Teddy had one more thing to do.
Dylan was hanging out by the coffee cart. Teddy walked up behind him and put a hand on his shoulder. Dylan turned around. His face went white.
“You weren’t expecting to see me?”
“You’re not often here.”
Teddy smiled. “And you know that, don’t you?”
“What?”
“You shook my hand at the Oscars.”
“I wanted to congratulate you. I hadn’t seen you, and—”
Teddy put up his hand. “Yeah, yeah. That was the most reluctant congratulations anyone has ever gotten. You looked like you were telling me your puppy died.”
Dylan said nothing.
“What have they got on you? Someone must be making you do this. You’re clearly not doing it of your own volition.”
“I can’t.”
“It’s all right, kid. You don’t have to tell me who they are. I can figure that part out. How are they squeezing you?”
“I owe them five hundred dollars.”
“You’re kidding.”
“No.”
“Five hundred dollars?”
“They won’t let me pay them back.”
“They got you the job?”
Dylan nodded. “If I don’t do what they say—”
“Yes, I imagine they have all kinds of grisly things planned for you. What did they make you do? Besides shaking my hand?”
“I had to be at the Oscars.”
“Obviously. What else?”
“I had to get assigned to the set.”
“That couldn’t have been easy, you being new and low on the totem pole.”
“One of the other assistants got hurt.”
“They arranged for that?”
Dylan couldn’t meet his eyes. “No.”
“Oh. You arranged for that?”
“I feel so bad. I like everyone here. It’s like a family.”
“Yeah, well, some families are closer than others. You’re out of this one.”
“Oh.”
“You’re lucky, Dylan. You’re walking out of here because you’re just a dumb kid and you thought you had no choice. You got a production car?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Not anymore. Give me the keys.”
Dylan handed them over.
“Take off and never come back. Leave L.A., you’re out of the movie business. If you should come back, I guarantee you, if they don’t find you, I will.”
Teddy could see Dylan’s mind racing. “And don’t contact anyone from this movie. If Viveca should come up to me and say, ‘What have you done to Dylan?’ that will be my cue to do something to Dylan. Do you understand?”
Dylan gulped. “Yes, sir.”
“Good. Get the fuck out of here.”