1
Okay, so maybe he's not the big jerk that I originally thought... he has some nice qualities in him. 2
Some. 3
Most times he's still an arrogant ass, though. 4
He's about as puzzling as this whole case. I can't help but think that there's more to this than we see, and he knows more than he lets on. 5
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7
Reading over the report again to make sure he's read it correctly the first time, Detective ‘Gio' Giovanni leaned back in his chair. Nearly a week of investigating, poking into backgrounds and listening to Izzy bitch about actors... and one DNA test shot it all to hell.8
"Got the report for the hit and miss?" he asked, not looking up from the paper in his hand. Glancing as it was tossed gently to his desk, he opened the folder and read through the reports again. This is going to kill me to say this.9
"You're right," he said, not looking.10
"About?" Izzy asked.11
"That there may be someone targeting Kyle Ryders by trying to eliminate specific women in his life." He held the first report up. "DNA from the saliva on the murder vic."12
"Does our unsub have a name?"13
Gio shook his head. "No, but our unknown subject has a gender."14
Izzy blinked. "You wouldn't be mentioning this unless it was something that would totally toss our investigation on its ass."15
"Skin follicles from the vehicle came back as female," he said. "We assumed that it was someone that had driven the car before stolen, but... the saliva comes back as female."16
"So, Laine Carmichael, a.k.a. Michelle Lane was bitten multiple times, post mortem, by a female?"17
"Correct."18
"But, was she killed by the same female?"19
"Oh, come on, Izzy," Gio said. "Stop looking for things that aren't there."20
"I'm not," she said. "But, it's nice of you to acknowledge that I'm right. You should do that more often."21
"Yeah," he said slowly. "Anyway, no hits on any database for the DNA, and its being run against the owner of the car."22
"Any hits on the image of the mystery lady from the party and park?"23
"None. The cell image wasn't clear enough to get a good reference, and the recordings from the bus security system don't show her clearly enough." He paused as he looked at another file. "She did, however, get off somewhere between -" 24
The ringing of his phone cut off the rest of the report. "Detective Giovanni," he said after picking the receiver up. "Thanks." Hanging up, he stood. 25
"Where to?" Izzy asked.26
"Back to the studio," he said. "Seems the plates were registered to the car pool and catalogued for use on street location shots." 27
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~28
Noise was the first thing that greeted the man as he walked across the parking lot towards the two trailers. Checking the time, he walked up to the larger of the two trailers, and knocked gently before taking a step back. 29
The door opened and a woman looked at him. "What?"30
"You are requested on the set, Ms. Valance," the movie crewmember said.31
Sabine nodded once. "Very well," she said, glancing at the trailer by hers, and rolling her eyes as the loud music continued. "Move." Motioning with her hands, she swept past the man and walked to the set. 32
Closing the door to the trailer, the man went to the noisier one and pounded on the door a few times. A window on the side slid open, making the music even louder. Kyle's head popped out of the opening. 33
"'sup?" he asked casually.34
"You're requested on the set, Mr. Ryders."35
"Be right there." Pulling himself back inside, the music turned off and the door soon opened. "Her royal highness all ready on set?" he asked as he shut the door behind him. 36
"Just left for there, actually." He paused. "Nirvana?"37
"Puddle of Mudd," Kyle said, correcting him on the music that had been blaring. 38
"Damn," the crewmember hissed. 39
"You'll guess one of these days," Kyle said with a good-natured laugh. Ever since the movie began, it was a small game they played as the crewmember tried to guess the music that Kyle usually had blaring before set call. So far, he'd been unable to pin it down past genre. 40
"Mr. Ryders!"41
Stopping, Kyle turned to the security guard that was approaching, and moaned when he noticed the guard wasn't alone. "It's not bad enough that I have to kiss Sabine today," Kyle said as Izzy walked up to him. "But you have to show up, too?"42
"Do you want her gone, Mr. Ryders?" the guard asked, earning an unimpressed look from Izzy.43
"Hmmm," Kyle said, pretending to consider. "It's okay. Besides, she'd probably just shoot you or something." He motioned with his head. "Come on, Detective." 44
Glaring at Kyle's back as he walked away, Izzy trotted to catch up. "Aren't you going to ask why I'm here?" she said as she fell into step beside him.45
"Don't care," he said. "I've got scenes to shoot and I don't need to be thinking about anything else right now."46
She could understand that, but the information she required was something that needed immediate attention. "I'm here for-"47
Stopping suddenly, Kyle looked at her. "Pay close attention, Detective," he said. "I've had a shit week, and I don't need you adding to it right now. This scene will take thirty minutes, without interruption. So unless someone is dead, or dying, then you're going to have to wait until I'm done. Then, I'll be at your disposal." 48
