Scandal Sheet aka Hollywood Scandals

“You have some nerve coming here,” Pines growled into the phone. “You’ve been crucifying me since day one.”

“I never printed anything that wasn’t true.”

“You wouldn’t know the truth if it bit you in the ass, girl. You print rumors.”

I cocked my head to the side. “So, tell me a rumor, Pines.”

He shook his head back and forth, a big, creepy smile spreading across his unshaven face. “You know how many reporters, legitimate reporters, would give their left nut to get an exclusive with me? You think I’m just gonna give it to you?”

I took a deep breath. It was now or never. “Jake Mullins.”

“Who?”

“He was in your last film. Played the dad. OD’ed on sleep medication a couple of months ago.”

Pines paused. Then nodded as if reluctant to admit any connection. “Yeah. I remember. What about him?”

“I heard you two were pretty chummy.”

“We worked together.”

“But you knew he took sleeping pills?”

Pines narrowed his eyes. “So what if I did? The guy took one too many. It was an accident.”

“He took one handful too many. Where were you the night he died?”

“So you wanna pin this on me, too?” he asked, throwing his arms up.

“What I want is to know how well you knew Mullins.”

He paused. Then a slow grin spread across his face. “Well enough to know that he got what he deserved.”

My heart sped up. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

He leaned forward, his face inches from the grimy glass. “Look, kid, I think I’ve told you enough. You want to know about Mullins? I want something in return.”

“I told you I’ll print a positive story about-”

But he cut me off, waving his hands in the air. “No, no, no. I want something tangible. Something now.”

I bit my lip. “What?”

“Porn.”

I did a mental eye roll. “No way. I am not bringing you pictures of naked kids.”

He shook his head. “Boys, girls, men, women-I don’t care. I just need some porn! Look, I’m dying in here, all right? The hottest thing I have to look at are National Geographics with all the tits blacked out. I need something to get me through the day.”

I chewed my lower lip, doing a backward glance at the guard by the door. I was pretty sure that nudie magazines were up there with shoelaces on the prison nono list.

However, I could just imagine the look on Barbie’s face when I waltzed in with an exclusive from Pines…

I leaned in close. “Playboy or Hustler?”

“So, how’d it go?”

I slid into the passenger seat of the Hummer.

“He knows something about Mullins.”

Cal raised an eyebrow my way. “And?”

“And, if I want to know what it is, I have to bring Pines porn.”

“They allow that in jail?”

I shook my head. “He wants me to bring it to the preliminary hearing tomorrow afternoon. He says he can slip me in as some sort of counsel.”

Cal gave me a hard look. “I’m not sure I like that.”

“Relax. It’s a courthouse. His lawyer will be there. It’s perfectly safe.”

“It may be safe, but I still don’t like it.”

I looked down at the dash clock. “Well, Felix isn’t going to like it if I don’t get this story typed up pronto. So less talking, more driving.”

Cal grunted something that sounded suspiciously like a dirty word but complied, pulling the Hummer back out onto the street.

Unfortunately, it was after five in Southern California, which meant all freeways and major arteries in the city became virtual parking lots, the average speed topping out at ten miles per hour. Not surprising, it was dark by the time we finally reached the Informer’s offices again. Immediately, I hit my computer, pulling up a word processing program to type up my Pines interview. I had just gotten the first sentence down when a breathy voice interrupted.

“Tina?”

I spun around to find Allie standing behind me, squinting at the screen over my shoulder.

Instinctively, I hit the “off” button on my monitor. “Did you want something?” I asked, pointedly.

She straightened up, focusing on me. “Felix said I should get with you on where we are with Pines.”

We. I hated that word.

“I am looking at a possible angle involving a coworker,” I said, emphasizing the pronoun in question.

“Who?” Without invitation, Allie pulled a chair up beside my desk.

The last thing I wanted to do was give Reporter Barbie my inside scoop. On the other hand, Felix had been pretty clear about us working together. And I had a feeling where I was concerned, lately his patience was thinner than an Olsen twin. So, I made a compromise.

“I talked to Pines.”

Allie’s eyebrows went north. “He gave you the exclusive story? I’ve been trying to get his publicist all day, and the best I got was ‘no comment.’”

“Well…it’s not exactly what I’d call a full exclusive…” I hedged, remembering the way he’d clammed up. “But he did tell me that he never touched any kids.”

Allie’s nose crinkled. “He’s not accused of touching kids.”

Picky, picky.

“Look,” I said, “I know you’re new here. But when we have a direct quote of any kind, we have a story. All we have to do is make a story around the quote.”

Again with the crinkle. I had to admit it was adorable. You know, in a unicorns-farting-out-rainbows kind of way that made me want to hurl.

“That doesn’t really make sense,” she protested. “I mean, is there a story or not?”

I shook my head. “So young. So naive. Watch and learn, honey.” I cracked my knuckles and flipped my computer screen back on.

PINES PROTESTS INNOCENCE

FROM HIS JAIL CELL IN THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY CORRECTIONAL FACILITY, DIRECTOR TURNED FELON EDWARD PINES GAVE AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW TO-

“Wait.” Allie held up a hand. “I thought you said it wasn’t technically an exclusive.”

I shrugged. “I sure didn’t see any other reporters there.”

Allie cocked her head to the side. “Isn’t that lying?”

“I’m on the blonde’s side,” Cal piped up, coming up behind me and resting his butt against my desk.

“You would be,” I mumbled. He was male, she was stacked-you do the math.

I ignored them both, continuing with my article.

– AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW TO THE INFORMER. CLAIMING INNOCENCE, PINES TOLD OUR REPORTER THAT “HE NEVER TOUCHED NO KIDS.” THE BELOVED DIRECTOR’S LATEST FILM, STARRING CHILD ACTOR REED HARRISON, WAS A HOT PROPERTY AT THE BOX OFFICE, EARNING A WHOPPING $85 MILLION IN ITS OPENING WEEKEND-

I heard a low whistle from Cal. “Is that number right?”

I nodded. “I am so in the wrong business.”

“You and me both.”

– WHEN ASKED ABOUT HIS RECENT TROUBLES WITH THE LAW, PINES SAID THE MEDIA WAS “CRUCIFYING” HIM.