” I said, hoping that he wouldn’t notice that I seemed to be a little too interested for a person not involved.

  “Thank you for this drink. I really needed something. It takes a lot out of me to even pretend to be a superhero for an hour.” He drank down the last few swallows as he considered my question. “I wasn’t in the fantasy world the rest of them were, thinking that Timothy believed we were all so talented. He was doing what he had to to keep his head above water while he tried to get his own acting work. And he said what he had to say to keep everyone coming back. I’m not so sure the others would take that news as well as I have. Take Deana. I’m pretty sure she was only in a relationship with him because she thought he would give her special preference. In her dreams. I know he thought she was very limited. Basically all she could play was a neurotic wannabe artist—in other words, herself.”

  “So you’re saying she could have found out what he really thought about her and killed him?”

  He put his hands up. “I’m not saying anything, but I can’t stop you from you drawing your own conclusions.”

  “Hey, Molly,” Bob said, coming up to our table.

  He held up his hand as a shield and pointed his finger behind it toward the door. I glanced casually and saw Barry and Detective Heather standing in the doorway staring at me and Wonder Man. They both seemed to be fighting back grins.