"She reached out her hand, and said, 'Welcome. I'm Ava Montez.' She sounded nervous and I wondered why she said what she said. I was sure the young man knew exactly who she was, from her films.
"He shook her hand. 'I'm Michael, your greatest fan, Miss Montez. I'm honored and excited to be playing your brother. It's a great script.'
"Of course, Ava always had the final word of who would be her co-star. For some reason I didn't think it would be Michael Conrad.
"They went through a couple of their scenes. He was very good and there was a special connection between them. Michael Conrad, with his handsome features, fitted perfectly with Ava's overpowering beauty. One could tell that they would ignite the screen, especially the moments they'd be on the screen together.
"The screen test on the two of them was extremely good. Everyone waited to hear what Ava had to say.
"Ava was very quiet all through the screening of the tests. Right afterwards she got up and left, not saying anything to anyone. That was so unlike her. She was always so friendly and encouraging to the people she'd be working with. We waited, but she never returned.
"In the end, I got up and went to look for her. She was in the car and pleaded for me to take her home.
"She said, 'I have something I must tell you, Jake. I have wanted to tell you this for a long time, but was afraid. Now under the circumstances I must tell you about a big secret in my past life . . . before I met you, and before I became Ava Montez.'
"We rode in silence all the way home. I was wondering what it could possibly be that Ava wanted to tell me. And what did she mean when she said, 'Before I became Ava Montez'?
"I remember reaching over and holding her hand. And then I told her, 'I love you, Ava, and nothing about your past will ever change that.'
"She looked up at me and said, 'I know.'
"The tears streamed down her face and onto the beautiful silk blouse she was wearing. My heart was aching for her. She looked so frightened and scared. When we arrived home she went right upstairs and returned with a small box. I had seen it before and called it Ava's Treasure Box, but she always kept it locked and I never asked what was in it.
"She looked at me while trying to control her emotions. In a very quiet voice, and through her tears, she said, 'I think Michael Conrad is my son.'"
CHAPTER 7
Ava's Past Secret
"Tears started to flow from Ava's eyes again. I walked over and put my arms around her. She melted into them, and by this time she was sobbing out loud. My heart was breaking for her. I led her over to the couch, and said, 'Ava, your past means nothing to me. You are the best wife a man could ask for. Tell me, if you want to, why you think that Michael is your son?'
"I remember how she looked at me, with those tears streaming down her face. 'Jake,' she said, 'I don't know where to begin.'
"I said, 'As always, Ava, begin at the beginning.'
Jake Austin looked closely at Rae who was busy making notes. "I knew absolutely nothing about Ava's past or even what was in the little box she was holding so tightly. Occasionally I'd wonder what it held, but always thought that if it was important, someday it would come out in our everyday conversation.
"In my wildest dreams I'd never have thought Ava had a child. She came to the studio very young and very innocent.
"She looked up at me, pulling away from my arms, but still sitting on the couch she began to tell me about her past. 'When I was fifteen, my mother and father were killed in a car accident. I was in school. The principal's office called me in and when I got there the door was open. There were two police officers talking to the principal. I could hear them telling her that a cement truck driver had lost control of his vehicle and crashed into my parents' car. They were both killed instantly.
'"I never went into the office. I ran out of the school building, crying and screaming. I had no relatives. Both of my parents were only children, just as I am. I had nowhere to go.
'"I had a twenty dollar bill that my father had given to me to keep for an emergency. I also had another twenty that my mother had given me, with the same instructions: Keep it for an emergency.
"'I didn't know what to do or where to go. I ended up at the bus station where I saw a sign that said, 'Twenty dollars will take you to Hollywood.'
"'I got on the bus and became a street person. Jake, that's why I enjoyed helping the street people here every chance I could when I wasn't making a movie. I wanted to help someone and bring them out of the conditions they were living in, just as someone had helped me many years before.
