Free The Case of the Stolen Film by Gareth P. Jones Page A

back.
    She had been waiting for a minute, watching Theo attempt to drink his coffee without getting his nose covered in froth, when she saw Chase and Dante Lampton walking over to where she was hiding. Chase had an arm around Dante’s shoulders. For a moment she was worried that they were going to sit on her, but they remained standing.
    â€˜â€¦ but that’s not fair,’ Dante was saying. He seemed upset.
    â€˜You gotta toughen up if you want to make it in thisindustry,’ replied his father.
    â€˜But I worked so hard on this role. I really feel like I got a hook on this character.’
    â€˜I know,’ said Chase, who didn’t look like he was enjoying the conversation any more than Dante was. ‘You’ve done some great work on it but Callum was always only a small part. The film’s about Petal.’
    â€˜But you’re talking about cutting half of my scenes,’ said Dante.
    â€˜Keep your voice down,’ hissed Chase. ‘Listen,’ he said quietly, ‘I’m doing this for your own good.’
    â€˜How can it be for my own good to cut my part out of the film?’
    â€˜Son, I’m only going to say this once and I don’t want you to repeat it but the fact is …’ He lowered his voice even more. ‘The fact is … this is a lousy film.’
    Dante stared in disbelief at what he was being told.
    â€˜I hoped it would be OK,’ Chase continued, ‘a kind of fun film about celebrity culture. But it’s not. It’s dross. It’s garbage. I’ve been watching the rushes and there’s no saving it. Every time I try to make it better, that girl comes along with some stupid idea to make it worse.’
    â€˜But you’re the director,’ said Dante.
    â€˜And her mum’s the exec producer. I have to go along with it.’
    â€˜Isn’t there anything that can be done?’ asked Dante.
    â€˜Yes, I can save you,’ said his father. ‘The fact is that this is going to be the worst film of my career. I’ll probably never direct again. It’s going to stink so bad that anyone associated with it is going to carry the stench, me included. I don’t want your career being damaged. That’s why I’m cutting your role. OK?’
    Dante took all this in then said, ‘Thanks, Dad. I love you.’ He hugged his father.
    â€˜I love you too, son,’ said Chase.
    â€˜How sweet,’ said Petal Moses, whose driver brought her buggy alongside them.
    â€˜Hold on, Mum,’ she said into the mobile phone she was holding to her ear. ‘Chase is here now. Hi, Chase. Mum says that it doesn’t matter if I mime in time with the music because you’ll be able to sort it out in the edit.’
    â€˜That’s actually not so easy, Petal,’ said Chase patiently.
    â€˜He says it’s not that easy,’ she said into the phone.‘Yes, I’ll tell him.’ She looked at him again. ‘Mum says it
is
that easy and don’t be so lazy, Chase, darling.’
    Chase smiled. ‘Sure thing, Petal. It’s not a problem,’ he said.

Chapter 14

    Dirk Dilly wasn’t easily impressed. But standing on the Y of the Hollywood sign set in the hills above Los Angeles, he couldn’t help but admire the view. It was early evening. The city lights stretched on for miles, reminding Dirk of the opening sequence to
The Big Zero
.
    â€˜Get yourself off that thing,’ said Kitelsky, poking his head around the side of the W.
    â€˜Yeah, you get seen, we’re all in trouble,’ said Putz, looking through a huge O.
    Dirk had noticed that, as the two Desert Dragons got nearer the city, they had become increasingly nervous about being seen.
    â€˜Right, let’s get going,’ said Dirk, jumping down.
    â€˜What? Now?’ said Kitelsky.
    â€˜Maybe we should get a good night’s sleep first,’ said Putz.
    â€˜Whoever’s stolen that film