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Chapter 551
Conner drove away from Parker Center shortly after one o’clock, heading for the 101 on his way to the West Hollywood offices of Collins-Cline Productions, the producers of Vice Squad. Having committed himself to a more active investigative role, he was eager to get started, before he had a chance to rethink his decision. Sloane had provided some background on the company. They were a small outfit, and Vice Squad was the only show they had on the air, though they were in talks with the networks about two other shows. Conner wanted to gather as much background information as he could about the show and the people working on it, and he thought the main office would be the best place to start.
Traffic was pleasantly light, at least for midday on the Hollywood Freeway, and Conner even managed to get his speedometer above sixty a time or two before exiting west onto Sunset Boulevard, where his pace slowed considerably as he moved through the drab but busy commercial area that made
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Leesa's Advent Chapter 552
The elevator deposited him into another lobby, a much smaller version of the one downstairs, except this one had a brown marble counter opposite the elevator. Behind the counter sat a very pretty, almost beautiful, pony-tailed blonde receptionist who smiled brightly as he stepped out of the elevator. He smiled back, guessing she was probably a wannabe actress making ends meet until her big chance came along. She would be extra nice to anyone she didn’t recognize, on the off chance he might be someone who could help her reach her dreams. It was one of the things he liked about L.A.—there were thousands of attractive, cheerful people laboring as waitresses, bartenders, receptionists and parking attendants who were unfailingly pleasant, at least until they determined you weren’t anyone important. “May I help you, sir,” she asked, her voice as bright and lively as her smile. “I’d like to see Alexa Cline, please,” Conner replied. “Do you have an appointment, Mr...
Leesa's Advent Chapter 553
“You don’t look like a cop, Case.” Conner returned his attention to Alexa. “No?” He had heard that once a cop, always a cop. “Well, you do, but you don’t,” she explained. “There’s something cop-like about you, but it’s hard to put a finger on.” She paused for a moment, thinking, and then her face brightened. “I know what it is. You’ve got the manner, but not quite the look. You’re too tan, too healthy looking, not quite hard enough. Hell, look at your clothes. I’ve seen cops in uniform, and cops in suits, but never in slacks and a golf shirt. You look more like an actor playing a cop than a real cop. You know, sort of like Peterson on CSI.” Conner smiled inwardly, amused by her insight. Maybe that’s what he was now, an actor pretending he was a cop. “I hope that’s a compliment,” he said. She smiled. “Oh, it is. I don’t think I’d be attracted to a real cop.” There was no longer any doubt about it—she was flirting. Conner knew it was his move.
Leesa's Advent Chapter 554
The production schedule for Vice Squad provided by Alexa Cline’s secretary showed the crew was filming out at the Santa Monica Pier. To avoid at least some of the late afternoon traffic, Conner followed Sunset as it curved past the lushly landscaped mansions of Beverly Hills into the less well known but equally tony neighborhood of Bel Air, making decent time until he cut across to Wilshire Boulevard and turned west. Traffic was much heavier on Wilshire, but he finally made it to the coast and shelled out ten dollars to park in a small lot at the foot of the pier.The amusement area that filled the front half of the pier was crowded with boisterous youngsters getting an early start on the weekend, and the air rang with happy shouts and screams from the spiral roller coaster. The smell of popcorn, cinnamon buns and other snacks teased Conner’s nostrils as he threaded his way through the clumps of revelers, finally breaking into the open once he cleared the arcades
Leesa's Advent Chapter 555
Conner was mystified. Stuart Chesterton had been a rising film star, known almost as much for his temper as his talent, and he had been compared favorably to DeNiro and Pacino. He’d won an Academy Award nomination for his portrayal of an offshore oil worker in Autumn Springs Eternal and had seemed on the verge of even bigger things, but somehow, his career never took off. Conner hadn’t heard his name in years.“What happened to him? He looked like a sure thing to make it big.”“Success happened,” Hollenbech explained, his voice edged with an impatience that said he seen too much of similar things. “Drugs and booze. ‘Substance abuse,’ they call it now. If you’ve got talent, they’ll put up with a lot in this business. And Chesterton had talent. But there’s one thing that’s not tolerated, and that’s being unreliable. Too much money involved. Chesterton became unreliable. He’d go on w
Leesa's Advent Chapter 556
By the time Conner made it back to his apartment, he was bushed. He lumbered to the refrigerator and grabbed a can of beer before collapsing onto the couch. He popped the flip top and closed his eyes as he took a long pull, enjoying the icy coolness as the beer slid down his throat. The clock said it was barely 6:30, but the weariness assaulting his body and his brain made it feel more like midnight. He had not experienced a day like this in a long time. From his early morning visit to the gruesome murders scenes to his interviews with Alexa Cline and Stan Hollenbech, with a hard run at the beach and a meeting with Sloane sandwiched in between, he had been on the go all day. The pace was a far cry from his leisurely routine of the past year. Mentally and physically, he felt challenged in a way he had not been in a long time. He wasn’t sure if he liked the feeling or not.One thing he was sure of, was that he was not budging from his apartment for the rest of the evening
Leesa's Advent Chapter 557
Early Saturday afternoon, Conner swung his BMW to the curb just up the street from a Mexican restaurant a few blocks north of Wilshire Boulevard. The restaurant occupied an unpretentious tan adobe building sandwiched between a hardware store and a discount clothes outfit, but he had eaten there before and knew the food was good. When Keith Stennie responded to Conner’s request for a meeting by suggesting they meet here for a late lunch, Conner had readily agreed. Intrigued by what he’d heard about the young writer, he wanted to form his own impression of the man behind the grisly incidents the killer was so faithfully copying.As soon as he crossed through the restaurant’s weathered wood doors, a smiling young Mexican woman in a colorfully embroidered white blouse and long black skirt pranced out from behind the hostess counter to greet him. Her shiny black hair was pulled behind her head in a thick ponytail, held in place by a wide leather band with a woode
Leesa's Advent Chapter 558
Stennie grinned. “I stay, amigo, because I enjoy it where I am. Perhaps you do not realize, because of my many great deeds and the legends that surround me, but I am only twenty-four years old. I have much time to do other things in the years ahead. Vice Squad may be a second rate show, but within its framework of sex and violence, Senorita Cline has given me free rein to be as creative as I can. I have had mucho fun trying to outdo myself each week.” His expression darkened. “At least I was, until these terrible things began to happen.”“And now?” Conner asked, watching him closely.Stennie’s brow furrowed. “And now, my soul grows dark with worry. I wonder if somehow I am responsible for these tragedies. I, who have devoted my life to the vanquishing of evil. If I did not create these scenes, they could not come to life.” Stennie looked into Conner’s eyes, as if seeking redemption. “But a soul as dark a
Leesa's Advent Chapter 559
Finally, Cecilia broke the stalemate. Still not sure what the ultimate answer might be, she put her finger to her lips, signaling Conner not to say anything. He watched as she turned the key and pressed the switch to close the convertible top. The black roof rose silently from the back, unfolding itself above them like a dark spectre spreading its cloak to block out the stars. When the roof locked into place with a sharp click, Cecilia put the car in gear and swung out onto Mulholland Drive.They rode in silence, winding through the hilltops until they reached the 405 freeway. The quiet hung between them like a palpable thing, weighing on Conner’s mind, emphasizing rather than masking their problem, but he dared not break Cecilia’s unspoken command. Instead, he leaned forward and switched on the radio, choosing a mellow jazz station to color the silence. Cecilia gave no notice. As they sped down the long incline toward the city, he wondered what was going through
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