The director, Trent, who no doubt was now suddenly fearing a lawsuit, vanished into thin air after calling a wrap for the day. The stunt guys and mechanics got to work inspecting the smoking wreckage of the car in order to zero in on the reason why the brakes didn’t work. Poppy hung around, hoping to get some answers for herself.
It didn’t take long.
She watched as Roy conferred with Frank, who was visibly upset and shaken as he explained what one of his mechanics had discovered. Roy had a disturbed look on his face, occasionally glancing over at Poppy, who was now dying of curiosity.
When Roy and Frank finished their conversation and Frank went back to the totaled car, Poppy made a beeline for Roy. She opened her mouth to ask what they had found, but didn’t even get the chance to speak.
“It was no accident,” Roy said soberly.
“What?” Poppy gasped.
“Somebody cut the brake line. It was intentional.”
“But who would—?”
“Frank is still trying to find out who was the last mechanic to work on the car, but one of his guys, Jesse, they call him Speedy, he’s suddenly gone AWOL. Nobody can find him.”
“Do you think he was the one who tampered with the car?”
Roy shrugged. “Frank isn’t sure. But Speedy just joined the crew recently so none of the guys know a whole lot about him.” Roy paused. “Other than the fact that he was recommended for the job by Chase Ehrens.”
Poppy’s mouth dropped open. “Chase?”
“Yes. Chase worked with Speedy on his last movie and spoke very highly of him to Frank, said he was an excellent mechanic, and would be a good hire.”
Poppy shook her head, stunned. “I knew Chase was upset when he got fired, but attempted murder?”
“I’m not saying Speedy sabotaged the brakes, or that Chase put him up to it, all I’m saying is it looks a little suspicious.”
But it made perfect sense.
Chase blamed Matt for Hal Greenwood kicking him off the picture. If he wanted to exact some kind of revenge, enlisting the aid of a friend who had access to the car Matt would be driving was the perfect way to do it.
It was almost too much to grasp.
Poppy asked Roy to drive her to the hospital so she could check on Matt, and he happily obliged after she rejected his offer to fly her there in his helicopter. She was not about to create a spectacle. A lift in his Land Rover would be just fine.
By the time they reached the Hi-Desert Medical Center, Roy received a call from Frank, telling him that once Hal Greenwood had heard what had happened, he immediately called the cops, who put out an APB with Speedy’s car make and license plate. Speedy was pulled over on the 10 freeway, heading east toward Arizona, no doubt Texas-bound to his hometown of El Paso. He was brought back to Joshua Tree for questioning. After a mere twenty-five minutes of claiming ignorance of any wrongdoing, Speedy finally caved and admitted that it was indeed Chase who had pressured him to damage the brake line so Matt would crash the car, ruining the shot. But they had never intended to kill Matt, just shake him up a bit and get back at him for getting Chase fired.
Poppy and Roy raced through the emergency room doors of the Hi-Desert Medical Center and then marched down a corridor to the waiting room where they were greeted by Danika, who was no longer convulsing and shedding tears.
“Where’s Matt?” Poppy asked, worried.
“He’s still in with the doctor. Have you heard about Chase?” Danika asked, breathless.
Poppy nodded. “The police are out now trying to track him down so they can arrest him.”
“It’s outrageous! I don’t believe a word of what they’re saying. Chase would never do something like that!”
Poppy was aghast over Danika’s sudden and fervent knee-jerk defense of Chase Ehrens, but she had little appetite for a confrontation, not with Matt’s condition still up in the air, and so she just kept her mouth shut.
Danika, however, did not. “I bet that mechanic, Speedy, installed a defective part, or was negligent with the maintenance, and just pointed the finger at Chase in order to cover up his own incompetence!”
Roy couldn’t take it anymore. He stepped forward, his face reddened with anger. “The brake line was deliberately cut.”
That did not seem to convince Danika at all. She just waved him off, rather disrespectfully. “Then someone’s trying to set him up.”
Roy was about to lay into her when Poppy tugged on his jacket, signaling him to back off for now. He complied but still kept glaring at the young actress.
“My only concern at the moment is Matt’s well-being. Did they say anything when they took him in?” Poppy asked.
Danika sighed. “I told you, he is still with the doctor. I’m sure we will hear something soon. He looked fine to me. He was joking with the nurse as they wheeled him away,” she said dismissively. “Look, I need to call my agent. I can’t be near even a hint of scandal and risk losing any branded endorsements.”
She hustled off down the corridor, her eyes glued to her phone.
Poppy was seeing a whole new side of their client, one she did not find likable at all. But she quickly brushed her concerns aside when the doctor finally emerged, looking for any relative waiting to hear about Matt Cameron aka Matt Flowers.
Poppy hurried over to the short, pudgy doctor of Indian descent. “Yes, I’m Poppy Harmon . . . Matt’s partner.”
The doctor cocked an eyebrow, assuming partner meant romantic partner, somewhat surprised
