Chapter Nineteen
CHAPTER NINETEEN
As Geoff placed the call to his life-long lawyer and close friend Barry Stein, he knew Barry would be panicking.
“Geoff! Thank God! Where are you? What’s going on?”
“Barry, I’m fine,” he replied calmly. “Please tell me you haven’t made any public statements about anything.”
“No, though it hasn’t been easy. The phone hasn’t stopped. Did you find Annie in Smoky Hill?”
“Yes, she’s here, but listen carefully and do exactly what I say.”
“Don’t ask me to do anything illegal.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it. I assume the police have been in touch.”
“I wish it had been the police. More like the fucking FBI.”
“Ah, yes, of course,” Geoff muttered. “Forget about them for the moment.”
“Forget about them? Are you out of your mind?”
“Barry, you’re an excellent lawyer and I trust you completely, but you need to stop being hysterical and listen.”
“Okay, okay, sorry. Go ahead.”
“Annie Baker and I had a fight. A big one. She wanted out of her contract and I refused. This bullshit she’s pulling is payback. First, she breached the agreement by disappearing, and now she’s obviously told the police a bunch of lies and they believed her. But no matter who they ask, no-one will be able to say they saw me treat her badly. They can talk to the band, stage managers, makeup artists, whoever they want, and not one of them will have anything negative to say about what they witnessed between the two of us. When you contact the FBI on my behalf that’s your starting point. Got it?”
“Yes, I’ve got it, Geoff.”
“I’ve seen you in action. You’re the best. Just stick to what I told you. Now…the next thing…they’ll ask to see me. Unless they have some kind of warrant, which I highly doubt, I’m not interested in talking to them right now.”
“What excuse should I give?”
“Say I was worried about Annie so I flew to Smoky Hill hoping to find her visiting her family. When I couldn’t locate her I left and you don’t know where I am.”
“Okay. I’ll handle it, but will you please stay in touch?”
“I’m not sure where I’ll be, but I’ll call you again when I can. I have a couple of my emergency burner phones—”
“You have emergency burner phones?”
“Barry, shit happens, especially in dicey situations. It’s not unusual. I always take a few with me when I’m touring with an artist.”
“Why?”
“They can be handy. The point is, if you get a call from an unidentified number it could be me, so answer it. And you won’t be able to call me again on this phone. I need to disappear for a while so I’ll be destroying the SIM card.”
“Geoff, why all the cloak and dagger crap?”
“I don’t trust Annie. She wants to leave me and I’ve worked too hard making her a star to allow that to happen. Negotiations be damned. It would cost me millions if I released her from her contract.”
“I know the hours you put in Geoff, and also how brilliant you are. I can’t imagine why she’s flipped out like this.”
“It’s that fucking ex-boyfriend of hers. Brody King. She thinks she’s still in love with him and she’d be happier living out here in nowheresville.”
“Ohh… I get it.”
“She’ll come to her senses, but I don’t know how long it will take. Tell the FBI Annie wants out of her contract and telling lies about me is how she’s trying to do it.”
“Okay. Anything else?”
“Yes. Put the word out—remind people that I have friends everywhere, and they’ll be keeping their eyes and ears open. If anyone says anything defamatory about me or my company they’ll be hit with a lawsuit.“
“That’s a really good idea, Geoff. I know how people gossip. It was terrible when Patty Henderson had that car accident.”
“Exactly. It’s jealousy. I came from nothing and became one of the most influential and successful people in the country music business. I’m either loved or hated. There’s no middle ground.”
“Sad but true,” Barry muttered with a sigh. “Is that it?”
“For the moment. I’ll be in touch again soon.”
“Okay, and you don’t have to worry, I’ll handle everything on this end.”
“I know you will. Thanks, Barry.
“Bye, Geoff. Good luck with everything.”
“What’s that old saying? Luck is for rabbits. Bye, Barry.”
Ending the call, Geoff opened his phone, removed the SIM card, then retrieved his small pouch from the glove compartment. Inside was an engraved, solid silver, fold-out knife. As he cut the card in half and tossed it out the window, a dark frown crossed his brow.
No-one walked away from him.
Especially not a young woman like Annie Baker.
She’d been just another young hopeful waiting tables trying to make a living when he’d plucked her out of obscurity. If he hadn’t invested all his time, energy and effort, she’d still be there.
“No, Annie,” he muttered under his breath. “You’re coming home with me and I’ll give you one more chance. But just one. If you fuck with me again you can join Patty Henderson in hell.”
But even as he spoke he knew it wouldn’t be easy.
Now he was working alone.
Though it was possible Gabe and John would see the error of their ways and return, Geoff wasn’t about to wait around.
He estimated Brody’s ranch was only about ten minutes away. Fifteen at the most. Starting his car and turning around, he headed down the deserted road.