58. James
JAMES
My phone buzzed in my pocket. Finally, the asshole was calling me back.
I’d left Derek over a dozen voicemails and just as many text messages.
I wanted to go straight to the police, but Esther thought we should wait until we’d talked to Derek first. We couldn’t make our case to the authorities without sharing the videos, and if we were wrong, Will could go to prison.
“What do you want?” Derek asked, his voice a bad James Earl Jones impression.
“The night of the Golden Globes, did you leave Will alone at any point?”
“What?”
I tried again. “In your room, did you leave him alone at any point?”
“Who are you talking to?” someone asked Derek on the other end of the line. Was that Tony’s voice?
“Is Tony with you right now?”
“Yeah, why?”
“Okay, whatever you do, don’t tell him you’re talking to me.”
Derek was silent for a while, and I heard footsteps and what sounded like a door opening and closing. “If this is about Tony leaking the stories, I already know. He told me, and I fired him.”
“You fired him?”
“Yeah, and he’s not very happy about it. So this isn’t the best time—”
“Where are you?”
“In my penthouse. Why?”
“Like, in New York?”
“Yeah. What’s it to you? Will’s not taking you back, you know.”
This was bad. If Derek had fired Tony, then there was nothing stopping him from leaking those videos and fleeing the country. Was that why Tony was in the city?
“If you fired Tony, then why’s he in your penthouse?”
“His flight doesn’t leave for another few hours, not that it’s any of your business.”
His flight? Shit. “Is he going to Morocco by any chance?”
“How the fuck should I know where he’s going? What’s this about? How did you even get my number?”
“Listen to me very carefully, Derek. I don’t think Will is the one who attacked you. I think Tony is, and I think he’s planning on fleeing the country.”
“What the fuck is wrong with you? That’s ridiculous.”
“Did you or did you not leave Will alone in your room that night?”
“Yeah, but only for like twenty minutes. I went down to the bar to get a drink and clear my head, and when I came back—”
“Someone attacked you, right?”
“Yeah, Will was waiting for me.”
“No, he wasn’t. Tony was. Will was unconscious. I think Tony drugged him, and I can prove it. But you can’t let him leave.”
“What?”
“I’ll explain everything when I get there. Just don’t let him leave. You got that? What’s your address?”
As soon as we hung up, I threw open my closet door and started rummaging around for another pen recorder, but I couldn’t find one. Oh well, my phone would have to do. And even if I couldn’t get a confession, I could at least stop Tony from escaping.
“Where are you going?” Theo asked, pulling off his headphones as I raced past his bedroom. “Did Es leave?”
“Yeah, she had to go to work.” I tossed him the keys to the 4Runner. “Why don’t you drive? I have some calls I need to make.”