Page 74 of Get A Fix

“For whoever is alive, Riggs or Voss,” Owen apprised him. “The search will continue.”

“I don’t get this at all,” I rushed out. “How would Voss even make contact with an actor?”

“That’s easy,” Ash answered me. “Writers usually want to make sure their research is authentic, so they reach out to the subject.”

“But if they knowingly met with a fugitive, afterward they should have reported that contact to law enforcement. The police, the FBI, everyone is expending time and resources to bring this guy to justice. If the writers met with Voss and didn’t tell anyone, they could be charged with obstruction of justice.”

Ash grimaced.

“No? Not in Hollywood?”

“All I’m telling you is that in the name of getting the story right, I know more than one actor or writer who’ve met with someone they shouldn’t have. And when it was revealed to the press, it’s been treated like journalists with confidential sources.”

“Journalists go to jail for that,” I reminded him.

“Yes. True. But most journalists don’t have the same fanbase as an actor making fifteen million a film, nor their Instagram following.”

“That is some bullshit,” Nash grumbled.

“But it’s done over and over in the name of trying to get the story to be as credible and factual as possible, just like a news story.”

“Actors and journalists do not have the same job,” Nash made clear.

“No, but a writer’s job is similar,” I told him, understanding Ash’s point. “And while I can see a fugitive not wanting to meet with the person writing the screenplay, I could see them wanting to sit down with the person playing them in the movie. That would be a real thrill.”

“Star power,” Owen concluded.

“So then maybe Riggs wasn’t just dressed up for you that day,” I suggested to Ash. “I’m sure he wanted to impress you, show you how awesome he looked in the role, but maybe he was also planning to meet with Voss somewhere on the way to LA.”

Ash nodded slowly. “Yeah… First, he pitches to me, and then he goes to meet Voss, with his writers, so they can fact-check what they have.”

“Check for texts or emails about meeting times, places,” Nash said to Owen. “That all seems probable, but we need confirmation.”

“I don’t know their⁠—”

“Dennis Ing and Bob Abernathy,” Ash answered.

“There’s no way they all just exchanged emails,” I threw out. “It will be more cloak and dagger.”

Owen began, “I have to wonder, did Voss plan it, or was it spur-of-the-moment?”

“You’re saying Voss planned to meet Riggs and the two writers to answer their questions, but then when they all got to the rendezvous point and he saw Riggs looking just like him, Voss saw an opportunity and took it?”

“I have no idea, but perhaps there’s something more to be found in their communication. I just have to do some additional digging.”

“Well, just don’t look for anything, anywhere, that you’re gonna get in trouble for. Search, don’t hack,” I told Owen, who was punching the keys on his laptop as screen after screen popped up.

“Why are you warning him?” Ash asked.

“Owen is a very accomplished hacker, so he needs to always be on the right side of the law, absolutely no question.”

Owen groaned. “I’m not a child. I know what not to do.”

When the silence dragged, he looked up at me.

“Listen, I haven’t hacked my way into any government agency in over two years.”

“Alert the media,” Nash grumbled, calling someone on speaker at the same time.