Sunset Boulevard #4
Ari’s voice took on a deadly serious tone.
“Jillian. We all know you consider JJ like family… close family. You cannot utter a single word, nor drop a hint, no matter how infinitesimal, to JJ about what you have heard here today…” He paused for effect.
“Her life and other people’s lives depend on complete secrecy.
We don’t know who else might be watching… ”
“Ari Ascher, I completely understand… besides, I did not win my Academy Award for simply being pretty.”
“No doubt, Jillian!” Ari grinned.
“Ah… Jillian?” Simo interrupted quietly.
“Yes?”
“Joel… said that Halo was...”
“Was what, Simo?”
“How to say… she seemed to really like Xander. So much that Joel became jealous.”
“Oh… oh, my. Oh, hell, and I can’t ask JJ either, can I?”
“No. She has to tell you by herself. No meddling.”
“Damn… maybe they worked together before?”
Ari spoke up. “We checked. No, they did not… but I just remembered something. I had a conversation with Halo the day Xander auditioned for her. She asked about him due to someone in her crew seeing him speaking with me at the airport when I picked up Christina. I remember Halo calling him… her ‘Mystery Man’.”
“This is very intriguing… and see, gentlemen? You all now are thinking she is alive. See, it wasn’t hard, was it?” Jillian grinned.
The men all looked at each other, realizing that Jillian was right. They all were talking like Halo was still alive.
“Well, Jillian, you have me convinced.” Ari smiled. “Now, I hate to be a bore, but I must speak with Simo about his auspicious meeting with old Irwin…”
“I understand. Thank you, Ari. And thank you for all you have done. I will put my faith in you and Simo to deal with Joel Miller. Good day!”
“Theo, please walk Jillian to her car?”
“Happy to,” Theo smiled and held out his arm.
Jillian happily accepted Theo's arm. “Theo, why are you not a film star? You are too good looking to not be.”
Theo laughed heartily as he escorted Jillian out of Ari’s office. “I no speak very good English!”
As soon as they were out of earshot, Ari spun toward Simo. “Irwin? You spoke with the old bastard? Details!”
Simo relayed the details, from being tailed until Audrey dropped Simo off at In-N-Out.
“That man knows where people are buried in the Mojave Desert… he personally put a few out there. This is so unlike the man…”
“I gave my word that I would not say anything about… his health.”
“Ah. He is rather ancient… perhaps he is trying to buy his way out of hell. It is difficult to believe he has found a conscience after eight decades of life. Do you think he knows of you and I?”
“No. He knows some things, but not about us.”
“About this Audrey…”
Simo went into more detail that left Ari shaking his head.
“What?” Simo asked.
“Irwin’s first wife was beautiful and he loved her like no other.
She became ill and passed away, much too young.
The loss of his life’s love turned Irwin into the cynical, ruthless bastard he is today.
Joel’s mother… she was something like this Audrey…
Irwin met Joel’s mother in Paris. She was…
well simply put, she was a prostitute. It was uncanny at how much she looked like Irwin’s first wife, Carol.
As the story goes, Irwin was instantly lovesick.
He left all reason behind when he married her.
It did not take long for her mental illness to surface…
Irwin is smart, but he could not see it or was in denial.
Then when she molested their son… he still denied it.
It has all led to this…” Ari spread his arms wide.
“All this tragedy… Halo and Elara, perhaps others we do not know of yet as well. But I must admit that I respect the old man’s business prowess.
He taught me everything he knew about the music and film industry.
For that, I owe him a debt of gratitude. ”
“I would not be here either… I would have refused to leave Greece and would have met with an ‘accident’.”
Ari chuckled. “Don’t believe that. Many had their eye on you. Take Mike Booker for one… he is one conniving bastard. He would piss on the president’s desk if you agreed to work for him full-time. You would have had help regardless.”
“Maybe…” Simo smiled.
“So, do you have a plan?”
“Yes… and I don’t trust Joel, either.”
“Do tell…” Ari grinned.
“Chen has been monitoring Joel’s ‘bug’. Joel doesn’t trust me… imagine that.”
“Joel is a survivor. Do not underestimate him or his father. How does Irwin Miller’s offer affect your plans? That is a lot of money…”
“I think it will play well…”
Ari sat down across from Simo and leaned in, changing the subject. “I am hoping to have Annabeth stay for Christmas… Christina is pushing it on both of us.”
“I would like to see you all back under the same roof.”
“Me too. I must be getting old…” Ari tried to joke.
Simo nodded. He knew Ari was not the same man without his daughter and Annabeth. With Ari leaving everything up to him, he knew what Ari was implying. He needed this mess to come out all right. He decided if he had to fight the devil hand-to-hand, he would gladly, if it would help the Aschers.