16 

WHEN JAKE HAD FINISHED his setups he went to his car, where Teddy caught up with him. “Jake, can I get a ride to Production with you?”

“I’m not going anywhere near Dax, but I’ll drop you off at the main gate.”

“Thanks.”

Jake looked closely at him. “What happened to your face?”

Teddy took the mustache from his shirt pocket and glued it back on. “Is that better?”

“It’s more familiar,” Jake said. “Your hat is missing, too.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Teddy said.

“Ted, I want to thank you again for the way you handled Heckel and Jeckel.”

“Think nothing of it.”

“I’ve seen those guys in action, and it didn’t turn out well for their victim.” Jake looked out the window. “You know, I’m a movie star, but that doesn’t mean I can’t take care of myself.”

“I’m sure you can, Jake.”

“I mean, if I’m not as drunk as I was last night.”

Teddy nodded.

“Not many people know that I trained as a Navy SEAL.”

Teddy looked at him anew. “Really?”

“I didn’t say I graduated the course, but I did all the training, and I excelled. The night our training ended I got drunk and took a swing at our DI. I found myself on a bus the next morning.”

“That’s unfortunate,” Teddy said.

“It’s not that I couldn’t handle the sergeant, I was just drunk, and that doesn’t work unless the other guy is as drunk as you are.”

“Good point.”

“After I heard that he’d bounced me, I invited him outside for a chat, and I cleaned his clock. After that, he was all the more anxious to see me go.”

“How’d you get from the navy to the movies?”

“I met a girl in a bar near where I was stationed, and we ended up in bed. Turned out she was an assistant to a movie producer at SAC, and they were making a Navy SEAL movie, and she thought I might get a small role. I went to Burbank, in uniform, to audition, and they were impressed. It was a supporting role, but I lent some authenticity to the shoot, and after that, it was more and better movies. I kept the SEAL stuff from the PR people at the studio, because I was embarrassed about being bounced.”

“I can understand that,” Teddy said.

“Here you go,” Jake said. They had arrived at the gate. “You watch your back, now.”

Teddy shook his hand and got out of the car. He walked down to Dax’s double-wide and rapped on the door. Dax’s assistant opened it. “What is it, Ted?”

“I need to speak to Dax again.”

“Just a minute.” She closed the door and came back shortly. “He’s in his office.”

“Siddown, Ted,” Dax said. “What can I do you for?”

“I’ve heard a disturbing rumor, Dax, and I thought it might be better to address the issue directly.”

Dax blinked rapidly. “What kind of rumor?”

“I’ve heard that you’ve called in a sort of specialist to deal with me, and I’ve heard that you think I’m working for a guy at Centurion named Billy Barnett. Anything to that?”

“Are you working for Barnett?”

“I am not. I work for nobody but me, and for the moment, you. I know who Barnett is, but I’ve never so much as shaken his hand.”

“No?” Dax tried not to look surprised.

“No. What has Barnett got against you?”

“It’s complicated.”

“Well, I’m not a complication,” Teddy said. “I’m just a working stiff here to do the best job I can and to make a living.”

“And you’re doing a very good job, Ted.”

“Then why this Russian guy?”

“He’s somebody I call on—on rare occasions—when I need somebody to watch my back.”

“I’m not at your back, Dax.”

Dax regarded him calmly. “Then you’re going to have to go on proving that to me.”

“For how long?”

“Until we’re done.”

“We wrap tomorrow night,” Teddy said. “I’m not involved in post-production.”

“Would you like to be?” Dax asked.

“Doing what?”

“I can think of half a dozen jobs you could handle back in L.A.”

“I don’t want to work in L.A. I want to stay in Santa Fe.”

“Everybody wants to work in L.A., Ted,” Dax replied.

“I appreciate the offer. If you’ve got anything for me here, I’d sure consider that.”

“Let me see what I can do. By the way, the wrap party is at my new house tomorrow night. I hope you can come.”

“Sure, I’d be delighted. How’re we dressing?”

Dax handed him a printed invitation. “Here’s the address. Dress however you’d like.”

“Is this Russian guy going to be there?”

“No. I’ll make a call.”

“Thanks, I’ll see you tomorrow night.”

They shook hands, and Teddy left. Dan Waters drove up, and Teddy flagged him down.

“Did you see Dax?” Dan asked.

“Yeah, and I think we cleared the air.”

“That doesn’t sound like Dax,” he said.

“He even invited me to the wrap party tomorrow night.”

“You were on the list to get an invitation, anyway. What are you going to do about the Russian?”

“Dax says he’ll call him off.”

“He admitted hiring him?”

“He did.”

“I don’t know if you ought to go to the party, Ted.”

“I don’t want to be unsociable, and I especially don’t want to seem afraid to be there.”

“Maybe you should be.”

“Don’t worry about it, Dan. Have you sent somebody for my truck?”

“Not yet.”

“Then just give me back the keys. I’ll get a ride into town with Sally.”

Dan produced the keys. “Why don’t you take my gun with you?”

“That won’t be necessary,” Teddy replied. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” He took back his Stetson and gave Dan his baseball cap.

Dan waved and drove off. Teddy went to Sally’s office.

“Hey, there,” she said. “I was just closing up shop for the day.”

“Can you give me a lift to my truck?”

She smiled. “I’ll give you a lift to my place,” she said.