Death of a Blue Movie Star

You don’t look it. Well, doesn’t matter. So you want a job. I’m a tough guy to work for. I’m a ballbuster. But I’m the best producer in the business.”
    “I think I may’ve heard of you.”
    His Second Office on the Right glance said, Well, of
course
you’ve heard of me.
    “Where you from?” Gutman asked. “Jersey, right?”
    “Ohio.”
    “You’re from Ohio? I don’t think we’ve ever had any porn stars from Ohio. I like it. Ohio. Hey, lose the
Dawn
. I like
Akron
better. Akron Felicidad.”
    “But I—”
    “Yah. The girls work for me get four hundred a day. Also, a discount from my supplier. We shoot on location two months a year. Used to be Europe but with the budgets and so on now it’s usually Florida. I’m the one did
Triangle Trap
.”
    “No kidding. You did that?”
    “Yah, sure did. I got nominated for a Golden Stallion. So, you want a job, huh?” He looked her over. “No tits but your face isn’t too bad.”
    He’s going to die and they’ll never find all the pieces again.
    “Nice ass. Why’re you waiting to get your boobs done?”
    “I like ’em just the way they are.”
    He shrugged. “Suit yourself. You look young. Maybe you could play somebody’s teenage niece. Get it on with her aunt and uncle. Your typical incest.”
    “I could do that, sure.”
    “You have a reel?”
    “All I know about reels is they go on fishing rods.”
    “Ha. Rods.” He laughed, and it seemed that she’d made some kind of joke. Then he explained, “Samples of your work.”
    “I’ve never been in film before. But I do this little act. Kind of a strip. Do you have a place where I can change?”
    “Change? You’ll be taking your clothes off in front of twenty people every day you shoot. You want to go someplace and change?”
    “No, I want you to get the full effect.” She nodded toward her bag. “I’ve got this outfit. I think you’ll like it. Just an office or something? It’ll take five minutes.”
    Gutman was moderately interested. He looked her over again, then waved his arm. “Find an office, change. I’ll be here.”
    She found Danny Traub’s office right up the hallway. She walked in, closed the door behind her. She glanced around quickly—at the walls done in Ace Home Center wood paneling, the big fake-ebony desk, more plants, a leather couch.
    And two file cabinets.
    Rune started through the first one.
    She was looking for evidence. A piece of wire. A book on explosives. A letter from Shelly telling him he was a son of a bitch. A
Bible
, where Traub might’ve gotten the quote about the angels destroying the earth … Anything that might link him to the bombing.
    Physical evidence
. That’s what Healy’d said she needed for probable cause.
    She didn’t find any. Just contracts, correspondence. Just like any other businessman would keep in his office.
    She turned to the second cabinet and started through it. This one contained more contracts and legal documents. She didn’t find anything significant until she got to the
L
’s and saw the file labeled
Shelly Lowe
.
    But she didn’t have a chance to read it because just then the door swung open and Danny Traub walked inside.
    He froze. Then recovered. He swung the door shut and, never one to neglect his invisible audience, said, “Well, this kiddo’s looking in my drawers. Wonder if she’s found anything interesting.”

 
    CHAPTER FOURTEEN
     

    Rune closed the file cabinet, checking distances, checking exits. She was on the fourth floor. That was forty feet. Would a jump through the window kill her? Might.
    Traub stepped toward her, shaking his head. “Gosh, here we are in New York, crime capital of the world…. I mean, there are people from Iowa hold on to their wallets when they fly
over
New York in an airplane. This city’s got such a bad rep, I can’t believe it.”
    “I was just—”
    “And what do we have here? A young lady stealing
files!
My God! Does she realize that those manila folders cost a couple cents each? Steal a hundred thousand of them—”
    “I was—”
    “—and she could buy herself a set of Tupperware. Or a Big Mac feast for her and her friends. Trying to fence them though’s a little tricky….” The smile faded. The audience was gone. “Okay. What the fuck you doing here?” He walked over to where she was standing and lifted the file out of her hands. Glanced at the name on the folder.
    He nodded knowingly. Tossed it back into the cabinet.
    As he was turning to her