Part 11 (1/2)
”Is this for your own personal file? because I don't see how it's pertinent to the case.”
He shrugged.
”Yes, he kissed a woman who hasn't had s.e.x with Zaitlin.”
”Did Ben want it to go further than the kiss?”
”I'm not going to take advantage of a twenty-one-year-old.”
”I don't think he'd see it that way. Was he at The Den the night of Jenny's murder?”
”I'm sure the club has a security tape.”
”I'm going to take your answer as a yes unless you tell me otherwise. Did he say who else was there?”
I sighed. ”Jenny. She was drunk. And I think Ben said some guy drove her home.”
”Does this guy have a name?”
”Ben didn't say.”
”Did he mention whether he was wearing a gray sweats.h.i.+rt with a hood?”
”You mean like the man on the security tape in Jenny's garage?”
He nodded.
”I've found over the years that most men don't think about what other men are wearing. In fact, they can hardly remember what their wives were wearing,” I said.
”I'll remember what you wore today. Tight s.e.xy black dress. Gray leather jacket for toughness. Which I've discovered you have in spades.”
”Do me a favor. Forget the dress. Remember the toughness.”
Grinning, he said ”I'll try. How well did Ben know Jenny?”
”He said he knew she was causing her father problems on the set, but he didn't really know her personally. He implied that she ignored him.”
”You believe that?”
”Yes, I do. Besides, what's his motive for killing Jenny? Zaitlin has more motive than Ben. I've never seen him put up with so much from an actress who wasn't a star.” Hearing my own words, I now realized why Zaitlin had put up with her. ”Is Parson backing the film?”
”You won't see his name anywhere.”
”G.o.d, all an actor wants is a job. No one thinks about where the financing comes from to make the movie.”
”You've probably helped launder a little money in your career and never knew it.” He swerved off onto a freeway exit ramp.
I tensed. ”Where are we going?”
”Lunch. Or are you one of those actresses who doesn't eat?”
I thought of the nonfat food in my refrigerator that never rotted, just turned rigid. ”Actually, I'm starving.”
He pulled into a shopping center lined with big square-shaped warehouses that didn't look much different from soundstages, except for their enormous signs announcing Target, T. J. Maxx, Best Buy, and Nordstrom's Rack. Hollywood doesn't have a monopoly on selling dreams at cost.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN.
The Red Pepper was a pseudo-Mexican food chain restaurant with ropes of plastic red peppers hanging from the walls and waitresses stuffed into pseudo-Mexican fiesta skirts and blouses.
I slid into a booth.
Heath remained standing. ”I'll be right back.” A cell phone rang in one of his pockets. It was a familiar ringtone. In fact it was my ringtone. He took my iPhone from the inside of his jacket and handed it to me. ”It's for you.”
Anger gave my adrenalin a jolt. ”You b.a.s.t.a.r.d.”
”You weren't going to drive back with me. I had to think of something.” He strolled off toward the restroom.
Glaring after him, I answered the call.
It was Zaitlin. ”What did Parson say to you?”
”Robert, how could you let Parson have me driven to Santa Barbara without telling me where the h.e.l.l I was going, who I was going to meet, or why? I thought I was being abducted.”
”Nothing I could do. Parson wanted it handled his way.”
”You could've said no.”
”It wouldn't have changed anything. There are some things you don't know, Diana, and some things it's better you don't know. And don't try to bully me about it. Tell me what you told him.”
Inwardly I sighed. ”Exactly what I told you. But I think you should talk to Ben. He was at the club where Jenny was the night she died.”
”Did you say anything to Parson about Ben?”
”No.”
”Good. Tell Heath. If it needs taking care of, he'll do it.”
”I'm sure he will.” I looked across the restaurant through the service opening into the kitchen. Heath was talking intently to an older man in a chef's hat.
”Robert, Parson knew Colin. He had something on him. What was it?”
”I don't know. I wouldn't worry about it. Colin's dead.”
”That's not the point.”
”Tell Heath to bring you to the Formosa Cafe. Jake Jackson, Beth Woods, and I will be there around three o'clock. If you're late we'll wait.”