Teddy had an early call, so there was no chance of swinging by the Ace Detective Agency before work. He went to the studio, got into costume and makeup, and prepared to shoot his scene. While he waited he called the agency to see if Ace Vargas had come in early, but there was no answer. Teddy kept calling every ten minutes or so. Finally, around eight-fifteen, someone answered, “Hello?”
Teddy hung up. He didn’t want to talk to Ace on the phone, he wanted to talk to him in person. Now that he knew Ace was there, he’d run over the first chance he got.
Only he never got a chance. Teddy was tied up on the set all morning. Peter was shooting close-ups and reverse angles for a scene for which he’d already shot the master, so the action was locked, and there was nothing new. Teddy knew Peter needed the footage to cut the scene, but he chafed at the delay.
Teddy was killing a hotel bellboy when Tessa showed up. The bellboy hadn’t done anything except see Teddy come out of the wrong hotel room, but that was his tough luck. He’d be found in a linen closet later on.
Teddy had his hands around the unfortunate man’s throat when Tessa walked in. He continued to kill him until Peter called, “Cut!”
Tessa pulled Teddy aside while Peter reset the scene. Apparently the young bellboy was going to die again.
“You look worried,” Tessa said.
“I’m not.”
Tessa didn’t buy it. “Are you making any progress?”
“Some.”
“You don’t want to tell me?”
“I’ll tell you when it matters.”
“Okay, but can you tell me this? It isn’t Nigel, is it?”
“Nigel’s not the one behind the blackmail, but he was the source of the tape. He sold it to pay off his gambling debts.”
“I don’t believe it.”
“He’s a bad gambler. Some people are, and Nigel’s worse than most.”
“Who did he sell it to?”
“That’s what I’m working on.”
“Any progress?”
Teddy shook his head. “You don’t take no for an answer, do you?”
“I know you haven’t found who sent the video. But you have a lead, don’t you?”
“I have a lead. It isn’t much.”
“How much?”
Teddy sighed. “Pretty damn little. The Ace Detective Agency may have acted as an intermediary. I’m going to shake them down during lunch.”
“They’re in L.A.?”
“Yes.”
“So Nigel’s in L.A.?”
“He’s not in L.A.”
“Are you positive?”
“Oh, yeah.”
“How can you be sure?”
Teddy smiled. He had an image of Nigel cowering on the floor of his jet, expecting at any moment to go hurtling out the cabin door.
“Just a hunch.”