"But-"49
"Don't make me kick your ass off this film lot," he said, his tone showing he was dead serious. 50
"Fine," Izzy said in a dark tone.51
"Thank you." Turning, he took a step back as Sabine almost magically appeared in front of him. "If you're going to bitch at me, you're too late," he said, then motioned to Izzy. "She already beat you to it." Sidestepping, he started to walk away, his earlier good mood completely gone. 52
"Wait," Sabine said.53
Kyle stopped walking and looked over his shoulder. "What?"54
"She's here."55
"Who's here?" Kyle asked.56
"Matt's daughter."57
Eyes opening wide in slight panic, Kyle looked around frantically. "Any changes yet?"58
"None," Sabine said. "But you know they're coming."59
"Problems?" Izzy asked.60
"Who's this?" Sabine said, staring at her.61
"Isobel," Kyle said. "She's sort of shadowing me today." He looked at Izzy. "The director's daughter likes to make... suggestions, as it were, about the movie."62
"Usually bad suggestions," Sabine piped in. Normally she hated Kyle, but they were united on their dislike of Matt's teenage daughter. "She's thirteen, and thinks that she wants to direct when she gets older, and...oh no, here they come. Hide me!" She scooted behind Kyle.63
"I'm telling you, daddy," a cute young teen said, "this will be so cool."64
"Aw, Christ," Kyle muttered, then smiled. "Rachel, how nice to see you again... so soon after last time."65
"Hi, Kyle," she said, obviously star struck. "Where's Sabine? I've got this cool idea."66
Stepping to the side, Kyle nodded with his head. Sabine gave him a dirty look before smiling at Rachel. 67
"Here's my idea," Rachel said, talking a little too fast for her own good. "You know the part where you're hurt and Geoff Saturn does this monologue about how he found you in his dreams?"68
"Yes?" Sabine said, almost afraid to hear the ‘idea'.69
"Well," Rachel continued. "Wouldn't it be super cool if instead of that, he sang a song to you while you were unconscious. Sort of a heartfelt song that you loved?"70
"No," Kyle said.71
"I think it's a beautiful idea," Sabine said, giving an evil smile to Kyle. 72
"No," Kyle repeated. He looked at Matt. "I don't sing. You know I don't sing." 73
"But, it's the intent and emotion behind it," Rachel said, a whining entering her tone. "Daddy!"74
"What song would he sing?" Matt asked, eternally patient with his only child. 75
"You are my sunshine."76
"Kill me now," Kyle muttered. "Just take me out back, and-" he stopped when Matt glared at him. "Fine," he said with a sigh. "Just remember that when everyone runs out of here in pain with their hands over their ears that I warned you."77
"Perfect!" Rachel said, then took her father by the arm to steer him over to talk about a prop. 78
"I hate you," Kyle said, looking at Sabine.79
"Right back atcha!" she said, walking away.80
"That's my line!" He sighed and looked at Izzy. "Welcome to my day in hell. You sure you had nothing to do with this?" 81
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~82
Staring at a computer screen, Detective Giovanni rubbed his eyes at the amount of information the studios had on something as simple as a vehicle. Plate numbers, with all the variations they used to disguise certain things for different shots were listed, as well as the cars they had been on. 83
Looking though the specific one that had been filmed going through the film set, Gio discovered that had it been sitting in limbo for a few months in storage. A quick check showed the plate still there, in its storage wrapper. The plate and wrapper were now in an evidence bag, by him at the desk as he looked through the computers for more. 84
Since the plate had never been signed out, or even seemed to have been moved in the past while, he was checking on plates with similar numbers. A few came up that, with a little manipulation, would pass for the number in question when driven at high speed.85
Jotting the numbers down, he motioned to the studio employee that was hovering nearby. 86
"I need to find these plates," he said, holding the list out. 87
Following as they went back to the storage area, the first two plates were quickly found, while a third had been sighed out two days before for an on location shoot. Making a quick note of that, and getting the location of the plate, Gio waited while the fourth plate was looked for. 88
Raising an eyebrow as the man looked around, then through the plated envelopes on either side, above and below, then peered behind the shelf, Gio knew they'd found the plate in question.89
"It's not here," the studio employee finally admitted after a thorough search. 90
"Who signed it out last?" Gio asked.91
Looking at the information, the man glanced back up. "It was signed out over two months ago. Car pool use, actually. Employees, actors, stage hands... they can sign out a plate, slap it on a set car and use that to get around the studio when they have to shoot in multiple locations on the same day. It was signed back in the next day," he said. "Even has my initial of receipt."92
"Who signed it out," Gio asked, his tone a little harder. 93
"Kyle Ryders."94
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~95
Walking from one end of the desert landscape scenery to the other and back, Kyle worked through his lines in his mind. Since Rachel's suggestion had been accepted, a small rewrite had been planed which resulted in a slight delay. 96
