Solvang
Part 7
gagengirl entertainment
“Ms. Michaels, would you like something to eat?”
I shook my head. Eating would not be a good idea. My nerves were all jumbled up. I tried to concentrate on my breathing as I was escorted into the living room. The house and lawn were beautiful. I had to remind myself that it was all paid for by money conned out of other people.
“Please sit down and eat something. I heard you passed out.”
I sat down on her white couch and rubbed my hand across the fabric. I couldn't figure out what it was, but it was softer than anything I’d ever felt before. Keeping my head down, I tried not to look at her. The image of her in the many articles I’d read flashed in my mind and I considered her a threat.
She shoved a plate into my lap and I took it. Only then did I look up. She was shorter than I expected, about two or three inches shorter than me. Her short straight light brown hair ended just below her chin and her gray eyes studied me.
I looked down at the plate in my lap and was surprised at its contents. Scrambled eggs and toast. I picked up the fork, intending to just pick at the food. But the plate was empty before I realized it.
The plate was taken away and I felt better, until I remembered where I was. “So, who talks first?”
She smiled. “Ms. Michaels, I understand you’ve been a little busy the last two days. Have you found Bradley Cooper?”
I bit my lip. “I think he’s filming on location. I’m not sure which movie.”
Pearl Tarkey laughed at me. “Perhaps I should have clarified which Bradley Cooper you were looking for. I am aware that Bradley Adam Cooper goes by Chef because of the actor.”
I shrugged, trying not to say much. She wanted a word with me and she’d already had a few. How many more did she want? “Thank you for breakfast. I should probably…”
“Would you like something to drink?”
A few shots of anything would help loosen me up, but then I’d be unable to drive. “Milk?”
“I’ll have someone get that for you.” She nodded at Gus Hobbs and he left the room, presumably to get the milk. She remained sitting in the blue plaid chair across from me. “Did you find Chef?”
“What makes you think I’ve been looking for him?”
“Let’s not lie to each other, okay?” Pearl Tarkey paused as she seemed to size me up. “You went to Ms. Warner’s house. You went to The Elskede. You went to Tatovere Ink in Lompoc. And this morning, you were in Chef’s apartment.”
I felt my mouth open in surprise. Did she have Gus Hobbs following me?
“You’re surprised, I can tell. I know a lot about you Felicia Jane Michaels. I know you went to USC.”
That was common knowledge. It was in my bio. I wasn’t impressed.
“I know that your parents were killed in a car accident during your junior year.”
Also public knowledge. But the fact that the anniversary was so close brought tears to my eyes. I had been trying to keep myself busy to avoid thinking about it. It was another reason I decided I’d find Chef.
“And I know that your social security number was stolen.”
“How do you know that? That’s not public knowledge. Did you do that to me?”
She shook her head. “I have far better things to do than steal social security numbers and file fake tax returns with them.”
“Do you know who did it to me?”
She laughed at me, which pissed me off. “No. But I could have someone look into it for you, for a price. You filed a police report, didn’t you?”
“Yes, but…” I stopped myself. That’s how she knew my identity had been stolen. How she managed to get a copy of it I didn’t know. I took a deep breath and let it out, trying to keep my breathing even. I didn't want another panic attack. “You haven’t impressed me yet.”
“What do I know about you that isn’t common knowledge or public record?” She paused and I nodded. “You’ve been estranged from your brother since the incident nine years ago. You wanted the script to be about Howard’s early life, up to his first acquittal. But the studio made you rewrite it.”
I was surprised. There were only two people who had seen my first draft.
“Ms. Michaels, that script was always meant to be one-sided. If I had granted you that interview, they would have just made you rewrite the script again. Or, given the assignment to someone else.”
“How do you…”
She smiled again. “I deal in information Ms. Michaels. I have my sources. That’s why I know you’ve started your search for Mr. Cooper.”
“Yes, I’ve been looking for Mr. Cooper.” I shook my head. “But I haven’t found him.”
“Yet. I suspect you’re closer than you realize.”
“Do you know where he is?”
She shook her head. “If I knew where he was, I wouldn’t have sent Ms. Warner the second warning.”
Second warning? I wondered what the first was and then remembered how nervous she was when I showed up yesterday morning. “You have the dogs? You didn’t feed them to yours, did you?”
