Chapter One

In his meager bachelor apartment in Jacksonville, Florida, Steve Foster is recording a video for his girlfriend; he’s doing impressions of famous people. She inspires him to make them – she’s his best and only audience. His apartment is right next to Johnny Taylor, a real outlaw type who he’s met a few times. The walls are paper thin, and he’s heard some wild things, especially the passionate lovemaking at all hours of the night.

He turns on the app on his phone, presses record and starts working on a new celebrity impression. Five minutes in, he’s interrupted by an argument next door. Jack Harding is letting Taylor have it, telling him to stay away from his girlfriend. Tempers flare and voices rise.

Steve can’t help but listen to the two men going at it. He lets his phone continue to record. The argument escalates and then a gun goes off. He reactively yells ‘oh, shit!’ and realizes whoever is next door probably heard him. He heads out the door. Harding leaves at the same time and sees Steve fleeing the scene.

Harding shouts, ‘Hey!’ as Steve reactively turns around. He gets a pretty good look at the man. He senses that this guy is ready to kill him when a young couple suddenly appear in the hallway. They try their best to ignore the scene before them. Harding hesitates for a second, giving Steve enough time to run down the stairs. He’s quickly on the street, pumped up on adrenaline. He makes it to his girlfriend’s place and tells her what happened.

“You should go to the police,” she tells him.
He doesn’t want to get involved but figures she’s right.

He takes an Uber to the police station about fifteen minutes away, and meets Larry Holcomb, a detective with the Robbery Homicide unit. Steve plays the recording for Holcomb. The gunshot is clearly audible. Holcomb has Steve take him to the scene of the crime. The last thing Steve wants to do is go back there, but he has little choice.

They drive in an unmarked car to the apartment and walk up to the third floor. Steve points to the door. Holcomb knocks but there’s no answer. He turns the knob and finds it unlocked.

‘Wait outside, while I check inside,” Holcomb tells him.
Steve waits in the hallway, still nervous that the man will return, but logically knowing this is a near impossibility. Just being there makes him sweat.

The detective sees a man lying on the floor with a hole in his chest. A few feet away is a Glock-19. He also finds a spent shell casing. He calls in the Forensics Unit who collect all the evidence, bagging and noting everything. The body is taken to the coroner’s office.

Back at the station Holcomb brings in a sketch artist to draw the perpetrator based on Steve’s recollection. The fingerprints along with DNA are checked in the police database but there are no matches. Steve’s finally released and goes back to his girlfriend’s place.

After six weeks with no leads, the case goes cold. It looks like it won’t be solved barring some miracle.
Harding leaves Florida and heads west to Hollywood.

Chapter Two

Harold Klein built himself up from nothing and is the embodiment of the American Dream. His son, Barry desperately wants to make his mark on the world and be his own man. Unfortunately, he has no money and asks his dad for some financial backing to get started.

“If I did it without any help, so can you,” Harold tells him.
His father quotes something from ‘Self-Reliance’ by Ralph Waldo Emerson, but it falls on deaf ears.

The next day, Barry convinces the vice-president of the bank to loan him $50,000 based on his father’s good credit and reputation. Barry’s always wanted to be in show business but is too shy to be a performer. He decides he’ll represent actors and starts Klein Talent Agency (KTA).

He rents a small office in West Hollywood on Sunset Boulevard. He buys some used furniture and puts a dozen pictures of celebrities on the wall with fake autographs. He places an ad in Craigslist and interviews several candidates, finally settling on Amber Scarlatti to be his assistant.

She’s young and attractive, with no experience in entertainment other than watching Netflix and making TikTok videos of her wardrobe. He tells her to be there at 9 a.m.

Amber shows up the next day at 9:34. The office is as quiet as Chick-fil-A on Sunday.

“Good morning, Amber. You’re a half hour late.”
“Sorry about that Mr. Klein, I got distracted.”
Barry wants to make a further comment about her behavior but decides against it.

“What do you think we should do to generate some business?”
“I don’t know - go to some film school and check out some student actors?”
“How will that make us money?”

“Maybe one of them will be famous.”“It seems like a long shot.”
“I think it’s a great idea.”
He’s already regretting hiring her.

She’s distracted by the ding of a new text message.
“I’ll be in my office. Try not to get too excited.”
Oblivious to his sarcasm, she checks her phone to see if any of her friends posted something new on Instagram.

Barry walks into his office, shuts the door and sits down at his desk. He places an ad in Casting Call and looks around the empty space. He wonders what he’s doing with no experience and no prospects.

He starts playing video games on his computer and manages to waste three hours. He comes out of his office and sees Amber scrolling through her phone. She’s texting someone, her thumbs moving at a mad rate as if she’s engaged in some very important work. She’s totally unaware of him standing there. He goes back to his office.

The day has been devoid of any traffic. No one has called. It’s now 5:00 pm.
“Amber, go home. I’ll see you tomorrow,” Barry tells her.
“Sure, Mr. Klein; thinks will pick up.”

He’s not so sure, but just having her around seems to make him feel like he’s not a complete loser.

The next day is the same as the first. Then, at one o’clock, a young actor named Kurt Black walks in. He flirts with Amber who takes a liking to him.

She buzzes Barry.
“There’s someone here you should meet. His name is Kurt Black.”
“Okay, send him in.”
“Good luck!” she tells him.

Encouraged, Kurt enters Barry’s office and studies the pictures on the wall. He’s handsome in a rugged sort of way.
“You know all these people?” Kurt asks.
“Sure. Have a seat.”
“How did you find out about us Kurt?” asks Barry.

“One of my ex-girlfriends read something in Casting Call and told me to check it out. I wasn’t doing anything, so I figured what the hell.”
“Do you have a headshot, or resume?” Barry says.
“Nah, I just go by my gut. Everyone’s got pictures and a resume, so I figure I’ll stand out more if I just give ‘em the real me.”

“Well, generally casting agents want to have something to hold in their hands. I can have Amber take some pictures and type up a resume for you.”
“Sure, why not.”
Kurt does have a certain ‘something’ about him. He could be the next big thing or the next big nothing. After talking for a few minutes, Barry signs him as his first client. He has Amber shoot some pictures on her iPhone and write something about his background.

Chapter Three

The next day as Barry’s racking his brains to make some money,
Amber walks into his office.
“Mr. Klein, I think Kurt’s going places – I got him an audition with Adler Casting today at 1:30.”

“Good work. Let me see the pictures and resume you made for him.”
Amber prints out a copy from her laptop. Barry studies them.

The Price of Fame

About the Book

ESCAPE INTO THRILLING ADVENTURES