“Well, I trust Bodie. Give him a chance.”
Give him a chance?Matt hung up with a sense of doom. But he had it coming. He’d skirted the law a few times. Every once in a while, it got to win.
“I see justice has been served.” Dale Cranston strolled in, puffed up and puffed out with a yellowish-blue bruise under his right eye.
Where’d he get that shiner? Matt had popped him on the chin, where admittedly there was a fading mark.
“Dale.” Milo stepped between the two men. “You can’t harass the prisoner. Go on home.”
“I’m not harassing.” He pointed at Matt. “You can’t come into this town and act like one of them kids in the Hollywood brat pack. Nobody around here is going to kiss your fanny because you were in a few movies.”
“You’re just mad ’cause your theater is second run and can’t getFlight Deckuntil everyone’s seen it in Niceville,” Milo said, steering Matt back to the cell. “Dale, scoot.”
Stretched out on the cot, Matt listened to the sounds of the jail—Milo offering Dale his own cell if he didn’t skedaddle. The door opening, then closing. The creak of Milo’s chair. The click and slide of a desk drawer. The snap of a stapler and the sharp timbre of a ringing phone.
“Sea Blue Beach PD, Officer Patitucci here.” He listened with an eye on Matt. “Who is this? Yeah, sure.” He shoved his desk chair to the cell, dragging the receiver and the long cord with him. “It’s your agent.”
Matt reached between the bars for the phone and pressed it to his ear. “Cosmo?”
“Are you in jail?”
“Why? Is it inVarietyalready?”
“I called your dad, looking for you. Got him on his truck phone. I’ve got to get me one of those.”
“You’d never have a moment of peace. The car is the one place clients can’t get to you.”
“Food for thought, food for thought. Listen, Cindy Canon doesn’t like her new co-star.”
“Who is it?”
“Conner Reid.”
“Not surprised. I can see it. He can be a bit much, even though he has that British accent.”
“So, this is your lucky day. Okay, maybe not since you’re in jail, but you’re back on the project. I told you getting out of town would improve your reputation.”
“It’s only been three weeks.”
“In Hollywood, that’s like three years. You in?”
“What do you think?” he said. “As soon as I get out of here, I’ll head to LA. Oh, wait, Cos, I’m helping my granny save the Starlight.”
“You got time. Roger Woods is working out the details with Conner’s contract. My guess is he’ll start rehearsals sometime in May.”
“Then I’m in.” He’d have to work out something with Dad and Harlow for the Starlight. “But, Cos, I’ll need to fly home the end of May. Get it in my contract.”
As much as he loved the idea of getting back to work, especially with Cindy, he felt sad about leaving Granny. And, to be honest, Harlow.
“I’ll overnight an updated script. Why were you arrested anyway?”
“Punching someone.”
“I don’t get you, Matt. You’re notthatguy. But you keep trying to bethatguy. One day I’d like to know why.”
“Me and you both.” But Matt had an inkling. Deep down.
As he handed the phone to Milo, the burgers arrived. He doled out the food, then pulled his chair over to the cell.
