She sighed. "You’re not one of his friends, are you?”
28
"This is going to sound a little crazy," I said.
"Trust me, nothing in regard to my father could sound any crazier than it actually is."
I told her about Flynn and the biopic.
She lifted a surprised eyebrow. "You're making a movie about his life?”
"It sure looks that way."
"Well, do me a favor?” she asked in a sharp voice.
"What's the favor?”
"Would you please tell the full story in an honest light. Don't paint him a hero. You should expose the real man, not the legend.”
“The real man?”
“The reckless, selfish, 60-year-old man-child who cheated on my mother and broke our family apart. Mickey only thinks ofhimself. Me, me, me, me, me, me, me, me, me. That’s all he thinks about. How about you put that in your movie?”
"Well, I'm not sure that would sell at the box office," I said.
Kendra scoffed. "That sounds like real drama to me. A gritty role that some actor could sink their teeth into. But no, you're going to make him out to be an antihero. Let me guess, somewhere in the third act, he's going to have a realization and come to terms with his lifestyle and make a change. Everything is going to be okay in the end. He will have triumphed over his inner demons. Meanwhile, his real life is in shambles."
I shrugged. "Well, that's basically how all biopics go. Rise to the top of the world, then hit rock bottom, then a self-realization. The hero emerges from the journey wiser and stronger."
An annoyed laugh escaped her lips. "Mickey is as stupid now as he ever was.” Genuinely disturbed, she said, "Are you really going to work with him?”
“I’ve committed to the project. I don’t ever go back on my word. I’m sorry you find that objectionable.”
She looked incensed. “You know, I think I’ve lost my appetite.”
I gave her a dismissive look. “You’re not really upset with me because I’m working with your father?”
“Yes, I am. You’re a cop. What are you doing glorifying his lifestyle?”
“I’m not glorifying anything.”
“Oh, yes, you are. Flynn is going to make my father look sexy and charming and carefree. His life will appear daring andadventurous. It might as well be a recruitment poster for drug smuggling.”
“The film will showcase the fall from grace and the consequences of that lifestyle.”
“People will forget about that. They’ll only remember the cool parts. You realize he stole money from the Colombian cartel? There’s been a contract on his life all these years.”
“Well, he’s still around.”
Our waitress showed up to take our order. She put on a cheery smile. “I’m Macey. How are you doing today?”
“I’m leaving, actually,” Kendra said as she slid out of the booth.
I looked at the waitress, and she cringed.
“Excuse me for a second,” I said before chasing after Kendra. “Hey, hold up. I didn’t expect you to run away from a confrontation.”
She kept walking toward the door. “I’m not running. I’m walking. And if you’ve agreed to work with my father, that means you’re a poor judge of character.”
