Part 19 (1/2)
”Hey, Alex,” Danielle Asbury said as I walked into her office. ”What brings you over to the compet.i.tion?”
She was kidding, of course. Our shows were on the same network, but the last I heard The Bare and Brazen was a little higher in the ratings. Unfortunately, we were both trailing The Yearning Tide, which-despite my departure-was highly rated.
Danielle was the a.s.sociate producer on her show. a.s.sociate producers do a little bit of everything and a whole lot of other things, including knowing the ins and outs of their respective shows.
”I have a question about an actor named Aaron Summers, Danielle.”
Danielle frowned. ”I don't think we've ever had an Aaron Summers on the show. At least, not during my tenure.” Danielle was in her fifties, and her tenure probably went back twenty years.
”No, you haven't,” I said, ”but you did have someone by that name audition for a part that he didn't get. I'd like to know when and for what part.”
”What's this about, Alex?”
”Aaron Summers is dead,” I said. ”He was killed in a way similar to Jackson Masters. He was also the same general type.”
”Are you playing detective, Alex?”
”I'm . . . just helping the police with their inquiries.”
”Because we might ask them for a warrant for this information,” she asked with a smile, ”but we'll give it to you freely?”
I seriously doubted the police would need a warrant. The information wasn't protected or anything, but I said, ”Something like that.”
”Well . . . I saw what happened to you at the Emmys, you poor thing. Let me see what I can find out.”
”Great,” I said, and gave her my cell number.
After hair and makeup I still had some time before going on the set. I decided to call Danielle's counterpart on one of the other shows, The Tears of Tomorrow. I asked for the person I thought had the job and discovered that she had left several months ago.
”She had a baby,” the man on the other end of the phone said.
”Wow, good for her,” I said. ”So, who replaced her?”
”I did,” he said. ”My name's Eddie.”
”Eddie, this is Alex Peterson,” I said. ”I'm-”
”I know who you are, Ms. Peterson! How can I help you?”
I gave him the same spiel I'd given Danielle, adding that I was ”helping the police with their inquiries,” before he asked any questions.
”Sure,” he said, ”I'd be glad to help. Give me your number and I'll call you when I find something out. And what were those names again?”
I gave him all the names.
”Got it. I'll give you a call.”
”Thanks, Eddie.”
”You're welcome.”
I broke the connection just as they called me on the set.
To get information I needed from the other shows, I could call or drive over to their studios and talk to the right people. In my dressing room I decided to do both-first call and then drive over. Unfortunately, I got the same word from both shows. The person I needed would not be in until the next day. If Jakes called me later in the evening-and I fully expected him to-he'd have to be satisfied that I'd made inquiries at two of the four shows and was waiting for the replies.
I didn't notice until I was in my car that there was a message on my cell that had come in while I was on the set.
”Voicemail!” I shouted for my Bluetooth to hear. Nothing. ”Voicemail!” I yelled again. Two more times and it finally connected. I pushed in my code.
The message was from Danielle over at Too Late for Yesterday. She said she had the info I wanted and suggested I call her right back, because she had the next two days off.
”Hey, Danielle.”
”Hey, Alex. I've got that information for you, girl,” Danielle said. ”Aaron Summers auditioned for the role of Cole Weathers early last year. He didn't get it, but he came close.”
”Who did get it, Danielle?”
”Jed Foreman.”
I knew that name. He had been on the show for a few months now.
”And he was the first choice? He didn't get it because Aaron Summers . . . died?”
”Oh, G.o.d, no,” she said. ”Jed was our first choice as soon as he walked in the door.”
”So when you say Aaron was close . . .”
”If Jed wasn't able to take the job for some reason, we would've called Aaron. Does this help?”
I was d.a.m.ned if I knew. I'd found out that Aaron Summers had auditioned for both my old show and Too Late for Yesterday. Did that help? That was up to Jakes to say, but I told her it did and thanked her for the information. I closed my phone and started the engine. I was deep in thought as I pulled out the gate, waving absently at the guard in his little house.
I found out later that if I'd been more aware of my surroundings I could have saved myself a lot of grief.
Chapter 35.
I had dinner with Sarah and Mom.
My mother had been cooking since she got home. I realized how much I'd missed that. I had been eating out often or just preparing something small for myself.
”I think I've gained weight just in the few days you've been home, Mom.”
”That's okay, honey,” she said. ”As usual, you're too thin. You could use a few extra pounds.”
”Thanks. Tell that to the camera. What's a couple of pounds, right?”