Part 28 (2/2)
”That's all she said?”
He nodded.
”Well,” I said, ”we can do that.”
He smiled. ”Yeah,” he said. ”We can.”
Chapter 52.
As he drove me to the studio, I said, ”I have a question.”
”What?”
”Is there another son?”
”Sorry?”
”Adrienne Russell,” I said. ”Does she have another son? Does Nate have a brother?”
He hesitated a moment and then said, ”You know, I never asked.”
”If Adrienne Russell is behind these murders, she'd need help.”
”And you don't think that would be Nate?”
”I don't know,” I said. ”I didn't talk to him. You did. Do you think he's a killer?”
His right hand closed into a fist, but I was glad he didn't use it. He just squeezed it hard. ”I let him get away, so I didn't have a lot of time with him.” He took a quick look at me. ”I'll check and see if he has any other family.”
”What about the husband?” I asked. ”Do you think he might help her?”
”No,” Jakes said. ”Him I believed. He's too bitter to be helping her kill people.”
”I'm going to check Adrienne out when I get to work,” I said.
”How do you mean?”
”I mean, I want to check and see if she was ever an actress.”
”You think she's trying to live through her son because she couldn't succeed?'
”Could be. Maybe she's so driven to make him a success because she never became one. It's that way with a lot of stage mothers.”
”That sounds like a good idea,” Jakes said. ”Let me know what you find out.”
When the guard saw me in the pa.s.senger seat, he waved Jakes on through. I had originally asked him to drive me home so I could get my car, but he said he'd pick me up when I finished with work. I was amazed at how comfortable I already felt with him-a level of comfort I had never been able to achieve with Paul.
It was even evident when he leaned over to kiss me good-bye.
”Have a good day at work,” he said. ”Call me when you're done and I'll pick you up.”
”I will.”
I got out and watched as he drove away, and then turned and went into the building.
The first person I ran into was the director, Richard Breck.
”Hey, d.i.c.k, I'm sorry-”
”Save it, Alex,” he said, holding up a hand. ”Sean wants to see you. Now.”
That didn't sound good. ”Do you know what it's about?”
”Hey, they don't confide in me,” d.i.c.k said. ”Just do me a huge favor and get on the set as soon as possible?”
”Okay, d.i.c.k. Thanks.”
I wondered if I was in as much trouble with one of my bosses as Jakes was with his.
I made my way to Sean Peters's office. As I entered he was on the phone. He held up one finger to me, and I stood there and waited.
”Sorry about that,” he said, hanging up several minutes later. ”I had to finish that call.”
”I understand. You wanted to see me?”
”I did,” he said. ”Alex, what's going on?”
”How do you mean?”
”You've been coming in late, calling in late, forcing us to tape around you . . . ever since that incident at the Emmys. Are you all right?”
”I'm fine, Sean.”
He stood up, came around the desk, touched his hair and then put his arm around me. ”Because if you need some time off, just tell me. We'll arrange it.”
I could have felt touched at that moment, but I was suspicious. Here I thought he was going to call me on the carpet, and instead he was being incredibly sensitive. That wasn't like Sean Peters at all.
”I know what a shock you had-”
”That was two weeks ago, Sean,” I said. ”I'm fine, really.”
”Really?”
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