Disclaimer: I do not own Moonlight. It still occupies my mind constantly….so I go with the flow.
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Chapter 17
"Ah….Mick, you did track us down," Josef said smugly as he turned to look at his friend. He could see the annoyance on Mick's face. "Kira warned me you would."
"So, you had her lie to me as well?" Mick asked in disgust.
"No…..no. Kira doesn't even know Laslo. She just knew I was hiding something and told me you would figure things out," Josef quickly explained. He did not want Mick angry with Kira.
Mick then turned his attention toward the other vampire in the room.
"You're St. John? Let me explain," Laslo jumped in before Mick could speak. "I did not kill Tammi, I swear it. I discovered her missing on Monday morning and had no idea she was dead."
"And what about Christa Boyer?" Mick demanded. "Did you take her too?"
"Take her? I have no idea what you mean. Christa is my new girl but I didn't take her," Laslo said in confusion. "Has something happened to her too? She was on set today, she was fine."
Mick came further into the room, approaching the filmmaker.
"Her brother hired me to find her. If she is so fine why do you keep these girls from contacting their families?" he said heatedly.
Laslo set his glass down and squared his shoulders, ready to take on Mick if necessary. He gave Josef a quick look and then looked at Mick levelly.
"I find it is easier for the girls in the beginning if they separate themselves from family and friends. There is less chance of them slipping up and revealing our secret. Plus we are busy filming and they do not have a lot of free time. Later on they are able to reconnect if they so wish, I don't stop them," he explained. "I haven't hurt anyone. The girls are willing donors and I give them what they want, starring roles in my films."
"That is an interesting twist on the casting couch," Mick said in contempt.
"They know what they are doing when they agree. All of the girls are willing and I screen them carefully," Laslo said repeating what he had told Josef. "I learn that they are open to the idea of donating before I reveal what I am. Making horror movies makes it very easy to bring up the subject without raising suspicions. It is the perfect cover."
Josef threw the filmmaker an admiring glance. He had to admit, it was a brilliant way to recruit freshies. Every word that Laslo spoke seemed to ring true to him although Mick still seemed unconvinced.
"I think you are going to have to look elsewhere for your killer Mick," Josef told his friend.
"And how can you be so sure?" Mick asked doubtfully.
"Because Laslo has a smart operation going on here and why kill when you get what you want without a fight?" Josef replied.
"You know damn well that being willing doesn't prevent girls from ending up dead," Mick pointed out.
"Listen St. John, I didn't kill Tammi! And I can prove Christa is fine," Laslo announced as he brought out his phone. He hit a few buttons and waited. "Hey babe, how are you doing?" he said into the phone. "Good, are you learning that new dialogue? Excellent." He paused and then smiled. "Listen Chrissy, Hannah is just pushing your buttons, ignore her. She is not getting in front of the camera. Now I want you to speak to someone to confirm you are okay." He hit the speaker button.
"Confirm I am okay? What's going on Laslo?" a girl's voice asked.
"I just have someone here who is concerned about you Chrissy."
"Well I am fine, just tired," she replied.
"Thanks babe. Get some sleep and I will see you on the set tomorrow," Laslo instructed and he turned off the phone. Mick had been next to him checking out where the call had gone to on the caller ID. He saw that the call had connected to a number that listed Christa B as the caller ID. He nodded at Masterson that he was satisfied for now.
"Where is she staying?" he asked Laslo.
"There is a house on the production lot. My girls stay there at the beginning and while we're filming. It makes things easier but they are free to come and go if they wish," he told Mick. He crossed his arms over his chest as if challenging Mick to criticize his actions.
"I will need to talk to the others and see what they know about Tammi's disappearance," Mick insisted. For now he believed that Christa was safe but he intended to see for himself.
"Sure. I can tell you Tammi was fine until she saw some of the rewrites on this script on Saturday and thought her part had been cut back in favor of Chrissy. I tried to tell her she was still first billing and later pages would expand her part but she was angry. None of the other girls saw her on Sunday….they had not talked to her all day. Tammi had been the star of the first Road Trip movie, she made it a big seller," Laslo related. "If she had just been patient she would have seen it hadn't changed."
"Tammi has only been out of touch with the outside world for two months or so. Are you saying that you had one film all ready completed in that time frame?" Mick asked in confusion.
"I never said I was making the Titanic here. It isn't even Nightmare on Elm Street. The quicker I make the film the sooner it's in the stores or available for internet sales. I'm not trying to be Spielberg," Laslo said in frustration. "I make a good living, my company is in the black and I've never claimed I'm doing art," he added defensively.
