“Dax thinks you’re a danger to him.”
“How could he think that? I just saved his shoot and a couple of million dollars that would have come right out of his pocket.”
“He doesn’t think you’re a danger to his wallet, he thinks you’re a threat to him, personally.”
“Personally? What does that mean?”
“He thinks you’re working for somebody who wants him taken out—a guy at Centurion named Billy Barnett—something about his wife.”
That stopped Teddy in his tracks. “Dan, can I confide in you?”
“Sure.”
“This can’t go any further, or I’ll go down fighting Heckel and Jeckel.”
“Ted, come on, give.”
“I’m not Ted Shirley, I’m Billy Barnett.”
Dan froze, then looked at him closely to see if he was kidding. “You’re kidding, aren’t you?”
“I’m not kidding. I’m a producer at Centurion for Peter Barrington’s production company.”
“Holy shit! Dax thinks you’ve hired yourself to knock him off?”
“It sounds that way.”
Dan started pacing, looking at the ground.
“What’s the matter, Dan?”
“We’ve got to get you out of here, and you can’t go back to the production center.”
“Actually, I’m not that worried about Heckel and Jeckel. Heckel has a broken wrist, and Jeckel is scared of me.”
“I’m not worried about them, either, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to worry about.”
“What should I be worried about?”
“Dax has sent for a guy from L.A., and he’s due in this afternoon.”
“A guy? What kind of guy?”
“The kind of guy who makes people disappear. It sounds like he’s coming for you, first, then for Billy Barnett.”
Teddy couldn’t help laughing. “He’s going to kill me twice?”
“That’s the idea.”
“Who is this guy?”
“He’s a Russian. His name is Dimitri Kasov.”
“I’ve heard that name, never met him.”
“If you’d met him, you wouldn’t be here. We’ve got to get you out. Let me see if the chopper is free. They could pick you up here and take you straight to the airport.”
“No, no, don’t do that. Dax would know about it immediately.”
Dan looked at his watch. “I think you’ve got, maybe, three or four hours.”
“Then I’ll be here when he arrives. He can come looking for me.”
“Are you crazy? Don’t you understand what I’m telling you?”
“Dan, if I’m here, at least I can see the guy coming. If I leave, he’ll hunt me down and take me out when I least expect it.”
“Ted . . . ah, Billy . . .”
“Keep calling me Ted.”
“Ted, you’re beginning to sound like you’ve had some experience at this sort of thing.”
“Some,” Teddy admitted.
“How can I help?”
“Do you know what this Kasov looks like?”
“Not big, maybe five-eight, a hundred and sixty pounds, all muscle and gristle.”
“Does he dress in any particular way?”
“He dresses to blend in. Look around you, he’ll look like one of us.”
“I think I’d better shave,” Teddy said. He peeled off his mustache. “Can we swap hats?” Teddy handed him his Stetson and took Dan’s baseball cap.
“You look completely different,” Dan said.
“That’s the idea, isn’t it? It may not work for long, but it’ll give me a little edge.”
“Listen, Ted,” Dan said, “I’ve got a gun in my room. I don’t know why I carry the thing, but you’re welcome to it.”
“I don’t think guns will be involved,” Teddy said. “Kasov is more likely to use a knife or an ice pick.”
“I’m getting really scared,” Dan said.
“Don’t be. Kasov’s not coming for you.”
“I mean, scared for you. This guy’s a pro, and from what I’ve heard, he’s pretty much unstoppable.”
“Nobody is unstoppable,” Teddy said. “Everybody bleeds.”
“Jesus,” Dan sighed.
“Who knows where I live?” Teddy asked.
“Did you put your address on your employment application?”
“I used a P.O. box number in Tesuque.”
“Then he’ll know you’re in Tesuque. It’s a small place, it won’t take long to track you down. Has Sally been there?”
“Yes.”
“Then she’s probably the only one on the shoot who knows.” Dan raised his hands in a defensive gesture. “I don’t want to know.”
“Does anybody know Sally and I have been seeing each other?”
“Just me. Oh, and the makeup girl, Mala, remember?”
“Can you reach her?”
“I’ve got her cell number.”
“Please call her and find out if she’s mentioned Sally and me to anyone.”
“Okay.”
“And if she hasn’t told anybody, tell her to keep quiet.”
“Okay. What are you going to do?”
Teddy gave him the keys to his truck. “This is parked in the lot at La Fonda Hotel. The ticket’s under the sun visor. Can you get somebody to get it out of there and return it to its owner?”
“Who’s that?”
“His name and address are on a piece of paper in the glove compartment. Tell him I won’t be needing it anymore.”
“What are you going to do for wheels?”
“I’ve got wheels.”
“You didn’t tell me what you’re going to do, Ted.”
“I think I’m going to pay Dax another visit.”
“Oh, shit.”
16
WHEN JAKE HAD FINISHED his setups he went to his car, where Teddy caught up with him. “Jake, can I get a ride to Production with you?”
“I’m not going anywhere near Dax, but I’ll drop you off at the main gate.”
“Thanks.”
Jake looked closely at him. “What happened to your face?”
Teddy took the mustache from his shirt pocket and glued it back on. “Is that better?”
“It’s more familiar,” Jake said. “Your hat is missing, too.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Teddy said.
“Ted, I want to thank you again for the way you handled Heckel and Jeckel.”
“Think nothing of it.”
“I’ve seen those guys in action, and it didn’t turn out well for their victim.” Jake looked out the window. “You know, I’m a movie star, but that doesn’t mean I can’t take care of myself.”
“I’m sure you can, Jake.”
“I mean, if I’m not as drunk as I was last night.”
Teddy nodded.
“Not many people know that I trained as a Navy SEAL.”
Teddy looked at him anew. “Really?”
“I didn’t say I graduated the course, but I did all the training, and I excelled. The night our training ended I got drunk and took a swing at our DI. I found myself on a bus the next morning.”
“That’s unfortunate,” Teddy said.
“It’s not that I couldn’t handle the sergeant, I was just drunk, and that doesn’t work unless the other guy is as drunk as you are.”
“Good point.”
“After I heard that he’d bounced me, I invited him outside for a chat, and I cleaned his clock. After that, he was all the more anxious to see me go.”
“How’d you get from the navy to the movies?”
“I met a girl in a bar near where I was stationed, and we ended up in bed. Turned out she was an assistant to a movie producer at SAC, and they were making a Navy SEAL movie, and she thought I might get a small role. I went to Burbank, in uniform, to audition, and they were impressed. It was a supporting role, but I lent some authenticity to the shoot, and after that, it was more and better movies. I kept the SEAL stuff from the PR people at the studio, because I was embarrassed about being bounced.”
“I can understand that,” Teddy said.
“Here you go,” Jake said. They had arrived at the gate. “You watch your back, now.”
Teddy shook his hand and got out of the car. He walked down to Dax’s double-wide and rapped on the door. Dax’s assistant opened it. “What is it, Ted?”
“I need to speak to Dax again.”
“Just a minute.” She closed the door and came back shortly. “He’s in his office.”
“Siddown, Ted,” Dax said. “What can I do you for?”
“I’ve heard a disturbing rumor, Dax, and I thought it might be better to address the issue directly.”
Dax blinked rapidly. “What kind of rumor?”
“I’ve heard that you’ve called in a sort of specialist to deal with me, and I’ve heard that you think I’m working for a guy at Centurion named Billy Barnett. Anything to that?”
“Are you working for Barnett?”