Mr. Austin motioned to one of the two matching chairs. "Rae, please have a seat."
As Rae sat down, she said, almost without thinking, "This is by far the most beautiful place I've ever seen."
Jake Austin thanked her, and offered ice tea.
That sounded great. She smiled and nodded her head.
Right on cue, the maid appeared, and Jake Austin said, "Two ice teas please, Kaye."
Rae liked the way Mr. Austin called the maid by her first name, and in a friendly manner.
She was glancing around the room, when she noticed the above the fireplace. It was a large portrait that she guessed was of Ava Montez.
Her beauty fit right into the beauty of the penthouse. Rae could see now why Ava was known as the most beautiful woman in the world. Her black hair was tied back off her face. Her almond shaped dark eyes, the long diamond earrings, and her red dress off the shoulders revealing her perfect bronze-like skin, were breath taking.
Rae wondered what the new Mrs. Austin thought of Ava Montez' portrait hanging in her new living room!
The words broke her trance. "Welcome. I'm Carol."
As Rae turned to look, Carol Larson, now Carol Austin, was walking into the living room carrying a tray with three ice teas.
Mr. Austin introduced them to each other.
The first thing Rae noticed was the resemblance between the picture she had been looking at, and the new Mrs. Austin.
As if she could read Rae's thoughts, Carol Austin said, "I don't mind the picture at all, Rae. I think it's beautiful. After all, Ava was Jake's first love. The picture is over forty-five years old, so I don't feel threatened by it. Besides, Jake told me he would take it down if it made me uncomfortable. But I said no, it's very beautiful and fits in this living room perfectly.
"When I first met Jake he was very honest, and told me what attracted me to him was that he thought I looked a lot like his first wife, Ava Montez. I wasn't sure at the time who Ava Montez was, so I looked up old movie posters at the studio where I was a starlet. I do see a little resemblance, but not that much.
"Jake and I continued our relationship, it grew into love, and now we are married. Happily, I may add . . . in spite of the news reports, if you have read any." She paused, and Rae shook her head as Carol continued. "I didn't marry him for his money."
Carol looked at Jake and smiled. "I have plenty of money of my own. In fact, I've just sold the penthouse on the eleventh floor. It was my father and mother's. I inherited it from them about ten years ago, along with the rest of their estate. Now that Jake and I are married, there's no need for us to have two penthouses."
Rae already liked Carol Austin a lot. She always appreciated honesty, and thought that under any other circumstances they could become great friends.
Rae asked, "Is the person who bought it famous?"
Carol shook her head. "Sorry, I can't answer that. The gentleman who bought it wants to remain anonymous. It's a gift for his future bride."
Carol excused herself, saying she had a business meeting to go to. She was the chairperson of her father's construction company, Larson Enterprises, which Rae knew was the largest construction company in the state. They not only designed and built apartment and business buildings, but also erected bridges throughout the United States and in many foreign countries.
When Mrs. Austin left, Jake Austin said, "She won't tell me how much money she has. I think it's because she has more than me and doesn't want to embarrass me!"
He had a smile on his face, a twinkle in his eyes, and a look of love.
He then turned to Rae. "Okay, let's get on with the interview. The reason I didn't hesitate when you called was because I've thought for over forty years that the case should never have been closed until the murderer of Ava is found and brought to trial. That is, if the murderer is still alive. So fire away. Where do you want me to begin?"
Rae looked down at her notes. "I know so little about Ava Montez, so please start at the beginning. Where did you meet her? When did you fall in love? Any information you can give me will help me to write a true story about her life and death."
CHAPTER 4
Jake Austin's Story
Jake Austin began his story. "I fell in love with Ava when I was fifteen years old. Ava was eighteen. It was when I saw her in her first movie, Gorgeous. Not that she knew I was in love with her, of course. I was just sixteen when we first briefly spoke together.
