Page 53 of For Better or for Ransom

Luke

If there was something Luke should have learned after a decade as a private investigator, it was to look at the evidence in front of him and go where that would take him. Yet, he’d looked at the evidence and decided he needed to listen to his gut as well. And this time it was telling him that even if it looked as if Leonardo had chosen to take a few days off without telling anyone, there was still something nefarious behind his disappearance.

For starters, there were the two notes, seemingly planted so that they didn’t realize about the missing stuff in Leonardo’s dressing room and his hotel, and so that they assumed Leonardo had been kidnapped. That could have been a trick by the actor to ensure no one noticed he’d taken his toiletries and clothes with him. But would he have chosen such ominous messages if he wasn’t in danger? At some point he’d have to come back and explain what’d happened.

No, Luke was more and more convinced that Leonardo’s disappearing act hadn’t been a voluntary one. A quick chat with Divya had revealed she agreed with him. The two detectives were worried about the actor’s fate and were still scrambling to find him.

That was when they got an unexpected call.

“Hello,” Divya answered.

She and Luke had moved to her hotel room to keep working on the case and to get out of Sol’s way—as she’d said she wanted to write for a bit. Sol had expressed her belief in Leonardo’s disappearance being voluntary. Divya and he didn’t share her views. Could Sol perhaps be annoyed because of that, and that was why she’d said she wanted to write? Or was he just thinking too much and Sol had been truthful? He preferred to put those thoughts aside as Divya placed her mobile on speaker on top of the desk in her room.

“Hello, my assistant told me you wanted to talk to me?” an American-sounding man said.

Both Divya and Luke reached for their notebooks.

“Sure, and you are?” Divya asked.

“Of course, where’s my head! I’m Bobby—” the American said, then added. “The full name is Robert Lancaster, but everyone just calls me Bobby.”

“Of course, Bobby,” Divya said to Leonardo Pascual’s manager. “Me and my colleague have been trying to reach you. We’re investigating Leonardo Pascual’s disappearance.”

“I gather the boy is still missing?” The worry in his voice was real. “I’ve read something about him not showing up for his last performance of a play in Guadalajara—” Bobby hesitated, as if thinking.

“Barcelona,” Divya supplied.

“Barcelona, that’s right. And then I tried calling him. But he isn’t picking up. That’s when I talked to Peggy or was it Pippa⁠—”

Luke glanced up, with contempt.

Divya looked at him, eyes wide. “Do you mean Penny Carr? Leonardo’s publicist?”

“Ah, that’s the name, yes!” Bobby lit up. “She gave me a lot of PR gibberish nonsense. I still have no clue what it was that she told me. I literally couldn’t make out whether Leonardo was missing or not. He hasn’t called me in more than a week and that’s very weird. He loves our chats… And now I’m starting to be worried⁠—”

“Of course,” Divya said. Both detectives looked at each other yet again. None of them knew what to make of Bobby Lancaster.

“And then I was talking to my assistant and he’s all: ‘Pops, I told you some detectives called the office trying to reach you a few days ago.’ So don’t blame Pete, that’s my assistant, I just completely forgot he’d told me about your call. Anyway, what can you tell me? Have you found him sunbathing on some beach yet?” Bobby’s tone lightened for that last question.

“I’m afraid we haven’t, Bobby.”

Silence hung for a few seconds. “Something has to have happened to him. It’s completely out of character for him to just disappear—especially when he had work commitments.”

“Have you known him for long?” Divya asked.

“Huh,” Bobby stammered. “Don’t make me do the math but lots and lots of years… Since he was a young, hungry guy wanting to make it big in Hollywood and I was a middle-aged manager on the brink of bankruptcy. He saved my career.”

Divya and Luke’s eyes met again. He cocked his head. Bobby didn’t sound like the ambitious and cold-hearted manager he’d pictured him to be.

“How was the relationship between you two lately?” Divya asked.

“As great as ever,” Bobby didn’t vacillate. Luke was about to intervene and ask him about Leonardo wanting to fire him, but it wasn’t necessary. “To be honest, I don’t know how the boy still puts up with me. He’s on the brink of becoming even a bigger star, and I’m losing my marbles.”

Divya raised an eyebrow in warning. She’d be the one to take care of the interview.

“What do you mean losing your marbles, Bobby?” the Mancunian asked. Her tone was delicate.

“I keep forgetting everything! Yesterday I couldn’t find my car. It was parked on the driveway in front of my house—as always! Of course, Pete thinks I should probably not be driving. I’m seeing a doctor next week. See if they can really take my right to drive!”