Dear Readers, please read this excerpt and let me know how you feel about it in the comments; it is the fifth chapter of the book (a sequel to my book, Step, Turn, Murder), so it is not in context… if you like it or don’t like it, please let me know! 🙂

Hollywood in New York

Romanoff had decided to take the job protecting the famous actor; they needed the money, and it was a sweet gig on the financial side, if a bit demeaning to him personally.

Sherry knew he’d gotten it through Thomas Edgerton’s right hand, Charles Edmunds. Edmunds had hired Romanoff to solve Edgerton’s late ex-girlfriend’s murder in the past, which is how Romanoff originally met Sherry. Sherry taught dance at the same studio where the late Jessamyn Cartier had been killed. 

When Romanoff was searching for clues, he’d interviewed Sherry, and they’d totally fallen for each other. He’d just known she was not involved in the murder, and had gone out with her a few times. They ended up attending church together, and finally, had married.

Of course Romanoff had received a cool million for solving that crime, and you’d think he’d be set, but living in Manhattan was not cheap, and while he hated working in a suit, for suits, he was married now, and he couldn’t expect his bride to subsist on oatmeal, Top Ramen and icewater.

The detective squeezed his necktie, adjusted his fru-fru silk pocket square and checked the snappy shine on his well-preserved black wing-tip shoes. He had in fact just eaten a bowl of oatmeal that Sherry had made him, but she graced it with dried cranberries, almond slivers and maple syrup. Washing the tasty gruel down with OJ and coffee, he tapped his phone and requested a Lyft to take him to the Chrysler building, where his new client was shooting an advertisement for a cell phone carrier.

Romanoff took the elevator downstairs to get his ride; normally he would walk down a few flights, but he was all cleaned up, and didn’t want to sweat too much. The Lyft screeched its tires and squealed its breaks as the female driver pulled to a quick and terrifying stop, but before the detective turned bodyguard got into the sedan, he realized the woman was a skilled driver and had just protected his life and others.

A cat had scuttled out from in front of the car, and he knew the vehicle’s operator had spotted the feline and protected it from being run over. While she had made a lot of noise doing so, no pedestrians, mailboxes, fire hydrants or passers by had been collateral damage.

一

After arriving safely and showing his ID at the front desk, one of the security detail whisked Romanoff onto a special elevator. Normally, you could ride the ropes up to any floor you wanted, but with Leroy T. Wilkes in attendance on the twentieth floor, the lifts had been reprogrammed to avoid that floor without the turning of a special key. The specially armed staffmember tapped the keycard on the elevator screen, and the doors slowly closed. 

Romanoff hated the way elevators gave that bounce on reaching their destination, and the dip gave him a little nausea, but he composed himself, and prepared to meet the famous actor. A short man with an Armani suit and curly hair motioned him off the elevator and the armed guard disappeared as he was shooshed back downstairs to his other tasks of derring-do.

“Bob Thompson, Mr. Wilkes’ personal assistant.”

“Mr. Thompson.” Romanoff acknowledged him.

“Everyone calls me Bobby.”

So why introduce yourself as Bob? Romanoff wondered.

“Bobby it is.”

“So there are some ground rules.”

“For Mr. Wilkes?”

“Yes, but he goes by Lee.”

“Okay.”

“You never want to shake his hand.”

“Oh?”

“He’s a germaphobe.”

“Doesn’t he have to touch people onscreen?”

“Yes, and sometimes there’s a kiss or an embrace.”

“So how does he handle that?”

“He has mouthwash and hand sanitizer on hand on every set.”

“So he manages to be a movie star and doesn’t like to touch people?”

“He’s selective about it.”

“Oh?”

“Well, he can do what is needed for a role, and he washes after, but if it is not for a part, he will not touch anyone, not even for interviews.”

I had seen the guy on TV, but I had never paid attention to anything like that.

“I won’t touch him unless I have to protect him.”

“Good.”

Romanoff thought he was going to see the client then, but Bobby was not finished.

“When you are on duty with him, you can’t wear anything blue.”

“Sorry?”

Romanoff was wearing a blue pocket square. He self-consciously took it out and stuffed it into his inside jacket pocket, looking at my other attire, none of which, thankfully, was blue.

“When he was growing up, he came home one day to find that someone had vandalized his home with blue paint, and his parents thought it was his fault, so they made him clean it all up. It was traumatizing.”

That was weird, but it kind of made sense to him.

“Anything else?” Romanoff was getting worried.

“Just don’t mention that you know Thomas Edgerton.”

“Why not?”

“One of Lee’s ladyfriends jilted him for Edgerton in the past; he can’t stand the guy.”

Why had Charles Edmunds referred me to this guy?

“Okay. I won’t mention it.”

“I know Edmunds referred you to Lee. He knows how Lee feels about Edgerton, of course, but he said you were the best, and Lee always gets the best.”

Romanoff bet Lee got whatever he wanted, and what he wanted seemed a little off the beaten path. He’d have to walk a thin line with this new client.

一

Bobby brought him into the room where Lee was getting ready to shoot the ad. It was an office scene, and apparently, the ambiance and aesthetic of the art deco building made an ideal setting for the commercial. Lee was dressed in a dress shirt and slacks with loafers, and seemed quite ordinary compared to his big-screen persona. 

“Mister Romanoff?”

“Yes, you can drop the mister.”

“Do you identify with some other gender?”

That he was not expecting.

“No, but people just call me Romanoff.”

“Oh, okay.”

Lee was five feet and maybe five inches. Short for a movie star, but then, lots of big-time actors were short. They made him look tall onscreen. He wore a wry smile, and had black hair with gray at the temples. The smile won him the attention of a lot of ladies; and no doubt, his fame and fortune didn’t hurt.

“So Bobby here says you like to be called Lee, that you don’t like personal contact. Do I keep people from shaking your hand?”

“No, I just give them a fist bump when they reach out.”

“Understood.”

“I appreciate that you took the job, Romanoff. No offense, but most of the time, I don’t need chit chat or to know that you are in the room, but unless we’re shooting or I’m in the can, you’ll always be in the room; does that work?”

“Copy that, Lee, sir; I’ll be invisible until I’m needed.”

Maybe this detail wouldn’t be too bad. The guy was particular, but he didn’t seem super clingy.

“Do I keep the paparazzi away from you?”

“Like they all had COVID, yes please; unless I am being interviewed; if anyone reaches out to touch me in a scenario like that, I’ll handle it. But if we’re in public, it’s hands off Lee day.”

“Gotcha, will do.”

“What about autographs?”

“You’re thorough.”

“I try.”

“If someone wants a word or my John Hancock, let them through, but make sure they’re not trying to hurt me. If it’s a kid, no worries, but if it’s an adult, screen them a little and tell them I’ll be right with them. See if they are a threat, and if not, let them by.”

“Are we going to be doing a lot of official crowd-facing experiences?”

“You mean am I going to?”

“Sorry, yes, you.”

“Some, but Bobby will brief you on those.”

“Okay.”

I’d have to check in with Bobby and get the lowdown on Lee’s schedule.

“If you don’t mind, I’ve got to get into makeup and costume for this shoot. You can wait in the adjoining room with the production assistant; it’s the only way in here, so I should be good until then.”

“I appreciate the opportunity, Lee.”

“Don’t screw up and you will be well paid.”

“Copy that.”

(working cover not complete; has flaw that will be removed later)