"'You see, after six months of begging for my food, a woman came by and took me to a homeless shelter. I had the first hot shower and delicious food that I'd received in a very long time.
"'She said that if I stayed there for a few days and received their help, she would come back and help me find a job, if I wanted one.
"'I told her that I'd love to have a job and get off the streets. She asked me how old I was. I didn't tell her I was fifteen. I lied and said I was eighteen.
"'Three days later, just as she said she would, she came back and found me a job at a restaurant as a dish washer and bus person. I loved working and making my own money.
"'After I was there a while, I was promoted to waitress. A young soldier came in three times a week. He was handsome and blond, and was very nice to me. He'd always ask for me, and leave me a big tip. He was from the South somewhere. His name was Johnny Monty.
"'Johnny asked me out and I accepted. Four months later we were married. Soon after that, he was transferred to a base in Hawaii, where I traveled to meet him three weeks later. This was not long after the attack on Pearl Harbor. We were happy and he was a good husband.
"'Three months after that, he was sent overseas to Europe, and I was left in Hawaii. Before he left, Johnny told me that he had a life insurance policy for ten thousand dollars, which was given to him by the government. He said that my name was on the policy, and if anything should happen to him, I'd receive the money.
"'Two months after he left, a uniformed army officer rang my door bell and told me that Johnny had been killed in the line of duty. He handed me an envelope and inside was a check for the ten thousand dollars.
"'Just two days before, I'd found out that I was a little over two months pregnant.'
"Tears started to flow out of Ava's eyes again. I felt so sorry for her. I reached out and took her hand. I didn't want to interrupt her. And even though she was crying heavily, I knew she was at peace. Finally the pressure of carrying the burden was being lifted off her shoulders.
"She stopped crying for just a moment. Then she looked up at me and smiled. 'I love you so much, Jake, and I'm so sorry I've held this from you for so long.' She took hold of my hand and continued. 'I didn't know what to do. I was just sixteen years old. How could I take care of a baby? Abortion was out of the question, so I decided to give the baby up for adoption. It was a very hard decision for me to make.
"'After the baby was born and the proper papers were signed, I left Hawaii. The doctors and nurses asked me if I wanted to see the baby. I said no, as I knew I wouldn't be able to handle it emotionally. I did ask what the baby was, and the doctor said, 'A very healthy baby boy.'
"'Oh, Jake, I've been haunted by this memory for eighteen years. Whenever I felt sad, I'd think of you and how blessed I've been to have a husband like you. Thoughts of you always bring joy into my heart. But today at the studio when that young boy walked in, I knew he was my son. You see, he's the spitting image of Johnny.'
"Ava opened up the box and brought out a picture of the two of them on their wedding day. She was correct; Michael Conrad looked exactly like his father. It was amazing. They could have been identical twins.
"There was no doubt in either of our minds that Michael was Ava and Johnny's son. As Ava continued, her voice became stronger and stronger.
"The tears even stopped for a little while as the memories she had suppressed for so long came pouring out of he
r. I'm sure you've heard the saying, Confession is good for the soul. For Ava, it was like she was beginning a new life -- getting rid of the secret she'd been hiding.
"She continued. 'I took the ten thousand dollars and returned to Hollywood. I cried all the way on the plane. My thoughts were confusing. I wondered what I'd done in the past to make my life so miserable -- losing my parents, my husband and giving up my baby. What had I done and what was I going to do?
"'Then a thought came to me. Maybe I should try to be become someone else . . . a new person. Perhaps good things might begin to happen to me.
"'The first thing I decided to do was change my name. I got on the plane as Ana Monty. I got off the plane as Ava Montez. I went straight to the courthouse and legally changed my name.
"'I found a job at a restaurant. Kim Blakely worked there and we hit it off immediately. She said she was looking for a roommate, and I moved in the same day I started my job. I had nowhere else to go, so it was heaven-sent. From that moment on, Kim and I became best of friends.'
