Invisible Threads--Chapter 15

Writer's Note: Please read the previous chapters and prologue of Invisible Threads before reading this.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

The drive back from Las Vegas to Los Angeles had been Lacy's only time of quiet.

The non-stop running in Las Vegas had been replaced by non-stop phone calls, e-mail, texts, and spreadsheets in LA. Today's effort was to call all of the department leads and get from them a list of everything that could delay the show or create budget overruns.

She then had to enter all of these things into a spreadsheet, assign a monetary value to each, add in the percent chance of each happening, and then the spreadsheet would calculate a total value of the risks. That would then be the amount of the budget that Al would not allocate to any department but would keep as a reserve. Her rainy day fund.

She was about a third of the way slogging through this spreadsheet when her phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Hello Lacy? This is Mercurio Hampton," he spoke with no trace of Italian accent.

"Hi Mercurio. What's up?" Whatever he had to say would be more interesting than spreadsheets.

"Not much. I got back in this morning from my week-end gig and was looking at those videos of the Richardson kid."

"Have you figured out anything?"

"Not really. I was wondering if maybe I could call the kid and ask him a few questions?"

"What kind of questions?"

"Just to feel him out a little bit. Maybe see if he might be interested in selling the trick."

Lacy's heart leaped into her throat. "Mercurio, if you poach the act out from under us, our lawyers will own your soul. And the contract he signed specifically forbids him selling his artistic or intellectual property prior to the air date of the final program."

"But the day after the final air date, he's free and clear. Right?"

"I suppose."

"I give you my word that I will do nothing that might hurt the program or violate the young man's contract or my NDA. But I would love to get my name first in line for the time when he might be able to sell it."

"Let me check with my boss and I'll get back with you."

"I'd appreciate it. If nothing else, I would really like to talk to this kid when he isn't doing his act. I like his schtick unless that's all he's got. Then it'll get old fast. Give me a call when you find something out."

Lacy called Al. Al called a lawyer. The lawyer wrote a detailed e-mail listing what would happen to Mercurio if he violated his NDA or Gary's contract in any way.

Mercurio received the e-mail, read the letter, and called Lacy back. "Hey Lacy, it looks like I'm good to go."

"Did you read the letter?"

"Sure. Horrible legal things happen to me if I go back on my word. If I do that, then I deserve every one of them. You have the number?"

Lacy typed Gary Richardson into her contestant list and his information came up. The phone number that came up was Cherie's.

"Great. I'll send you an e-mail with the high points after I talk with the guy."

"Please do.

Mercurio was still jotting the number down as he ended the call. He dialed the new number into his phone using his right index finger. Since the arthritis had started, there wasn't much he could do well with his hands. Thinking about it made him notice the pain. But then the phone began to ring and he was surprised that it was a female voice. "Hello?"

"Hello. I was trying to contact Gary Richardson?"

"I handle Gary's business affairs."

She handles his affairs? She sounded twelve. But, at his age, every young person looked and sounded twelve.

"May I speak with Gary?"

"What is the nature of your business with him?"

Mercurio sighed, unintentionally loud enough for her to overhear. "My name is Mercurio Hampton and I've been contracted by Superstar to get more information on Gary."

Cherie smelled a rat. "Contracted by whom, precisely?"

"My contact person is Lacy Birkland, Assistant Director."

"Thank you, Mr. Hampton. I'll call Lacy and confirm what you've said and if you check out, I'll have Gary return your call."

"Thank you. I'm available at this number and I look forward to hearing from Gary."

Mercurio ended the call. Stonewalled by a twelve-year old. What was this world coming to?