He was reminded that as a megastar, Everett had survived his fair share of media shitstorms. Seth was glad of the practical question. It whipped his brain into action mode.
“I know it’s a lot to ask, but can you and Joy drive my friend Alexi’s car back to Los Angeles? That way, I can catch a plane tonight.”
“Not a problem,” Joy said. “We’ll return the rental car and take Alexi’s back home.”
“Yeah, we’ve still got vacation time left. A road trip will be great. Don’t worry about us, or Alexi’s car,” Everett added.
“Thanks,” Seth said sincerely. What the hell would he have done if this bizarre situation had arisen and they hadn’t arrived? His phone started to ring. He glanced at the number.
“It’s Charles,” he told them grimly, bracing himself for bad news.
Twenty-two
Gia studied her phone anxiously for the hundredth time Friday night, but there was no return phone call or text from Seth. The too-familiar ache of worry and panic swelled in her belly. She hadn’t been able to eat since Charles had pulled her into a private office at the courthouse during a recess early this afternoon and showed her that outrageous lie being passed off as a news story. They’d exposed Seth’s helplessness over that young actress who had gotten involved with a cult. They’d twisted the story until it didn’t even vaguely resemble the truth anymore. It was desperate, malicious mudslinging.
God. It was like all Seth’s worries about associating with a movie star were coming true. This was a nightmare.
“They can’t get away with this!” she’d told Charles, shivers of dread crawling along her arms as the tabloid story concluded.
“Is there any truth to it?” Charles had asked.
“No! Except the part about us being together. Who could have leaked the fact that Seth and I were in the Shawnee National Forest?”
“Only you, Seth, Madeline, Alex and me knew where you went after we engineered your escape. Not even the deputy who came to get you knew your exact previous location in the area. Didn’t you tell me your driver Jim came to get you though?”
“Yes, but Jim would never leak that information!”
“Someone did. We compartmentalized the knowledge of where you were. There were some who knew Seth was going to disguise you, but they didn’t know why you were being disguised or your final destination.”
Gia had thought fleetingly of telling Charles they’d exposed their secret to Rill and Katie Pierce, but immediately dismissed any suspicion in their direction for the leak. Seth was like family to them, and he trusted Rill and Katie implicitly.
“What about this Tomoriv guy and this girl, Dharma Jana? Do you know anything about that?” Charles asked, grabbing a pen and sliding a notebook across the desk. He began to rapidly take notes.
“Yes. I know that Seth knew her from a movie set a few years ago and was worried about her involvement in Tomoriv’s cult. She was new to Hollywood and very vulnerable. He’d felt helpless watching her sinking deeper into the cult’s clutches. He went to the police after she died to report his concerns about that cult’s involvement, but they couldn’t do anything, given the circumstances of her death. Seth never threatened or harassed that cult leader though. That’s a bald-faced lie. And, he never saw Dharma romantically, like they said in that story. You know Seth. He doesn’t get involved with actresses. Everyone knows it.”
Charles had looked up from his rapid note taking when he’d heard her voice cracking.
“Gia, don’t let this get to you. This is a sensationalist ploy to divert public opinion, most likely manipulated by McClarin or his followers. The last thing we need is for you to get frazzled by it. That’s why they’re doing it. Don’t give them what they want.”
“But Madeline will—”
“Madeline sees this for what it is too. What we need to focus on now is getting all the information we can and coming up with a strategy for how to respond.”
“You need to call Seth. I need to. He’ll hate this. You know how private he is.”
“As soon as we finish talking, I will. Until we can figure things out though,” Charles had said with a sharp glance, “I don’t want you two planning to see each other. Things are too hot for that right now. Do you understand?”
She’d agreed to Charles’s request grudgingly earlier that day, only because she didn’t think it was an issue. According to what Charles had said this morning, Seth was still in Illinois.
Besides . . . after this whole fiasco, the last place Seth would want to be was anywhere near Gia.
Again, she checked her cell phone then flopped back on the bed, feeling both wired and exhausted. The United Studios’ Bunker Hill condominium was comfortable and luxurious, but she missed the familiarity of home.
She missed being snuggled up in the woods with Seth.
Still, she recognized and appreciated Seth’s point in having her stay in the downtown tower. Not only was it conveniently located for the trial, her police escorts liked the setup much more in the high-rise. It was easier for them to secure Gia’s surroundings there. The word of where she was staying had only started to leak out on their return trip from the courthouse that night. Even so, the building security was keeping the drive and the lobby of the tower clear of reporters. Only residents and guests were allowed on the elevators to the condominiums.
She was secure here. But she was also trapped, she realized miserably.