18
I used the slice of time I had before Coco’s soiree to freshen up. Although “freshening up” in a porta-potty, and its corresponding porta-shower, was not an experience I cared to repeat.
At eight-thirty, I limped across the lawn to the marquee that housed the cafeteria. My wrist hurt to the point of bringing tears to my eyes. The last thing I wanted to do was mingle, but I had a case to solve. I took a deep breath, squared my shoulders, and stepped inside.
Coco had gone all out with her pre-shoot drinks. Several of the cafeteria’s utilitarian tables were shoved together and covered with an array of pre-filled shot glasses. Streamers decorated the tent’s ceiling, and every shade of the rainbow was represented. Judging by the crowd clutching colorful glasses, half the set was in attendance, including most of Con’s security team. The mood was buoyant. If Coco’s aim was to relax everyone before shooting one of the movie’s major scenes, her plan was working.
I strained to get a good look at everyone present. With the elaborate makeup and costumes, it was hard to recognize people. There was no sign of my sister, but then, there was no love lost between her and Coco, so maybe she hadn’t been invited. I also didn’t see Liam anywhere, but Hannah stood at the back of the marquee, chatting with Caoimhe and Sammy. Gretchen, the dancer who’d fallen this morning, sat in a corner with Coco’s assistant, Merry. The dancer’s injured leg was propped up by a spare chair. She looked tired and pale, but otherwise cheerful. If I managed to battle my way through the crowd without bashing my sore arm, I’d go and join them.
“Yo, Maggie.”
I whipped around at the sound of my name. A glassy-eyed Lenny stood by the drinks table, waving wildly. He still wore his wild makeup, but no costume as yet. Beside him, Storm held a shot glass filled with neon-green liquid.
“Having fun?” I asked when I joined them.
“Deffo.” Lenny handed me one of the brown-colored drinks and selected a purple one for himself. “The chocolate-orange and grape-flavored shots are alcohol-free.”
I sniffed at my glass. The enticing aroma of chocolate warmed my soul. “Sláinte.”
We knocked back our drinks in unison, and Storm grabbed a replacement. “Lenny and I are on a mission to try every flavor. Wanna join us?”
I scanned the array of drinks. Seven varieties in total. “Thanks, but I’ll pass.”
“Wise decision.” Lenny pounded me on the back, making me wince. “I think I might be drunk.”
“How many have you had?”
He considered my question for a moment. “Dunno. What do you say, Storm? Maybe five of the alcoholic ones so far?”
“Sounds about right.” Storm leaned closer, conspiratorial fashion. “Not to mention a nip from my hip flask.”
Ah. That would explain Lenny’s disheveled look. If Con were correct, there shouldn’t be much booze in the shots.
“Aren’t you supposed to dance in a few minutes?” I asked Lenny. “And don’t you need to apply makeup to someone?”
Storm raised her glass in a salute. “I’m done for the day. Actually, I’m done for the entire shoot.”
I blinked in confusion. “What do you mean? Have you quit?”
“Got it in one.” She hiccupped. “Judd threw his phone at me, and I quit. First week on the job, and I am dunzo.”
“Wow. What caused him to flip out this time?”
Storm’s jaw tightened. “Some idiot put dye in an eyeshadow palette. When I applied shadow to one of the actresses’ lids, she started howling in pain. Then I wasn’t able to get it off. We had to treat her eyes for puffiness and use a crazy amount of concealer to cover up the stains.”
“How did this impact Judd’s life?” I asked, confused.
“It made me late touching up his makeup,” Storm said, her derisive tone indicative of her feelings toward the actor. “When he learned what had happened, he accused me of being incompetent. We had words, and he threw his phone at me. I told my boss I’m catching the next available ferry off this island.”
“What will you do now?” I asked. “Will you stay on Whisper Island? Or go back to L.A.?”
“I don’t know where I’ll live, but I’m going to do what I planned on doing five years ago. I want to open my own online makeup school, complete with quality video tutorials, virtual consultations, and a step-by-step course.”
“That sounds like a great idea. Good luck.”
She gave me a vague smile, making me wonder just what she had in her hip flask. “Thank you.”
I touched Lenny on the arm. “Before you down your sixth, can I have a word?”
“Sure.”
I dragged him to a quiet corner of the tent. “What are you doing? You’re supposed to be on duty.”
His body language did a one-eighty. From languid and vacant, he went to animated and alert.
“Chill, Maggie. I’ve had two shots, not five, and enough eye drops to make me look wasted. I’m feeling sufficient buzz to fake being drunk, but I’m sticking to the alcohol-free options for the rest of the party”
“Why?” I asked in exasperation.
“Because people underestimate me, and I want to play on that.” He cocked his head to the side and grinned. “You’d be amazed at the stuff they say in my presence. After all, who’s going to take a tipsy stoner seriously?”
For a second, I wasn’t sure how to react. Then shame washed over me. “I’m sorry for doubting you, dude. In case I don’t say it often enough, you’re an awesome assistant. Hiring you was one of the best decisions I’ve made since moving to Ireland.”
Lenny flushed. “Aw, thanks, Maggie. I love working with you.”
“Okay, now I’m listening. What have you found out?”
Three makeup artists, pushed past, chattering loudly. My assistant waved his now-empty glass in the air. “You should try the green one, Maggie. Pretty sure it’s got absinthe,” he said loud enough for them to hear. After they’d moved past, he dropped his voice. “Judd owes money to a drug kingpin.”
“Whoa.” I sucked in a breath. “Is this debt recent? Or is it a remnant from his previous troubles?”
“It’s an old debt. From what I hear, Judd’s clean and sober.” Lenny waggled his eyebrows. “His sparkling personality is all-natural.”
