44

“Junior, my man, it’s going to be spectacular,” said Rashad. “I really love this shot of you zooming down the beach road with Rachel Rose. I mean Bette.”

“It’s going to be spectacular when they put our butts in jail, all right. You think you can get your friend Spike to come and make a movie of us in stir? Fools on the Pea Farm. I can just see it on the marquee.”

“Would you please stop being so melodramatic. You don’t even know they were cops.”

“They were cops.”

“Then why didn’t they arrest you?”

“They’re toying with us. That’s what cops do.”

“We don’t have time for this, Junior. I’ve got to finish editing this stuff today if we’re going to screen it tomorrow. Harry’ll understand that this is rough cut. But I want to see what he thinks. Now hand me that footage of you and Rachel Rose driving around the Pine Barrens, you’re talking her out of being Miss A.”

“I have a terrible feeling about this. That big brother, man, he looked in my eyes and he could see me stealing these cameras.”

“Tape, please. Thank you.”

“He’s about the size of a freight train, and he’s telling me all about how I’m gonna be somebody’s girlfriend in jail. He scared the bejesus out of me.”

“Huge dude? Junior, you are so dense. I met that—” Junior looked up at the monitor. “Awh, man. This is the wrong tape.”

“The label says Pine Barrens. That’s it.”

“It’s the Barrens, all right. But we didn’t shoot this stuff. Hey, that’s the guy who gave me his Rol—”

“Jesus. I don’t know. Wait a minute. That one.” Junior pointed to the other man. “That’s the hard-on who pushed me in the pool. But—oh, God! Rashad! What’s he doing? What the hell?”

“Don’t get so excited. Obviously they’re just goofing. And it’s free! Murder in the Pines. What a great subplot!”