He took my meaning instantly. “You think you were meant to fall?”
I frowned. “I don’t know. It doesn’t make sense. But something isn’t right.”
“This house has been empty for several years. It will be Estelle’s on her wedding day, but until then, I’ve neglected it. I sent a cleaning crew out last month to prepare for the film, but before that, no one lived here.” He paced as he talked. “Perhaps this happened when the house was empty, or somehow the cleaning crew did something.”
I didn’t disagree. Both scenarios were possible. “I’m not afraid, but I am concerned. I think you should hire some security here.”
He stopped pacing and nodded. “You’re thinking of Suzy, aren’t you?”
“Two serious falls, one of them fatal. Yeah, it’s an easy link to make.” I saw the worry etch itself more deeply in the lines of his face. “There probably is no connection, but I heard what Suzy said at Michael Mainheim’s party.”
He dropped his gaze. “I’m sorry, Sarah Booth. You shouldn’t have heard that.”
“She felt I stole this role from her.” I gave a wry grin. “I know what that feels like, and it isn’t very nice. She was upset.”
“Six years ago, I would have cast Suzy as Matty. But her time for that role passed. You are Matty, Sarah Booth. I’ve told you this before, but it bears repeating. I didn’t give you anything you didn’t deserve.”
His words were high praise, but they didn’t answer the question of what Suzy was doing out in Lettohatchie Canyon. “Do you really believe Suzy was climbing around that canyon because she and Bobby Joe Taylor are friends?”
He shook his head slowly. “I don’t know. Suzy did say Bobby Joe was working on a script with her in mind.”
Then it was possible she’d come out to the mountain to talk to Bobby Joe without knowing he’d let Graf and I stay in his place for a few weeks. But she never knocked on the door. She was climbing the ravine. It didn’t wash.
“Suzy’s death troubles me. Now Joey is hurt.” I didn’t have to go further. Federico took my hand and pressed it.
“I’ll hire the security company now. Ricardo can check out several agencies and find the best one.”
“I think that’s a wise decision.” I found a smile and pasted it to my face. Federico had enough to worry about. If someone was up to something on the set, maybe the presence of security guards would put a stop to it.
I awoke from a nap to discover that the entire day had slipped away. The rustle of papers made me sit up in bed. Graf sat in an overstuffed chair, his feet propped on an ottoman, reading Variety. Sweetie snored lightly at his feet. The soft late evening light struck Graf full on the face and I couldn’t help but see how handsome he was.
“Would you like some coffee, Sarah Booth?”
I wasn’t certain what I wanted, other than to pat the bed and ask Graf to come and lay beside me. That would open too many doors, though. I sat up and rubbed my face. “I feel like Dorothy, and this isn’t Kansas anymore.” The room was magnificent, especially with Graf there as if he were part of my family.
“There’s some good noise about this movie,” he said, folding the paper and offering it to me.
I shook my head. “Millie tells me everything I need to know about Hollywood. Part of it’s true and part of it isn’t.”
He laughed. “You have good friends, Sarah Booth. I was watching you sleep and thinking that I’ve neglected to make those connections. I wonder if it’s a gender thing or if I’ve failed somehow.”
It was true that a lot of men never built friendships. Many developed “couple” friendships. “You’d probably be surprised at the people who count you as a friend.”
He stood up and came to the bed. “I’ve been all about work or a romantic relationship. I want to have friends, like you.”
I touched his face lightly, the evening stubble rough under my palm. “I’ll be your friend.”
He looked so innocent-before his fingers found the ticklish places along my ribs and hips.
Screaming and struggling to get away from him, I couldn’t help but laugh. This was familiar ground for us. We rough-housed like kids, a trick way to experience the pleasure of physical intimacy. When at last I was panting for air, Graf pulled me into his arms and held me gently.
For a long moment we stayed that way before he let me go and stood up from the bed. “You’re the hardest test I’ve ever met.”
I only nodded. “I think coffee sounds good.” We had to get out of the bedroom. The attraction between us was impossible to ignore.
“I’ll go start it. Meet you in the kitchen.”
Graf walked out of the room and I realized Sweetie Pie was still snoring. Some watchdog.
I put on jeans and a T-shirt and started down the hallway. The house was still quiet. In the morning everyone, including the caterers and set builders with their saws and drills, would be back.
Halfway down the upstairs hall, I had the sense that someone was watching me, but when I looked, the hall was empty, the hardwood floors shining in the peachy light. Maybe I was missing Jitty and hoping for a ghost.
As I started across the foyer, I heard voices raised in anger.
“You were responsible for Mother’s death. No matter what you say, you were at the bottom of it.”
The voice was young and female and filled with bitter emotion. I hesitated. It was coming from Federico’s room. The door was open, and if the people arguing wanted privacy, they should have shut it.
“You can’t begin to know what really happened.” Federico’s response was calm, sorrowful.
“Mother was so unhappy. You made her unhappy. That’s why she overdosed. This is at your feet, Father.”
Estelle was in the house again, and no happier than she’d been the day before.
“In one way, you’re correct, Estelle. I am partially to blame for this situation right now. When you were younger, I did everything I could to protect you. I didn’t always tell you the truth, because it was so painful.”
“The truth! You wouldn’t know the truth if it walked up and spit in your face.”
“I can see you’ve inherited your mother’s temper as well as her theatrics.”
There was the sound of something breaking. “Mother doesn’t want you in this house. She’ll make sure you don’t stay. What happened to that prop man is only the beginning.”
“You should leave, Estelle. Before you say something you’ll regret for the rest of your life.”
“Make me! This will be my house. Mother meant for me to have it. She wouldn’t want you and that filthy slut in here. I want all of you out!”
“I’m calling the security team. I’m having you removed, Estelle. This will be your house one day. Until then, I have a movie to make and I can’t afford for you to do harm to yourself or anyone else. Leave now or I’ll have you removed.”
“You wouldn’t dare.”
Apparently he would dare, and he did. Not a minute later the front door opened and two burly men wearing blue uniforms with “PSA” embroidered on the chest came forward. They each wore a utility belt with what looked like Mace or pepper spray and batons attached.
I moved down the hall, pausing in the kitchen door, where I could hear the kettle Graf had put on whistling away.
“You bastard!” Estelle’s angry scream came just as Graf lifted the kettle. I heard it clatter to the range top, and he was beside me in an instant.
“Take your hands off me!” Estelle, in the grip of the two security guards, was being dragged from her father’s room and down the hall.
“You’ll pay, Father! You’ll pay the ultimate price for this! Mother won’t allow it! You and that whore will pay, just like the last one did!”
“Take her off the property and release her,” Federico told the guards. “Estelle, I’m calling Senor Martinez. If you step foot on this property again, you will be arrested and put in jail, where you’ll remain until the filming here is complete. Don’t make me do this.”