Glancing up as Izzy approached, Kyle immediately switched direction, moaning in annoyance as she called his name. Stopping, he turned and looked at her. 97
"Yes, Detective?" 98
"Since you're not busy, I wanted to ask a few more questions about Laine Carmichael."99
"I've told you all I know, and I do happen to be busy."100
"Pacing?"101
Giving up, Kyle hung his head in defeat. There was absolutely nothing he could say that would make her see that his profession was important to him. "I don't know how many times I have to tell you that I had nothing to do with her death."102
"We're still checking on that," Izzy said smoothly. "Your alibi fits, but, as you know, money can buy certain things, or pay off-" She stopped as a dangerous look passed through his eyes. 103
"I'm only going to say this once more, Detective," he said, his tone barely civil. "I had nothing to do with her death. Yes, I knew her. Yes, we had an extremely brief relationship about nine years ago. That's the extent of it. I didn't know she was back in L.A., and I don't know how she ended up dead on my lawn. I would appreciate you finding those things out and stop looking at me like I had anything to do with it. I didn't." 104
He paused for a moment. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have work to do." Turning, he stalked away, muttering to himself about police harassment.105
Smiling slightly at his retreating form, Izzy pulled her cell out and made a call. "Gio?" she said when it was answered. "I pushed a few buttons with Mr. Ryders, and I'm fairly certain that he had nothing to do with either events. Also certain that somehow he's linked to them, though. Any luck with the plates?" She listened for a few moments.106
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~107
"Thanks," Gio said, holding out his hand for the information folder. It was hesitantly passed over, then placed in an evidence bag. Turning, he paused as his cell phone rang. 108
Walking away, he pulled the phone out and flipped it open. "Giovanni." He listened as his partner spoke. "Well, yeah, actually, I did have luck with the plates. The one on the car is here, safe and sound. Although, a similar one that could have a number altered to look like the original is missing."109
Walking through the door with evidence bags in hand, he headed for where they had parked their vehicle. "I'm going to check the car pool area and see how secure it is." 110
Listening for a moment, he smiled. "Guess who signed the plate out two months ago?" he asked, nodding as she nailed it on the first try. "Exactly. Now, before you get your feathers in a bunch, this doesn't mean that he took the plate and gave it to someone. He's registered as signing it back in. The plate could actually just be lost, and the un-sub wanted a similar one and took the closest numbers, or she was rushed and grabbed the wrong one, or she took both but wouldn't use one that Kyle used because... well hell, I don't know why, but it's safe to say that she had some reason."111
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~112
Silent as she laid in his arms, Sabine had the appearance of someone unconscious. Waiting for the director's cue, Kyle sought out Izzy to make sure that she wasn't poking around and asking too many questions about him. Spotting her sitting in a folding chair, he inhaled, and nodded to Matt. 113
"And...action!" Matt called. 114
"Kaylee?" Geoff Saturn said in a gentle tone. "Please. Open your eyes, baby. Please." Lowering his head to hers as she remained still, he gently kissed her lips and pulled back slightly. 115
Part of him was tempted to go ahead with the monologue anyway, and damn the consequences. At times he wished he was one of the fussy actors that threw hissy fits when things didn't go his way. No, he had to be the good guy, the directors dream, the actor that showed up on time, every time, and gave no major backlash over anything. 116
Out of the corner of his eye he could see Matt lean a little in his seat, silently urging him to get on with the scene. Exhaling, and hoping he actually remembered the words to the song, he began.117
Izzy blinked at he started to sing, the words slow and hushed, almost like an eerie bedtime song. Kyle's voice was strong on a few lines, then faltered slightly to give the impression that he was fighting back tears. 118
Looking around, she realized that everyone was staring at the duo on set, their attention captured by the melodious tune coming from Kyle... he sounded like a man whose heart was currently breaking. 119
Wishing a ‘cut' would be yelled, Kyle had to force himself not to rush through the song. Silence was all around him, and the urge to look was tempting. 120
"Please don't take..." he paused long enough to lean over and kiss her again ever so lightly, "...my sunshine away," he ended, his voice barely above a whisper.121
"Cut," Matt said in a quiet tone. "Damn, Kyle. That was perfect."122
Blinking in shock, he looked up. "Say what?" Hearing a sniffling, he glanced down at Sabine, who was crying. 123
"That was so beautiful," she said, then pushed herself up. "Call break, Matt. I need make-up." 124