Pearl Tarkey laughed. Not the condescending laugh she had a few times earlier in our “conversation” but a real laugh. “My dachshunds don’t have a taste for blood. They have enjoyed their temporary playmates.”
Gus Hobbs entered with my milk and I drank it while considering the information she had shared. It wasn’t much. She knew I had been looking for Chef, and hadn’t found him, yet.
“Do you know why Chef borrowed the money?”
“Ms. Michaels, people borrow money from me when they don’t want someone asking that question. Quite frankly, it wasn’t much. So I’m surprised he’s had such a hard time paying it back.”
“Are you planning to kill him if you find him before I do?”
“Dead people don’t pay debts. And I plan to let you find him for me.”
I swallowed hard. “You shouldn’t expect me to hand him over to you.”
She shook her head again, a less genuine smile on her face. “I expect that you’ll try to protect him. And if he doesn’t step one foot outside of The Elskede, he’ll be fine.”
“But if he does?”
“Mr. Hobbs will collect the money Mr. Cooper owes me. I simply want my money. He’s the one who disappeared two days before the latest deadline.”
“I can give you the money.”
Pearl Tarkey shook her head. “I don’t want your money. I want his.”
“And if he doesn’t have any?”
“He hasn’t had any problem making his rent or taking Ms. Warner to San Francisco. His priorities are his problem. Quite frankly, Ms. Michaels, I don’t think he’s hiding from me.”
“You do know I’m Mrs. Hoffman these days, right?”
“You’ll always be Ms. Michaels to me. The screenwriter.”
“Well, that life is gone.” I shook my head to keep my train of thought from getting off track. “If he’s not hiding from you, who is Chef hiding from?”
“You and your husband because he knows I have these.” She picked up a folder from the small table next to her chair. I recognized the red and white folder immediately. Then, she opened the folder and pulled out three sheets of paper.
I bit my tongue as I tried to hold my thoughts in. Those were the missing menu choices for the wedding next weekend. It was all on The Elskede letterhead. The logo was on the folder. I could feel the eggs and toast she had offered me threatening to revolt. “I’m going to need those menus.”
“I want my money.”
I nodded. “And I want the dogs, too.”
“Of course.” She turned to Gus Hobbs. “Mr. Hobbs, would you please get a sheet so that Ms. Michaels doesn’t get dog hair all over the backseat of her car?”
He nodded and left.
“You’re just going to let me leave with both?”
“Of course. The message has been delivered. I’m curious how you will handle Mr. Cooper when you find him, but I’ll get my money back when he leaves The Elskede.”
Twenty minutes later, when I was back in my car, I called Avianna and asked her to meet me at her place. I returned the dogs without telling her where I found them and then headed to The Elskede.
I glanced at the time on my watch. It was eleven-thirty. I expected to run into Pablo and I was right.
“Felicia?” He greeted me with a hug. “I didn’t expect to see you. Did you find Chef?”
“Not yet.” I pulled back and revealed the folder. “But I did find this.”
He grabbed it from my hand and opened it. “The menus! You found them at Chef’s apartment?”
“I did find them after searching his apartment.” I picked my words carefully, not lying while not telling him how I found them.
He seemed to pick up on it. “What aren’t you telling me?”
“When this is all over, I’ll tell you everything. I promise.”
“Felicia, what’s going on?”
I sighed, needing to sit down. “It’s been a rough morning.”
“Tell me about it. Let’s not wait until it’s all over. What happened? I can tell something is bothering you.”
I shook my head. “Not now. I need to head down to Santa Barbara and I want to get moving.”
“Chef is in Santa Barbara?”
“No.” I looked at him, wondering if he knew Chef had a sister. And I wondered why Chef had kept her a secret.
“Why are you heading to Santa Barbara? Please, tell me something.”
“Chef’s sister is there.”
“Chef doesn’t have a sister.”
I shook my head. “That’s what I thought, too. But I think he borrowed money to help pay her tuition.”
“That doesn’t make any sense. If she needed additional financial aid, why didn’t he come to us?”
“That is one of many questions I plan to ask him when I find him.” I also planned to ask why he had kept his sister a secret.
Why did he borrow the money from Pearl Tarkey?
And why did he take Avianna on vacation instead of paying her off?