"I was being trained to take over the J.M.A. Studio, which at that time was owned by my uncle, John M. Austin. Even though the studio has the same initials as mine, it wasn't named after me, although that is what many people think today. My uncle had never married, so he started to train me when I was fifteen. He always said, 'Some day this studio will be all yours.'
"I was made for the movie business. It fit me like a perfect pair of slippers. My uncle was a great teacher, but when he was fifty-nine, and I was twenty-two, he had a massive heart attack. When he died he left everything to me just as he said he would. He had trained me well to take over the studio. I knew and loved the movie business.
"Under my management, within two years it grew from the third most profitable studio to the number one studio in Hollywood. Of course, having Ava under contract was a big help.
"Ava had many beaus and many admirers, but she never married. I was twenty-four when I woke up and realized it was time to court her. Of course, I had met her a few times when my uncle took me to parties and business meetings. She, being under contract, would also be at those events, because all her pictures were box office successes.
"She seemed at ease talking to me, so I called her and asked her out for dinner. I told her I wanted to renew her contract, with the advantages of it being better for her.
"Rae, if she was a star today, I'm sure her asking price would be over twenty million dollars a picture. And the studios would be happy to pay it. They would still be making a large profit.
"I took her to an out-of-the-way restaurant on top of a plateau overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It was a romantic spot where I knew we wouldn't be disturbed by flash bulbs and reporters."
Jake Austin looked at Rae. She smiled, but decided to say nothing.
He then continued. "It was only for the rich and famous. Formal wear, and no cameras allowed."
He paused for a second. "Of course, wherever Ava went, because of her beauty, people always stared at her. But at least there, it would be a silent stare.
"I had an emergency call that night that delayed me at the studio. I felt really bad, but when I called Ava and told her about the call at the studio, she understood and said she would go on ahead and meet me at the restaurant. Two of her great virtues were her patience and understanding.
"So I had my driver pick up Ava and take her to the restaurant. But for reasons known only to women, she was late getting ready, and I arrived just before Ava did. I knew a lot of people there. They were all chatting and laughing, having a good time. Even though the place was very formal and elegant, most of us knew each other from business ventures. It was like being together with great friends, and sometimes even like family. But privacy was always given when a business deal was taking place.
"All of a sudden the talking and chattering stopped. I looked over at the maître d' station and there was Ava. No matter how many times you saw her, her beauty took you by surprise.
"I always thought that she was even more beautiful in person then she was on the big silver screen. I got up, walked over to her, took her hand and kissed her on the cheek. She smiled at me and then looked around the room, smiling and waving very gently to everyone. Even though the guests there were wealthy and many of them famous, they applauded Ava as we walked over to the table.
"Our studio had just released her newest picture, A Life to be Stolen. The rumor was that Ava would be nominated for an Oscar for the fifth time. Well, she was nominated, but didn't win the Oscar that year. But she already had two.
"She had on that same red dr
ess you can see in the portrait over the fireplace. Her hair was fixed the same way also. The only difference is the diamond earrings. I gave them to her on our first anniversary. When I had the picture made, I asked Ava to wear the dress and have her hair done the same way as when I met her in the restaurant. I wanted to always remember our first date."
Rae noticed a little tear filling the corner of Jake Austin's left eye. She looked away quickly. Even after all these years, it was obvious he had never stopped loving Ava Montez.
CHAPTER 5
Ava's Little Secrets
"We had a great evening together," Jake Austin continued. "After Ava arrived, I asked for another table in the back of the restaurant; a quiet spot and more secluded than the one I had at first.
"We laughed and talked for over three hours. Since the other guests there thought we were going over a business deal, no one interrupted us during the whole evening.
"I took her home. My driver had been waiting outside all this time. I thanked Ava for the great time and asked her if I could call her again. She said, 'Yes, that's fine. I really had a nice time tonight, Jake.'
"I wanted to kiss her goodnight but I didn't. Well, actually I did kiss her, but only quickly on the cheek.
