Page 30 of Ignacio

“That’s one way to look at it,” Delta murmured. “What about you? How is your film project coming along? Is the script finalized?”

“More or less. Do you know what the movie is about?”

“Vaguely.”

She knew more about his first film because she had seen it. Though panned by critics, she didn’t think it was that bad, especially for a directorial debut.

“I got the idea from something that happened to a family member,” Ignacio explained.

That much Delta knew, but this was the most they had talked, and she was curious to know more. “So it’s inspired by true events?”

“Not exactly. The true event gave me the idea, the way you might get an idea for a song from something you see or experience. What you’re singing might not be based in fact, but the story in the lyrics could stem from something that really happened. One of my father’s cousins in Mexico was convicted of a murder he didn’t commit. When he was released, he continued to insist he hadn’t killed the man, but no one believed him.”

“Because he’d always been in trouble,” Delta guessed.

“Yes. Yet he was adamant he hadn’t done it, and my father, being my father, eventually looked into the case and discovered discrepancies.”

She wasn’t surprised. On the occasions she had met Benicio Santana, he had seemed like an honorable man, though rather strict. He had imposed a lot of restrictions on Ignacio at the start of his career.

Ignacio was not allowed to participate in events unless Benicio or another adult family member was present.Meanwhile, Delta’s parents allowed her to hang out in spaces a minor shouldn’t have been. Looking back, their lack of oversight was reckless, but at the time, she and Ignacio had fumed about his father’s overprotectiveness.

“Eventually, my father hired a private investigator, and she did some digging and found out his cousin was wrongfully convicted.”

Her eyes widened. “Stories like that always horrify me. How long was he imprisoned?”

“Fifteen years.”

Delta gasped in dismay. “Thank goodness for your father.”

He nodded slowly. “He was able to clear his cousin’s name and then set him up with whatever he wanted to do. His cousin, Carlo, chose to create a nonprofit to help formally incarcerated people transition back into society. He knew it would have been impossible for him without my father’s help.”

“Which parts of his life did you use to inspire your film?” Delta asked. The movie was more intriguing now that she knew what had sparked the idea for the project.

“The wrongful conviction and the time he spent in jail,” he answered, shifting against the door. “At the end of the movie, the character, Gideon, also sets up a nonprofit, but that’s where the similarities end. The story takes place here in the States, not Mexico. Gideon is played by a white guy—a new actor I discovered at a local theater. As soon as I saw him, I knew he’d be perfect for the part. The man is amazing, and his audition blew everyone away. When the character comes out of jail, he finds out he has a son with the woman he was involved with before his incarceration.”

“She never told him he had a kid?” Delta asked.

Ignacio shook his head. “They were from opposite sides of the tracks, different social classes. He was a poor kid, smart and on his way to college on a scholarship when he was arrested. Sheis the daughter of a wealthy philanthropist and currently runs the family foundation. She ends up helping her ex at the risk of destroying her reputation and having everyone find out this criminal is the father of her son.”

“What does she risk?” Delta asked.

“Alienating her family and losing donors.”

She paused, thinking about the story in her head. She was already intrigued and saw how it could play out on screen. “Do they fall in love?”

“They do, as she starts to work on his case to help him. Their feelings for each other cause problems because she’s now married to a well-known politician running for state senator. He’s been great and is a father figure to her son.”

“Sounds messy, but a romance subplot is always a nice touch.” She noticed him frowning. “What’s wrong?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. The script is complete, but it needs tweaking. I feel as if there’s something missing, but I don’t know what it is.”

“What feedback have you gotten from other people?”

“Everyone who has read it loves the script, but I… I don’t know,” he finished, sounding exasperated.

“Maybe you’re overthinking it,” Delta said gently. She understood because she could get inside her own head sometimes. He didn’t want to fail again, just as she didn’t want her next album to flop.

“Maybe. Brockwell Media reached out,” Ignacio said.

---