Solvang
Part 7
gagengirl entertainment
“Ms. Michaels, would you like something to eat?”
I shook my head. Eating would not be a good idea. My nerves were all jumbled up. I tried to concentrate on my breathing as I was escorted into the living room. The house and lawn were beautiful. I had to remind myself that it was all paid for by money conned out of other people.
“Please sit down and eat something. I heard you passed out.”
I sat down on her white couch and rubbed my hand across the fabric. I couldn't figure out what it was, but it was softer than anything I’d ever felt before. Keeping my head down, I tried not to look at her. The image of her in the many articles I’d read flashed in my mind and I considered her a threat.
She shoved a plate into my lap and I took it. Only then did I look up. She was shorter than I expected, about two or three inches shorter than me. Her short straight light brown hair ended just below her chin and her gray eyes studied me.
I looked down at the plate in my lap and was surprised at its contents. Scrambled eggs and toast. I picked up the fork, intending to just pick at the food. But the plate was empty before I realized it.
The plate was taken away and I felt better, until I remembered where I was. “So, who talks first?”
She smiled. “Ms. Michaels, I understand you’ve been a little busy the last two days. Have you found Bradley Cooper?”
I bit my lip. “I think he’s filming on location. I’m not sure which movie.”
Pearl Tarkey laughed at me. “Perhaps I should have clarified which Bradley Cooper you were looking for. I am aware that Bradley Adam Cooper goes by Chef because of the actor.”
I shrugged, trying not to say much. She wanted a word with me and she’d already had a few. How many more did she want? “Thank you for breakfast. I should probably…”
“Would you like something to drink?”
A few shots of anything would help loosen me up, but then I’d be unable to drive. “Milk?”
“I’ll have someone get that for you.” She nodded at Gus Hobbs and he left the room, presumably to get the milk. She remained sitting in the blue plaid chair across from me. “Did you find Chef?”
“What makes you think I’ve been looking for him?”
“Let’s not lie to each other, okay?” Pearl Tarkey paused as she seemed to size me up. “You went to Ms. Warner’s house. You went to The Elskede. You went to Tatovere Ink in Lompoc. And this morning, you were in Chef’s apartment.”
I felt my mouth open in surprise. Did she have Gus Hobbs following me?
“You’re surprised, I can tell. I know a lot about you Felicia Jane Michaels. I know you went to USC.”
That was common knowledge. It was in my bio. I wasn’t impressed.
“I know that your parents were killed in a car accident during your junior year.”
Also public knowledge. But the fact that the anniversary was so close brought tears to my eyes. I had been trying to keep myself busy to avoid thinking about it. It was another reason I decided I’d find Chef.
“And I know that your social security number was stolen.”
“How do you know that? That’s not public knowledge. Did you do that to me?”
She shook her head. “I have far better things to do than steal social security numbers and file fake tax returns with them.”
“Do you know who did it to me?”
She laughed at me, which pissed me off. “No. But I could have someone look into it for you, for a price. You filed a police report, didn’t you?”
“Yes, but…” I stopped myself. That’s how she knew my identity had been stolen. How she managed to get a copy of it I didn’t know. I took a deep breath and let it out, trying to keep my breathing even. I didn't want another panic attack. “You haven’t impressed me yet.”
“What do I know about you that isn’t common knowledge or public record?” She paused and I nodded. “You’ve been estranged from your brother since the incident nine years ago. You wanted the script to be about Howard’s early life, up to his first acquittal. But the studio made you rewrite it.”
I was surprised. There were only two people who had seen my first draft.
“Ms. Michaels, that script was always meant to be one-sided. If I had granted you that interview, they would have just made you rewrite the script again. Or, given the assignment to someone else.”
“How do you…”
She smiled again. “I deal in information Ms. Michaels. I have my sources. That’s why I know you’ve started your search for Mr. Cooper.”
“Yes, I’ve been looking for Mr. Cooper.” I shook my head. “But I haven’t found him.”
“Yet. I suspect you’re closer than you realize.”
“Do you know where he is?”
She shook her head. “If I knew where he was, I wouldn’t have sent Ms. Warner the second warning.”
Second warning? I wondered what the first was and then remembered how nervous she was when I showed up yesterday morning. “You have the dogs? You didn’t feed them to yours, did you?”
