She paused, listening.
“All right, thank you.” She turned her attention back to Alex and the detectives. “You can have a seat in the meeting room across the hall. It’ll be about ten or twenty minutes.”
Alex smiled sweetly. “Thanks, babe.” He handed back her jump drive. “You might want to keep this on the DL from now on. We wouldn’t want to see that pretty face get the boot, now would we?”
She smiled back. “Don’t worry about me, I’ve got money to fall back on. Or did you not hear about the pool?”
Daggers in Alex’s heart, he frowned and turned away. He was starting to wonder if anyone besides Fox’s puppet Megan had actually bet on him keeping his job. He had no emotional attachment to Gwen, but he’d known her long enough during his shooting days at The Slab to anticipate some level of respect. After all, hadn’t he carried that show?
“Well, you heard her,” he said to Kim. “Meeting room’s right there.”
He pointed to a room across from the desk. They could see a long table with several rolling armchairs behind the floor-to-ceiling glass. Kim gave it one glance before scanning the rest of the wide hallway.
“Of course I heard her, Kane,” she said. “But hearing and listening are two very different things. I’d like to have a look around.”
Alex shrugged. “Suits me fine. Gives us time to chat up Andie and Tina. They can help us with that little problem you brought up in the car.”
As he led them farther down the hall, Alex noticed Gwen give Phillips a familiar nod, which he returned with a wink. Still sore from his interaction with her, he didn’t feel up to addressing the matter. It didn’t matter anyway, as Jacob soon interrupted his thoughts.
“How did you know she was pirating episodes from the studio?”
Alex gave a weak smile, wincing on the inside. He was afraid to answer honestly in front of Kim.
“I, uh…know her.”
“Of course you do, I deduced as much when you referred to her by name. But my question was how—”
“They’ve had coitus, Detective Newport,” Kim cut in. “Odds are he’s seen her computer at home, though from his persona I’d wager they were watching a lot more than soap operas. She’s pretty young for you, Kane. If I were a guy, I might actually give you props.”
“Speaking of props,” Alex changed the subject, “props and costumes are in the big room to the left here. This is where we need to be right now.”
He hadn’t really needed to explain their whereabouts. The large open space to their left revealed a room crammed full of items for the studio’s various productions. The vast majority of them were uninteresting to everyone but Alex. Far from the array of exotic artifacts they might have imagined, the space mostly housed everyday odds and ends. Shelves full of clocks, kitchenware, and other sundry bits and pieces stood across from rack after rack of ordinary clothing, much of which was made to look like designer wear without the labels. WAD Studios wasn’t exactly known for cowboy shows and space adventures.
Digging through the racks was costume designer Tina Briley, one of the few women on Alex’s show with whom he was able to maintain a decent platonic relationship, due in part to her being ten years his senior. She smiled brightly when she saw him and stretched out her arms. He approached and embraced her tightly.
“I thought you’d quit on us, doll-face.”
Alex laughed. “I have. I’m sure this won’t surprise you, but I’m here because I need a favor.”
“You’re right,” she said as she let go of him. “That doesn’t surprise me. What can I do for you?”
Kim stepped forward and cleared her throat. She wasn’t too keen on letting Alex take the lead, even if they were in his stomping grounds.
“Apologies,” said Alex. “Tina Briley, this is Detective Daniels, Detective Newport, and Officer Phillips. They’re assisting me on a case.”
“Of course they are,” Tina laughed. She could see the irritation on Kim’s face. “I hope our boy here hasn’t been giving you too much trouble.”
Kim had to bite her lip. As much as she wasn’t overjoyed to work with Alex, she wasn’t going to embarrass him in front of this woman who clearly held his friendship in high esteem.
“Not at all, Miss…?”
“Briley,” Tina said, extending her hand. Kim shook it dutifully, followed by Phillips. Jacob just stared. Tina smiled at him, not offended in the least.
“This one’s cute,” she said. “I like a man who’s all business.”
“Thank you, ma’am,” said Jacob. “I assure you, if I were capable of blushing, I would be doing it this very second. But since you prefer to be all business, we should explain that the favor Mr. Kane needs done is actually for us.”
She nodded. “I figured as much. Kid may have star power, but I don’t usually see a guy gettin’ followed around by three cops and assume that he’s the one in charge.”
“Miss Briley,” said Kim, “his star power is the very nature of our problem. We need Kane to appear unrecognizable to the average television viewer. He told us he had friends here who could help with that. I’m assuming you’re one of them?”
“I suppose,” said Tina. “But you probably want Andie more than you want me. She’s at lunch right now, but she usually gets back for touch-ups in between scenes. I can set you up with her number if you want. It’s—”
“Got it,” said Phillips. Tina looked at him in amazement. He held up his phone. “Only one Andie listed in the make-up department for the show. Piece of cake.”
Tina surveyed the motley crew in front of her.
“Hot damn, Alex. You’ve gotten yourself into something here, haven’t you?”
Alex smiled. “Just studying for a part. We have to catch Charlene as soon as she gets off set, but maybe I can call you later for lunch?”
Tina furrowed her brow. “Charlene? Now why on God’s green earth would you want to talk to her? If I’ve ever met a more unpleasant, more dastardly, more downright bitchy woman in my life….”
As Tina trailed off, they heard a commotion coming from the hallway.
“I don’t care what that little slut wrote, it’s my scene and we’ll do it my way. You’ve already lost one star this month. If you want to lose two, be my guest!” Charlene’s voice was unmistakable.
“Miss Stryker!” Kim called.
Charlene turned from the hallway. Only a presence such as hers could manage to fill the wide doors of the prop room as she walked through, followed by her producer David and mousy head writer, Stella.
“Who are you people? What do you want? And why, I’m just dying to know, is my ex-husband here?”
Kim and Jacob flashed their badges as Kim spoke.
“Miss Stryker, we’re from the NYPD. We’d like to ask you a few questions regarding the death of Virginia Winters.”
The actress stopped dead in her tracks before regaining her poise.
“Virginia Winters – dead? Well, that’s a new one. The girl couldn’t get a whit of publicity in real life. Maybe in death she’ll be a star, if she’s lucky!”
“Ladies and gentlemen, my former wife!” announced Alex dryly. “Gracious, as always.”