Page 35 of Wild Sentinel

Vincent hovered nearby, keeping an eye on things. It wasn't uncommon to see celebrity bodyguards loitering around. Many of them knew each other and would congregate near the bar and shoot the breeze while keeping an eye on their clients. They’d exchange gossip, dishing the latest dirt in order to report it all back to their employers. Loose lips sink ships, and staff talks.

"How did you find out about this place?" Scarlett asked Jack.

He feigned offense. "I know everywhere that's cool."

She rolled her eyes.

We ordered California rolls, zesty wraps, and plenty of fresh sushi. We shot the breeze with Scarlett and caught her up to speed on our morning.

"I'm telling you, why don't you just stay at my house. There's no need for you to spend money on a hotel."

"Food for thought," Jack said.

He neglected to tell her we had just been shot at the day before. No need to trouble her.

Plenty of recognizable faces occupied tables. This was definitely the place to be if you wanted to see a celebrity in person.

Scarlett spotted someone a few tables over. "Oh, there's Irving. I need to talk to him. Would you excuse me for a second?"

"Roth?" I asked.

“Yes. Do you two know each other?”

"No, but we need to talk."

Her eyes narrowed at me. "About what?”

"Vivian.”

She frowned. "I know. Terrible. I really liked her.” Her brow wrinkled. "But I don't understand. Why are you guys looking into that? Didn't the police already wrap that case?"

"Joel asked us to look into it.”

"He didn't say anything to me about it."

"Well, maybe he didn't want to worry you."

She started putting all the pieces together. "Is Irving a suspect?”

I shrugged.

Scarlett's face grew tense. "No.” She shook her head. “You're not going to harass him here.”

"We’re trying to solve a murder."

She leaned in and spoke in a hushed tone. "You realize that's the most powerful man in Hollywood. He can make or break careers. If you piss him off, that could be bad for me."

"What if he killed Vivian?”

She frowned, then took a deep breath. "Okay. There has to be a way you can be diplomatic about it.”

I smiled. "Relax. I’m a professional. I'll handle it. You two stay here and enjoy your lunch. If things go south. Just act like you don't know me."

Scarlett gave me a grave look. "Tyson, be careful. You work in this town, too."

22

Irving had the full attention of a gorgeous young blonde starlet. With green eyes, full lips and classic features, she had the attention of anyone who looked at her. The camera would love her. She could no doubt become a star under Irving's expert tutelage.