“No problem,” Alden replied, and they trudged up the steep staircase, led by the pitter-patter of Morgana’s tiny feet.
This thing needs a ski lift, Roz thought as they made it to the second floor. Its large, open, light-filled space stretched all the way past dining and living areas to the sliding glass doors, balcony and views of the sea.
She wandered close enough to the glass to see the pool below and more balconies above as the dog danced around her feet. She reached down and scratched under the pup’s chin before taking another look at the sparkling blue ocean. “Spectacular view.”
“It really is,” Blake agreed. “And for this I paid less than half of what I got for my beach house in California.”
“Morgana!” came a lilting voice from down a hallway. “Treats!” The dog lost all interest in Roz and took off running.
“Lexie loves that dog. She gave me this ridiculous shirt,” Blake said with an indulgent smile. Roz had no idea who Lexie was, but Alden nodded knowingly. Obviously someone famous enough for her gossip guy to recognize.
Alden looked around at the modern furniture and tasteful accents, homing in on a credenza against one wall topped with unusual objects.
Roz followed and halted before a familiar sight. “Oh, wow, is this that cowbell that was on your desk in Chain of Honor?”
Blake grinned. “Good eye.”
“I loved that show.” She could hear herself gushing but couldn’t help it. “I loved every time you rang the cowbell to pull Doberman from his latest distraction.”
The star looked pleased. “The bell was my idea.”
Alden leaned over to look at a small glass box. “That’s not the compass button from Flameout, is it? Oh my God.”
“It sure is. Do you want to hold it?”
Alden could barely gasp out a yes, and Roz could barely hide her amusement. It was so rare to see him act like a fanboy. Blake lifted away the clear box and set it aside, leaving only the black display base, and picked up what looked like an ordinary brass button—until he unscrewed it to reveal a tiny compass. He handed it to Alden, who gently rolled it around on his palm before handing it back.
“It works, too,” Blake said. “If you got shot down like I did in the movie, you could remove the button and use this with a silk map sewn into your uniform to find your way to safety.”
“That’s amazing,” Roz said. “They really used those in World War II?”
“They sure did.” Blake lowered the glass case over the button. “That’s one thing I loved about working on that movie. The authenticity. I loved the history and all the war gadgets. And I love to fly, so I geeked out over all the aviation stuff.”
“I didn’t know you were a pilot. That’s cool,” Alden said.
“I’ve got a Beechcraft Bonanza over at Comet Cove International.”
They all chuckled at this reference to the small airfield, which hadn’t graduated to international flights yet. At least not officially.
Blake gestured them toward a seating area of soft beige furniture where they had an excellent view of the ocean. They took a couch; he took a chair. Alden didn’t ask to record as he usually did, so she got out her notebook and pen.
Blake saw her do it but didn’t seem concerned. “So what can I do for you two? I saw your latest story on poor Wayne. Foul play, eh?”
Wow, John worked fast. He must’ve liked what they wrote to get the article online already.
And Blake had just called Wayne by his first name.
Alden beat her to the obvious question. “You knew Wayne Vandershell?”
“I did. He was trying to talk me into starring in an indie movie. He described it as ‘offbeat.’ He kept saying I’d have a comeback like John Travolta in Pulp Fiction.” His mouth quirked. “I wasn’t sure whether to be flattered or insulted that he assumed I needed a ‘comeback.’ I’m very happy here.” But there was something in Blake’s face that made Roz wonder.
“You weren’t tempted?” she asked.
“Of course I was tempted. I’m starting to get a few scripts to look at again since my role in that creepy priest film. Small roles in horror movies and that kind of thing. I haven’t taken one yet, but that doesn’t mean I won’t. I always think of Ray Milland—you know his work?”
“Great actor,” Alden said.
“He was. Won the Oscar for The Lost Weekend. He had a lot of great roles, big roles.”
