A Knife to Remember

it’s kinda scary anyway. If there’s something missing or wrong today, I’m in big trouble without Jake to tell me how to fix it.“
    “You’ll do fine,“ Jane assured him.
    He was gulping down the sandwich now, his mind obviously on the important work ahead, so she left him alone.
    Jane looked around for Shelley, but couldn’t spot her anyplace. Maisie, however, waved her over to where she was using an unexpected bit of leisure to rearrange her first aid kit. Maisie’s springy dark hair looked electrified, but whether it was from the humidity or neglect, Jane couldn’t guess. “Hi, Jane,“ she said, ticking off small boxes of gauze on a checklist.
    “What’s with everybody?“ Jane asked. “There’s suddenly a different mood.”
    Maisie finished her chore and closed the box her equipment was in. “Oh, partly it’s the end of the film hysteria. It sometimes happens that way. But mostly it’s because there’s an important scene this afternoon that calls for everything in the book. Cameras panning on tracks, lots of extras, different scenery, possibly a special effect if the ‘rain man’ can get his rain machine fixed. There’s some kind of problem with the hydrant the water’s supposed to come from.“
    “So is that why the magazine and television people are here?“
    “No, they’re here on the scent of blood. Jake’s. Hoping there might be a spectacular arrest. It’s the one kind of publicity nobody wants.“
    “But I haven’t even seen the police,“ Jane said, meaning she hadn’t seen Mel all day even though she thought she’d noticed his little red MG parked way down her block. But with all the extras’ cars clogging the street, she couldn’t be sure.
    “Oh, they’re here in droves. Roaming around on the set, driving everybody mad. The police can’t seem to grasp why everybody’s going on with a silly movie in the face of murder and Roberto can’t grasp why the police keep interfering in an important thing like a movie for something as trivial as murder. I wouldn’t be surprised if Roberto doesn’t end up in jail himself eventually on a charge of tangling the wheels of justice or something.“
    “Maisie, who do you think killed Jake?“ Jane asked, imitating George Abington’s apparent bluntness.
    “I can’t imagine,“ Maisie said, not the least surprised by the question. “I really can’t. I don’t know anybody who didn’t find him offensive, but there’s a lot of people in this business who make a life’s work of being offensive and they don’t end up murdered.“
    “But Jake was blackmailing people. That’s a considerable step up from ‘offensive.’ “
    “Was he really? I’d heard gossip this morning. To be honest, Jane, I don’t put much credence in blackmail as a motive. Not with actors anyway.“
    “What do you mean?“
    “Well, actors love to talk about themselves, get `reputations,’ be closely involved in scandals. Not all of them, of course, but most of them will tell you their life stories at the drop of a hat. They never get tired of hearing about themselves, even if it’s from their own lips.“
    “So I’ve noticed.“
    “So it’s hard to blackmail a performer. And especially so nowadays. It used to be that a charge or alcoholism or homosexuality could destroy a career, but these days it’s the ‘in thing’ to share their most intimate secrets with the public. Anybody who’s anybody has been in drug rehab. In fact, I understand there’s quite a hierarchy of places to go for it. Some of the rehab units even have their own publicist handing out ‘star-studded’ lists of former patients.“
    “So is nothing worth keeping a secret?“
    “You tell me. Willie Nelson has told the world about his tax problems. Everybody on the screen or stage wants to talk about their infidelities and brushes with the law.“
    “I guess you’re right.“
    “Even the things they haven’t done are on the front page of the tabloids and most performers seldom even bother to sue the rags. Sometimes they even have their staff plant the fake stories. I guess they figure any publicity is good publicity. Besides, Jane, the blackmail didn’t work.“
    “What do you mean?“
    “Angela didn’t get the part. That’s what the gossip mill says he was working on, getting Angela the vacant part yesterday afternoon.“
    “Oh, I found out something interesting about Angela. At least I think I did. George Abington says Angela was Jake’s niece.”
    Maisie