"Breaking for lunch," Matt announced loudly. He watched while Sabine scurried away, no doubt afraid that anyone would see her without perfect make-up. "We're keeping that scene," he told Kyle before walking away.125
Standing, Kyle stretched, then walked out of the landscape scenery. Approaching Izzy, he stopped a few feet from her. 126
"Thought you couldn't sing?" she asked.127
"I said I don't sing."128
"Why not? You've got a great voice." 129
Kyle snorted, then motioned to the buffet table with his head. "I usually eat lunch in my trailer," he said. "Give you a chance to tell me why you're here and intent on adding to my own personal hell."130
She followed as he quickly loaded up a plate with various foods. Picking through the selection, she reached for a pasta salad.131
"Don't touch that one," Kyle advised. "Trust me on that."132
Reaching for something else, she quickly got her own plate ready, then followed him out of the studio. It wad a quick walk to where the actor trailers were set up, and Izzy wasn't sure if she was surprised or not to find out that Kyle had the smaller of the two largest ones. 133
"Sabine whined about needing more space," he said as he opened the door for her. "I'll do basically anything to shut her up."134
Standing in the living area of the trailer, Izzy looked around in shock. "This is bigger than my living room," she said. 135
"It's got a couple pull-outs," Kyle said, placing his plate on the table. Shrugging his character's uniform jacket off, he tossed it onto the couch, and then pulled his shirt off. Placing it on the jacket, he reached into a nearby cubbyhole and pulled a t-shirt out. Slipping it on, he sat at the table, grabbed a roll from his plate and bit into it. Izzy slid into the bench on the other side of the table and started eating. 136
"Why are you here?" he asked after a few minutes.137
"The car that nearly hit Sabine Valance," Izzy said. "The plates were registered to the studio."138
The fork stopped half way to Kyle's mouth, then lowered back to the plate. "What?" he asked. "You mean someone from the studio tried to run her down?" He paused. "Makes sense... she does tend to piss people off."139
"The car, however," Izzy said, "was reported as stolen the night before the incident." 140
"So, you've got a stolen car, probably stolen plates, and someone who wanted to harm either Sabine, me, or screw Matt over since he's the money behind the pictures."141
"Interestingly enough, the last person to sign that plate out was you."142
Confused, Kyle stared at her, his meal completely forgotten. "I haven't signed a plate out in a couple months," he said. 143
"We know," Izzy said. "And it shows you signed it back in. Why did you sign it out?" 144
"I had to be in three different places on the lot that day, all within minutes of the last shoot. And since the main actor showing up out of breath and all sweaty from running would cause my make-up artist to have a heart attack, I drove."145
"All right," she said. "So, the question is... who stole the plates?"146
"Someone that wants to completely fuck my life over?" Kyle asked sarcastically. 147
"Possibly," Izzy said. "And that's why we're here."148
"We?"149
"Detective Giovanni is checking through the car pool and automotive areas to see who has access. I'm here to find out, without you getting defensive, just who would want to harm Sabine."150
Confused, Kyle shook his head slightly. "Wait, what? How would I know who would want to hurt her?"151
"Because... she may have been harmed to get at you."152
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Comments
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Very cool stuff. I think I'll just keep repeating the fact that I'm so glad I found this series.
I could just imagine a directors daughter doing that and the fact that it actually worked made it even better.
Gio and Izzy's relationship is still strong and I love her back and forth with Kyle. I have to say the main crime/mystery has got me hooked, I have no idea who the 'bad guy/girl' is.
A few nitpicks -
Paragraph 84. It reads as if your mind was moving faster than your hands. lol Not bad just words out of order or wrong word used. A slow read over and you'll see what I mean.
On paragraph 133 - It wad a quick walk.
Have you ever seen the cop drama Life? It was a great show, I think it's cancelled now. But anyway the main characters partner is who I picture for Izzy. I don't know if she looks anything like her but that's who I see. lol
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0874936/ - Show
http://tv.yahoo.com/life/show/40562/photos/1 - Actress.
Great writing as always. I would pay to read this story.
Jack
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Never saw the show before, but she's perfect!
Yeah, I do have a habit of fingers going faster than the brain
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Good job.
Great descriptions and characters and a good storyline too.
Keep up the good work -
I liked this chapter and will have to go back and read the other ones leading into this one and that I will do. I like the story line, I didn';t have any trouble understanding what was going on--good lead in and endinf for this chapter the writing was elegent and the prose excellent. A pleasure to have read.
beginning: 5, language: 5, plot: 5, ending: 5, dialog: 5, characters: 5.
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