Pearl Tarkey laughed. Not the condescending laugh she had a few times earlier in our “conversation” but a real laugh. “My dachshunds don’t have a taste for blood. They have enjoyed their temporary playmates.”
Gus Hobbs entered with my milk and I drank it while considering the information she had shared. It wasn’t much. She knew I had been looking for Chef, and hadn’t found him, yet.
“Do you know why Chef borrowed the money?”
“Ms. Michaels, people borrow money from me when they don’t want someone asking that question. Quite frankly, it wasn’t much. So I’m surprised he’s had such a hard time paying it back.”
“Are you planning to kill him if you find him before I do?”
“Dead people don’t pay debts. And I plan to let you find him for me.”
I swallowed hard. “You shouldn’t expect me to hand him over to you.”
She shook her head again, a less genuine smile on her face. “I expect that you’ll try to protect him. And if he doesn’t step one foot outside of The Elskede, he’ll be fine.”
“But if he does?”
“Mr. Hobbs will collect the money Mr. Cooper owes me. I simply want my money. He’s the one who disappeared two days before the latest deadline.”
“I can give you the money.”
Pearl Tarkey shook her head. “I don’t want your money. I want his.”
“And if he doesn’t have any?”
“He hasn’t had any problem making his rent or taking Ms. Warner to San Francisco. His priorities are his problem. Quite frankly, Ms. Michaels, I don’t think he’s hiding from me.”
“You do know I’m Mrs. Hoffman these days, right?”
“You’ll always be Ms. Michaels to me. The screenwriter.”
“Well, that life is gone.” I shook my head to keep my train of thought from getting off track. “If he’s not hiding from you, who is Chef hiding from?”
“You and your husband because he knows I have these.” She picked up a folder from the small table next to her chair. I recognized the red and white folder immediately. Then, she opened the folder and pulled out three sheets of paper.
I bit my tongue as I tried to hold my thoughts in. Those were the missing menu choices for the wedding next weekend. It was all on The Elskede letterhead. The logo was on the folder. I could feel the eggs and toast she had offered me threatening to revolt. “I’m going to need those menus.”
“I want my money.”
I nodded. “And I want the dogs, too.”
“Of course.” She turned to Gus Hobbs. “Mr. Hobbs, would you please get a sheet so that Ms. Michaels doesn’t get dog hair all over the backseat of her car?”
He nodded and left.
“You’re just going to let me leave with both?”
“Of course. The message has been delivered. I’m curious how you will handle Mr. Cooper when you find him, but I’ll get my money back when he leaves The Elskede.”
Twenty minutes later, when I was back in my car, I called Avianna and asked her to meet me at her place. I returned the dogs without telling her where I found them and then headed to The Elskede.
I glanced at the time on my watch. It was eleven-thirty. I expected to run into Pablo and I was right.
“Felicia?” He greeted me with a hug. “I didn’t expect to see you. Did you find Chef?”
“Not yet.” I pulled back and revealed the folder. “But I did find this.”
He grabbed it from my hand and opened it. “The menus! You found them at Chef’s apartment?”
“I did find them after searching his apartment.” I picked my words carefully, not lying while not telling him how I found them.
He seemed to pick up on it. “What aren’t you telling me?”
“When this is all over, I’ll tell you everything. I promise.”
“Felicia, what’s going on?”
I sighed, needing to sit down. “It’s been a rough morning.”
“Tell me about it. Let’s not wait until it’s all over. What happened? I can tell something is bothering you.”
I shook my head. “Not now. I need to head down to Santa Barbara and I want to get moving.”
“Chef is in Santa Barbara?”
“No.” I looked at him, wondering if he knew Chef had a sister. And I wondered why Chef had kept her a secret.
“Why are you heading to Santa Barbara? Please, tell me something.”
“Chef’s sister is there.”
“Chef doesn’t have a sister.”
I shook my head. “That’s what I thought, too. But I think he borrowed money to help pay her tuition.”
“That doesn’t make any sense. If she needed additional financial aid, why didn’t he come to us?”
“That is one of many questions I plan to ask him when I find him.” I also planned to ask why he had kept his sister a secret.
Why did he borrow the money from Pearl Tarkey?
And why did he take Avianna on vacation instead of paying her off?