"I told her I would call her in a couple of days. I had to fly here to New York from Beverley Hills because this penthouse we're in now had come on the market. I'd let it be known that I was interested in buying in this building, and especially if this particular one came up for sale. I bought it the next day, then flew back and called Ava immediately. Six months later we were married.
"You know, Rae, Ava never thought of herself as beautiful. Attractive yes, but never beautiful. She was always amazed when people, magazine stories and the press called her the most beautiful woman in the world. Ava was amazed, too, that the studio was paying her big money for something she loved doing. She always said, 'Jake, I should be paying you, instead of you paying me!'
"After we were married I told her that she could do whatever she wanted with the money she earned. I didn't need any of it, as I had enough for both of us.
"Something no one knew about Ava was that she started to give her money away to charities. It was all done anonymously, mostly through cashier checks and her lawyer.
"One day when we were in our Beverly Hills home, she came to me and said, 'There has to be something more I can do to help people who are less fortunate than me. I've truly been blessed. I have a job I adore that pays me lots of money, and a husband I also adore who doesn't want any of it. Jake, who's out there that I can help?'
"The next day she arrived home early from the studio, carrying two big packages. She said, 'Jake, stay right there. I have something to show you.' I was sitting in the living room while she went upstairs.
"I was thinking she had bought something for herself and had a surprise for me, because whenever she bought something new, there was always something for me, too.
"She finally came down. If she hadn't said anything I would never have recognized her. Ava looked like she had gained at least twenty pounds. She had on a big tan overcoat, quite an old one, a plain blonde wig and a scarf tied under her chin.
"I said, 'Ava where in the world are you going in that old coat?'
"She told me she had found some people she could help.
"Then I said, 'Looking like that, who could they possibly be?'
"She said, 'The homeless. Do you realize we have hundreds of homeless people right here in Hollywood? They have no food, no clothes and no blankets to keep them warm at night when our temperatures drop down. You know, Jake, some of our evenings are very cold. So tonight I'm going to go among them and see if I can help somehow.'
"I said, 'Ava, you can't go out there alone. It's much too dangerous.'
"Ava answered back, 'Oh, I know that. Don't worry, Kim's going with me. She's coming over for dinner tonight. I bought her some used clothes to change into and then we're going to go out to scout out the area most needed. We don't want to appear too well dressed.'
"Then she asked me in her child-like voice, 'Would you like to come with us and protect us? I bought you some clothes too.'"
Jake looked at Rae. "Kim was Ava's best friend, Kim Blakely, and also her agent. How could I say no to Ava? Besides I wanted to see the area they'd be looking at, and make sure it was safe. I knew we had many homeless in our city. I'd seen them often, and I have to admit that I'd never read or heard that they'd harmed anyone. I often gave them money myself, but I didn't want to hang out with them as it seemed Ava and Kim were about to do. Anyway, I agreed to go with them for the first few times, but stood in the background about a half a block away, never taking my eyes off of them.
"Twice a week the two of them dressed up in their 'incognito clothes' as they called them. They each had a cart, much like the ones at the supermarkets today. They would take my old truck, and park three or four blocks from the area they were going to. Their carts were filled with bread, canned food and always a few can openers. They also took blankets, small bottles of milk and water. They took anything they thought the homeless might need.
"If Ava saw someone who was sick or had sores on their bodies that were infected, she took them to the hospital and then would call her lawyer and tell him to meet her there with a check so he could pay the bill.
"He told the hospital that he was a lawyer and one of his clients wanted to pay for the hospital bill anonymously, and no questions were to be asked. He'd give them his card and tell them to call him. When the hospital gave him an itemized list of what they did, he'd pay them in full from his firm's checking account. Then Ava would pay him for all the expenses. In that way, no one was able to trace the money back to Ava.
