Page 5 of Animal Beats

“Damn Río. We just got the Bennett situation under control and now this.” Luke gazes directly into my eyes. “I was having lunch with Bennett and Jenna. She accepted the offer to be UC’s touring physical therapist, and will be staying on tour with the band.”

“That’s great.” This news warms my heart. I like Jenna. She’s smart and, from all accounts, a damn good physical therapist. Even though I’ve only seen them together since I came onboard, she and Bennett are a great match. UC still is getting positive press about how both of their high school grudges were deep-sixed. I played a small role in helping Tracey and Nina clean up their messes, and am proud of the work I did for them.

Which will now be forgotten given what Río’s done. Damn drummer.

“Do you have any ideas about how we can handle this most recent flare?”

I reply, “You sound like you’re used to this sort of thing.”

“With this group, a new blowout is always lurking around the corner. So, what have you got?”

“Until we talk with Río, all I have is preliminary thoughts,” I hedge. More than anyone, I know how the truth can obliterate any carefully constructed fiction. I read the first two bullet points off my pad, which garners a positive response from the manager.

“Sounds good. The fact Río had the presence of mind to offer to pay everyone’s fines definitely will play to our advantage. I do like the idea of letting him lead the next call-and-repeat at the concert in”—he closes his eyes—“Barcelona.”

I smile. “I had to check the schedule to see where we were going, too.”

“Barcelona is good. The venue is large and the crowds have always been receptive. I bet they’d eat it up if Río does that part of the show. Besides, he’s usually behind the drum kit, so if we bring him forward, they’ll enjoy seeing his legs.”

Which leads me to the last bullet point and the drummer’s legs. Rather, all of him. “I’m not sure how we can get around the fact he stripped before jumping into the fountain.”

He sighs. “Yeah. That’s a harder nut to crack.”

His laughter breaks the silence.

I try to keep it together for all of three seconds, then join him. Before I can get my laughter under control, Luke adds, “We need to act quickly before it shrinks.”

More laughter ensues.

I wipe my eye. “I needed that.” A few more chuckles ensue. “Honestly, I was thinking of letting the media take care of this part of the story. It’s not like we can really spin the reality of what happened.”

“Yeah.” Luke cracks his knuckles. “At least the idiot has a decent body.”

More brawn than brains. I tap my pad. “Okay. So we’re going to pay all the fines and tell the world how UC looks after their fans. The riot accusation will dissipate, especially after the Barcelona performance. And let the internet take care of the rest.”

“Sounds about right. Of course, we need to talk with Río to make sure we got it all.”

“Plus hear the cops’ side of the story,” I add. Please don’t let there be anything more.

Luke and I continue planning out next steps when a police officer enters the conference room. “Ciao. I understand English is better for you?” We answer in the affirmative and the cop continues. “Your band member has been cooperative with us, explaining why he caused such a fuss down at the Trevi Fountain. He understands he should not have divided the crowd and urged them to scream at each other, and why it appeared to look like a riot. Swimming in the fountain was only a bonus.”

Some bonus.

At least it doesn’t seem as if they’re going to arrest the stupid drummer. Score one for me.

The band’s manager asks, “When can we see him?”

“He’s about finished getting processed. He said his mug shot will rival that of Frank Sinatra.”

I manage to stop myself from rolling my eyes. Idiot. “Will any charges be filed against him?”

“Because he has such a high profile, and he agreed to make good on all of the fines, we have decided not to press any charges. He also let us know he was going to leave Italy in the next twenty-four hours.” The cop stares at Luke.

“That’s right. Our next concert is tomorrow night, in Barcelona.”

I sit forward. “We really appreciate this. I’ll see if we can move up our departure so we can get out of your hair sooner.”

“If you can make it sooner, it would be much appreciated. And consider staying out of the country for a good year.” The cop gathers his files. “Here is all of the paperwork for you to fill out for the fines. I’ll bring Signor Sullivan to you once this is completed.” He leaves.