Page 36 of Wild Sentinel

Irving was not a handsome man. A little overweight, thinning hair, and a hard face pocked with acne scars. Power was his aphrodisiac. And he had a lot of it in this town.

I approached the couple with a smile and a flash of my badge. "Irving Roth, Tyson Wild."

A look of concern and annoyance filled his face. The girl almost gasped when she saw the badge.

"I'm hoping you can help me with a case," I said, taking a seat. "I won't take up much of your time. I promise. I know you have much better things to do than talk to me," I said, nodding to the young lady.

"What can I help you with?"

"It's about Vivian Steele."

Irving frowned and shook his head. "Just terrible. Vivian was one-of-a-kind. There will never be another like her.”

"I guess that's good for you."

"She was a ball breaker, no doubt about it." He thought about it for a moment. "Tyson Wild." He shook his finger, thinking about it more. "The Bree Taylor project.”

"Yes," I said with a smile. It was a movie that was made based on the last days I spent with the movie star.

"You're working with Flynn McQueen on a couple of projects now, aren't you?"

"You, sir, have your finger on the pulse."

Irving smiled. "Nothing happens in this town without me knowing about it."

"That's just why I think you can help me."

"It's a shame they pulled the plug on your TV series. I thought that was going to be a great show."

"Susan hasn’t pulled the plug. It's on hold.”

It was a show based on our adventures. It was still in the works.

Irving smiled. "Nothing ever dies in Hollywood."

"Except the people."

"With technology, not anymore,” Irving said with a grin.

He had a point. They would be recycling the same movie stars forever with AI.

"Do you have any idea who may have killed Vivian?" I asked.

Confusion wrinkled his brow. "I thought that case was closed."

"There are still a few lingering questions.”

"What kind of questions?"

"It's my understanding she had dirt on a lot of people.”

Irving chuckled. "Vivian knew how to put the screws on people. If there was something you didn't want Vivian to know, she'd find out about it, then use it against you."

"What kind of dirt did she have on you?”

The blonde gasped. Nobody talked to Irving like that—nobody who wanted to work in this town.

He chuckled again. "If I told you, then you'd have that dirt on me and use it.”