"One of Ava's conditions was that she, and not Kim, was going to pay for everything. She made me swear that I'd tell no one about her little secret. Many evenings they came home still with their 'incognito clothes' on, to tell me all that had happened. They'd laugh and they'd cry. On many evenings those tears were not tears of joy, but tears of sorrow. This was the Ava nobody knew: sweet, kind and compassionate to others. And this is what I want people to know about her now.
"Ava and Kim were a great team. You know, Rae, they had been best of friends for many, many years. Kim took it extremely hard when Ava was murdered. They were more like very close sisters, if not twins."
CHAPTER 6
Ava's Big Secret
The large sitting room remained silent for a minute. Jake Austin seemed to be lost in the past. Then he suddenly smiled. "There is another secret of Ava's that absolutely no one else knew about, except for me and Kim. For over forty years I've told only one other person. Now I'm going to tell you."
Rae interrupted him. "Remember, Mr. Austin, I'm a reporter doing a story on Miss Montez. Please don't tell me anything you don't want the public to know."
Jake nodded reassuringly. "Whatever I tell you, Rae, you can print. Use your own discretion, but please don't tarnish Ava's reputation. Even though it's been over forty years since her death, she still has many fans. She was a beautiful person inside as well as outside. I don't know you, but I have a feeling I can trust you with this information."
Rae felt a rush of affection for Jake Austin. "Thank you, Mr. Austin. I'll do my best to keep the story true to the person Ava Montez really was."
Jake Austin continued telling his story about the most beautiful woman in the world. "Ava became a star very quickly. The moment her first picture was released, she was the number one box office star, and remained on that list until her death.
"Twenty years in films, and always number one. The fans adored her and still do. She was only eighteen when she catapulted into stardom. No one knew anything about her before that time. When asked about her past life, she'd just smile and say, 'My past? No one wants to know about my past. My fans and friends want to know about my future. My past was boring, my future is exciting. After all, I'm only eighteen years old. How exciting could my past have been?'
&nbs
p; "One day I was on the set of Ava's biggest picture, My Brother, My Friend. By this time, Ava was in her thirties, and the film was to become one of Hollywood's most honored movies. It sells well today on DVD. It received twelve academy awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor and of course Best Actress. It was the third and last Oscar that Ava was to take home. It was a great picture and she was absolutely wonderful in it, as was Michael Conrad. In the movie they both had to age from their teen years to being in their eighties. Even then, under all that makeup, Ava's beauty showed through.
"It was a great movie. A heartbreaker. When people bought their tickets they received a small package of tissues. Everyone left the movie with tears in their eyes. Even those who saw it over and over again still cried, some with loud sobs. Many brought their own tissues to be sure of having enough. It was a big box office success for our studio, and remained one of the most profitable movies of all times.
"It was about a sister and brother, and the brother goes off to war. He returns after twenty years, a victim of a head wound that brought on amnesia. It was a love story between two siblings. Not a story of romance.
"Ava had signed to do the picture, but they were looking for a new star to play her brother in the movie. The director was Joseph Morgan, my very best friend. We'd known each other for years. He was my best man when Ava and I married, and my best man again when I married Carol two months ago."
Rae said nothing, but recalled that Morgan's name was one of the four on her list of suspects. She gave a little gasp as she remembered that Jake Austin was also on the list.
"Joe said he'd found the perfect actor to play the part of Ava's brother in the movie," Jake Austin continued, seemingly unaware of Rae's reaction. "While Ava and I were waiting for them to arrive, I was helping her go through her lines.
"Joe walked in with Michael Conrad. You may remember Michael Conrad. He died three years ago. He was a very handsome young man then. He and Joe walked right over to us. I was holding Ava's hand. She pulled it away from me and I could hear her take a deep breath. She put her hand to her mouth and turned her back as they approached. I could feel the tension.
"I asked, 'Ava, are you okay?' She turned around, smiled, and said, 'Yes I must have choked on air.' I saw a look of panic and fear on her face, and little tears appeared in her eyes.