Page 28 of Wild Sentinel

"Perfect. While you're here, I've got a bunch of meetings set up. Might as well get as much accomplished as we can. It’s like pulling teeth to get you out here.”

"It's pretty hectic right now.”

"Tyson, it's always hectic. You’re going to have to suck it up and fit it all in.”

I laughed. "Tell me everything you know about Vivian. Who did she have dirt on? Who did she butt heads with? Who would have had reason to get rid of her?”

17

"Idon't even know where to start," Joel said. "I mean, we can throw names in a hat. You can pick them out. Vivian was a tough lady. Tough, but fair. If she liked you and believed in you, she could make you a star."

"We’ve got to start somewhere. Let's start with the most powerful and influential people that she made enemies of."

Joel thought for a moment. "Irving Roth. After the merger, he’s the head of the largest studio in town.”

"What kind of dirt did she have on him?"

"She never told me specifics. She kept those cards close to her chest. But knowing Vivian, it was a secret that could have brought him down or landed him in jail."

"What did she say to you?”

"She didn’t have to say anything. It became obvious after a while. She could push him around like he was a nobody. He caved to all of her demands, however ridiculous they were. It was truly remarkable. I’d never seen anything like it. She just told me she knew where the skeletons were buried.” Joel paused. "If I was Irving, I'd want to get Vivian out of my life as soon as possible.”

"Who else?”

“Damien Stone comes to mind."

"Who's he?”

"You don't watch much TV, do you?"

"When would I have time?”

"True. For a while, he was the biggest thing since sliced bread. For a few seasons, he was on top of the world. Every teenage girl in the country wanted him. He was on the Crimson Chronicles, that vampire show that jumped the shark in season four. Damien increasingly became more and more unmanageable as he spiraled into drugs and alcohol. He developed a bad reputation, and there were questionable allegations about underage women. Vivian dropped him as a client. The last I heard, he was back to waiting tables at some restaurant on Melrose.”

My brow knitted with confusion. "How does a guy like that go from hero to zero? What did he do with all the money?”

Joel scoffed. "I don't know if you've noticed, but the celebrity lifestyle is expensive. Mix in drugs, women, and shady accountants, and half these nitwits are broke within a few years after their star has faded.”

"That's gotta be devastating," I replied.

"A lot of people can’t handle fame. And few can handle the aftermath. I think it's harder for the has-beens than the never-was-beens.”

"Who else?" I asked.

"Well, there was this up-and-coming talent that she refused to sign. He called, made threats, sent nasty letters, even came up to the agency one day and demanded she take another look at his work. Threatened her. She had security remove him." Joel sighed. "Sadly, that kind of thing happens all the time. People come out here with hopes and dreams. They can't get into the casting office without an agent. They see us as gatekeepers. People in this town have a long memory, and these wannabes burn bridges fast." Then he added, "You need to be careful during this investigation. If you ruffle the wrong feathers, your career is in the dumpster."

"Thanks.” My career was entirely accidental. It wasn't something I pursued. I didn't play Hollywood games. Still, I got some nice paydays out of the whole thing. It was looking like there were more paydays to come, so I didn't really want to light the dumpster on fire. "What's this wannabe actor's name?"

"Kai Mason.”

"Know where I can find him?”

"That's your area of expertise, not mine."

“Anybody else I should look into?”

Joel hesitated for a moment. "Well, I hate to say this, but she was grooming a junior agent, Stephanie. Now, I don't have any proof of this, but you know the way my mind works. I think of everything. All the angles. You have to in this business. It's cutthroat. With Vivian out of the way, we will need another agent to take her place. But that's something nobody can do. There is only one Vivian.”