Behind The Spotlight Chapter 110
Collin curiously looked at the two cleaners and narrowed his gaze, but Arnold approached him.
"How was it?" Arnold asked, trying his best to keep his tone casual even though his brows were knitted in mild irritation.
"How was it? Dude, I should be the one asking you that question. Why do you have a face like you just ate shit?" Collin tilted his head, genuinely curious.
"Nah, it's fine."
"Yeah, right. Fine my ass. Anyway, I'm leaving now. I already talked to Lawrence and listened to his story this week."
Collin always checked on his clients at least once a week. It was a personal rule he rarely broke. Out of his four clients, only Axel had no job, so Collin could just visit his apartment every few days.
As for Lawrence and Jennifer, he had to ask them where they wanted to meet because they changed locations often, partly for work, and sometimes for reasons he wasn't entirely sure about.
Wyatt, on the other hand, was mostly in the Uni-versus Pictures headquarters, polishing the script with the help of other writers.
Sure, Collin could just call them and ask about their situation, but calling and talking in person were two very different things. He preferred to see their environments firsthand.
A client could be getting bullied, and he'd never know if he didn't visit their worksite.
In fact, today he had learned that the relationship between Lawrence and Jolyne was starting to sour, something that would have been impossible to sense through a phone call. He wouldn't have known if he hadn't personally visited the fake church.
"Then I'm going to leave too."
"Alright."
The two walked out of the church as the crew members got busy with their jobs such as moving props, adjusting lighting equipment, and calling out instructions to each other. Some were still hard at work while others had wandered off to secluded spots to secretly consume drugs. Yes, drugs were quite common in Hollywood.
Anyway, the two agents continued talking as they made their way to the parking lot.
"How's the novel I recommended to you?" Arnold started the conversation, clearly wanting to forget his experience with Jolyne today.
"You mean the Hollywood novel you mentioned a few weeks ago?"
"That's right."
"I dropped it. The premise was interesting, but the author kept inserting stupid names. He also loved breaking the fourth wall. I didn't like it."
"Okay, cool."
"That's it? I thought you'd be mad that I dropped the novel you recommended." Collin was surprised.
"Collin, you have to understand, everyone has their preferences. I can't force people to read something they don't enjoy. I just hope they have fun with it, but if they drop it, it's no problem at all. Again, everyone has their own opinions and tastes, and that's what makes sharing books interesting. You never know which ones will stick with someone."
"That's kind of mature, coming from you. I didn't expect that at all."
"What are you talking about? I'm a mature person." Arnold retorted.
They reached the parking lot. Since they weren't familiar with this place, they spent a few minutes locating their cars while the sun glared down on them.
"Phew, today's pretty hot."
Arnold wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand, muttering something under his breath about California weather.
Collin, however, was staring at something else entirely.
"Collin? Your car's just a few rows away from mine. Why are you looking the other way?" Arnold asked, following Collin's gaze.
Collin was watching the two cleaners pushing a garbage bin. They wore masks, likely to protect themselves from the smell, but their stiff posture and quick, deliberate movements hinted at something off.
Collin felt something strange about them.
"Hey!" he called, his tone sharp. "Can I see what's inside the garbage bin?"
The cleaners flinched for just a fraction of a second, but it was enough for Collin's instincts to kick in. Instead of stopping, the two sped up toward their van.
"Hey! Stop right there!" Collin shouted, breaking into a run.
"Collin, what are you doing?" Arnold shouted, confused, but followed anyway.
The two agents, one running with purpose, the other with confusion, began to close the distance on the cleaners.
Suddenly, one of the cleaners pulled out a knife that glinted dangerously under the sunlight, catching Arnold completely off guard.
"Oh, shit!" Arnold halted, but Collin sprinted even faster. Arnold had no idea what was going on, and it didn't help that he was already gasping for air after only a few meters. He wasn't in shape like Collin, who went to the gym regularly.
"Arnold! Stop the guy pushing the trash bin!"
"Fuck, Collin! What the hell is happening!?" Arnold was baffled but decided to trust his friend. At least the one pushing the bin didn't have a weapon.
Collin closed in on the knife-wielding cleaner. He knew from his mixed martial arts training that running away was often the best defense against someone with a knife.
But not this time. Not when his gut told him that whatever was in that bin was something they had to see.
With his unique ability to sense bad people, Collin already knew these cleaners were trouble. His suspicion had only grown since seeing them in the parking lot.
With no better option, Collin pulled out his brand-new phone and hurled it at the man.
"Ugh—!"
The phone smacked the cleaner in the face, making him stumble and loosen his grip on the knife just enough for Collin to move in. He snatched the weapon away and landed a hard kick to the man's stomach.
The cleaner dropped to the ground, groaning. He tried to stand, but the blow had knocked the wind out of him. Collin followed with another kick, knocking him out cold.
"Producer Perberto? What are you doing here? Why are you in a cleaner's uniform?" Arnold demanded.
Arnold had managed to land a punch on the other cleaner, knocking off his mask. Arnold froze in shock when he saw the man's face.
Producer Perberto, the same producer who had worked on the movie Jolyne Robs starred in two years ago.
Arnold remembered him because he had shown a strong interest in Jolyne, enough for Arnold to be suspicious back then. But nothing had happened, so Arnold assumed he was wrong.
But now…
Arnold's mind began piecing things together, and rage started boiling inside him. His gaze fell to the garbage bin that Perberto was still holding onto with desperate strength, even after being hit.
Arnold's vision darkened.
"You motherfucker!"