"That's okay Laslo, you don't have to defend your work to us," Josef interrupted. This had gone on long enough. "Mick wants to find out what vamp killed Tammi before the humans do. It will help his human and keep her boss from learning our secret." He grinned at Mick. "And just how did you manage to come here without dear Beth?"
"I left her with Kira," Mick shrugged. "But you are right, Tammi's death is Beth's case and she does answer to Talbot. She is how we will keep the humans from finding out how Tammi really died."
"I'm willing to help in any way I can," Laslo agreed. "Come by the set tomorrow and talk to those who knew Tammi. Maybe the girls know something they didn't want to tell me."
"How many girls?" Mick asked.
"Four….well three now. Chrissy, Melinda and Darla."
"What about this Hannah?" Josef asked curiously.
"Not everyone who works for me is a freshie. Hannah is an assistant who doubles as my makeup artist. But I really need to get her off my set, she thinks she can act," Laslo said rolling his eyes. "She is driving the girls crazy."
"Ah…..the lure of the bright lights," Josef chuckled.
"You know the saying Charles…the smell of the greasepaint and the roar of the crowd. It affects a lot of us," Laslo grinned.
"Lenny here was on Broadway when I met him in the 50s," Josef informed Mick.
"Just bit parts and chorus," Laslo said with a shrug. "I did more behind the scenes than on the stage. I really think that film is more my style. I like writing and directing. Tammi was good enough to go main stream and I would have helped her. I never dreamed she'd leave the set and end up dead. I did care about her," Laslo said painfully.
"All right, I believe you," Mick conceded. It was becoming obvious that the filmmaker had probably not killed Tammi. "I will stop by the set tomorrow with Beth."
"Of course," Laslo quickly agreed. "You know where my production lot is located?"
"I'll find it," Mick said.
"Okay, I'll leave your name at the gate and arrange for Calvin to show you around."
"So glad this is settled," Josef announced with a smirk. "If you learn anything more before tomorrow call Mick. We need to find this vamp and stop him. Now, I am going to check in with my lady. I have to see what she is modeling tonight."
Mick handed Laslo his card and the filmmaker gave him one with the address of his set, and then followed Josef out. He was relieved that his missing girl was not dead but was she really in this life of her own free will or was she forced? And what would he tell her brother?
*M*M*
At Dusk to Dawn, Beth and Kira had gone to Kira's office. Beth settled down on the couch and accepted a glass of wine from Kira.
"You really did bring up the biting issue…..I am so proud of you," Kira laughed as she sat in a nearby chair.
"I made Mick so uncomfortable," Beth giggled. "He really isn't ready to let his vampire out around me."
"Are you prepared to have him bite if he does release it?" Kira asked getting right to the heart of things.
Beth hesitated for a moment. That was the big question wasn't it? And deep down she finally knew the answer.
"Yes, I think I am. I want to know just how a loving bite feels." She paused and gave Kira a small, self-conscious smile. "I want Mick to be completely …himself. I want him to be happy," she stated simply.
Kira moved to sit beside her and gave her a quick hug.
"Oh I knew there was a reason I like you so much. You truly love Mick," she said with a tremor in her voice. "He deserves someone like you."
Beth bit her lip and then asked the question that plagued her nightmares, never giving her peace.
"Do you think that Coraline will come back?" she asked hesitantly.
"If we are lucky…..no. However, I don't think that we are that lucky," Kira said a bit bitterly. "She is like a cockroach, very hard to kill."
"So you don't think that her brother killed her?" Beth asked, knowing what Mick had told her about Lance taking Coraline away.
"I doubt it. She is a vampire with nine lives. I am afraid we will see her again," Kira responded and noticed the concern that flickered in Beth's eyes. "Don't worry, Mick and I will not let her hurt you. I promise."
"Thank you Kira," Beth said gratefully. It was wonderful to realize that it wasn't only Mick who cared about her well being. Kira was also prepared to watch over her.
The two women were in the middle of planning their next shopping trip when the guys arrived. With a promise of filling her in on the way home, Mick ushered Beth out to the car. They headed to the apartment.
With a glint of mischief in his eye, Josef deflected Kira's questions and lured her up to her apartment with promises of answers.
End chapter.
So what do you think? Is Laslo telling the truth? He sounds sincere. Share your opinions and thanks for reading.