Cherry Cheesecake Murder (7 page)

“I never would have recognized her,” she said, shaking her head. “Is Larchmont her stage name?”

“Yes, but it’s also her married name. After we split up, Linda changed her name to Lynne and went out to California to try to make it in the biz. She was there for over six months and almost ready to give it up and catch the next Greyhound home when she got lucky and landed a small part in a TV drama. That led to another, slightly bigger part in a made-for-cable movie, and that’s when she met Tom Larchmont. She always says that being Tom’s wife is the best part she ever landed. He’s rich, a lot older than she is, and he’s totally crazy about her.”

Hannah could hear the sincerity in Ross’s voice. “You don’t sound at all bitter.”

“I’m not. Tom’s a nice guy and I’m glad Lynne found someone. It worked out great for me, too. Tom’s financing this whole project because Lynne read my script and she told him she wanted to play the lead.”

“What’s the movie about?” Hannah asked him.

“Lynne’s character, Amy, is haunted by memories of her father. He’s dead, a suicide, but she just can’t come to terms with it and it begins to break up her marriage. Then her aunt dies, the aunt that raised her, and her shrink tells her to go back home for the funeral and try to lay the ghost of her father to rest. Amy goes back to Cherrywood, stays in her old family home with her older brother, Jody, and starts to have flashes of memory that don’t mesh with the explanation he gave her the night of their father’s death. Are you with me so far?”

“I’m with you.” Hannah said, clearly fascinated by the story that was unfolding. “So the story the brother told Amy was a lie?”

“That’s right. Amy realizes that she’s been brainwashed by Jody and her fraternal aunt, the woman who came to live with them after their father died. The aunt knew Jody killed his father, but she perpetuated the lie because she didn’t want her nephew to go to jail.”

“A circle of lies,” Hannah commented.

“Right. During the cocktail party that Jody hosts for her on the last evening of her visit, Amy relives the night of her father’s death, which took place right before a big cocktail party. It all comes back to her with startling clarity, and she finally realizes that Jody killed their father, why he did it, and how.”

“Sounds fascinating. Does she confront Jody when the memories come back?”

“Yes, and it’s the pivotal scene in the movie. When Amy tells Jody she remembers, he kills himself with the same gun he used to kill their father.”

“You mean right there at the party in front of the guests?”

“That’s right.”

Hannah frowned slightly. “That’s awfully dark.”

“That’s true. There are a couple of cheerful scenes of Amy as a child and as a teenager that lighten it up a little, but it’s still the story of a fatally flawed family. The only thing that saves it from complete tragedy is that Lynne’s character goes back to her husband and family at the end.”

Hannah glanced over at Lynne again, wondering if her college friend could handle such a demanding part.

“Oh, she can do it,” Ross said, answering Hannah’s unspoken question. “She was always a pretty good actress and she’s gotten even better over the years. When she married Tom, he sent her to a top-notch acting coach and she worked one-on-one with him for almost two years.”

“Good for her. How about Burke Anson? Does he play her husband?”

Ross shook his head. “He’s her brother, Jody. This is his first movie role. Burke’s a better actor than you’d think from watching his commercials.”

“Really?” Hannah gave a little laugh. “You mean he can do more than hang ten?”

“A lot more. You probably think of him as an empty-headed surfer, but he’s capable of showing a surprising depth of emotion.”

Hannah nodded, but her face revealed her doubts. Burke was in his late twenties, a deeply tanned actor with sun-bleached hair who looked strangely naked without his surfboard. There was no way Hannah could imagine him playing a tortured young man with a traumatic past.

“I saw your shop when we drove past. It looks like you, Hannah.”

“It is me. I bought it, I decorated it, and I ran it alone until I found a perfect partner. Are you going to use it in your movie?”

“Just the outside, but I’d like you to keep on baking cookies, if that’s all right with you. We’ll pay you extra if you’ll cater coffee and cookies for the cast and crew. Our meals are taken care of. We’re staying out at the Lake Eden Inn and Mrs. Laughlin’s providing a breakfast buffet and dinner. She’ll pack box lunches for everyone and most of the crew will be eating lunch right here. I just thought it would be nice if the senior staff and cast could eat our lunches at The Cookie Jar, since it’s midway between most of the locations we’re using.”