"Ava looked at me and said, 'Apart from you, my dear husband, Kim is my best friend.' I remember leaning over from the couch when she told me that, and giving her a kiss.
"She said, 'It was at that restaurant two years later when Antonio discovered me and introduced me to your best friend Joseph.'"
Jake said to Rae, "You most likely don't know who Antonio was. He's dead now, but he was a very famous movie star, not only in America, but all over the world."
Jake continued with his story. "So, Michael Conrad had arrived at the studio to audition, and Ava had to decide if he would play her brother in the movie.
"She said, 'I don't know if I can handle Michael playing my young brother. The script of him going off to war will bring back too many hurtful memories. Help me to make the right decision, Jake. Joseph wants my answer tomorrow.'"
Jake looked at Rae. Telling the story had clearly brought memories of Ava back to him. He smiled, and said, "Ava was a wonderful person, Rae, and being my first love, she'll always be part of my life.
"I'm glad that after all of these years of telling just one other person, I'm able to tell you. This has released the burden that I've been carrying."
Rae looked up from her notepad. "Who was the other person that you told Ava's story to?"
"It was Michael, Ava's son. But it wasn't until after her death four years later. I just felt that he should know. By then he'd become a big star himself. And of course, Ava had chosen him for the movie.
"He took it well and said he understood. I gave him the photo of Johnny and Ava's wedding day. He thanked me. He was also amazed at how much he looked like his birth father. He told me he always felt there was something special between Ava and himself.
"As I told you, Michael passed away three years ago. His funeral was a large production with many of his fans and fellow stars attending."
Jake sighed. "Well, Rae, I hope I've given you some good information about Ava. She was a great lady and a great star."
Rae thanked him as he walked with her to the elevator. She said, "I feel I already know Miss Montez as a person, and not just as a news item. This is an amazing story. Before I send it to the magazine, I'd like you to read what I've written so you can approve it and add anything extra, if that's okay with you."
Jake nodded. "I'd be honored. Do you know, I'm excited by the thought of reading your final story on Ava. I'm sure it will be perfect."
Rae stopped before she got into the elevator. "I have one more question for you, Mr. Austin. Do you know where I can locate Joseph Morgan, Kim Blakely or Martha Brown?"
"Three suspects in Ava's murder." Jake smiled wryly. "And I suppose I'm the fourth! Joseph was here for our wedding two months ago, but he's back in Hollywood now. You just missed him. Kim lives here in the city, and she was also at the wedding. I don't know anything about Martha Brown, but I'll check into it if you wish. I'll call Joseph and Kim and tell them you're doing a story on Ava. I'm sure they'll cooperate with you. Call me tomorrow sometime. If they say it's okay, I'll give you their phone numbers. They're unlisted."
Rae said she thought that was really helpful.
Jake held up his hand. "Wait a second. I have something for you."
He returned with three DVDs of Ava Montez' old movies.
Rae thanked him, then asked, "Why were you and the others treated as suspects?"
"It was the key to the elevator to this penthouse. We each had one. The day Ava died, when I came home, she was on the balcony. I called out, 'Hi, my love.'
"She called back, 'Well, it's about time you said hello.'
"I went up to her and asked, 'What do you mean?'
"She told me, 'I thought I heard you come in a few minutes ago.'
"I said, 'I just got here. It must be your imagination, wanting me to come home quickly so we can spend more time together.'
"I went in and took a shower. When I came out I heard sirens and saw flashing lights down in the street. I looked over the balcony railing and saw Ava's broken body lying on the sidewalk."
RAY
THE REPORTER
CHAPTER 8
The Almost Hit-and-Run
Jake Austin got into the elevator with Rae, and accompanied her to the front door. She thanked him again.
He said, "Don't forget to phone me tomorrow for the contact numbers of the other so-called suspects, if they're agreeable. And I have a box of photographs you can look through some time. There are ordinary snapshots in there that the public have never seen. I'm sure your readers will find them intriguing."