This made me laugh. “To use one of my aunt Noreen’s favorite expressions, Judd is a dose. I wonder if this debt triggered the argument he had with Merry outside the Poison Garden.”
“That’d be my guess, but I don’t know for sure.”
“So this money he owes,” I mused, “how much are we talking?”
“Mid six figures.” My assistant leaned closer, a sly grin on his face. “And despite his expensive shades, no, Judd isn’t good for it.”
And his lack of a hefty paycheck from the movie wouldn’t help. “What are the implications of this information for our case? Doesn’t his debt make him less likely to sabotage the movie?”
“In theory, yes.” He rolled his eyes. “If Judd were a man of sense. Maybe he thinks a series of crazy on-set accidents will draw attention to the movie and get him in the press.”
“I don’t buy it. Judd doesn’t strike me as the smartest person on the planet, but he’s not stupid. Self-destructive and mean to others, yes. Con’s giving him a chance at a comeback, and he has to know he’s unlikely to get another if he blows this opportunity.”
“Fair enough.” Lenny fell silent, brow creased in thought. “If we flip this theory,” he said after a moment, “does the debt make it likely that Judd is the target of the attacks, not the perpetrator? Maybe the dude he’s in debt to is sabotaging the movie to scare Judd into paying what he owes.”
“That’s way too subtle for a drug kingpin, Lenny. The attacks appear to be deliberate and malicious, but not aimed at one particular person. As far as I’m aware, the only potential harm Judd’s received is a case of food poisoning that’s unlikely to be down to anything more than a bad mussel.”
He held his hands up. “Okay, but I’m not taking Judd off my suspect list. I’d happily see the dude arrested.”
“By all means, keep him on your top five. I am. Here’s the thing, though. I’ve looked into Luke’s theory that my sister was the target of the most dangerous attacks. Yet the fact remains the only person who’s sustained an injury is Gretchen, the dancer.”
“I talked to her earlier,” Lenny said. “Harper let her use her bedroom to rest, and I paid her a visit.”
I raised an eyebrow. “I’m surprised Harper shows anyone consideration.”
He chuckled. “Harper’s a bit snooty, but she’s sound. From what I’ve seen, she doesn’t play nicely with other women, but she seemed genuinely concerned for Gretchen.”
“Hmm…” I turned this information over in my mind. “Maybe they’re friends. A lot of cast and crew members on this shoot have worked together before. Gretchen’s around Harper’s age. It would make sense. What did Gretchen have to say?”
“Not a lot. She has no idea who’d put Pledge on the dance floor. Until her fall, she didn’t believe the rumors about an on-set saboteur.”
“And now she does?”
“Oh, yeah.” Lenny’s jaw tightened, all trace of levity gone. “Whoever’s doing this needs to be stopped.”
The sound of metal hitting glass drew our attention to the back of the tent. Coco stood on a makeshift platform, holding a shot glass and a spoon. “Thanks for coming to my not-so-little pre-shoot party. I want to take this opportunity to thank every one of my dancers for their hard work over the last few weeks. And thanks also to the fabulous group of extras who’ve worked so hard today learning their routine. We’re going to rock tonight’s scene.” Coco raised her glass to the crowd, and an enthusiastic round of applause followed.
“Are you ready to dance?” I asked Lenny.
“With Theresa? Never.” He mimicked throwing up. “Seriously, though, I’m looking forward to experiencing what a real film shoot is like, but I wish I didn’t have to experience it with her.”
“Yikes. How did your rehearsal go?”
“It was hell.” His voice rose in a theatrical fashion. “Coco has Theresa well in hand, but only a muzzle could stop that woman from making snide remarks to me during the dance.”
“I’m sorry, man.” I squeezed his arm. “I should’ve kept walking yesterday. If it hadn’t been for our financial situation, I’d have told Theresa to take a hike after her first mean comment.”
“Don’t blame yourself, Maggie. I’d have done the same. And you weren’t to know she’d turn up on the film set.”
I looked around the tent at all the happy faces. “Don’t you find it strange that Theresa’s an extra? She doesn’t strike me as the type to want to be in a movie. Sammy told me she wanted to bring her food truck over to Dolphin Island, but Magnum had already gotten permission to bring his. I guess she decided she’d apply to be an extra if that was the only way she’d get on the set.”
Lenny shrugged. “Does it matter? She wasn’t at the Belfast studio. That means she can’t be the saboteur.”
“No, I don’t think she has anything to do with the so-called accidents. I’m just surprised she wanted to be part of the movie.”
“Maybe she used it as an excuse to be away from Whisper Island this weekend,” Lenny said. “She might be more scared by that letter than she’s letting on.”
I considered his words. “That’s an interesting theory. Maybe you’re right. I read belligerent from her attitude, but it might’ve been bravado.”
Lenny’s phone buzzed with an incoming message. He glanced at the screen. “That’s my call to the wardrobe department, aka the tent next door.”
“I wondered why you weren’t in your ball gown.”
“There are so many of us and too little space, so they’re taking us in groups.”
I indicated my own outfit of T-shirt and jeans. “I’m glad I don’t have to change. I’ve been able to stay in my own clothes all day.”
“What’s your role in this scene?” Lenny asked.
“None. I’m here as sister-to-the-star. I get to mingle off-camera.”
He slipped his phone back into his pocket and patted me on the back. “I’d better make tracks. You sticking around to watch the dance?”
“I wouldn’t miss it. See you later, Lenny. Break a leg.”
“Hopefully, not literally.” He gave a two-fingered salute and headed for the exit.
Lenny had almost reached the door when the flaps of the tent were pulled aside. In trundled Theresa, her stocky body squeezed into a tuxedo. My stomach sank. And then my emotions went into free fall when I saw the people Theresa was with—Judd Ryan and my bratty little sister.