“That’s fine with me,” Hannah said quickly. It would be nice to be in the thick of things and Lisa would be thrilled to hear the latest movie news.

Hannah glanced over at Lynne again. She didn’t seem all that interested in her handsome costar, but she was certainly mesmerized by the rugged-looking man sitting across from her at the table. “Is that Dean Lawrence?” she asked, remembering the picture Andrea had shown her in the back issue of Variety.

“In the flesh. I still can’t believe how lucky I am that he agreed to sign on as director. Dean has all sorts of contacts for distribution and we’re sure to pick up a deal at Sundance. He’s already talking about Cannes and even a possible Oscar nomination!”

Hannah was dubious. “That’s impressive, but are you sure it’s not pie in the sky?”

“Pretty sure. Dean’s a big name in the business and any project he works on gets tons of prerelease publicity. Of course everyone tries to get a little buzz going, even Dean.”

“And you?” Hannah teased.

“Me, too.”

Hannah remembered what Andrea had said about Dean’s signing on because of family connections. Perhaps it was true, but she’d ask the source. “How did you get such an important director?”

“Tom Larchmont arranged it. Dean’s wife, Sharyn, is Tom’s niece, and I worked out a deal with them.”

“Can you tell me about it?”

Ross leaned closer, even though there wasn’t anyone close enough to hear. “All I have to do is keep Dean productive, sober, faithful, and happy.”

“That doesn’t sound too hard,” Hannah commented.

“It is, though. The productive part is easy. Dean never misses a day of work. Directing is his life. He loves to play God and intimidate people. But that’s only one out of four.”

“There’s still keeping him sober, faithful, and happy.” Hannah stated the obvious.

“Precisely. Dean loves to drink. And when he has one too many, he also loves to…well…let’s just say that he’s been known to exercise poor judgment when it comes to women.”

“But what can you do about that?”

“I’m keeping an eye on him. I’ve been his best buddy for the past six weeks, keeping him on the straight and narrow, but it hasn’t been easy. At least that part of the job’s almost over. Sharyn and Tom are flying in on Tuesday night and they’re staying for the wrap party on Saturday. Sharyn will keep Dean honest.”

“And she’ll also take care of the fourth thing? Keeping him happy?”

“Not necessarily, but you might be able to help on that one. Do you make cherry cheesecake?”

Hannah was a bit disconcerted by this new tangent. She figured Ross didn’t want to talk about the relationship between Dean Lawrence and his wife. But rather than quiz him on something that was none of her business, something that she could probably find out anyway from another member of the cast or crew, she responded quickly to his query. “If you want it, I can bake it.”

“Good. If you can make it the way Dean likes it, it’ll do a lot to take care of item number four. He loves cherry cheesecake, and having one delivered every morning makes him happy and puts him in a good mood for hours. Do you think you could do that?”

“Sure.”

“You’re a doll, Hannah.” Ross gave her another little hug. “We paid forty dollars a cake plus ten dollars delivery at the last location. And Dean said that cheesecake was all right, but not special. How about fifty if you deliver it to the Winnebago he’s using as his office every morning? It’ll come straight off the top of the production budget.”

“Deal,” Hannah said quickly, not mentioning that she’d been about to quote him a price that was less than half of what he’d offered. Ross was paying way too much for a simple cheesecake, but that was what he’d paid before and she didn’t want to sell her baked goods short. Now all she had to do was find out what qualities Dean Lawrence liked in a cheesecake and make sure the cherry cheesecake she baked had every one of them.

Lake Edenites, or whatever the proper collective noun was for citizens of Lake Eden, Minnesota, believed that dessert was the best part of a brunch. Hannah and Edna had just finished bringing every dessert they’d made out to the serving table, turning it into a true groaning board, when Andrea rushed up to Hannah.

“I’ve got great news! Do you have a minute?”

“Sure. Just let me get a cup of coffee.”

“I need one, too.”

“Okay, I’ll get coffee for both of us. You go stake out a place at one of the tables.”

When Hannah, a cup of coffee in each hand, looked around for her sister, she found Andrea sitting at one of the overflow tables, a small two-person round pedestal affair that was barely large enough for two plates and two cups of coffee. As she headed over, Hannah assumed that her sister’s news wasn’t for public consumption and she’d deliberately found a place to talk where they wouldn’t be overheard.