Rae smiled. "I'm so grateful," she said, thinking that her story might now spread to several pages of Sam's new magazine.
"I like you, Rae, and believe you'll do a good story on Ava's life. Please keep me posted."
Rae walked out of the Golden Towers with a warm smile on her face. The interview had gone well, and she was hoping the other interviews would be as easy.
She thought about Ava Montez, her secrets, her loves and her success in the movie world. She thought about the picture above the mantle and decided that Ava was at that time, and probably would have been even today, the most beautiful woman in the world. She must ask Jake Austin for permission to reproduce the painting in her write-up. It would look good filling a whole page in color. He would almost certainly have a photograph of it she could borrow.
It was a wet evening. Charles the doorman came running over, holding an umbrella over her head as she fumbled in her bag for the small folding one she always carried at this time of the year, when rain showers fell without warning. She found the umbrella, opened it up, smiled and thanked Charles. It was small, but it gave her the protection she needed. He asked her if she wanted a taxi.
Rae thanked him, but explained that she didn't have far to go, and she loved walking in the rain. Besides, she had been with Jake Austin for almost three hours. He had offered her some snacks, which she'd refused, and by now she was hungry and needed sustenance.
She crossed the park to the main street. Her favorite restaurant was just a block away from her apartment. As she got closer, she became hungrier with each step of the way. Then, there it was, Pastrami Haven. She loved pastrami sandwiches. And at least once a week she stopped here and indulged herself. It had a great salad bar with over twenty-five selections. Her favorite was a piled-high pastrami sandwich, with hand-made French fries and a whole dill pickle. She couldn't wait. Her stomach was growling for food!
Sometimes, but not often, she would skip the sandwich and just have the salad bar. She knew the owners, Tony and Donna, and many of the servers. Even when she just had salad bar, they'd bring her one of those delicious home-made pickles.
Today, she was planning to go for the whole works.
Rae took her time and enjoyed every bite, sitting by herself and organizing her notes.
By the time she left the restaurant it was dark, and raining hard. As she opened the door to leave, it seemed that the heavens opened up, with bu
ckets of rain tumbling down.
She considered waiting but, since it was only a short distance, she ventured out. She didn't care now if she got wet anyway. She'd had a great day and was looking forward to a hot shower, finalizing her notes, and starting to write her story.
She took her shoes off, as it was easier to walk in the rain without them. With her umbrella up, blocking the rain and the wind, she noticed a car parked in the middle of the street by her apartment. Its lights were on. The car was double parked so the driver was probably waiting for someone. For her? No, it was unlikely the other three suspects would already know that she wanted to speak to them.
The rain was pouring down so hard she could hardly see in front of her face. She shielded the rain with her umbrella and crossed the street in the direction of the double parked car.
When Rae got into the middle of the street, one of her shoes slipped from her wet hand. As she bent over to pick it up she noticed the car racing towards her. She panicked, not knowing where to go. Someone grabbed her arm and pulled her between two parked cars. She could feel the speeding car's fender brush against her backside. She screamed and fell forward.
Her heart was beating so fast she could almost hear it. She looked up to thank her rescuer, and was taken back as she looked into the face of Max Bright. A great peace came over her.
"Max, thanks. You saved my life. But what are you doing in this neighborhood?"
Max helped her to her feet. "I've been worried about you, Rae. I called you three or four times on your cell phone and your home number. When you didn't answer, I decided to come over to make sure you were okay. And when you didn't come to your door, I was even more worried."
"My cell phone is switched off," Rae said, trembling. "I didn't want the interview disturbed by anyone. And I spent a long time with Jake Austin. I'm glad you came."
"I was just leaving your apartment building when I saw you crossing the street. I called out, but I guess you couldn't hear me with the wind and rain. I was almost in front of you when I saw you drop your shoe, and then that car came heading right at you."
"Did you catch the license plate? That driver should be taught a lesson."