Page 49 of Scripted for Love and Poison
“It didn’t look like an accident, no,” Luke confirmed.
“Fuck!” Travis sighed as he collapsed on the sofa.
“We know this is hard, but from your professional perspective, is there a reason why Victor Lago would want any harm to Jason Zit?” Divya asked, tentatively, as she pried the empty glass of bourbon out of Travis’s hands and placed it on the coffee table, next to the discarded teacup.
“Like in my case, I highly doubt Victor Lago had any idea who Jason was,” Travis said.
“He was Simon Smith’s editor when he wrote his review ofHaughty Horizons,” explained Luke, and he could see the shock in the journalist’s glassy eyes. It looked as if Travis was having a full inner conversation with himself, parallel to the one he was having with the detectives. He was probably realizing what a lucky chap he’d been.
“No one cares about editors in our profession in that way!” Travis dismissed Luke’s words the same way Sol had done when he’d run his theory by her. “They rarely get credit. Have you met Victor Lago?”
“Briefly,” said Luke.
“He’s a self-centered, pompous ass. But murder isn’t his style. Lawsuits, on the other hand ... He’s sued Marquee Media, the company that ownsThe Showbiz Reporterand that owns the publication I worked for—and that is employing you folks. He’s alleging neglect in the editorial oversight ofThe Showbiz Reporteras they defamedHaughty Horizons.”
“Does he have a case?” asked Luke.
“Probably not, but he’ll still try to make as much noise as possible and will get a few headlines. That’s much more his style than actual cold-blooded murder—even by poison.”
“What can you tell us about Claudia Hopkins?” Luke asked, although he wasn’t sure that was a good idea.
Travis tried composing himself, arranging his silk gown and looking at the tea stain. “I can tell you that she fired me.”
“Would you say making someone disappear under bloody circumstances is her style?” Luke had decided that was a perfect enough moment to also inquire about Simon Smith.
“The woman is ruthless and lacks any compassion, but she’s the most squeamish person I’ve met. I’ve seen her faint at the office every time there has been a blood drive. And she’s never even donated herself or gone anywhere near it!” Travis said. “Poison, on the other hand, could perfectly be her weapon of choice.”
Luke was intrigued by that last part, but could he believe Travis’s remark? Or was the journalist simply reacting to the fact that he’d been fired by the unsympathetic Claudia a mere few days before?
Luke and Divya talked to Travis for a few more minutes, making sure the journalist had recovered from the shock of learning he was never the intended target of a killer still onthe loose. When they left the apartment building, Luke received a phone call he’d been expecting for a few days.
“Officer Tom Owens, thanks for calling me back,” Luke answered. Even if he knew he shouldn’t be irritating the police agent, he just couldn’t avoid it.
“DetectiveTom Owens,” the policeman corrected him. “I’ll admit I had no intention of returning your call. But something happened.”
“Someone else died or disappeared?” Luke hadn’t been able to shake the feeling that Sol could still be a target as there had already been three entertainment journalist victims in that case.
“Not that we know of,” Officer Hunky Dory said, and Luke felt an instant relief. “But I expect you to report to me immediately if you find out something.”
“Of course,” Luke said.As if.
“Cool beans.” Officer Hunky Dory seemed oblivious to Luke’s somewhat irreverent tone. “This is more of a warning call.”
“Warning call?” Was the policeman going to tell Luke he knew he had access to Simon Smith’s manuscript? That he should have shared his findings about Claudia Hopkins’s list, perhaps?
“Stay away from Victor Lago,” Hunky Dory said instead. “He doesn’t like you. He’s a vindictive fellow and doesn’t appreciate being accused of murder. He says you harassed him yesterday night and implied he’d been the one to poison Travis Wise and to make Simon Smith disappear.”
“Really, and he could remember both those names and mine?” Luke said, chuckling—and relieved he’d been wrong in his presentiment about another journalist in trouble.
“Look, pal, I don’t like you either. The only reason I tolerate you is because I know the media company hiredyou, but I still don’t have to be nice to you. I talked Victor Lago out of filing a restraining order against you because that would be a lot of paperwork, and this case is already a bureaucratic mess. I’m buried in lab results, background checks, and the online clippings of three very prolific journalists because my boss believes the key to all this mess is in someone’s writings. But stay away from Victor Lago,” warned Detective Owens.
Luke grunted to signify he’d gotten the message. He’d been convinced Victor Lago was behind Jason’s and Travis’s poisoning incidents, but after talking to Travis and thinking about the case more objectively, he realized he simply didn’t like Victor Lago because of how he’d talked to Sol. But he needed, once again, to leave his personal feelings aside and keep a cold mind for the investigation.
“You still there?” Hunky Dory asked Luke.
“I’m still here,” Luke answered.
“So that you see that I am a good person, I’m willing to start that quid pro quo with a first offering. In exchange, I only ask that you think of me if you find anything that may help me in the case.” Luke grunted again. He wasn’t going to promise anything, but he still wanted to sound compliant. “The autopsy found cyanide in Jason Zit’s system. He’d been poisoned with the same substance as Travis Wise.”