“Where’s Tracey?” Hannah asked, setting her sister’s coffee down in front of her.

“With Mother and Carrie. And I left Bethany home with Grandma McCann,” Andrea named her live-in babysitter. “She was sleeping like a little angel when I left.”

Andrea waited until Hannah had settled into her chair, and then she leaned forward for a private conversation. That was overkill on her part because even though there were two long tables on either side of them, they were completely empty. Everyone who’d sat there for the first part of the brunch was off getting dessert and there was absolutely no one within earshot. “Michele just told me that you know him!”

“Ross?” Hannah guessed. It was an educated guess based on a process of elimination since Ross Barton was the only movie man she knew.

“I took Tracey over to meet him when he pulled into the lot. We just happened to be getting out of the car.”

“How long did you have to sit there freezing?” Hannah asked, not believing a word of it.

“Only a little over a half hour, and we ran the heater every ten minutes or so. Anyway, we walked in with Mr. Barton, and he invited us to the auditions this afternoon. Isn’t that fantastic?”

“Yes, it is,” Hannah said, impressed with her sister’s ambition. Only a truly dedicated stage mother would sit in a parked car in the winter so that she could waylay a producer in the parking lot. “Is Tracey going to try out as an extra?”

“Only if she doesn’t get the part of Amy as a child. I think she looks just like her, don’t you?”

“Who?”

“The female lead. She’s the gorgeous blonde in the aquamarine dress. Another actress is playing her as a teenager, but they need someone for the child’s role.”

Hannah glanced across the room, where Lynne was holding court with several of Lake Eden’s most personable would-be Romeos. “You’re right. I didn’t notice it before, but Tracey looks a lot like Lynne.”

“Lynne?” Andrea looked surprised at her sister’s use of the star’s first name. “Don’t tell me you know her, too!”

“Of course I do. I went to college with Ross and Lynne. We lived in the same apartment building, right next to each other.”

“Oh, Hannah!” Andrea reached out to clasp her sister’s hand. “I’m so glad you went to college!”

“I take it that the knowledge of English Literature I brought back to Lake Eden with me is not the primary reason.”

The color rose in Andrea’s cheeks and she looked slightly embarrassed. “That’s not fair, Hannah. Of course I’m proud of you because you know a lot about books and things like that. But what I really meant was…”

“That’s enough,” Hannah interrupted her, and smiled a bit to take the sting out of her words. “I know exactly what you meant. You want me to use what influence I have with Ross and with Lynne to get the part for Tracey.”

“That’s true. I know it might sound a little cold-blooded, but everyone uses the contacts they make, and their contacts use them right back. That’s one of the first things I learned in real estate college.”

“Right. I’ll do what I can, Andrea. I think Tracey would be perfect for the part. How about the teenager who’s playing Amy? Does she look like Tracey, too?”

Andrea glanced over at the table where most of the cast was sitting. “I think she does, but judge for yourself. Her name is Erica James and she’s sitting right next to Dean Lawrence.”

Hannah looked over and gave a little gasp.

“What’s wrong?”

“She’s giving Dean Lawrence a very steamy look and he’s giving it right back to her. And on top of that, she’s practically sitting in his lap! How old is this Lolita-in-training anyway?”

“Lolita?”

“It’s a novel by Nabokov.”

“Oh, that Lolita. I think we had to read it in high school.”

Hannah’s eyebrows shot up. She doubted that very much, but she didn’t bother to correct her sister.

“Anyway, you asked about how old she is,” Andrea picked up the thread of their conversation. “I asked Michelle and she said fifteen. See that woman sitting next to her?”

“I see her,” Hannah said, eyeing the attractive woman sitting next to the wayward nymphet.

“Well, that’s her mother,” Andrea went on with her explanation. “Her name is Jeanette, and Michelle says she’s here to supervise Erica and make sure she doesn’t get into any trouble.”

“Big job,” Hannah commented and as she watched, Jeanette James grabbed her daughter’s arm and pulled her closer to whisper something in her ear. The burgeoning sex kitten pursed her lips in a pout, but she pushed back her chair and dutifully changed places with her mother. “Jeanette James looks tired. Maybe it’s a good thing her watchdog role is almost over.”