Page 38 of Scripted for Love and Poison
“Very much so.”
No pleasure had, whatsoever.
“So let me tell you my theory about the case after I had a look at all your notes and updates.”
“Please tell me you’ve cracked it,” Luke pleaded. “The sooner we wrap this up, the sooner we get paid and go back home.”
“I haven’t really cracked it, and you’re not going to be happy,” Divya said.
“Why would Inotbe happy?” He turned toward her and, as he did, a couple of shirtless men came running in their direction. Luke rolled his eyes. Even runners looked like wannabe actors there. And, of course, they ran by the beach while sunbathing in January!
“You’re not going to be happy because I don’t think the incidents with the three critics are related. This is not one single case like we were hoping.”
“You’ve got to be joking.” Luke pinched his nose in exasperation.
“I wish I was.”
“So we need to solve three cases now?”
“I don’t know. I think so, though. Two at the least.”
“It’s too much of a coincidence—three journalistswriting or editing reviews, one of them disappears, one of them is poisoned, the other dies. And all of the incidents happened at almost the same time. You know I don’t believe in coincidences,” Luke said and then reconsidered. “Wedon’t believe in coincidences.”
“That’s exactly why, if you have any other theory, I think we should pursue that one first.”
“I think the director did it.”
“That would be . . . ?”
“Victor Lago, the director ofHaughty Horizons,” Luke explained. “Simon Smith writes a terrible review about his film, the work he’s been devoted to for more than ten years. A movie that’s been ruined forever because of that review. People won’t watch it, and it won’t get any awards recognition.”
“Isn’t it a bit extreme? To kill because of a bad review?”
“You haven’t been in this city enough, butthese peopleare crazy about their work,” Luke explained. “So Lago gets rid of Simon, but he’s still not happy. He decides to go against Simon’s editor as well, the person who enabled Simon to publish his rubbish review.”
“That’s the Jason chap?”
“Yes.”
“Didn’t Sol talk to him and wasn’t he very ashamed of Simon’s review?”
“Yes, but Lago didn’t know that. So he tried to poison him at the party, only the waiter got high and confused and handed Jason’s plate to Travis. Fortunately, because of Travis’s nut allergy he didn’t trust the food much anyway, and he didn’t ingest enough poison, and he’s still alive.”
“So Lago almost gets the wrong person killed once, but he’s cold-blooded enough to try and get Jason killed a second time?”
“Yes, he’s avenging his masterpiece. And I do think my theory holds to that point,” Luke said. “But here’s where it has a few holes and where I could use your insight. How did Lago do it? How did he dispose of Simon Smith, and why did he get rid of him? Why did he switch to poison after that? I think getting the cyanide in the food at the party should have been easy enough, but how did he manage to poison Jason at his home?”
“Not sure how he got rid of Simon Smith, but he probably realized making someone disappear isn’t easy. So he could have switched to an easier method, like poisoning, for his second attempt,” Divya said, even if she didn’t sound completely convinced about her working theory.
“I guess that could make sense. I mean, we still need to find Simon Smith ...”
“Pesky little detail. But I think I know how Jason was poisoned.”
Luke looked visibly puzzled. He knew his professional partner was good. She was the best. But even she couldn’t magically figure out cases. She’d barely landed. She didn’t even know the whole cast of suspects and persons of interest, and she already knew how the killer had managed to get to Jason?
“Yes, I do,” Divya said, as if answering Luke’s skeptical thoughts. “And you would, too, if you weren’t such an idiot, and instead of being all touchy and offended, you’d taken the time to talk to Sol about her visit to Jason.”
“I talked to her about it plenty!” he protested.
